Accidentally Wes Anderson - Wally Koval

I've always been an armchair traveller - even more so now with the appearance of Covid. I love 'visiting' out of the way, off the beaten track and unusual locations and attractions etc. The newly released Accidentally Wes Anderson by Wally Koval is a compilation of those.

Now, you may be wondering about the title. Accidentally Wes Anderson began as as a travel bucket list for Koval and his wife. Specifically places that embodied the style of filmmaker Wes Anderson. As they started to document their travels, others started weighing in with their own pictures. Things grew and there are now over one million Adventurers seeking out and sharing locations on Accidentally Wes Anderson (AWA) 

The real Wes Anderson provides a forward. The book is divided into nine chapters that circle the globe. Each entry has a full color photograph, location and year and a detailed entry on the place. This is one of those coffee table kind of books that if you leave out, people will inevitably pick and peruse. Normally I would have done that, but I decided to travel along with the layout starting with North America.

The pictures are what first catch your eye, the stark simplicity, the colors, the almost 'otherworldliness' of them. Set into a single shot, they almost feel not real and do indeed bring Anderson's films to mind. Think 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' And then there's the story about the location. This for me, was absolutely fascinating.

A favorite? I can't pick one but the striped bungalows in Portugal, launderettes in England, a viewfinder in Iceland, fishing huts in Canada, typewriters in New York were a few of them. There are many, many more and each is just as wonderful 

Fans of Atlas Obscura will love this book. And it would make a great gift. Accidentally Wes Anderson is a unique and captivating look at jewels out in plain sight - if you only knew where - and how - to look.

Perception: A Photo Series - KC Adams

No matter what you think - you've done it, I've done it. Made a snap judgement about someone based on an initial look or meeting. And how many times have you been wrong?

KC Adams has just released Perception: A Photo Series - 'a project to combat racism and present First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the way they see themselves.' This was initially a project in Winnipeg.

Two photos. First you see the one taken while hateful words are hurled at the sitter. And on the following page, the same person, but now thinking of joy and happiness. And the truth.

The result is powerful. I sat and pondered every face and then the flip side. And the difference is 'in your face', if you will. Truly eye opening. Perception should be in schools as a starting point for discussions that need to happen.

Nowhere to Call Home - Leah Denbok

Leah Denbok's book, Nowhere to Call Home: Photographs and Stories of the Homeless, came to my attention when my library ordered a number of copies. Libraries are a warm or cool place where anyone can take a seat, read a book, use a computer and most importantly, find a friendly face. Such is the case at the branch I work in.

Leah Denbok was fourteen when she first began photographing the homeless. She had personal inspiration for her book, as her own mother was found wandering the streets of Calcutta as a three year old. Leah's father accompanied Leah as she met and spoke to the homeless they encountered on the streets of Toronto, Barrie, New York City and other North American cities.

Her goal? "I hope, through my photographs and stories, to humanize the homeless. I want to capture their dignity as human beings. So often, the homeless are viewed as sub-human creatures one dare not approach, let alone talk to them. I want to change this perception of them."

Denbok's photography is striking. High contrast black and white images highlight the lines in every face, the sorrow and the strength. The words accompanying each photo achieve Denbok's goal. It's impossible not to look at the photo, read the story and then stop and examine the photo again. Does your perception change? I find myself wondering where these people are today? Have their circumstances changed?

Denbok's other goal is to '...shine a spotlight on the plight of homelessness. Contrary to what many think, few homeless people are on the street by choice." An appendix is included listing organizations who are tackling homelessness.

And the profits made from the sale of this book? "All the profits from the sale of this book will go the the Salvation Army Barrie Bayside  Mission Centre."

This is what a sixteen year old is doing. What can you do?

Vintage Trailer Voyeur - Victoria Ocken

I have been fascinated by the little house movement for awhile now. Looking, dreaming and imagining what if? But to be honest, unless I build it myself - they're out of my price range.

But when Victoria Ocken's  new book, Vintage Trailer Voyeur: A Peek Inside the Unique Custom Trailer Culture crossed my path, I got excited. A trailer is doable for me. And not just any old trailer - a vintage trailer. And I imagined all the fun that could be had by fixing and gussying up that vintage beauty.

I remember camping in a wee little trailer with my parents and sister when I was younger. We delighted in sleeping in the upper bunk, that on reflection could have only been about 16 inches from the ceiling. I remember how cosy it was and the sound of the rain on the tin roof.

There are over 400 beautiful colour  photos of many, many types of vintage trailers - from wee little teardrops to full size Airstreams. Each of them has a style and presence. Some have been redone with a theme in mind, some have been left as they were, with original cabinets, some have been re-outfitted.  But all of them are beautiful - tiny little homes that look so comfortable and inviting. I loved looking at the detail and care put into each restoration or outfitting. A caption accompanies each photo and there are short essays from many of the owners as well. The joy that the author and other vintage trailer lovers have for their passion shines through. I would have enjoyed seeing a photo of each owner with their trailer.

Ocken has a very personal connection with trailers. The prologue "Everyone has a story. My story has been intertwined with trailers from an early age when I was abandoned in one as an infant....."

Vintage Trailer Voyeur is a great coffee table book or a wonderful inspiration. Me - it's the latter. Now, to start scouring for just the right one.......

Humans of New York: Stories - Brandon Stanton

Brandon Stanton's Humans of New York is a daily fix for me. I usually follow HONY on Facebook. There are now over "fifteen million people who follow the blog everyday." In case, you've not heard of HONY....it started as a project to "photograph thousands of people on the streets of New York." Moving along, quotes were added to the pictures. And those quotes morphed into stories......

Humans of New York: Stories released at the end of last year, but I was holding off reading it 'til 'the right time' - a time where I could sit and ponder, enjoy each photo and the bits of life strangers chose to share.

New Years Day seemed like the right time - a perfect first book for 2016.

And it was. Stanton is a talented photographer, capturing people of all ages, genders, races and gamut of circumstances , conditions, relationships, life, work and more. I enjoyed the photographs on their own in the first book, but Stories is simply amazing. Each and every page, I started by looking, really looking, at the person and only then reading their story. Then back to the photograph. Stories will take you on an emotional ride - they're sad, joyful, uplifting, thought provoking, inspiring, moving and oh so addicting. If you're an online follower, you also know how connecting and powerful the blog is. The comments, the changes and the challenges inspired by this project are astounding. It took me most of the day to make my way through the 400 plus pages. As I turned the last page, I wondered what story I would tell......

Humans of New York: Stories is a book I'll read again. Absolutely a powerful way to start a New Year. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Humans of New York: Stories.