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25 Lessons I've Learned about Photography...Life
In his best-selling book, Lorenzo describes how the deceptively simple rules of photography can also be applied to the art of living. Inspirational and poetic, this book will not only spark readers’ creative energies, but also reawaken your passion for life.In 2005, as a husband, father, and corporate employee — Lorenzo's life revolved around home, work, and his daily commute from the suburbs to the city.Then, one day, he found himself staying at the Little Church in midtown Manhattan in the wake of a marital separation. Living in virtual isolation for three months, he had a rare chance to re-examine his life.Quite unexpectedly, he found himself wandering around the city to take photographs, a passion he had let slide in the years of pursuing a career and starting a family. During his nightly sojourns through the streets of New York City, he was reminded of some important life lessons—lessons too easily forgotten in the blur of everyday existence. 25 Lessons has been the #1 best selling photo essay on amazon.com for 2010 and 2011. Printed paperback and hard cover versions with photos are also available here on amazon.PRAISE FOR LORENZO AND 25 LESSONS“In many of my conversations on great photographers, I frequently mention Lorenzo’s work. His sequential photographs…are nothing less that a visual urban poem. It has been my pleasure to watch Lorenzo’s rapid growth as a leading photographer of our time.”Jim Van Meter, Rochester, NY, USA“Lorenzo is a master. His body of work is some of the very best online and may very well be some of the best being done in the medium today. His street work follows in the tradition of Paul Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand and Larry Friedlander. Lorenzo’s 25 Lessons are…as seminal as Ansel’s dissertation on the zone system. I found them to be reenergizing, perceptive and extremely useful. I have been touched by his story, his writings and by his work. I can’t imagine anyone not being so.”Barry Shapiro, Los Angeles, CA, USA“Lorenzo…has a passion for life, photography and writing. He is a linguistic genius, a storyteller through words and pictures. He captures with his camera the world as he sees it, its feelings, love, beauty and all it has to offer...” Brenda George, Adelaide, AustraliaABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER, AUTHOR & JOURNALISTLorenzo is a best-selling author, a writer and an award-winning street photographer.He has written numerous books, interviews and articles about fine art and photography for En Foco, Nueva Luz, Rain Tiger and the Examiner. Throughout most of 2010, his book, 25 Lessons I’ve Learned about photography Life! has been the #1 Best Selling Photo Essay and Artist & Photography Biography on Amazon.com. Paul Giguere, guru for the popular podcast thoughts on photography, considers 25 Lessons one of the "classic" essays on photography. In October of 2010, he served as the NYC photography adviser for the recently launched Microsoft foursquare photography app. In 2008, he was chosen to be the HP Be Brilliant Featured Artist.Since taking up digital photography in 2005, his photography has been featured in fotoMAGAZIN, Germany's premier photo magazine, and his photos have been cited, posted and published by over 350 other blogs, websites, and print publications. He has been called an "Internet photography sensation" by Time Out New York and is considered a "Flickr star" by Rob Walker, Consumed columnist, for New York Times Magazine.His work is represented worldwide by Getty Images.
- GenresPhotographyBiography
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2007
23 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Lorenzo Dominguez
9 books6 followersABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER, AUTHOR & JOURNALIST
Inspired by and aspire to make beautiful impressions of daily life, Lorenzo Domínguez is a best-selling author, a writer and an award-winning street photographer.
He has written numerous books, interviews and articles about fine art and photography for En Foco, Nueva Luz, Rain Tiger and the Examiner. Most recently, he published a new Collegiate Kindle ed. of Jacob Riis’ How The Other Half Lives Published, with 100+ historical footnotes.
Throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012, his book, 25 Lessons I've Learned about photography Life! has been the #1 Best Selling Photo Essay and Artist & Photography Biography on Amazon.com. Paul Giguere, guru for the popular podcast thoughts on photography, considers 25 Lessons one of the "classic" essays on photography.
In October of 2010, he served as the NYC photography adviser for the recently launched Microsoft foursquare photography app. In 2008, he was chosen to be the HP Be Brilliant Featured Artist.
Since taking up digital photography in 2005, his photography has been featured in fotoMAGAZIN, Germany's premier photo magazine, and his photos have been cited, posted and published by over 350 other blogs, websites, and print publications. Here is a small sample from April 2006
Today, Lorenzo has over 30,000 photographs published on flickr.com-one of the world's most popular photography websites-where his photos have been seen over 6 million times and where he ranks as one of the site's most popular photographers (aka "lorenzodom").
