What do you think?
Rate this book
The Photographer's Truth
Ian Baines seems to have it all—a career as a hotshot software programmer in Silicon Valley, a beautiful wife and family, a nice house in an upscale San Francisco neighborhood, and a past that he’s mostly managed to forget. Life takes an unexpected turn for Ian when he finds himself in Paris for a three-month work project where he meets former fashion photographer Luca Sparks. The unlikely friendship grows and Ian sees a new side to life as Luca takes him on a journey through the glamorous and lustrous Paris nightlife. But something strange starts to happen during their adventures in Paris—the two start to fall in love. Both battle their own demons on the road to self-discovery, ultimately learning how to come to peace with their feelings and their pasts.
255 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
572 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Josiah Bardsley
3 books63 followersRalph Josiah Bardsley was born in a small town outside of Boston. His father was in the Coast Guard and he grew up in a lot of different places – New Orleans, Cape Cod, North Carolina and Sitka, Alaska. When he wasn’t in school, he spent most of his time in Coast Guard hangers or reading. Today he lives in Provincetown, Massachusetts with his husband Dana and their two dachshunds Olive and Andy. Ralph's hobbies include reading, running and gardening. Ralph holds a bachelor’s degree from Greensboro College and a master’s in communication from Emerson College.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 7, 2020
Wow! Just Wow!
This is a little gem.
This is one of those books you want to race to the finish line to find out the outcome but you don't want it to end.
The writing is superb.It's going down as one of my favourites.Was it perfect? No,it had it's flaws but I couldn't rate it any less than 5 Stars.I was swept up in this Author's words-honestly his writing is so thought provoking.I was hanging on every word.
The story of two men.One who had turned his back on his previous achievements and one who was only existing.
Ian seemed to have the life most would aspire for,but something was missing and his turmoil and pain felt so real,so raw.I got inside his head and felt for him.
The scene setting,in Paris,was beautiful.I've only been there once and like most people,I imagine,you do all the sights.But the Author showed a different Paris here.From Ian's small apartment with it's balcony to the magical side streets with their bars and restaurants and beautiful waiters.Honestly,I was there feeling all of it.
A story of self discovery that will stay with me for a long time.
This is a little gem.
This is one of those books you want to race to the finish line to find out the outcome but you don't want it to end.
The writing is superb.It's going down as one of my favourites.Was it perfect? No,it had it's flaws but I couldn't rate it any less than 5 Stars.I was swept up in this Author's words-honestly his writing is so thought provoking.I was hanging on every word.
The story of two men.One who had turned his back on his previous achievements and one who was only existing.
Ian seemed to have the life most would aspire for,but something was missing and his turmoil and pain felt so real,so raw.I got inside his head and felt for him.
The scene setting,in Paris,was beautiful.I've only been there once and like most people,I imagine,you do all the sights.But the Author showed a different Paris here.From Ian's small apartment with it's balcony to the magical side streets with their bars and restaurants and beautiful waiters.Honestly,I was there feeling all of it.
A story of self discovery that will stay with me for a long time.
March 20, 2020
Loved it!
Warning! Quotes ahead.
The first time I saw a Mapplethorpe print, I was twenty years old. It was my junior year in college, and I had gone with my roommate to New York City on spring break.
This book made me appreciate photography more. I found myself googling all the photographers mentioned here and their work. Beautiful, just beautiful.
GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! I need more of Ian, Luca and Paris. I feel like there should be more. Why author why?
Once in a books' lifetime, a book like this come along. A book that make you feel so much more. That feel authentic and raw. This is one of those authentic feel good books. It is so beautiful.
The writing alone made me give this book 5 stars. It is not a perfect book, but the feeling it gave me, is worth more than 5 stars.
This is the story of Ian Baines, a software programmer, a man on a journey to re-discover himself. And the story of Luca, a former famous fashion photographer who is lost and is trying to find himself. Together they embark on a magical journey in the city of love, Paris. On this journey, Ian and Luca become friends, best friends, to something more that can't be put in simple words. I loved their dialogue, their silent moments, seeing Paris through Ian's eyes. Mistakes are made, hearts are broken, including mine, hearts are mended, most important of all, Love is found.
