Hi Ed, Thanks for such a great, in depth review of my new book, Gulag. I travelled with Peter Matthias-Gaede, the writer for Geo magazine in 1991… it was used for the magazine, then, syndicated by my agency Network Photographers (a co-op that myself and 7 other photographers started in 1980 which survived until 2002 when the internet changed everything). It was after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine (as I saw history repeating itself and Stalin had been promoted to being the most popular figure in Russia by the regime)I felt compelled to make the book as in 1991 although, through Glasnost, there was an openness to talk about the past, most information was secret and unavailable. I had my original notes and the translations of the interviews but, thanks to the internet, I was able to research in a way that was impossible in 91… and hone my writing skills! My wife, Hannah, had been an editor on the Sunday Times so I had a strict mentor! Best Barry
Thanks Barry, it is great work and a great photo book. And the work has aged well, but thats the power of photojournalism and documentary photography! Its not like you shot the work in a kooky trendy fine art photographer way that eventually dated it! And yes, my wife is smarter than me as well. ;)
That's amazing. There is a book, "Gulag" by Anne Applebaum, that is a perfect literary companion to this photobook. There are some stunning images. The Ektachrome tones just make me pine for my days as a magazine freelancer!
You are so right - those are the images that should win "Portrait" exhibitions/prizes, not the vacuous, posed ones that seem to win nowadays. The 2 images that really got me are the old man eating his soup and the two men sitting with their pets. Stunning images. A real photojournalism book - credit to Barry Lewis for creating it and a great review Ed. One in the eye of all these newbie RU-vidrs who think they are something special for shooting on film ! As you rightly say - that's what real photographers did for the first 120+ years of photography.
I just wrote a really long reply and it disappeared! ha! I totally agree and thank you! It's a shame this kind of photojournalism isn't supported anymore, and yes there are (some) press photographers still but they are doing 3-4 assignments in a day and not getting the chance to create anything of depth.
Excellent video on this book, and I like your commentary. I'm going to pick up this photo book my self, if I can get it. The glow around the statute is probably dodging to make the statue a bit more lighter
I’m a recent viewer of your channel and so far very much enjoy your perspective on things. You mention not seeing certain types of portraits in competitions. Have you or would you do a video on this and ‘gate keeping’ in the photography world?
@@maxw-h thank you, I did do a video on gatekeeping it was called The Photoland Conspiracy. As for photo awards maybe don't enter them 😉 You could spend the time (and money) on making work instead?
Millions of 🇺🇦 UKRAINIANS were sent to this hell on earth and died in GULAG. In early 90s I knew a Ukrainian Catholic bishop and a few priests who were imprisoned there for 20 years doing hard labour… In spring-summer of 1953 Ukrainian political prisoners led famous rebellion in Norilsk, Kengirsk, Vorkuta prison camps. Sadly it was brutally crashed even with use of tanks and army.
