REVIEW’S ON AMAZON BOOKS of
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S JOURNEY BY BOSWELL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiration for photojournalists or any photographer
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2023
In this memoir, “Boswell” traces his lifelong journey from a small Midwestern town to traveling around the world as an award-winning professional travel photographer, with many stops along the way — some of them pretty bumpy (including a lengthy stint as a social worker in Detroit after college). Written with an often dry wit, Boswell takes us behind the scenes to show that the life of a photojournalist isn’t all glamor, or even mostly glamor. But it’s also a hell of an interesting ride. I was particularly struck by how a twist of fate led to his making more than 50 trips to China over the course of his career, including some of the earliest by an American back in the days when bicycles ruled the road there. Highly recommended for anyone interested in photography, whether or not you want to put in the often grueling early morning hours to “catch the light” and capture the kinds of often-breathtaking shots that have accompanied “Boswell’s” frequent photo credits. Whether aspiring photographers find it inspirational or at times a bit discouraging, it’s always a good read, and I was glad he was willing to share his journey with such candor.
–Clark Norton, Award-winning travel writer and blogger @clarknorton.com
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not that Boswell, and not just a photographer’s journey
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023
As a professional travel writer, I have often worked on stories without ever meeting the photographer who was commissioned to illustrate them. That’s because our objectives can be so different. Everlastingly in search of just the right light, a travel photographer will typically start the day at some ungodly hour of the morning. While a writer, having been up late listening to the stories of locals, is likely to be, more sensibly, sleeping in. Yet there is a similarity between the two professions, especially having to do with the pitching of a story, the planning of it, and the execution, that makes this pseudonymously written (and in the third person, at that) memoir a worthwhile read for them both. For adventurous travelers of any ilk, it is an inspiration, too, chronicling as it does a lifetime of journeys to some 130 countries and illustrating them with nearly a hundred images (click on thumbnails of the images to fill your screen), many that make it seem rising at dawn can be very sensible indeed.
–Bob Payne, Award-winning travel writer and former contributing editor,
Condé Nast Traveler
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
I traveled with Dennis Cox and his cameras back in 1976 when we were both on a very early trip to China. Mao was still alive and China was just beginning to open up. I knew Dennis had continued his work as a photographer, but had no idea of its scope. What a life! Returning to China dozens of times, he took a world of pictures–especially in places few people got to. Later photography took him to all seven continents–sometimes in style, sometimes scraping by. A Photographer’s Journey is a unique memoir, written not in the first person, but rather narrated by “Boswell,” an irreverent but appreciative observer of the photographer’s work. It’s a perfect vehicle for Dennis’s dry wit. I laughed and laughed, not the least at Boswell’s description of the photographer’s early and rocky beginnings in Butt Crack, Michigan. Dennis is a wise, wise soul–there are many lessons of life found in those beautiful photographs. A Photographer’s Journey is a perfect gift for accomplished photographers–and aspiring ones, too, those who wonder if a life can be made by taking pictures. Boswell would answer, yes.
–Susan Chandler, Co-Author, Casino Women
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is a great discovery!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2023
I always wondered what it takes to capture awesome landscape cover photos! Let Boswell guide you through the life journeys of a 5-star travel and assignment photographer. Boswell gives insights into how to do it and what might happen along the way. There are great photo examples of what you might be able to capture. It is not too technical and amateurs can enjoy this read!
–Chuck
denniscox.com 