Jordan Matter

I'll be honest, this book caught my eye at the library because the cover and many of the pictures inside as I gave it a quick flip through are just sexy as hell. But as I kept flipping, I started to get an idea of what the photographer was going for and ended up checking it out.

Matter has captured the dancers in his book in moments of incredible athleticism and grace against backgrounds that range from majestic to mundane. As they so often seem to float above it all, the dancers help remind show more us of the joy of living.

While his chapter introductions are a little too precious, I wish the footnotes section where he explained the logistics behind taking the photos was longer and more extensive. He utilized both planned shoots and guerrilla techniques in capturing his images and offered exact counts of how many leaps and jumps the dancers did to get the one perfect shot.

And there are so many perfect shots! Amazing, bold and beautiful shots!

And often sexy as hell. show less

When this book first came out, I eagerly checked to see if my library had gotten hold of it. They had. I pounced on a copy and read it in a night. I marveled at the photos, the poses, the clothes, the props, and written stories. I somewhat sulkily returned the book on its due date and wondered if I would check it out again or buy it. Years later the answer was: check it out again. I wanted to be swept up in the sense of wonder I first had. While it was still a delight to read, as happens on show more rereads sometimes, the sense of wonder wasn't as strong. I still was filled with a happy glow and I was eager to continue turning pages. I'm so glad this project was done, and I think it was a wonderful start to Matter's career. show less

I typed in the author's name to my local library catalogue with the intent of reading the book that helped me discover him (not this one). I was delighted to see that his career had seemingly flourished and eagerly placed this book on my list. I wasn't at all sure what to expect, and wasn't expecting what I got. Nonetheless, I read the book cover to cover. When I got to the section where the dancers are listed, I shrieked, "Michaela DePrince is in this?!" and flipped back--"On the -cover-?!" show more And I read every word of what Matter wrote. His admiration for her and excitement for her success clearly shines through, evidenced also by the fact that his written statement for her is by far the longest in the book. It just gave me a sense of wonder and glowing happiness. I've read her autobiography and watched "First Position," the ballet documentary that first introduced me to herself as an artist. I've admired her since that documentary and am thrilled when I do see her in something.

Matter has really creative ideas and executes them really well, I think. I don't know anything about photography so I will simply note, "His photos are very crisp, clear, and pretty," and leave it at that, with "He obviously cares a lot, collaborates well with others, and is very organized." When I first read him, I told myself if anyone ever asked who my favorite photographer was, I'd say him. No one has asked me that question, so. I knocked a few stars off this because I probably expected to feel the same way I did when I first looked through one of his books. I placed another one on hold and am very curious what it will look like, when I do get it. show less

Opening this book was like creating a cloud break and letting some sunshine into my life. Throughout this book, dancers celebrate life with movement, and no trampolines, wires or digital enhancement of any kind were used. Dancers Among Us is a joy!