“What will I learn?”
“Not to argue with the night.” He put his arm around my shoulder. The noise of the evening sidewalks filled my ears as we walked: the sound of a distant street corner jazz band, the blend of the passionate and mundane conversations taking place all around us, the buzz of far off traffic, and the clatter and bumping of the cars close to us as they slowly made their way across the evening map of the city. We moved through the streets past windows full of late night diners and street patios crowded with couples drinking wine and smoking.
I felt like i was watching one of those Indie movies that i love so much. Ralph transported me to another magical place that i never wanted leave. He got talent. Story telling is definitely his calling. Aaaaaaaaand this might be one of the best romantic book i have ever read.
Paris has a strange luster all its own, a glamour that pulls people together and pushes them apart in waves of love and luck quite unlike the natural properties of any other city on Earth. I’ve listened to people talk about Paris, either directly to me or in overheard conversations, and the sense of mysticism is universal, though some smile happily when they talk about memories of Paris and others seem to wane and grow smaller, as if eclipsed by some trace of fear or passion.
GAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
Overall it was authentic, beautifully written, flawed, and I freaking loved it.
PS: I would not tag this as MM Romance, if you are looking for you typical mm romance and some smexy times you will not find that here. But! if you are looking for a romantic love story with characters who are flawed, then this is for you.
Thanks for the wonderful BR Annery, Jan and Moony. 😘😘
Edited to add:
You can get at 20% off from BoldStrokesBooks.com use the promo code: Photographer20Promo. Enjoy.
Warning! Quotes ahead.
The first time I saw a Mapplethorpe print, I was twenty years old. It was my junior year in college, and I had gone with my roommate to New York City on spring break.
This book made me appreciate photography more. I found myself googling all the photographers mentioned here and their work. Beautiful, just beautiful.
GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! I need more of Ian, Luca and Paris. I feel like there should be more. Why author why?
Once in a books' lifetime, a book like this come along. A book that make you feel so much more. That feel authentic and raw. This is one of those authentic feel good books. It is so beautiful.
The writing alone made me give this book 5 stars. It is not a perfect book, but the feeling it gave me, is worth more than 5 stars.
This is the story of Ian Baines, a software programmer, a man on a journey to re-discover himself. And the story of Luca, a former famous fashion photographer who is lost and is trying to find himself. Together they embark on a magical journey in the city of love, Paris. On this journey, Ian and Luca become friends, best friends, to something more that can't be put in simple words. I loved their dialogue, their silent moments, seeing Paris through Ian's eyes. Mistakes are made, hearts are broken, including mine, hearts are mended, most important of all, Love is found.
“What will I learn?”
“Not to argue with the night.” He put his arm around my shoulder. The noise of the evening sidewalks filled my ears as we walked: the sound of a distant street corner jazz band, the blend of the passionate and mundane conversations taking place all around us, the buzz of far off traffic, and the clatter and bumping of the cars close to us as they slowly made their way across the evening map of the city. We moved through the streets past windows full of late night diners and street patios crowded with couples drinking wine and smoking.
I felt like i was watching one of those Indie movies that i love so much. Ralph transported me to another magical place that i never wanted leave. He got talent. Story telling is definitely his calling. Aaaaaaaaand this might be one of the best romantic book i have ever read.
Paris has a strange luster all its own, a glamour that pulls people together and pushes them apart in waves of love and luck quite unlike the natural properties of any other city on Earth. I’ve listened to people talk about Paris, either directly to me or in overheard conversations, and the sense of mysticism is universal, though some smile happily when they talk about memories of Paris and others seem to wane and grow smaller, as if eclipsed by some trace of fear or passion.
GAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
Overall it was authentic, beautifully written, flawed, and I freaking loved it.