He has been called an "Internet photography sensation" by Time Out New York and is considered a "Flickr star" by Rob Walker, Consumed columnist, for New York Times Magazine.
Inspired by and aspire to make beautiful impressions of daily life, Lorenzo Domínguez is a best-selling author, a writer and an award-winning street photographer.
He has written numerous books, interviews and articles about fine art and photography for En Foco, Nueva Luz, Rain Tiger and the Examiner. Most recently, he published a new Collegiate Kindle ed. of Jacob Riis’ How The Other Half Lives Published, with 100+ historical footnotes.
Throughout 2010, 2011 and 2012, his book, 25 Lessons I've Learned about photography Life! has been the #1 Best Selling Photo Essay and Artist & Photography Biography on Amazon.com. Paul Giguere, guru for the popular podcast thoughts on photography, considers 25 Lessons one of the "classic" essays on photography.
In October of 2010, he served as the NYC photography adviser for the recently launched Microsoft foursquare photography app. In 2008, he was chosen to be the HP Be Brilliant Featured Artist.
Since taking up digital photography in 2005, his photography has been featured in fotoMAGAZIN, Germany's premier photo magazine, and his photos have been cited, posted and published by over 350 other blogs, websites, and print publications. Here is a small sample from April 2006
Today, Lorenzo has over 30,000 photographs published on flickr.com-one of the world's most popular photography websites-where his photos have been seen over 6 million times and where he ranks as one of the site's most popular photographers (aka "lorenzodom").
He has been called an "Internet photography sensation" by Time Out New York and is considered a "Flickr star" by Rob Walker, Consumed columnist, for New York Times Magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 2, 2013
Where you are makes a difference to what you see. New York photographer Lorenzo Dominguez found himself in a difficult position when his marriage failed. He, like many others, had painted himself into a corner by accepting the values of others: the usual, wife, children, house in suburbia, mortgage, corporate job, respectability, doing the right thing. Everything was right. Everything was false.
Lorenzo needed to thank his wife. She had broken up his family, leaving him desperate and grieving. Somehow he broke free of self obsession. He sensed that many others shared his plight, if not his position. Armed only with a camera, Lorenzo took to the streets. The photographs he took were focused with the love he could not express to his wife and family.
A twirl of the f-stop, a step to one side that moves the frame: the picture in the lens changes. Lorenzo went on a search for the beauty he had seen in his wife and children. He found there was not just a focus and a f-stop. There was an angle of beauty.
Because his photography was part of his healing process, Lorenzo learnt to see photography as a metaphor. If what you see causes you pain, you can move, adopt another viewpoint, another perspective. Happiness is mobility, flexibility. There is a perspective for everyone where what they see brings contentment and fulfillment. They just have to keep moving until they find it. There is a point of view we can all seek out. From it we can view the beauty inherent in all things. No need to resent the ugliness and sterility we see around us. Move!
Juxtaposition brings enlightenment
Citing Cartier-Bresson as an exemplar, Lorenzo strove to do more than just record. He sought to tell stories. Everyone and everything has a story, and if we are too busy to hear it we have lost a great deal of joy, and delayed the getting of wisdom that living can bring us. An image can be isolated, and enable us to see its shape and form, texture and colour, like a fruit you can smell and taste. But juxtaposed with another, in context, the movement, the drama inherent in all life can be discerned. The present tense of still life becomes amplified with the past and future, being and becoming. Movement in context brings us potentiality, imagined history. A two dimensional static image becomes imbued with a third and fourth dimension.
Look and see
Devastated by the loss of his family, Lorenzo learned to look outward, to see himself in perspective. As a photographer operates a camera, Lorenzo bought the same skills to his life. He saw, he focused. How many people walk without seeing, head down, preoccupied. How few see the sky, or even the gargoyles on tops of buildings. Lorenzo had two children, and they taught him how to look.
Lorenzo formulated 25 lessons. Based on his adventures roaming the city taking photographs, they are techniques and tips about taking better photographs. They are also techniques and tips for leading a better life. The book is a compendium of what Lorenzo has learned. His book is not perfect. Occasionally verbose, intermittently the insight can be commonplace. The book succeeds though because it is uniformly genuine. Based firmly on his life experience, Lorenzo is personal and unaffected throughout. He avoids playing the sage, though his book is generous with quotations and references from writers and sages he admires.
