Fast Wide Open

by Justin Blaney

From #1 bestselling author Justin I love telling stories. I've been earning a living-though sometimes it's been hard to call it that-from storytelling since I was sixteen years old selling vacuum cleaners door to door. Funnily enough, some of the stories I told back then were more fictional than the novels I write today. Over the years, the mediums I've used have changed, but for me, it's always been about the story. Through blogging and songwriting and photography and speaking and design and sales, I've learned that the power of story is universal. Today, I apply my passion to writing novels and producing films for nonprofits and businesses. Sometimes I'm trying to affect change in the world through fictional characters and magical adventures. Other times, I'm showing the world how my nonprofit and business clients are heroes in the lives of the people they serve. I'm often surprised to find that the real stories are even more magical than the fiction. And that is why I created Fast Wide Open. I realized many of the true stories that have inspired me over the last fifteen years were being held captive on my computer's hard drives. Whenever I see these images, I remember the way I felt when they were taken. I think of the people who allowed me to share for a small time the richness of their lives, the people who live or worship or play or learn in these places, the people who work these machines. This book is not about pictures. It's about the fairytales inside the pictures. These pictures are mere snapshots of real lives, but the snapshots give us a window through which we can dream for a short time that we are inside the fairytale. That we are someone else. And sometimes, every so often, a little bit of that dream rubs off on us, and when we wake, we find we're just a tiny bit changed. I hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire me. About Fast Wide This collection of photos from Justin Blaney provides a panorama of the inspiration for his anthology of post-modern fairytales, exploring character, architecture, setting, texture and visual storytelling. Praise for Justin Blaney's "Justin Blaney creates a wonderful world of intrigue, mischief, and magic that comes alive through vivid storytelling." - Kari Skinner - "Dark, but amazing." - Silverine - "Unique and rustic and wonderful" - JoJo's Corner - "Waaaay outside the box!" - Bless their hearts mom - "Absolutely awesome." - Renee Chaw - "Freaking amazing upside down, side ways and back again" - Hope to Read - "Griping" - Susan Stalker - "Magical, mystical, imaginative and compelling." - L. Stronjny - "Wickedly complex" - Mary Weber - "Appeals to the aesthetic value of everyday mundane things" - Nerdzy - "Justin Blaney has his finger on the pulse of artistic current." - Kat in Kentucky -

60 pages, Hardcover

First published January 27, 2014

About the author

Dr. Justin Blaney, D.M., is a professor, serial entrepreneur, and author of twelve books, including Relationshift: Unleash the Surprising Power of Relationships to Change Yourself, Remake Your Life, and Achieve Any Business Goal and Evan Burl and the Falling, a four-part novel with over 100,000 copies sold. Justin has founded and sold multiple companies in industries ranging from advertising to consumer goods. Currently, Justin runs a digital marketing agency that has generated more than $250 million in revenue growth. He teaches at Foster School of Business, University of Washington and created the first course on influencer marketing at a major university. One million people follow him online, and his work has received over a billion views in dozens of countries. He created an app that features daily meditations on living well, which can be found along with all his other links at blaney.app. Justin lives in Seattle with his wife, Anya, and the world’s cutest mini-bernadoodle, Arlo.

Reviews

[Jeremy Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Blaney's Fast Wide Open is a beautiful collection of photographs taken by the author (Full disclosure: I received a free e-book version of this book to review). These well-done pictures evoke life in different parts of the world. In his brief introduction, Blaney writes that he loves to tell stories and he sees Fast Wide Open to not be about pictures, but “the fairytales inside the pictures.”

While I understand Blaney's decision not to provide commentary on the photos in order to leave them open for interpretation, I also wish he had told some stories about them. What are the fairytales inside the pictures? How have these pictures inspired him? What are Blaney's stories of taking the photographs? I enjoyed Fast Wide Open, but also wished for the book to have a more direct connection between picture and story.

One note: I uploaded this book to my Kindle 4, but ended up reading it on my laptop. Since this book is made up of primarily pictures and not text, I recommend either reading the digital version on a color screen or purchasing a printed copy.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your usual picture book. This book has pictures taken of everyday things that get you to stop and think about them. Truly loved the pic of Smith Tower, it looks so foreign and yet it is right here in my back yard. I do not think I will ever look at normal things again the same way. there is a beauty in these pictures that only the authors mind can show us. Once again Justin Blaney takes the normal out of everyday life and gives it a meaning that was never there before. Way to go Justin, I never thought I could really like a picture book!!

[Deborah Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The photos contained in this book were so awe inspiring that I would find myself stopping mid-sentence to a friend that was trying to talk to me. While not all of them were my favorites, there were some that just took my breath away. When I looked at the picture titled "Bridge", I felt like I could just step onto the path. I only wish I could take one picture with half of the talent that Justin shows in this book.

[Sally Hannoush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved photography. I frequent museums, websites, and books that offer this aspect of art. This book appeals to the æsthetic value of everyday mundane things. My favorite photos make cranes look beautiful. I also love the photos of everyday life and random breathtaking scenery. I look forward to more photos in the future.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, I had to go through it a few times and then once without thinking. I found the titles used very intriguing in some of the photos and some of the photos very unusual. It was quite different with little consistency but that was what made me go through it so many times. I'd have to say interesting is the word that comes to mind

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from the Author in exchange for a review.

This is a series of photographs taken by the Author.
Nothing mind blowing or stop and stare worthy.
Just a bunch of ok pictures that you can flip through in 5 minutes or less.
I wasn't impressed.