PS: I would not tag this as MM Romance, if you are looking for you typical mm romance and some smexy times you will not find that here. But! if you are looking for a romantic love story with characters who are flawed, then this is for you.
Thanks for the wonderful BR Annery, Jan and Moony. 😘😘
Edited to add:
You can get at 20% off from BoldStrokesBooks.com use the promo code: Photographer20Promo. Enjoy.
March 21, 2020
***** 5 Stars *****
The Photographer's Truth is told in an inviting, intimate and captivating voice. It has a serious and provoking tone, and I found it so very honest. *heart eyes*
It's a story focused on self-discovery. I won't talk about the nice things in the story but the ugly. Because it was what did for me. Ian's weakness, insecurities, vulnerability, regrets, shame, mistakes and guilt were all so raw and brutally painful! 🔪💔.
And that's where the beauty lies in this story of self-discovery.
Because for some of us, life is not a straight and clear path, and to get there and assertively say, this is who I am, it can be tricky. You will have to make choices, hard ones even when it's tearing you apart. And then face those decisions.
Moreover, sometimes to be happy, and that's the most painful part, you will hurt other people you love.
What about you? Where would you be standing? Would you be willing to be selfish, sacrificing what you heart the most to have a go at happiness? With no guarantees? Could you be happy despite the sacrifice?
And on that note, I need to say that the author managed to put me through the wringer with the MCs realistic imperfections and struggles. It's what brings THE FEELS and make a story stand out for me.
I also want to address that end. An end that I had to read 3 times. It's going to be tricky, but I'll give telling how I felt reading that last page a shot. My brain was wounded, and as such, I had to swallow down that knot in my throat. But my mind, that part of me that appreciates unique things in all forms of art, found that end spectacular.
I absolutely loved this story and for the life of me, I can't understand why this book has only 22 reviews.
It was expensive, but it was worth every penny.
The Photographer's Truth is told in an inviting, intimate and captivating voice. It has a serious and provoking tone, and I found it so very honest. *heart eyes*
It's a story focused on self-discovery. I won't talk about the nice things in the story but the ugly. Because it was what did for me. Ian's weakness, insecurities, vulnerability, regrets, shame, mistakes and guilt were all so raw and brutally painful! 🔪💔.
And that's where the beauty lies in this story of self-discovery.
Because for some of us, life is not a straight and clear path, and to get there and assertively say, this is who I am, it can be tricky. You will have to make choices, hard ones even when it's tearing you apart. And then face those decisions.
Moreover, sometimes to be happy, and that's the most painful part, you will hurt other people you love.
What about you? Where would you be standing? Would you be willing to be selfish, sacrificing what you heart the most to have a go at happiness? With no guarantees? Could you be happy despite the sacrifice?
And on that note, I need to say that the author managed to put me through the wringer with the MCs realistic imperfections and struggles. It's what brings THE FEELS and make a story stand out for me.
I also want to address that end. An end that I had to read 3 times. It's going to be tricky, but I'll give telling how I felt reading that last page a shot. My brain was wounded, and as such, I had to swallow down that knot in my throat. But my mind, that part of me that appreciates unique things in all forms of art, found that end spectacular.
I absolutely loved this story and for the life of me, I can't understand why this book has only 22 reviews.
It was expensive, but it was worth every penny.
June 1, 2021
All the stars.
There is a deep melancholy on every page of this book. Not angst or heartbreak (well, not the whole time) but just an aura of sadness that weighed on my heart as I was reading. Yet each page was beautiful.
It’s not a classic romance. It’s Ian’s life story. From his college days in Vermont. To a memorable trip to NYC. To meeting his wife. To life as a 43yo married father in San Francisco. To Paris.
Paris. It felt like being in an old movie about Paris. With Aznavour playing in the background. I’ve only been once. But this portrayed a different Paris from the one I saw as a tourist. It made me long to be there. Pretending to be young, drinking the nights away.
