Hi, > What's the best novel (fiction) anyone has read where photography is a > central part. ie: the main character is a photographer?
The one I'm going to write, of course! 'The Bridges of Madison County' is the only novel I can think of where the main character is a photographer. I've never read it, or seen the film (which featured Clint "Dyin' ain't much of a livin', boy" Eastwood as the Nikon-totin' National Geographic photographer in the Banana Republic vest). I don't think the book's audience is rough, tough chaps, what with it being (apparently) about love and sensitivity rather than drinkin', and swivin', and killin' small critters. There are some good (auto)biographies of photographers though. Don McCullin's "Unreasonable Behaviour" springs to mind. As does Deborah Copaken Kogan's "Shutterbabe". There are several biogs about Capa: Kershaw "Blood and Champagne" Whelan "Robert Capa" Capa "Slightly Out of Focus" - a somewhat jazzed up autobiography John Steinbeck's "Russian Journal" is a very enjoyable account of a trip to Russia and Georgia that Steinbeck and Capa made in 1947. Capa hijacks the book partway through to put the record straight about his bathing habits. I have read all of those above, and enjoyed them very much. "Under Fire" and "Salvador" are 2 well-known Hollywood films which feature photographers. "Under Fire" is from an original screenplay, I think, rather than a novel or memoir. However, it's based around real events and people from the time (Oliver Stone's definition of 'real'). I don't know if there's a book version. "Salvador" is based on a book by the photographer Richard Boyle about his time there. I'm not sure of the title of the book. -- Cheers, Bob
