Great photographs change the way we see the world; The Ongoing Moment changes the way we look at both. Focusing on the ways in which canonic...
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Mar 14, 2009
Ruzz
rated it: 
I realize this book has found the hearts of many critics, and art/photography pundits but on the whole i found it dry and the equivalent of artistic navel gazing. Having said that, I feel that way about most of the art world so it comes as no surprise, i suppose.
for me, the interesting threads were limited to discussion of the eponymous black coated man that keeps turning up in photos through the ages. The decline of Stieglitz and his role in the photography world and relationship wi More...
for me, the interesting threads were limited to discussion of the eponymous black coated man that keeps turning up in photos through the ages. The decline of Stieglitz and his role in the photography world and relationship wi More...
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Jul 05, 2010
Karima
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I give this guy a lot of credit.Thoroughly enjoyed his take on individual photographs (many of which are well known) and those who took them. Very easy for the layperson to read. Dyer makes no claim as a photograper; the man doesn't even own a camera! He is a historian of sorts and points out how we are influenced by images.
He expands his descriptions with many anecdotes about the photographers themselves; their interconnectedness/rivalries/allegiances/indiscretions.
I took a star awa More...
He expands his descriptions with many anecdotes about the photographers themselves; their interconnectedness/rivalries/allegiances/indiscretions.
I took a star awa More...
Mar 18, 2010
Paula
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Dyer’s is both a fascinating and a frustrating study of (essay on) photography. The frustration comes largely from the presentation (or lack of) the photos themselves. Many of the photos that Dyer talks about extensively are not included at all (for example, those of Roy DeCarava) while the reproductions that have been included are so small and of such poor quality that they might as well not have been. Many of the most interesting observations in the book are actually quotes, observations made
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Aug 05, 2011
Colin N.
rated it: 
In “The Ongoing Moment” Dyer offers an idiosyncratic survey of photography, mostly American, and a discussion of a number of photographs (many included in the book) and the lives of the photographers. He examines the photos and ruminates on how they reflect and inform an understanding of one another. Dyer sees recurring images in these photographs - a shadowy man in a coat and hat, hands, doorways, gas stations, movie screens – moments and items that photographers refer to again and again. T
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Jun 15, 2010
W.
rated it:
Geoff dyer has a remarkable way of weaving history with imagery. I first picked up this book upon an advice to learn more about how to contextualise photography - especially in it's early stages in the 20th century. This book themes are identified by the objects that have been central in very famous photographic works. It distills photographic practice in a sense that allows you to draw on the relationships - which are often personal - between prominent photographers and how that has influenc
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Jul 06, 2010
Mary
rated it:
Think of a rather scrawny Christmas tree whose branches are
loaded with an array of fascinatingly personal decorations,
each with a story to tell. Intersperse 93 small B&W photographs
and feature 12 half-page color plates. Take some colored string
and connect Evans to Frank, and Kertesz to Smith, and Strand to
Steiglitz, and Winogrand to Weegee. Tie in Whitman and Wordsworth
frequently. What a treat! It's more than enough to make you cringe
only brie More...
loaded with an array of fascinatingly personal decorations,
each with a story to tell. Intersperse 93 small B&W photographs
and feature 12 half-page color plates. Take some colored string
and connect Evans to Frank, and Kertesz to Smith, and Strand to
Steiglitz, and Winogrand to Weegee. Tie in Whitman and Wordsworth
frequently. What a treat! It's more than enough to make you cringe
only brie More...
