Customer Reviews

Tennessee 24/7

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have spent 40 years trying to become a better photographer. During that time, I have looked at many books of photography, trying to figure out why THEIR photos are so wonderful and so mine are consistently mediocre. I am becoming to suspect that the answer may involve talent.

This is one of the best books of photography I've seen in those 40 years. A team of photographers spent a week in 2003 trying to capture the essence of ordinary daily life in that state (other teams did books for the other 49 states and D.C.). A man cleaning the brass nameplate on Elvis's headstone. A kayak on the Mississippi at night. Listening to the blues at a club in Memphis. A little girl blowing soap bubbles in the yard. A bride and groom kissing. A steer being evaluated at an auction. Men at a barbershop. The tiny hand of a newborn baby. Fishing at dawn. A picnic at a baseball game. The ruins of the city of Jackson after a tornado. The Peabody Duck Parade. High School graduation. Musicians jamming with friends.

The result is a "family album" of everyday life in middle America. This is NOT a book about Tennessee nor photos of mountains and valleys (Okay...ONE photo of mountains). It is a book about people, and the photos make those people seem as familiar as the family next door. If you enjoy the type of photography that National Geographic does when it does takes an in-depth look at a community, you will love this book.

Many of the photos are reproduced at 13 inch by 10 inch size. A few are double-page spreads of 20 inches by 13 inches. The color quality is a amazing. The color is natural and lifelike, which is a goal most portrait photography fails to achieve. As a phographer, I am amazed to find out that most of the photos, even the 20 inch by 13 inch photos, were taken with 5 megapixel point and shoot cameras provided by Olympus. Today, even a $79 camera is likely to have 10 megapixels....these photos prove that megapixels are a myth...what is important is eye (and heart) of the photographer.

The high quality photography, the fine paper and binding indicates that this book ought to be selling for $50 or $75. I found a copy for $5. A true bargain.

Dozens of photographers contributed to this book. I am guessing most of them are very proud of this book...no project has done a better job of capturing the essence of daily life in an American community.