A photographer deals in light. Like a river, light is always changing. Like a river, a person is always changing. Just like a river, when we cease to change, we start to stagnate. Lorenzo’s book is an autobiography. It begins with the drama of his marriage breakup, continues with his ‘therapy’ of photography and the wisdom he derived from this practice, and ends with the story of his early life. Unavoidably, the first section is more engaging, because tragedy is more involving. What Lorenzo calls lessons are wisdom he has distilled from his own life, and the reception this part is given by readers depends very much on their willingness to learn, and their willingness to match experience with Lorenzo.
The book I read ended with a selection of 37 photographs (though the text referred to photos in context eg “to the right” etc.) These are predominantly of people waiting in the streets of New York. Each picture tells a story, and the viewer can have a lot of fun decoding and telling each story. There are stories about illusions, fantasies, loneliness, poverty, celebration. The comparison with Cartier-Bresson is apt, however extraordinary that claim may seem.
The book goes a long way towards explaining why two people can photograph the same scene and end up with two very different photographs.
Lorenzo needed to thank his wife. She had broken up his family, leaving him desperate and grieving. Somehow he broke free of self obsession. He sensed that many others shared his plight, if not his position. Armed only with a camera, Lorenzo took to the streets. The photographs he took were focused with the love he could not express to his wife and family.
A twirl of the f-stop, a step to one side that moves the frame: the picture in the lens changes. Lorenzo went on a search for the beauty he had seen in his wife and children. He found there was not just a focus and a f-stop. There was an angle of beauty.
Because his photography was part of his healing process, Lorenzo learnt to see photography as a metaphor. If what you see causes you pain, you can move, adopt another viewpoint, another perspective. Happiness is mobility, flexibility. There is a perspective for everyone where what they see brings contentment and fulfillment. They just have to keep moving until they find it. There is a point of view we can all seek out. From it we can view the beauty inherent in all things. No need to resent the ugliness and sterility we see around us. Move!
Juxtaposition brings enlightenment
Citing Cartier-Bresson as an exemplar, Lorenzo strove to do more than just record. He sought to tell stories. Everyone and everything has a story, and if we are too busy to hear it we have lost a great deal of joy, and delayed the getting of wisdom that living can bring us. An image can be isolated, and enable us to see its shape and form, texture and colour, like a fruit you can smell and taste. But juxtaposed with another, in context, the movement, the drama inherent in all life can be discerned. The present tense of still life becomes amplified with the past and future, being and becoming. Movement in context brings us potentiality, imagined history. A two dimensional static image becomes imbued with a third and fourth dimension.
Look and see
Devastated by the loss of his family, Lorenzo learned to look outward, to see himself in perspective. As a photographer operates a camera, Lorenzo bought the same skills to his life. He saw, he focused. How many people walk without seeing, head down, preoccupied. How few see the sky, or even the gargoyles on tops of buildings. Lorenzo had two children, and they taught him how to look.
Lorenzo formulated 25 lessons. Based on his adventures roaming the city taking photographs, they are techniques and tips about taking better photographs. They are also techniques and tips for leading a better life. The book is a compendium of what Lorenzo has learned. His book is not perfect. Occasionally verbose, intermittently the insight can be commonplace. The book succeeds though because it is uniformly genuine. Based firmly on his life experience, Lorenzo is personal and unaffected throughout. He avoids playing the sage, though his book is generous with quotations and references from writers and sages he admires.
A photographer deals in light. Like a river, light is always changing. Like a river, a person is always changing. Just like a river, when we cease to change, we start to stagnate. Lorenzo’s book is an autobiography. It begins with the drama of his marriage breakup, continues with his ‘therapy’ of photography and the wisdom he derived from this practice, and ends with the story of his early life. Unavoidably, the first section is more engaging, because tragedy is more involving. What Lorenzo calls lessons are wisdom he has distilled from his own life, and the reception this part is given by readers depends very much on their willingness to learn, and their willingness to match experience with Lorenzo.
The book I read ended with a selection of 37 photographs (though the text referred to photos in context eg “to the right” etc.) These are predominantly of people waiting in the streets of New York. Each picture tells a story, and the viewer can have a lot of fun decoding and telling each story. There are stories about illusions, fantasies, loneliness, poverty, celebration. The comparison with Cartier-Bresson is apt, however extraordinary that claim may seem.
The book goes a long way towards explaining why two people can photograph the same scene and end up with two very different photographs.
January 30, 2012
Photographer Lorenzo Dominguez has the uncanny ability to find beauty in his surroundings. Also gifted in the use of words, his book, 25 Lessons I've Learned (about photography), (blurb.com) is much more than the typical tech manual on photography. It's more like a roadmap for using your heart, soul and senses to capture images through the lens of a camera.
