Random Excellence: John Sarsgard

I'm really looking forward to getting back to the office and into the driver's seat again—I've been back in Boston this week helping with my "Aged P" (as Dickens put it in Great Expectations). My Mom is not too terribly aged, but she has Alzheimer's. Fortunately my stepfather is home from the hospital and doing well, care is in place for the next period going forward, and I can get back to work.

I took a short walk from the house yesterday, through Harvard Yard and into Harvard Square, where The Coop bookstore attached its magnetic tractor beams to me and pulled me in. I found three books to read next (Being Mortal, Draft No. 4, and Stoner) and I happened across this:

...I did read it, or a lot of it, standing there in the bookstore. I liked it, actually—it's always good to see a selection of photographs that thoughtful writers consider to be great, and then to hear what they think of them. A lot of the advice is sound, although of course it's easy to make recommendations and not so easy to put them into practice. But then I tend to like this sort of book—picture-oriented how-tos. (Here's a link if you're interested.)

Photo by John Sarsgard

But speaking of pictures of people, here are some wonderful ones to look at from one of your fellow TOP readers, John Sarsgard. John spent quite a long time photographing in Cuba, which my any measure is rich territory. Even so, I suspect it's not so easy to get through the "Cuba clichés" and go a little deeper. I hope you like looking at his work as much as I did.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2017 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Andrew Lamb: "Stoner is an excellent novel. Very moving."

Peter: "In the interests of balance, I'm one of the few who found Stoner deeply depressing and deterministic, fatalistic even."

Comments

[Fritz]

Stoner you are bound to find deeply moving, I would expect. One of the most profound novels I've read in a long time.
But it takes time.
Fritz

[James]

No link, Mike?

[Jeez, I'm sorry. Fixed now. --Mike]

[Tim McGowan]

Mike, that's a tuff road to be on. Hope others are also helping. All too often even though there are several siblings the care taking is left to one person. I wish you and your family patience and serenity. Prayers to you.

[John Sarsgard]

The newest of my Cuba images were made during a workshop taught by Steve Anchell. l was working on avoiding clichés and Steve was a big help. Cuba is so visually rich that one is tempted to just point and shoot everywhere. I suspect it might be like a landscape photographer who has never been west of the Mississippi being dropped into Yosemite.

[cdembrey]

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End looks like a book everyone should read.

I spent too much time in hospitals over the last few years. I'm non-resusatate, and one of my sons has medical power-of-attorney. If I flatline, and have been put on life support, he will pull the plug.

When I was working in Hollywood, I worked on several shows about euthanasia. If I wasn't a true believer before, I certainly was afterwords. Interviewing an elderly gentleman, who had broken California law, by ending his wife life was an emotional experience.

Everyone is different, so I'm not trying to tell anyone else what to do. This is what works for me. I expect that many peoples milage will vary. But it really is something to be worked out before it is needed.

[Greg Brophy]

Great shots John. Glad you got back before the three hurricanes.

[John Krill]

I really dislike authors using the word GREAT. No one takes great photos, well almost no one.

I suggest replace great with GOOD.

We all can be good at something but we rarely do great things.

Now what I need is a book that can make me a great writer in 3 easy lessons. Isn't that the American way?

[Herman Krieger]

"See See Havana"

[Mao]

The Coop didn't have a link to the book, so I can't criticize you for the amazon link to a book you found in physical book store.

[Although well disguised, I understand the Coop is now owned by Barnes and Noble. So you should really be criticizing me for not offering a link to the book on barnesandnoble.com. Here's that link:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/read-this-if-you-want-to-take-great-photographs-of-people-henry-carroll/1121172558?ean=9781780676241#/

But I don't get any affiliate fee from B&N, so now what about the fact that YOU found out about the book from TOP? Does that mean you should buy it from B&N or from Amazon? And to muddy the waters still further, you'll note that it was part of a "Buy 2 get the 3rd free" promotion at the Coop, which essentially means that the author is going to get almost nothing from those sales, or next to nothing. Are you then obligated to buy it for full price from a different source so the author will be paid? I don't know, but my guess is that the author will earn more if you buy it from my Amazon link than he would if you bought it at the Coop.

It's kind of a thorny thicket when you get down into it. --Mike]

[Steve Higgins]

Henry Carroll's book is one of a trilogy - the other two being a general one and one on Places.

I quite like them because he does tend to use good examples and generally eschews the usual art-crit drivel that photo collections tend to go in for.

Just my (possibly Philistine) opinion, of course. ;)

[Jerry Walsh]

Harvard Coop is one of my favorite bookstores. Have spent many an hour and $ there.

[Ken Tanaka]

That's some very good street work there, John!

Avoiding clichés in Cuba? Alas, Cuba has been one big visual cliché for over 60 years. Opening wider to tourism has only made it much, much worse. The place is becoming positively overrun by amateur photo workshops, mostly composed of well-heeled retirees!

But no worries. Photography for most folks is first and foremost about having fun. So grab your Leicas and your Cuban Pete hats and go forth (if you like hot, humid places...which I cannot endure). It may be a bit more challenging to find accommodations after Irma, but they'll need your tourism dollars.

P.s. Herman, I like your image very much, too!

[Matthew Miller]

A recommendation next time you're in Harvard Square: the Coop is fine, but it's really a Barnes & Noble in academic clothing. Walk down Mass Ave (past the Out of Town News stand) to the Harvard Bookstore, which is not affiliated with the university and is in fact one of the last few independent booksellers in the square.

[Bob Johnston]

I know how hard it is when in your situation. Best wishes. and many thanks for keeping the site going.

[louis mccullagh]

Story from CUBA. See weblink story is in description of first photo.