This book came to me by chance in May. "I gotta go to a meeting, um, here look at this," said my professor one day. The book made an impression on me then- well, enough for me to remember the title of the book and the one very special photo with the swinging red bucket.
The book fell into my possession again in early November while I was interning in VT/NH. James Patterson let me borrow his copy. This time the book had a profound impact on my seeing. One of the hardest parts about working in New England was trying to learn how to frame a photograph against the backdrop of the Green Mountains- all of their dense fog and deep tones. I struggled with this for months- I was used to cities and suburbs with lines and colors to help me in framing photographs- that was no where to be seen.
Night after night I sat in my room with this book- Sam Abell taught me how to see in New England. His cerebral vision is so mysterious-the photographs appear simple at first but they go so much deeper- he is subtle and calm, the lines, the color, the moments, all so subtle- but that subtlety makes them so powerful.
So thanks Gunther, James, and of course, Sam.