When a change in life events had him soul searching, Lorenzo took to the streets of New York with his camera, photographing every night using his digital "point-and-shoot" cameras. He was mesmerized by the color and movement of the city and feels that "pictures see what we do not see." His mantra is that the craft is liberating and everything possesses its own beauty. He stresses the allure of black and white images because they emphasize form. Inspired by paintings of the masters, they train his eye for the use of color in photos.
"25 Lessons I've Learned (about photography) rekindles passion in photographers and photojournalists. Reading Lorenzo's advice can spark and stir the Muse to grand proportions. He offers strong advice to always have your camera ready to shoot. He also advises shutterbugs to employ their imagination and see the world with child-like eyes. One main ingredient he specifically looks for in his subjects is attitude. This is apparent in many of his photos. The choice of backgrounds is as important as the people in them. Read his book and you will fall in love not only with photography but also in the area in which you live, regardless of its socioeconomic standing.
Serving as a mentor, Lorenzo covers the importance of persevering, staying calm and seizing the moment. Any successful person can confirm this. His eye for the unusual, results in extraordinary shots worthy of emulation. From contrast to optical illusion, he inspires others to lighten up and think outside of the box.
Photographing the Big Apple, a city with "aesthetic milk and honey," he found that it offered him endless wells of inspiration. An honest and often candid view of life is what he peddles on Flickr, a photo sharing site, and elsewhere. His desire is to help others do the same. He challenges fellow photographers to "make something out of nothing." It's a thought that sounds Seinfeld-like in sentiment. Perhaps there's a kinship with the show about nothing; he likewise emphasizes the importance of employing humor in the craft.
25 Lessons Learned (in Photography) will fire you up to dust off your camera and hit the street running. You will gain a fresh perspective on seeing things you've never noticed before or previously took for granted. Not only is his book valuable for writers and photographers, but anyone who needs a fresh outlook on life.
--Phyllis Johnson, photojournalist and author of Being Frank with Anne & Hot and Bothered By It, November 20, 2010
"I am on lesson 7 of the 25.
The one which has stuck with me the most to this point is "Use Your Imagination". I won't go into the details (mainly because I don't necessarily remember them as much as how they affected me). This was the first chapter to make me want to print small posters of quotes and paste them around the office.
Use your imagination is a reminder to use the creativity each of us has (and yes, believe it or not, we all have our own imagination. It helps make possible what we and others feel might not be possible. And it makes living just a bit more fun. Read the book. You'll see what I am saying. --David Stoddard, The Unmotivated Motivational Speaker, January 26, 2011
"Because his photography was part of his healing process, Lorenzo learnt to see photography as a metaphor. If what you see causes you pain, you can move, adopt another viewpoint, another perspective. Happiness is mobility, flexibility. There is a perspective for everyone where what they see brings contentment and fulfillment. They just have to keep moving until they find it. There is a point of view we can all seek out. From it we can view the beauty inherent in all things." --Phillip Kay, author of The Far-Famed Blue Mountains of Harry Phillips, BestQuest, November 16, 2010
"Lorenzo is a master. His body of work is some of the very best online and may very well be some of the best being done in the medium today. His street work follows in the tradition of Paul Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand and Larry Friedlander. Lorenzo's 25 Lessons are...as seminal as Ansel's dissertation on the zone system. I found them to be reenergizing, perceptive and extremely useful. I have been touched by his story, his writings and by his work. I can't imagine anyone not being so." --Photographer Barry Shapiro, Los Angeles, CA, USA
"In many of my conversations on great photographers, I frequently mention Lorenzo's work. His sequential photographs...are nothing less that a visual urban poem. It has been my pleasure to watch Lorenzo's rapid growth as a leading photographer of our time." --Photographer Jim Van Meter, Rochester, NY, USA --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
When a change in life events had him soul searching, Lorenzo took to the streets of New York with his camera, photographing every night using his digital "point-and-shoot" cameras. He was mesmerized by the color and movement of the city and feels that "pictures see what we do not see." His mantra is that the craft is liberating and everything possesses its own beauty. He stresses the allure of black and white images because they emphasize form. Inspired by paintings of the masters, they train his eye for the use of color in photos.