At first I was surprised with how young I had become in so short a time. Night after night of outlandish adventure can be an aphrodisiac, even in the most platonic way. Life had gone from a series of computer screens, soccer games, and nights full of quiet arguments over the dishwasher, to a flood of colorful bars peopled with beautiful Parisian women and loud music.
It isn’t a romance. But the love story between Ian and Luca is beautiful and heartbreaking and life changing.
We would stay in bed for hours in those days, tangled in damp sheets, a bottle of wine or cups of steaming coffee between us, talking then making love then talking again.
I highlighted the shit out of this book. The writing is so beautiful. We don’t get sexy times, or an epilogue. A lot is left unsaid. But we get real raw love. And these two beautiful men earned a place in my heart.
There is a deep melancholy on every page of this book. Not angst or heartbreak (well, not the whole time) but just an aura of sadness that weighed on my heart as I was reading. Yet each page was beautiful.
It’s not a classic romance. It’s Ian’s life story. From his college days in Vermont. To a memorable trip to NYC. To meeting his wife. To life as a 43yo married father in San Francisco. To Paris.
Paris. It felt like being in an old movie about Paris. With Aznavour playing in the background. I’ve only been once. But this portrayed a different Paris from the one I saw as a tourist. It made me long to be there. Pretending to be young, drinking the nights away.
At first I was surprised with how young I had become in so short a time. Night after night of outlandish adventure can be an aphrodisiac, even in the most platonic way. Life had gone from a series of computer screens, soccer games, and nights full of quiet arguments over the dishwasher, to a flood of colorful bars peopled with beautiful Parisian women and loud music.
It isn’t a romance. But the love story between Ian and Luca is beautiful and heartbreaking and life changing.
We would stay in bed for hours in those days, tangled in damp sheets, a bottle of wine or cups of steaming coffee between us, talking then making love then talking again.
I highlighted the shit out of this book. The writing is so beautiful. We don’t get sexy times, or an epilogue. A lot is left unsaid. But we get real raw love. And these two beautiful men earned a place in my heart.
May 29, 2021
DNF @ 53%
December 22, 2023
3.5 stars. I really liked the story, the premise, how well the locations came alive. I felt that it could have been better in the dimensionality of the relationship and emotional elements. And some of the mundane parts could have been tightened up. Lastly, it was a fairly minor thing, but the dialogue between Ian and his children felt really stilted.
Thanks to Jan for the rec -- I especially loved the sidebars and rabbit holes it inspired (helloooo Robert Mapplethorpe, you were an absolute treasure), and I do want to read the author's other one. He has talent, for sure.
Thanks to Jan for the rec -- I especially loved the sidebars and rabbit holes it inspired (helloooo Robert Mapplethorpe, you were an absolute treasure), and I do want to read the author's other one. He has talent, for sure.
February 21, 2023
✽ 6 STARS ✽
All stars and more!
This was brilliant story! It was beautifully written with sad undertone throughout the whole telling. Books like this are so rare, so I’m always happy to discover one of them.
Story is told by Ian's POV, he is telling us about his life, meeting famous photographer Luca and their journey of self-discovery.
Many things stay unsaid for the reader to figure it out by himself. And that gives the story an even more authentic and raw feel. I just love when some things are left out or unsaid. This shows the author’s strength and credibility and his trust in readers.
All stars and more!
This was brilliant story! It was beautifully written with sad undertone throughout the whole telling. Books like this are so rare, so I’m always happy to discover one of them.
Story is told by Ian's POV, he is telling us about his life, meeting famous photographer Luca and their journey of self-discovery.
Many things stay unsaid for the reader to figure it out by himself. And that gives the story an even more authentic and raw feel. I just love when some things are left out or unsaid. This shows the author’s strength and credibility and his trust in readers.
February 21, 2023
This is a very hard review to write because it’s a very complicated book, the kind that stirs a lot of contradictory feelings and ideas inside of you. I think I should talk a bit about the main story first.
