Soft Eyes — Henry Wessel, Austin Leong & Adrian Martinez. Published by Deadbeat Club.
“You’re suddenly seeing the coherence and the interconnectedness of everything, left to right, top to bottom, front to back. It’s all connected, and, somehow, it’s all in balance." — Henry Wessel, 2007
A perfect study in influence and authorship, Soft Eyes hits all of the marks of a great photobook dead center, from the organizing conceit, the excellent layout and design, and of course, to the often witty photographs, perfectly composed. What I find so refreshing is that instead of burying the similarities between a master (Henry Wessel, 1942–2018) and two talented younger photographers (Austin Leong, b. 1990, and Adrian Martinez, b. 1990), all working in the bright, flat light of California, this volume seeks to highlight them.
In the end, of course, each of the three photographers is unique in their own discernible way, and the novelty of guessing "who made what" becomes irrelevant as the crisp, clear images celebrate the best of what classic observational street photography can be. It’s incredibly comforting that Wessels' subtly clever way of seeing has not passed with him, and that this beautiful homage only adds to his legacy.
Todd Hido (born in Kent, Ohio, 1968) wanders endlessly, taking lengthy road trips in search of imagery that connects with his own memories. Through his unique landscape process and signature color palette, Hido alludes to the quiet and mysterious side of suburban America—where uniform communities provide a stable façade, implying the instability that often lies behind the walls.
Hido has published more than a dozen books, including the award-winning monographs House Hunting (2001) and Excerpts from Silver Meadows (2013). He returned to the cinematic landscape photography that he first explored with Roaming (2003), as well as in Bright Black World (2018), and followed it up with The End Sends Advance Warning (2024). Hido is also an avid photobook collector, and over the last 30 years has created a notable collection of over 8,500 titles.