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Beatles Book:
Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon
Book
Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon |  |  | | List Price: $29.95 | | Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Salesrank: 94787
Released: March 4, 2008 | | Our Price: $16.76 | | Used Price: $14.99 | | | Media: Hardcover | |
Editorial Review:
“There were times I was a bit reticent in taking out my camera, like when some ‘old friends’ stopped by to hang out. I didn’t want to intrude on these moments, but John insisted. He felt that I captured him in ways that no one else did because of his comfort level with me…For years, only my closest friends got to see these photos—which were literally tucked away in a shoebox in my closet. They were surprised that these images did not convey the John that was portrayed in the press during our time together. In fact, they saw a side of John seldom seen.”—From INSTAMATIC KARMA
John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they’re collected for the first time. With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon. The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they’re the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang’s photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.
The photographs in INSTAMATIC KARMA are both color and black & white, casual Polaroids and more composed shots. Each one is an intimate glimpse into a fascinating time in John Lennon’s life.
Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon Reviews:
Lennon AAA+++ 
2008-09-06 - This is a wonderful Book with Great Pictures of John and the stories behind them! May Pang period of Johns life away from Yoko, well for a little while anyway. Highly recommended!
Nikkormatic Kam-ra
2008-08-20 - Nikkormatic Kam-ra
May Pang used two cameras to make the incredible photos in this book:
Her hastily packed 35 mm Nikkormat and a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera Lennon bought for her later. The SX-70 is in the cover photo. Sadly not a blurry Kodak Flashcube Instamatic photo in sight.
The title "Instamatic Karma" is an homage to Lennon's famous song "Instant Karma".
Imagine being a young woman working as John's personal assistant, and having your boss's wife tell you to date her husband. That's how May Pang's 18 month "Lost Weekend" started. You almost wonder if Yoko Ono picked May Pang so she would be able to hip-check her and reconcile with Lennon later on.
Life in L.A., New York City, and Long Island are all chronicled here with bluish fuzzy Polaroid Instant photos, and Pang's historic inside views of life with John Lennon.
As the ultimate insider, it is surprising that she took so few photos, or that so few made it into this book. Many of the photos are the same shot from slightly different angles or moments. Surprisingly these are not repetitive, but give a feeling of three-dimensionality or motion.
Lennon always looks the same, glasses or not, clothed or half-clad. Here are photos you will not see anywhere else -- buy it now before this first edition becomes a collector's item.
(ccbysa clumberiler)
outstanding!
2008-07-13 - You'll wish the book was a little bit thicker and with more photos and text, but I guess there will be a volume two. Either way it's great to be able to see any unreleased photos of John Lennon.
Fantastic pictures!
2008-07-08 - I absolutely love this book. I've been a collector of books on John, especially photo books for most of my life. What I love about this book is that the pictures are so natural and beautiful. There are hardly any "posed" pictures at all and the ones that are posed are more like family photos than something done for a publicity package. It's John looking healthy and happy and I adore it. Thanks, May!
May Flowers
2008-06-21 - You can breeze through this book in less than an hour-the written parts are short and succinct. May Pang's photos vary in quality from blurry to excellent, and reveal a happy ex-Beatle during a musically productive period of his life that he later dismissed as his "lost weekend". He looks anything but lost. This is clearly a labor of love from Pang, and it shows.
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