Ian is a normal guy.He has a normal life with a normal wife and normal kids and a normal job (some computer stuff I already forgot) and well.. like all of us mortals he feels a bit stuck . Then he is forced to relocate to Paris for the whole summer to work on a new data base for a fashion museum where he meets the arch-famous ex-fashion photographer Luca (I’m not sure of their age but I think both men are in their late 40s.). And so they struck up a peculiar friendship where they meet every day to talk about inane things, philosophical pretentious gibberish that made me want to bang my head against the wall because I’m not of sensitive mind and soul but rather I prefer to call things as I see them. All this while they intoxicated themselves stupid with alcohol and did some shallow bohemian stuff …the kind that you only see and experience in Paris (or so they say). They start an affair, of course, because , even though the author doesn’t specify it Ian is gay or at least bi- the book starts with Ian telling us how he slept with his gay college roommate and then ghosted him (this right after he told him there’s nothing wrong with being gay. I guess “better you than me “ was his motto back then).
Now, the book is beautiful and much more complex, complicated and interesting than what I expressed so far and what I found curious is that I loved it even though I didn’t particularly love the characters. I didn’t like Ian because him ghosting Vincent made me slightly annoyed and disappointed in him right from the start. For a moment I thought the big Parisian photographer from the blurb would be Vincent and it’s a second chance love but it wasn’t. I needed closure with Vincent and I felt let down because I didn’t get it.
Another reason I couldn’t connect with Ian was because he doesn’t really show much emotion. He’s stunted by his guilt and the fear of change , of self discovery that he lives this whole affair in a mechanical way going through the motions. He doesn’t allow himself to really feel love or affection. We witness his struggle, his panic and his turmoil , his guilt more than we witness his falling in love.
Luca , on the contrary, he came across as impulsive, shallow, irresponsible.. I know it wasn’t his job to think about Ian’s family but still.. Ian was married, he loved his kids, he fought a hard battle inside and yet Luca didn’t spare a thought for their circumstances. I mean, he was shocked when Ian left him to go back to his family.. Umm, what did you expect? He told you he couldn’t leave his family..You preferred to drag him to bohemian parties like you were 20 years old , drink with rich shallow fashion and art crowds till late in the morning and all this while you complained about the empty,artificial world around you and you preferred not to think about the future 🙄
And yet , I hurt for him when Ian left him. This is the part where I started to really feel for them. Where I really liked them , where I saw their authentic selves. I loved the ending, a HFN ending, a gentle ending and very emotional. And I realized it was a freaking good book. Realistic and raw and melancholic. The wife wasn’t a villain or a bitch or a stereotype. She was real , and the kids were realistically portrayed too and they were amazing (Robin stole my heart) .
I wish I was more sensitive or more wordy to do this book justice but I’m not. I will recommend it though, because it’s a good book, different and I will warn that 1) it has cheating (one MC is married) and 2) there is no smut. Everything is fade to black.
Ian is a normal guy.He has a normal life with a normal wife and normal kids and a normal job (some computer stuff I already forgot) and well.. like all of us mortals he feels a bit stuck . Then he is forced to relocate to Paris for the whole summer to work on a new data base for a fashion museum where he meets the arch-famous ex-fashion photographer Luca (I’m not sure of their age but I think both men are in their late 40s.). And so they struck up a peculiar friendship where they meet every day to talk about inane things, philosophical pretentious gibberish that made me want to bang my head against the wall because I’m not of sensitive mind and soul but rather I prefer to call things as I see them. All this while they intoxicated themselves stupid with alcohol and did some shallow bohemian stuff …the kind that you only see and experience in Paris (or so they say). They start an affair, of course, because , even though the author doesn’t specify it Ian is gay or at least bi- the book starts with Ian telling us how he slept with his gay college roommate and then ghosted him (this right after he told him there’s nothing wrong with being gay. I guess “better you than me “ was his motto back then).
