The Fat Baby

Described as having an acute, sometimes hard-edged visual sensibility and a literary voice, Richards writes in order to come to terms with the complexities of what he is observing. At a time when photojournalists are often relegated to illustrating the ideas of others, he persists in interweaving his words and photographs to create boldly narrative stories that bear witness to the dramas of real lives and comment on the times in which we live. Deeply personal and prodigious in scope, The Fat Baby is a tribute to the emotional power of photography and a celebration of storytelling.

To all aspiring photographers and to established practitioners, I would suggest that perhaps instead of searching for your own style or buying the latest tool in the growing digital photo arsenal -- save the money and get the Gene Richards? ?Fat Baby? collection published and printed with care by Phaidon Press.

Hopefully it will serve you well as a "lighthouse" showing you the right direction while you navigate in the frustrating, never-ending search for new assignments. Perhaps constantly reminding you of what powerful photojournalism can be when commercial compromises and opportunistic careers are not the only options.