Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Shortly after John and I got together, he decided we would go to Los Angeles for a while..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Pussy Cats, The Beatles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Lennon was famously requested by wife Yoko Ono to have an affair with the couple’s personal assistant, May Pang, while on sabbatical from the marriage. Apparently, Pang had a camera, but the biggest wonder is that no book of her photos appeared until now. The pictures show Lennon at a time of estrangement and personal excess (drink and drugs). The latter may be inferred from the cheery shot of Lennon with surprisingly fresh-faced Bobby Keys, who played the sax lead on the hit “Tequila” as a teen and became Keith Richards’ dedicated imbibing partner. Other photos touch on underappreciated facets of Lennon’s life: he and son Julian, then about 10, cavort in the water; Julian dresses up in John’s clothes—all very homey, as are shots of Lennon and Pang exuding domestic bliss. Not out to foment scandal, Pang comments about Lennon’s recording activities and personal concerns of the time very gently. Great for fans and desirable if not essential for biographical reference. And finally, how can libraries go wrong acquiring anything about any Beatle? --Mike Tribby

Product Description

“There were times I was a bit reticent in taking out my camera, like when some ‘old friends’ stopped by to hang out. I didn’t want to intrude on these moments, but John insisted.  He felt that I captured him in ways that no one else did because of his comfort level with me…For years, only my closest friends got to see these photos—which were literally tucked away in a shoebox in my closet.  They were surprised that these images did not convey the John that was portrayed in the press during our time together.  In fact, they saw a side of John seldom seen.”—From INSTAMATIC KARMA

John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they’re collected for the first time.  With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon.  The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they’re the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang’s photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.

The photographs in INSTAMATIC KARMA are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots.  Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon’s life.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; illustrated edition edition (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031237741X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312377410
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,216 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Instamatic Karma's gonna get you!, March 4, 2008

By	Music Mogul (New York City) - See all my reviews

When I first bought John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges" in 1974, what struck me was how good he looked -- happy, confident. May Pang has finally shed some light on the period known as Lennon's "lost weekend" and once again we see a happy, confident Lennon hanging out with his son, Julian, his Beatle "brothers" and just enjoying life. What a fantastic collection of memories -- a must-have for any Lennon fan.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Pics. Lacking text., March 6, 2008

By	Dirk Crockett (OKC, OK United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Four stars for a small collection of mostly good, previously unseen photographs. But I was a little disappointed in the sparse information accompanying the pics. Overall, a quick read and a nice collection of snapshots. Speaking as a huge Lennon fan, a must-have.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MAY PANG, April 2, 2008

By	Possum-Bread (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

Although I hoped "Instamatic Karma" gave us more details about the romance of John Lennon and May Pang, I was not disappointed in buying May's new book. This hard cover book was tastefully created and contains 157 photographs in color and black and white that I had never seen before. These are not glamour shots or publicity photos. These are real, candid photos worthy of any John Lennon fans' collection. The photos come with a well-written narration by May.

"Instamatic Karma" has plenty of photos of John and May showing there was a real relationship between the two. There are many nice photos of Julian during visits with his father, swimming, going to Disneyland, and general clowning around. Cynthia and Julian Lennon added an endnote to the book expressing thanks to May for her kindness and friendship to them, which was touching.

Since there is controversy about the common misconception that the years 1973 and 1974 were nothing more than a "Lost Weekend" for John, it was very satisfying to see photographic proof not only of the relationship, but that Lennon was happy, social and artistic during those years. There are photos of John with friends like Paul and Linda McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson, Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voormann and Mal Evans who spent time with John during this productive and commercially successful period. And there are some great photos from the recording sessions of "Walls and Bridges."

I highly recommend this book for Lennon fans. It's a beautiful book at a reasonable price. And you can still get a copy of the First Edition!

Side note: If you want the blow by blow description of John and May's life during this period, with all the details included, check out "Loving John" Loving John or "The Lost Weekend" John Lennon: The Lost Weekend both written by May Pang.