Now, the book is beautiful and much more complex, complicated and interesting than what I expressed so far and what I found curious is that I loved it even though I didn’t particularly love the characters. I didn’t like Ian because him ghosting Vincent made me slightly annoyed and disappointed in him right from the start. For a moment I thought the big Parisian photographer from the blurb would be Vincent and it’s a second chance love but it wasn’t. I needed closure with Vincent and I felt let down because I didn’t get it.
Another reason I couldn’t connect with Ian was because he doesn’t really show much emotion. He’s stunted by his guilt and the fear of change , of self discovery that he lives this whole affair in a mechanical way going through the motions. He doesn’t allow himself to really feel love or affection. We witness his struggle, his panic and his turmoil , his guilt more than we witness his falling in love.
Luca , on the contrary, he came across as impulsive, shallow, irresponsible.. I know it wasn’t his job to think about Ian’s family but still.. Ian was married, he loved his kids, he fought a hard battle inside and yet Luca didn’t spare a thought for their circumstances. I mean, he was shocked when Ian left him to go back to his family.. Umm, what did you expect? He told you he couldn’t leave his family..You preferred to drag him to bohemian parties like you were 20 years old , drink with rich shallow fashion and art crowds till late in the morning and all this while you complained about the empty,artificial world around you and you preferred not to think about the future 🙄
And yet , I hurt for him when Ian left him. This is the part where I started to really feel for them. Where I really liked them , where I saw their authentic selves. I loved the ending, a HFN ending, a gentle ending and very emotional. And I realized it was a freaking good book. Realistic and raw and melancholic. The wife wasn’t a villain or a bitch or a stereotype. She was real , and the kids were realistically portrayed too and they were amazing (Robin stole my heart) .
I wish I was more sensitive or more wordy to do this book justice but I’m not. I will recommend it though, because it’s a good book, different and I will warn that 1) it has cheating (one MC is married) and 2) there is no smut. Everything is fade to black.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2020
If you enjoy a strong narrative voice, writing that's almost poetic without being precious, and a story that despite it's specificity can be pretty universal, read this book.
At 43 Ian is suddenly confronted with a part of himself he'd hidden away, not because he was ashamed but because it was easier to follow the path of least resistance. That path has had it's rewards, however Ian is just coasting, not really present in his own life, and he doesn't even know it. He exists in a sort of permanent low-key. All of that changes when he goes to Paris for a work assignment and meets Luca Sparks. Each flips a switch in the other and afterward neither will be the same.
I don't want to give much away, though this is no murder mystery, but I dove in pretty blind, just trusting Jan's review and I'm glad I did. I will say that for those looking for the usual MM tropes & beats this isn't that, because this isn't an MM romance, more like gay fiction. It's Ian's inner voyage of discovery, about who he is as a person, and as a man. Being in his head is a treat because of and not despite all his foibles, dithering, and failings. He's a fully realized character who's company I enjoyed immensely, precisely because of his sometimes glaring flaws and at times astounding obliviousness.
I really liked how Ralph Josiah Bardsley used photography and different photographers to illustrate how we see the world and ourselves in it and all you need to know about this story is there in black & white in Robert Mapplethorpe's Couple Dancing. It's like a précis for this story as a whole and each part is suitably encapsulated by the work of another photographer.
I'm pretty certain this isn't a perfect book, there were things I wanted more of, and things I could've done without but ultimately this quote captured my mood trying to extend a relatively short read because I wanted to remain as long as possible in that world:
"Each step I took that morning felt like a step towards the wrong end of a story I didn't want to finish reading."
At 43 Ian is suddenly confronted with a part of himself he'd hidden away, not because he was ashamed but because it was easier to follow the path of least resistance. That path has had it's rewards, however Ian is just coasting, not really present in his own life, and he doesn't even know it. He exists in a sort of permanent low-key. All of that changes when he goes to Paris for a work assignment and meets Luca Sparks. Each flips a switch in the other and afterward neither will be the same.