Feb 24, 2009
Gabriel
rated it:
Serving as a sort of reading companion (for me) to Lawrence Weschler's "Everything That Rises: A Book of Convergences," Geoff Dyer's book-length essay of (and I do not say "on" for good reason) those convergences was both considerably dull and strangely pleasurable. This phantasmagoric illustration of the ways of seeing the world through the photographic lens was, in the end, a little insubstantial for me. On the one hand, it is a perfect evocation of the subject and the way
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Feb 25, 2009
Bill
rated it:
another singular book from geoff dyer that has no business working but does. A quirky history of photography centering on the few titans -- stieglitz, walker evans, brassai, winogrand (a favorite of mine) weston and a few others. couldn't get the rights or too expensive to reproduce all the photos he'd like to, I found myself reading long rapt descriptions of photos I could not see. and, as I'm quickly beginning to see for Dyer, it follows a familiar arc: lots of disparate fun early... medita
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Mar 13, 2009
Lazarus
rated it:
Dyer follows-up the best-selling 'Yoga For People Who Can’t Be Bothered' with an equally idiosyncratic and fascinating journey through the history of photography. This is no straightforward chronology but rather Dyer has chosen to approach his theme via shared iconography and what can be learnt from different photographers’ approaches to the same subject matter. By no means an academic study, the book is brought to life by his perceptive criticism and revealing biographical anecdotes. Hugely enj
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May 31, 2011
Jimmy
rated it:
A poetic meditation on photography that serves also as a history of photographic themes and concerns as well as of America itself (the depression, modernization, transportation etc). My feeling is that if you are a really serious photographer, with your mind already made up about the medium, then you will not like this book, as it doesn't approach photography from either the viewpoint of the academic nor of the practitioner (Dyer doesn't even own a camera). He approaches it as a writer, pure a
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Nov 25, 2007
Sarah
rated it:
This book looks at the entire history of photography, focusing mostly on pictures taken in the United States by Americans. Of course, since it’s a book by Geoff Dyer, it isn’t your normal dry study of the art - its fluid chapters focus on reoccurring images (hats, hands, signs, benches, backs, stairs, etc.) that tie noted photographers together (Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Walker Evans, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange, Diane Arbus). The result is a somewhat successful look at how photographers
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Jan 19, 2008
Mike
rated it:
things photographers shoot:
the blind
musicians, particularly accordian
nudes
words
thought and thoughts
hats
beds, mostly unmade
benches
men in overcoats and hats
stairs
windows and doors
fences
old buildings
young women companions... if they're an old man
what's different seeing someone in the daytime vs. night?
what's the difference between a person's face and their back?
what's the difference of More...
the blind
musicians, particularly accordian
nudes
words
thought and thoughts
hats
beds, mostly unmade
benches
men in overcoats and hats
stairs
windows and doors
fences
old buildings
young women companions... if they're an old man
what's different seeing someone in the daytime vs. night?
what's the difference between a person's face and their back?
what's the difference of More...
Oct 11, 2009
Lauren
rated it:
I enjoyed this. I would call it a book-length essay on photography (no chapters, for instance). He shows how different photographs/photographers "speak" to each other through their turn to certain common photographic themes--hands, hats (on and off heads), barber shops, windows (looking in and looking out). Though not intended as a history of photography, you do get a good feel for much of its history in his exploration of photographs from different eras. 7/09
Feb 17, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
I find Geoff Dyer to be disarmingly charming no matter what topic he chooses. Here it's photography, and while Dyer is exceptionally good at explicating and unpacking art, I sort of wish there was less charm and just a bit more organization. The book is essentially one long essay, with Dyer covering the history of photography by examining persistent photographic tropes: the gas station; the street or road; the portrait of the blind; the man in the trench coat and hat; stairways; doorways. As not
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Jun 05, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
This genre suits, his novels not so much. He shines as a commentator on photography, taking us through his personal history of photography - it would be a great slide lecture, absolutely! I may read But Beautiful, his similar look at jazz music and musicians, and I am not a jazz fan, that's how pleasant this book was!
Apr 06, 2011
Nikhilesh
rated it:
For those fascinated by the curious art of photography, that which has become commonplace, infinitely reproducible, that fetishizes instrument. Dyer is neither Berger nor Sontag, but he can be both lyrical and profound. A worthy read, affording delight and wonder.
Oct 30, 2009
Markj
rated it:
Geoff Dyer is an intelligent and open writer. I read his John Berger influenced jazz photograph study 'But Beautiful' and that was a remarkable book it ignited a dormant passion of jazz in me.'The Ongoing Moment' is a much more a work of non-fiction, and I am not entirely certain I followed themes the book and what the underlying points were in many cases.
In the end I pretty much stopped studying the book and sat back enjoyed the ride, you learn something of the relationships betwe More...
In the end I pretty much stopped studying the book and sat back enjoyed the ride, you learn something of the relationships betwe More...
