Finn Beales

What a gift Let’s Get Lost has been. It sat on my Edelweiss shelf, almost unassuming, as if it didn’t want to take up too much space (humanizing books, now? Why, yes), and it caught my eye because of the promise in the title. Let’s Get Lost, it said—neither in the neighborhood nor after making a wrong turn, but truly lost.

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We live in an age of swipe right, quick thumbs up and move on, often finding ourselves caught in a state of "doom scrolling" where we aren't even really SEEING any of the images on our social media account. We've become so removed from the natural world. To make things worse its impossible to deny that the current state of our society is growing uglier by the day. Crime rates are rising, people are fighting, towns are too poor to fix pot holes or keep up with any sort of landscaping. It is so easy to fall into the belief that the entire world is this way; I know personally I am guilty of this. I often feel restless and uninspired and disappointed in what I see out my window.

Let's Get Lost is a much needed wake up call. It's an invitation to power down and really take in some of the most beautiful spots in the world. Mountains with peaks that glow red and pink at dawn, untouched shores and rivers and paths, forests that beg to be wandered in to. Many of these places are untouched to at least some degree by humans so the natural world is left to really thrive and develop a sense of beauty and wonder that takes your breath away. I had never even heard of many of these places, but I found myself going through my e-copy several times over, lingering a little more on each photo every time I returned to it. This is certainly NOT a read once and never touch again book; That would be near impossible.

So power down for a little while, turn off the news and open this book. Dare to be inspired and Awe'd, to expand your mind and perception of yourself and of life itself.

I received an e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I can honestly say that the e-book blew me away but I truly feel the need to go out and purchase a physical copy to I can fully experience the weight of the impact between these pages.… (more)

Let's Get Lost: the world's most stunning remote locations, by Finn Beales, is an attractive coffee table book, an interesting travel book, and a book of tips for taking better photographs.

I came to this book like I do most larger books that are mostly graphics, for the pictures and maybe some interesting information. I got so much more. The photographs are phenomenal, the information about locations and shooting conditions was engrossing, and to top it off the tips for taking such photographs was useful even if the location is my back yard (okay, maybe a nearby park or reserve).

Because of all this book offers I think just about anyone who appreciates photography and/or travel will enjoy it.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)

The Photography Storytelling Workshop by Finn Beales is a wonderful guide for new to less experienced photographers and reference book for those more experienced to help them remember key ideas.

When I started the book I was concerned that it might be too focused on professional photographers and their business. As I started reading and working through it I realized that the concepts are valid no matter who you're taking pictures for. In a manner of speaking we are proposing an idea to ourselves when we think about taking a photograph, especially when we are hoping to have it be more than, say, a picture of a building or person. If nothing else we want to capture whatever we are feeling that compels us to want to take that particular shot. And that is, in a broad sense, a story.

Between technical help and a conceptual framework for working with your ideas and models or surroundings, this book will make both your photographs better and your confidence in taking them higher. Highly recommend this to photographers of every level, we can never stop learning and relearning about what we love. I am a relative newbie and gained a lot, even as someone who will likely never even try to sell a photograph.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (more)