I don't want to give much away, though this is no murder mystery, but I dove in pretty blind, just trusting Jan's review and I'm glad I did. I will say that for those looking for the usual MM tropes & beats this isn't that, because this isn't an MM romance, more like gay fiction. It's Ian's inner voyage of discovery, about who he is as a person, and as a man. Being in his head is a treat because of and not despite all his foibles, dithering, and failings. He's a fully realized character who's company I enjoyed immensely, precisely because of his sometimes glaring flaws and at times astounding obliviousness.
I really liked how Ralph Josiah Bardsley used photography and different photographers to illustrate how we see the world and ourselves in it and all you need to know about this story is there in black & white in Robert Mapplethorpe's Couple Dancing. It's like a précis for this story as a whole and each part is suitably encapsulated by the work of another photographer.
I'm pretty certain this isn't a perfect book, there were things I wanted more of, and things I could've done without but ultimately this quote captured my mood trying to extend a relatively short read because I wanted to remain as long as possible in that world:
"Each step I took that morning felt like a step towards the wrong end of a story I didn't want to finish reading."
July 7, 2016
The lasting impression of that week, the first thing I still remember about it after all these years, isn’t sleeping with Vince. It’s the Mapplethorpe print in that little gallery. That photo made me realize what a thin line we walk between being lost and really alive. That was the dance, that was what the title “Couple Dancing” meant to me. The dance was the combination of beauty, confusion, and chaos that makes life interesting. But you could see from the faces of the subjects in the picture, having one element out of balance can drive us slowly and completely mad, even in the arms of someone we love. Oddly enough, life is the most beautiful, the most fulfilling when we’re the closest to that line between lost and alive.
When I read the author’s first book, Brothers, earlier this year, I already recognized what a wonderfully talented writer he is, so I jumped at the chance to read The Photographer’s Truth. Although it didn’t seem possible, it sounded even more fascinating to me.
I fear you’ll have to read a lot of quotes in this review ;-) I just couldn’t choose…
Ian lives that line between lost and alive. When he was a student he once set out to live a unique life after his own making, but he somehow missed his chance and took fear’s path instead like so many of us do. He now has a good job in San Francisco, he is married, and he’s got two great teenage sons, doesn’t miss a thing and is quite happy. He nestled himself into this predictable and comfortable life.
However, when a job takes him to Paris for several month, this life is disturbed and he loses his footing.
He goes to Paris to help prepare Môti fashion house set up a museum.
The attic was a glimpse into what the world was like at different points in the past—what people dressed like, what they found beautiful, how they viewed life. As one of the first fashion houses of the 1900s, photos of Môti collections started to appear in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar as early as the late teens. Môti clothed the elite of post war Europe, showing up on everyone from wandering Russian aristocracy to jazz hall starlets and British expats.
It is in this setting that he meets famous photographer Luca Sparks.
I’ve listened to people talk about Paris, either directly to me or in overheard conversations, and the sense of mysticism is universal, though some smile happily when they talk about memories of Paris and others seem to wane and grow smaller, as if eclipsed by some trace of fear or passion. Paris finds what is deep inside us and steers us on a path towards it, for she is the goddess of coincidence. We can bury what we like, but things have a way of surfacing on their own there, as the city brings people together on the wind of chance encounters.
The friendship and later love that springs from this chance encounter is both beautiful and hard to witness.
We spent a lot of time with Ian and Luca getting to know each other; meeting in cafés, enjoying Paris’s night life, talking about life, the world and everything. But while they both awaken something lost in each other, it comes with a lot of guilt on Ian’s side as well.
I really – like Really – appreciate that the fact that Ian is cheating on his wife is not glossed over. In fact, his relationship and time with his family was so real that it partly hurt to read, because losing your partner of so many years – for whatever reason – can happen to everyone, and I found this to be most realistic and relatable. I felt with Ian and thought his struggle was very understandable. However…
I was not who I had built myself to be. I was someone else. Luca had awakened that, and now it would never rest.
The end of the book was so very fitting and I like at which point the author leaves us. It’s a happy ending, though not, in any way, a fairytale-like one.
This is a wonderful book.
