Alec Soth Almost Gave Up Photography. What Pulled Him Back?

Minnesota-based, internationally-revered photographer Alec Soth recently released his ninth book of photographs, entitled I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating. The book is a breathlessly poetic collection that expands upon the photographer’s oeuvre of elegiac, soulful and deeply humane imagery. His latest achievement, as the New York Times recently suggested, places him rightfully into the echelon of giants such as William Eggleston, Walker Evans and Robert Frank.
But in the summer of 2017, less than two years before the book’s release, Soth wasn’t dreaming up plans for a new series of photographs. Far from it, as it turned out. He was considering walking away from photography altogether. For an entire year, he had put away his beloved large-format camera, turned away his usual gigs with The New York Times Magazine and Vogue, and spent much of his time hanging out in a remote, dilapidated farmhouse contemplating what role art would play in his future, if any.
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[@jasoncolquhoun35]

This was really enjoyable to watch and to listen to. It’s almost like he’s describing a crossroads. I’m there, many of my other photographer friends are there, especially during these crazy times. I think one of the things we can all do is not take ourselves so seriously.Give ourselves a chance to breathe a little and recharge.

[@jamesstarkey6406]

🙏🏻

[@abrooklyngirllinda]

This is an amazing film about one of my favorite photographers. He is one cool dude.

[@TommyClark]

Stunning cinematography! I can really relate to a lot that Soth was talking about too.

[@Yosser70]

I love the dog’s reaction while you are breaking in! First it’s kinda “what you doing there” which quickly turns into “your on your own with that buddy” as he runs off lol

[@dalemyers9439]

Excellent!

[@storiesinmotionstudio8576]

Well produced.

[@LewisCooley]

Damn this was good.

[@paulvallance4347]

Interesting reflections. What was the box Alec was dragging with a chain? Did it have an animal in it?

[@Casualfulltime]

Beautiful 😍

[@futuresunfilm]

Beautiful film

[@james.00]

Hidden gem

[@samuelwilson3461]

i'd love to know where this is... just what region this is

[@TwinCitiesPBS]

That’s a great question! Let’s see what we can hear from the producers.

[@TwinCitiesPBS]

Hey! This is in Central Minnesota.

[@nathankim8024]

Beautifully meditative (see what I did there? 5:03) and insightful. Lots to think about and consider in our own work!

[@uubankwang]

This is like an episode of Portlandia

[@anothersurveillance2474]

The yawnwave of American photographers like Soth and Halpern that have spawned a splinter genre of dull and slow image making that whilst it ticks the boxes for picture editors, academics and curators it also requires such a vast guided explanation that it’s making the discourse boring and non-inclusive for those younger practitioners thinking about making new forms of documentary projects and photo-books. Marginal academic appeal and very U.S-centric. I advise my students to explore photographers who have lived unique and interesting lives because they made pictures like Miron Zownir, Dana Lixenburg, Scot Sothern, Jim Goldberg, Yan Morvan, Tim Hetherington, Boris Mikhailov … there’s space in this debate for more than the same old small list of box ticking American photographers .

[@miam1074]

wonderfully weird

[@Gabrielishere]

Once I found out his next door neighbor was Prince, and that he went to Sarah Lawrence College, I knew all I needed to know. Oh, the luxury of being able to "give up photography" 😆

[@dalemyers9439]

Excellent!