Getting exercise and reading an excellent book on photography

Holes in snow, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Big trees, small skiers, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Fences in snow, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Today I went out more to get exercise than to take photographs. It was excellent weather for cross-country skiing, temperature -5 °C and skiing tracks in good condition. It was clouded, but the clouds were thin, so it was bright even later in the afternoon. I haven't done a lot of skiing yet this winter, so it was at first tough going, but then it started to feel better, and the last half hour was really enjoyable.

Although I didn't go out to take photographs, here are still a couple from today. [I had the LX3 with me, as almost always.] It was nice to be out there.

Today I started reading the book "The Life of a Photograph" by Sam Abell. I was a bit disappointed with the book "One being a photographer" [by David Hurn and Bill Jay], which didn't provide much insight despite promising a lot in the first few pages. So I wasn't expecting much of this one either.

From the couple of dozen pages I have read so far, I think "The Life of a Photograph" is the best photography book I have ever read. Lots of examples - especially alternative ones taken from the same subject or situation - and insightful discussion. As an example, there was a comment about a photo saying something like this: "This is the only taken photograph in this book. All the other photographs were made." The subject in question was a train being derailed.

I like very much Abell's style - it combines a kind of landscape photography with portraiture, in an way where humans and the environment complement each other in a complex, thoughtful and mysterious way. The images are hard to remember and hard to forget - you want to look at them again and again to ponder the mystery that is there. I really want to understand how Abell makes his images.

Update: I should not have relied on memory with that quotation from Abell, it goes like this: "... it's the only photograph in this book taken and not made." Short and to the point!