As I See It

by John Loengard, Ann Beattie (Introduction)

"Magic is the word we [photographers] use to describe what we discovered...when we think we've captured in a photograph some missing feeling, or hidden beauty, or bit of mystery from the fabric of life." -John Loengard

John Loengard, one of the great LIFE magazine photographers, sums up his 50-year career in this handsome volume. His subjects include movie stars, writers, politicians, artists, and other photographers, as well as everyday people engaged in a host of extraordinary activities-or, rather, typical activities rendered unforgettable and compelling by the photographer's vision. From a shimmering Marilyn Monroe to a man dozing on the beach, from a guffawing Ronald Reagan to Henri Cartier-Bresson flying a kite, from a groundskeeper in Dublin to picnickers in Central Park, Loengard's vision moves us with its humanity and artistry.

John Loengard's own commentaries on his pictures enlarge our understanding and deepen our appreciation of them. These vivid texts-who knew that the term silhouette was the name of Louis XV's budget-conscious finance minister?-help us to see as if through Loengard's own eyes.

Genres: Photography

216 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2005

About the author

John Loengard is a veteran LIFE photographer and an archivist of LIFE's illustrious history. He received the Henry Luce Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 from TIme Inc.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The commentary is just as good as the photos.

[Brian Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who merely studies the remarkable photographs in AS I SEE IT will deprive themselves of a treat. John Loengard is an erudite and witty writer; and the extended captions in the back of the book well deserve close reading. AISI is a spectacular collection and shows Loengard as one of the greats, and as a particularly brilliant portrait photographer. His portraits of Allen Ginsberg, Bill Cosby, Brassaï, J. R. R. Tolkien, Georgia O’Keeffe and others are amazing.

Here’s a quote: “The finest photographs are simply records of fact that provide such an unexpected sense of order, they take your breath away.” AS I SEE IT is a collection of fine photographs.

[Brice Fuqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valuable not just for Loengard's striking photographs, but for his witty commentaries in the second half of the book.

[Steven Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great selection of B&W photography.

[Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable portraits of many of the Twentieth Century's remarkable people.

[Rachel Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wise man. I enjoyed looking at the photographs and being able to make my own inferences but I found the writing at the back the most brilliant thing about this book. Loengard is both an exceptional photographer and writer and through his photos I can tell that he has lived through an extemely exciting era of history, culture and societal shift.