Jan 20, 2010
Gonzalo
rated it:
Dyer doesn't own a camera, but he knows how to look at pictures and is a master at interpreting history, composition, light, and subject. Along with Sontag and Malcolm, an essential of photography criticism...consistently insightful, lucid, and honest.
Jan 31, 2009
Erin
rated it:
I loved this book! The author's insight about the photographs he admires is stellar. His narrative is conversational, not stuffy. I feel like I've learned more about how to really look at a photograph or painting. This book is about noticing, and about the collective consciousness of art. Really cool.
Jan 10, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Dyer comes to photography through the lens of critical analysis but certainly not a photographer's lens. He is a little too insistent, in fact, on his having no photography experience at all. But it makes for a very interesting ride. His thematic/chronological journey through mostly American photography is pretty fascinating. He takes the approach of considering different photographers' perspectives on the same subject, using the similarity of the content to throw the contrasts into high rel
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Jan 31, 2010
Joshua S.
rated it:
I like Geoff Dyer's writing style very much. It's down-to-earth, funny, insightful and you don't get the impression that he's terribly self-regarding. This is basically a book about photography and photographers. The hook is that he writes mainly about how different photographers in different circumstances and different time periods have actually chosen to photograph very similar subjects (i.e. blind people).
I'll hopefully find time to revise or add to this review as I get throu More...
I'll hopefully find time to revise or add to this review as I get throu More...
Jul 02, 2011
Bob
rated it:
if yer into photography and literature--this book is great. dyer is a freakin' polymath of pictures and books. a great book.
Jan 29, 2012
Donata
rated it:
Lo sto ancora leggendo, ma è davvero intrigante il modo in cui Dyer spazia da un fotografo all'altro, esplorando varie epoche e tecniche, pur rimanendo concentrato sul concetto estetico di fotografia. Consigliato a chi ama la fotografia e vuole imparare ad osservare i suoi scatti da un punto di vista letterario e filosofico.
Apr 04, 2010
Catherine
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I learned some interesting tidbits about A Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe and was motivated to watch "Fir", a film about Diane Argus.
Jul 06, 2011
Priya
rated it:
A wonderful stimulating read, connecting photographers and themes across decades. You learn a lot more about the work of different photography Masters in this way, I think. Its a book I will have to re-read with a note book at hand. The book has many photos but I only wish that the author had included all the photos he refers to. Or that there was a companion volume with all of those photos. But I am really enjoying this book where the Masters come alive as people working on their craft.
May 06, 2011
Simon
rated it:
I am interested in photography, as an enthusiastic amateur and I found the book an enjoyable read. It covered a number of early famous mainly American photographers taking pictures in the US and compared their style and images to one another. This I enjoyed as it is always helpful to pick up ideas but perhaps the references to their personal lives didn't work for me quite so well. This is not to say that it isn't relevant or of interest but the book seemed to lose its way half way through.
Jul 07, 2010
Henry
rated it:
I'd actually give it three and a half if i had the chance, i liked it and i really like Geoff Dyers style and his books generally. It taught me a great deal about photography and i read it fast as it is engrossing, a really great balance of critical stuff, photography history and anecdotes on and personalities of famous photographers. Actually ive changed my mind i'll give it four stars, only a little pretentious in places but that probably cant be helped when talking about photography.
Aug 04, 2011
Leslie
rated it:
I loved this book. It felt like a long and satisfying conversation that moves from subject to subject with a vague sense of continuity. It's gotten me excited to go back and study my photo books in a way that one would study literature. Though I nearly flipped the book open at the start again when I finished the last page, I'm resisting the urge so I can let it seep in some more.
Feb 26, 2008
Johnny
rated it:
Absolutely excellent so far: photography from a non-photographer's perspective. Adds much to the discourse about photography in the same way as Susan Sontag's book, but in a less structured way -- it is more of an exploration that a series of essays. He is flowing through various tropes of American photography and talking about how photographers discourse with each other, intentionally or not.
Dec 01, 2007
candler
rated it:
a highly personal (read selective) history of photography--dyer looks at themes running through many photographers' work (hats, benches) and highlights a handful of photographers (kertesz, evans). although this style will make it frustrating for someone looking for a straight history, i think dyer captures the freeflowing essence of the medium in his words.