"25 Lessons I've Learned (about photography) rekindles passion in photographers and photojournalists. Reading Lorenzo's advice can spark and stir the Muse to grand proportions. He offers strong advice to always have your camera ready to shoot. He also advises shutterbugs to employ their imagination and see the world with child-like eyes. One main ingredient he specifically looks for in his subjects is attitude. This is apparent in many of his photos. The choice of backgrounds is as important as the people in them. Read his book and you will fall in love not only with photography but also in the area in which you live, regardless of its socioeconomic standing.
Serving as a mentor, Lorenzo covers the importance of persevering, staying calm and seizing the moment. Any successful person can confirm this. His eye for the unusual, results in extraordinary shots worthy of emulation. From contrast to optical illusion, he inspires others to lighten up and think outside of the box.
Photographing the Big Apple, a city with "aesthetic milk and honey," he found that it offered him endless wells of inspiration. An honest and often candid view of life is what he peddles on Flickr, a photo sharing site, and elsewhere. His desire is to help others do the same. He challenges fellow photographers to "make something out of nothing." It's a thought that sounds Seinfeld-like in sentiment. Perhaps there's a kinship with the show about nothing; he likewise emphasizes the importance of employing humor in the craft.
25 Lessons Learned (in Photography) will fire you up to dust off your camera and hit the street running. You will gain a fresh perspective on seeing things you've never noticed before or previously took for granted. Not only is his book valuable for writers and photographers, but anyone who needs a fresh outlook on life.
--Phyllis Johnson, photojournalist and author of Being Frank with Anne & Hot and Bothered By It, November 20, 2010
"I am on lesson 7 of the 25.
The one which has stuck with me the most to this point is "Use Your Imagination". I won't go into the details (mainly because I don't necessarily remember them as much as how they affected me). This was the first chapter to make me want to print small posters of quotes and paste them around the office.
Use your imagination is a reminder to use the creativity each of us has (and yes, believe it or not, we all have our own imagination. It helps make possible what we and others feel might not be possible. And it makes living just a bit more fun. Read the book. You'll see what I am saying. --David Stoddard, The Unmotivated Motivational Speaker, January 26, 2011
"Because his photography was part of his healing process, Lorenzo learnt to see photography as a metaphor. If what you see causes you pain, you can move, adopt another viewpoint, another perspective. Happiness is mobility, flexibility. There is a perspective for everyone where what they see brings contentment and fulfillment. They just have to keep moving until they find it. There is a point of view we can all seek out. From it we can view the beauty inherent in all things." --Phillip Kay, author of The Far-Famed Blue Mountains of Harry Phillips, BestQuest, November 16, 2010
"Lorenzo is a master. His body of work is some of the very best online and may very well be some of the best being done in the medium today. His street work follows in the tradition of Paul Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand and Larry Friedlander. Lorenzo's 25 Lessons are...as seminal as Ansel's dissertation on the zone system. I found them to be reenergizing, perceptive and extremely useful. I have been touched by his story, his writings and by his work. I can't imagine anyone not being so." --Photographer Barry Shapiro, Los Angeles, CA, USA
"In many of my conversations on great photographers, I frequently mention Lorenzo's work. His sequential photographs...are nothing less that a visual urban poem. It has been my pleasure to watch Lorenzo's rapid growth as a leading photographer of our time." --Photographer Jim Van Meter, Rochester, NY, USA --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
May 1, 2013
A big part of building a personal blog is having a platform to improve my writing abilities. With that in mind, I had high hopes for 25 Lessons I’ve Learned about (Photography) Life by Lorenzo DomÍnguez as a tool to learn about writing on my favorite subject as I tossed it into my Amazon cart. Upon completing the book, I can safely say that the book did teach me a fair amount about writing on photography. Unfortunately, almost every lesson was an example of what not to do.
I got a nagging feeling that 25 Lessons wasn’t clicking for me early on, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until somewhere around the three-quarter mark. You know those tacky sunset-on-a-beach photos with the faux-inspirational print you see in psychologists’ offices, Christian book stores, and on the Facebook pages of your more optimistic friends? Well, 25 Lessons is essentially those posters in book form. Almost every line feels like it’s begging to become a featured blurb, or a quote on one of the aforementioned posters. Add that to DomÍnguez’s self admitted, perpetual optimism, and you have something that will make anyone without a shelf of Precious Moments figurines motion sick from continual eye-rolling.
What’s worse is that said ocular strain feels like lit goes on far longer than it needs to. Even at 123 pages, the book feels padded. The author repeats himself multiple times over different chapters to the point that about half the lessons just seem like tweaks on previous ones. Entire paragraphs are tangential at best, and nothing feels lost by simply skipping over many of them. DomÍnguez even peppered the book with various quotes from other figures. Lines from the likes of Gandhi and Jonathan Swift that were tossed in among the text only remind us that others have said everything that DomÍnguez is saying, but better.
