Field Notes: Books That Shape The Lens
As a photographer splitting time between alpine wilderness, family adventures and the fine art gallery world, I find my perspective is constantly shaped by what I read—from field journals written on mountaintops to deep dives into art history and digital culture. This living reading list is a collection of the books that have expanded my view, challenged my assumptions, or simply offered a moment of awe or reflection.
Check back as I regularly add new titles, field notes, and reflections.
1> Fire Season by Philip Connors
Wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity. People of every political stripe have their reasons and scapegoats that they’re more than willing to offer up, complete with plenty of spin. Fire Season gives us a first person account from someone who has lived among the fires and has learned a few things along the way.
Seldom is there a book that weaves the styles of memoir, subject-specific nonfiction and poetic renderings of nature’s magic, with the success that Fire Season is able to achieve. It’s told from the perspective of a longtime fire-watcher who does seasonal stints in fire lookouts in the mountains of New Mexico. This diverse, but flowing book shares insights on the history and tensions of firefighting on public lands across the American West, celebrates the grand and small moments of awe that come from full immersion in wild places, and shares the thoughts and developed insights of a genuinely likable character with plenty of time on his hands.
If you’ve wanted to live in a tiny box on a mountaintop for months at a time, or you’ve at least wanted to read about it, but find Kerouac to be a bit much, this is a beautiful gateway to the experience.
2> Seven Days in the Art World by Sara
In my pivot from commercial advertising to fine-art photography, I’ve been learning a lot about the inner workings of the art world. I’ve been studying to better understand the roles and techniques of professional fine artists, gallerists, museum curators, grant writers, the arts media and the rest of the professions and characters who make this crazy world turn. Much of this can only be learned by rolling up the sleeves and getting in the mix, but sometimes, a really great writer with just the right approach can take you into the rooms where you haven’t yet gained access.
Such is the case with Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thornton. Sarah starts with the premise that the art world is a black box that she’d like to shine some light in, but instead of focusing on a single entity or element of the art world, she takes the time to look deeply into the lives of a broad swath of the art world. Sarah’s well-research and engagingly unraveled story includes time spent in artists’ studios, auction houses, art fairs, magazine offices, art schools and more. I was left with the sense that the art world is as beguiling and puzzling as ever, but that it’s made so by a cast of quirky, flawed, passionate people who, above all, love art.
For more curated reading recommendations - stay tuned as I continue to add new titles, field notes, and reflections here.
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