I’m not looking for answers in photography itself, I don’t necessarily look for them elsewhere, either. I’m happy to get something that makes me think, that maybe makes me change my mind, something that engages me, and if anything that’s what Alec Soth’s photography does.
via Conscientious | Review: From Here to There by Alec Soth.
7 Comments
Do you think Colberg put in enough links to the Amazon page to buy Alec’s book? I hope Alec does well with his book, but 11 links to an Amazon page in a 14-paragraph review seems like a touch of overkill to me.
@Tom, He does that in all of his book reviews. My guess is it’s due to a combination of SEO and getting a percentage of sales through the Amazon affiliate program. I can’t really find fault in it, besides the fact that it makes the reading a little stilted.
@M. Scott Brauer,
I can see offering a link on first mention and maybe again at the end for people reading the review on an iPhone who might not want to scroll back up. But 11 times? It makes it feel more like a sales pitch than a legitimate review.
Two thirds of the way through reading his review I was expecting him Colberg to throw in a set of Ginzu knives and a Snuggy if I ordered within the next 20 minutes. I think so many links undermines the credibility of the review. Again, I wish Alec all the best with his book, and don’t want to deny him a plug. I just think this goes a little too far.
I haven’t read Conscientious for a while, but after reading that piece I am starting to wonder whether I am being thick or whether it is badly written. I am getting that he likes Soth’s work, but past that I can’t make head nor tail of it. He seems to have a “strong opinion about the entirely superfluous MAC-vs-PC debate”, though I imagine he would strenuously deny that.
Unreadable.
@Robert P, it is clunky prose set to a Teutonic, meandering rhythm. Add a pinch of smugness for flavor. It reads like a transcript of conversational German. I think I agree with Jorg, although I can’t be certain due to his opaque “style”.
I would consider it unabashedly shameless promotion. I think to a degree it is better than shameless self promotion. I think Jörg would do the same for everyone. Especially in this money climate.
I think what Joerg offers is desperately needed and his attention to photo books is his forte, IMHO. He recently suggested a great book from Gerry Badger, The Pleasure of Good Photographs. As someone who has taught college photography courses I think this is one of the best literary references addressing solid, validated, fine art photography articulated with brilliant writing.
I personally feel I have got more from my $50 donation to Joerg’s website than any other donations I can think of period. If he makes a few nickels linking to the Mazon, then good for him. He provides a well needed support for an area of photography that is difficult to consistently fill with good efficiently worded information.
The Pleasures of Good Photographs, Essays by Gerry Badger (Aperture)
ISBN: 978-1-59711-139-3
This book is a keeper. Thanks beyond to Joerge and Rob for all of the awesome info.
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