But, this is a book about photography, so there’s probably a strong visual presence that makes up for the shortcomings of the text, right? Well, no. For being a photographer, DomÍnguez doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of “show, don’t tell.” He goes to no small effort to explain the stories behind the photos he takes and even describe the photos themselves; he never includes those photos with the text to act as an illustration to the narrative. While there are photos, they’re just stuck at the end of chapters to create a break between the various lessons. Even those are relatively small, and placed sideways so that the reader must strain his neck and squint his eyes to make them out.
The thing is, I feel like all of the above sins could be forgiven if any of the advice to be found in 25 Lessons was something truly unique, original, or profound. I understand that DomÍnguez went through a great journey of personal discovery and wanted to share the lessons he learned by sharing the stories of how he learned them. While that should work in theory, I find it doesn’t work very well in execution. See, he learned from those experiences because he was there to actually experience them. Trying to relay the entirety of the impact of the moment of epiphany, along with all that precluded it means that the vast majority of the emotional weight will be lost. This can make people think, but I feel like it can’t replicate the impact of an experience that creates the kind of lesson that one carries for the remainder of his life.
At first, I thought my dislike of this book came from the fact that I am less of an artistic photographer than a photojournalist. As a rule, we journalism types tend to be more cynical and callous than our counterparts who view photography as a strictly artistic venture. While this book would most likely go over better with the illustration crowd, it’s still too poorly executed for me to recommend even to them. Give this one a pass.
I got a nagging feeling that 25 Lessons wasn’t clicking for me early on, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until somewhere around the three-quarter mark. You know those tacky sunset-on-a-beach photos with the faux-inspirational print you see in psychologists’ offices, Christian book stores, and on the Facebook pages of your more optimistic friends? Well, 25 Lessons is essentially those posters in book form. Almost every line feels like it’s begging to become a featured blurb, or a quote on one of the aforementioned posters. Add that to DomÍnguez’s self admitted, perpetual optimism, and you have something that will make anyone without a shelf of Precious Moments figurines motion sick from continual eye-rolling.
What’s worse is that said ocular strain feels like lit goes on far longer than it needs to. Even at 123 pages, the book feels padded. The author repeats himself multiple times over different chapters to the point that about half the lessons just seem like tweaks on previous ones. Entire paragraphs are tangential at best, and nothing feels lost by simply skipping over many of them. DomÍnguez even peppered the book with various quotes from other figures. Lines from the likes of Gandhi and Jonathan Swift that were tossed in among the text only remind us that others have said everything that DomÍnguez is saying, but better.
But, this is a book about photography, so there’s probably a strong visual presence that makes up for the shortcomings of the text, right? Well, no. For being a photographer, DomÍnguez doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of “show, don’t tell.” He goes to no small effort to explain the stories behind the photos he takes and even describe the photos themselves; he never includes those photos with the text to act as an illustration to the narrative. While there are photos, they’re just stuck at the end of chapters to create a break between the various lessons. Even those are relatively small, and placed sideways so that the reader must strain his neck and squint his eyes to make them out.
The thing is, I feel like all of the above sins could be forgiven if any of the advice to be found in 25 Lessons was something truly unique, original, or profound. I understand that DomÍnguez went through a great journey of personal discovery and wanted to share the lessons he learned by sharing the stories of how he learned them. While that should work in theory, I find it doesn’t work very well in execution. See, he learned from those experiences because he was there to actually experience them. Trying to relay the entirety of the impact of the moment of epiphany, along with all that precluded it means that the vast majority of the emotional weight will be lost. This can make people think, but I feel like it can’t replicate the impact of an experience that creates the kind of lesson that one carries for the remainder of his life.
At first, I thought my dislike of this book came from the fact that I am less of an artistic photographer than a photojournalist. As a rule, we journalism types tend to be more cynical and callous than our counterparts who view photography as a strictly artistic venture. While this book would most likely go over better with the illustration crowd, it’s still too poorly executed for me to recommend even to them. Give this one a pass.
June 4, 2015
I got this book as a birthday gift from a friend who jokingly challenged me afterwards that I should make my own version after reading it.
The book is about Lorenzo Dominguez’ journey in (re)discovering his artistic side while having emotional battles. He just separated from his wife and their two sons were left under her care. But instead of succumbing to depression and loneliness, he made his camera his constant companion and went to discover the neighborhood. And as they say, the rest is history. He became famous in flickr, a photo sharing site. He also got discovered by magazine editors, bloggers and photo agencies. The intention of the book was to share the lessons he learned about life and photography, its parallelism and contrast. Thus, the obvious title of the book.
It has a very interesting and engaging premise. However, after five or six chapters it was fast becoming a tedious read. Maybe because I need not to be reminded about the divorce frequently. I really enjoyed the first few chapters, especially the time when Lorenzo was trying to play with this camera, got all excited and post as many photos as possible on flickr. Maybe because his enthusiasm reminded of me when I started photography and became addicted to flickr. The joy was discernible.
There were times that the flow of the essay seemed flat. It sounded like a literal explanation of the quotations included in each chapter. It could have been better if it was free-flowing, more natural. I understood why it was presented that way, to have a more defined, or precise chapter but some of it were not effective.
Some of his photos were included in the book. He seemed to perfect the technique of street photography. I really like the composition and angles of the photos. However, the quality could have been better. Some of the details of the photos were lost with the way it was printed. I may have “met” him on flickr before. Maybe.
Also, some of the photography tips he shared surprised me. Example, when Lorenzo mentioned that there were times he tried to take photos with both of eyes opened, I smiled because I do that. ALL THE TIME. But there were times I found myself disagreeing on his tips. Once, he also pointed out, that in this digital age, it is easy to delete blurred and not so good shots right away. I object. I STRONGLY OBJECT. Keep these shots because every day you will have a different perspective or point of view and maybe these bad photos can be your masterpieces. So I would not recommend deleting them. See them later when you have a fresh mind and eyes.
It is still a good book though. Especially if you are into photography. It did not focus on the technicalities but on the satisfaction of one who is into this kind of hobby.
He may have quoted lots from famous people, but I will be ending this review with a quote from Lorenzo Dominguez.
The book is about Lorenzo Dominguez’ journey in (re)discovering his artistic side while having emotional battles. He just separated from his wife and their two sons were left under her care. But instead of succumbing to depression and loneliness, he made his camera his constant companion and went to discover the neighborhood. And as they say, the rest is history. He became famous in flickr, a photo sharing site. He also got discovered by magazine editors, bloggers and photo agencies. The intention of the book was to share the lessons he learned about life and photography, its parallelism and contrast. Thus, the obvious title of the book.
It has a very interesting and engaging premise. However, after five or six chapters it was fast becoming a tedious read. Maybe because I need not to be reminded about the divorce frequently. I really enjoyed the first few chapters, especially the time when Lorenzo was trying to play with this camera, got all excited and post as many photos as possible on flickr. Maybe because his enthusiasm reminded of me when I started photography and became addicted to flickr. The joy was discernible.
There were times that the flow of the essay seemed flat. It sounded like a literal explanation of the quotations included in each chapter. It could have been better if it was free-flowing, more natural. I understood why it was presented that way, to have a more defined, or precise chapter but some of it were not effective.
Some of his photos were included in the book. He seemed to perfect the technique of street photography. I really like the composition and angles of the photos. However, the quality could have been better. Some of the details of the photos were lost with the way it was printed. I may have “met” him on flickr before. Maybe.
Also, some of the photography tips he shared surprised me. Example, when Lorenzo mentioned that there were times he tried to take photos with both of eyes opened, I smiled because I do that. ALL THE TIME. But there were times I found myself disagreeing on his tips. Once, he also pointed out, that in this digital age, it is easy to delete blurred and not so good shots right away. I object. I STRONGLY OBJECT. Keep these shots because every day you will have a different perspective or point of view and maybe these bad photos can be your masterpieces. So I would not recommend deleting them. See them later when you have a fresh mind and eyes.
It is still a good book though. Especially if you are into photography. It did not focus on the technicalities but on the satisfaction of one who is into this kind of hobby.
He may have quoted lots from famous people, but I will be ending this review with a quote from Lorenzo Dominguez.
So don’t be afraid of solitude – strive for it instead. For emptiness can lead to clarity, and it is often the optimal conduit for enlightenment and inspiration.
January 1, 2013
In the spring of 2005, writes Lorenzo Dominguez, he and his wife became separated, and he found himself looking for a roof to put over his head. He eventually found a small room in a Manhattan church sanctuary, and while living there, going through the introspection that most of us do when going through traumatic events in our lives, he took up photography.
His hobby soon became much more than just a hobby. Photography was in itself the vehicle of his life introspection. Through images taken throughout New York City, mostly at night, Lorenzo gets a new perspective on life and realizes that many of the lessons of photography apply to life. These 25 lessons begin with "everything is beautiful" and then go on to incorporate lessons of perseverance, learning to let go, telling the truth, experimenting, being yourself, striking a balance, and many more.
None of these lessons are earth-shatteringly original or surprising. Indeed, most if not all are cliché. Still, the way Lorenzo presents these lessons, and doing so through the lens of camera, does lend them some originality. His narrative voice is pleasant, even comforting, and his journey is one with which many can identify. The places he arrives are good ones, even if he does sometimes practice rather risky behavior to get his shot.
"…I knew only failures gave in after failing the first time. Too many people just quit after failing the first try because they immediately lose their self-confidence. Winners never concede to circumstance, they just keep on trying and continue to believe in themselves and in their aspirations. And ultimately, they become whatever it is they believe to be true. For faith in oneself is the first step toward truth."(Page 92)
What these lessons might look like in photography, however … well, that's the disappointing part. In my hands was the paperback version of the book, and in its pages were just a few, small photos, not particularly sharp in reproduction, none of which particularly corresponded to the text. It seems that to fully enjoy the author's artistry, the reader is required to visit various sites online to view his work. That's not particularly reasonable. As enjoyable as the author's story could be, had it been a real photo essay would have made a world of difference.
Lorenzo's photographic journey of introspection doesn't necessarily end up with a neat conclusion, or even a predictable one, but he does stay true to himself. By end of the slim book, it's been an enjoyable enough read (and he tells of commercial success as a photographer), albeit missing the view his lens might have provided.
Lorenzo Dominguez has been called an "Internet photography sensation" by Time Out New York and is considered a "Flickr star" by Rob Walker, Consumed columnist, for New York Times Magazine. His work is represented worldwide by Getty Images.
March 20, 2013
If this would have ended at about 20 chapters in, it would have been far better. Like this, it just feels dragged on unnecessarily. Some nice points though, such as:
"The way you choose to see the world — and life — is ultimately how the world and life will be for you."
"People like people who like themselves."
"By playing other people’s games you’re playing by other people’s rules. If you have to play a game, play it with yourself—constantly set new goals for yourself and once you achieve the mark, do not hesitate to extend it a little further. And do not be deterred by the detractors who criticize or make fun of you out of envy, do not let them stymie your continual application. Press forward regardless of what others are apt to say. "
"Take the time to see how special each building, each gargoyle, each marvel of modern architecture truly is."
"For after all, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"
"The way you choose to see the world — and life — is ultimately how the world and life will be for you."
"People like people who like themselves."
"By playing other people’s games you’re playing by other people’s rules. If you have to play a game, play it with yourself—constantly set new goals for yourself and once you achieve the mark, do not hesitate to extend it a little further. And do not be deterred by the detractors who criticize or make fun of you out of envy, do not let them stymie your continual application. Press forward regardless of what others are apt to say. "
"Take the time to see how special each building, each gargoyle, each marvel of modern architecture truly is."
"For after all, the best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow"
February 1, 2011
I found this an enjoyable quick read about Lorenzo's discovery of photography and himself as he struggles through a separation from his wife and handles being away from his two boys.
I enjoyed this book, not so much for his philosophy (I disagree with the "my happiness comes first" philosophy.) but more for how he sees creatively and some of his late night adventures. There were also some nuggets around enhancing your creativity to be gleaned as well.
I was disappointed that the Kindle Version of the book did not include the pictures (that I'm guessing the paperback version did).
I enjoyed this book, not so much for his philosophy (I disagree with the "my happiness comes first" philosophy.) but more for how he sees creatively and some of his late night adventures. There were also some nuggets around enhancing your creativity to be gleaned as well.
I was disappointed that the Kindle Version of the book did not include the pictures (that I'm guessing the paperback version did).
November 20, 2013
Enjoyed it - not so much about photography as taking life as it comes - but that was good too. I also love to photograph things, people, places and find that it is a completely different experience looking through the lens than just with the naked eye ... so I loved reading about the author's journey. He certainly "worked" at it with long evening outings - amazing!
August 19, 2011
just stared this book ! and its lame :(
August 31, 2013
love it, getting ready to re read it again
January 12, 2016
Short book with logical yet ever helpful life lessons and a few tips about the novice photographer
I highly recommend it
I highly recommend it
September 12, 2011
If anything more of an inspirational story than actionable tips.
Read
December 24, 2011another one I couldn't make it through.
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