I found it to be touching – I smiled and cried – and I think that it is very, very romantic. The Parisian setting is idyllic and palpable, the themes of photography and identity prominent and interesting. Because of its beauty, the writing both lulls me in and gets me excited.
I wish the author had already written more books because I can’t wait to read what he comes up with next. In case you were wondering… Highly Recommended!
_________________________
Genre: contemporary fiction, romance
Tags: M/M, photography, Paris, identity
Rating: 5 stars, favourites 2016
Blog: Review for Just Love Romance
Disclosure: ARC in exchange for review
June 3, 2017
Poignant, thought-provoking and quietly beautiful.
I simply can't resist this author's masterful attack on all of my senses - every word rings true, every emotion described reverberated inside me, every observation made takes on a new and deeper meaning. I didn't long for artificially fabricated twists in the story, or sex scenes, or even a grand finale. Somehow, being left with a heart stuck in my throat is just as satisfying, if not more so, because it feels real.
After the Brothers and this book, I can easily say I would be reading everything Ralph Josiah ever writes. And I so do hope he writes a lot!
Highly recommend!
I simply can't resist this author's masterful attack on all of my senses - every word rings true, every emotion described reverberated inside me, every observation made takes on a new and deeper meaning. I didn't long for artificially fabricated twists in the story, or sex scenes, or even a grand finale. Somehow, being left with a heart stuck in my throat is just as satisfying, if not more so, because it feels real.
After the Brothers and this book, I can easily say I would be reading everything Ralph Josiah ever writes. And I so do hope he writes a lot!
Highly recommend!
May 8, 2021
4.5 Stars
‘The Photographer’s Truth’ by Ralph Josiah Bardsley is an extraordinary, thought provoking novel, both haunting and disturbing. It’s a novel of love, discovery, family, doubt, acceptance, photography, fashion, work, and unintended - but nonetheless devastating - emotional pain. Bardsley’s characters are so believable, even if not personally relatable, they quickly become very real.
As an avid reader who’s never attempted to write - or to create art in any form - there was a profound discussion in ‘The Photographer’s Truth’ that so clearly resonated it will undoubtedly influence the way I review from now on. This is that exchange:
- - - - -
“Usually people tell me if they think I am good. You said that you liked my work. The difference is important to me.”
I nodded, taking in the breadth of his comments. I had never stopped to differentiate between the two statements.
“I guess, maybe in English they mean the same thing?”
“Do you think they do?” he asked. “That would be such a disappointment.”
“A disappointment?” I echoed. “How is that a disappointment?”
“Let’s take one question at a time…Let’s keep with the difference between ‘I like your work’ and ‘you’re good.’”
“If you like my work, it means something to you. You’ve personalized it. If you think I’m good, it means nothing to you. You’re passing judgment on my skills as a photographer, and the truth is that you probably don’t have any real credibility to do so.”
- - - -
I liked Mr. Bardsley’s work.
The opening lines of his novel set the tone for everything that followed. Ian Baines had left California to study engineering at a small college in Vermont. His third year roommate, Vince, was an art student.
“The first time I saw a Mapplethorpe print, I was twenty years old. It was my junior year in college, and I had gone with my roommate to New York City on spring break.”
“I felt like I had never really witnessed passion and loneliness before that moment. The powerful black and white images, the ghost of hope in the men’s faces, the way Mapplethorpe captured a split second in time and used it to illustrate love and lust and loneliness and comfort all at one - it was a revelation to me."
Fast forward several years to Paris, where Ian, now a happily married father of two teen-aged sons and a software designer in San Francisco, has been sent to develop a new computer program for Môti House of Fashion’s soon to open museum.
In Paris, Ian meets Luca Sparks, a ‘retired’ fashion photographer. As a result of that chance meeting, both their lives and the lives of many others are forever changed.
The story told in ‘The Photographer’s Truth’ may not appeal to everyone. But, particularly because I have friends who have experienced life changing events similar to those of Ian and his family, this novel certainly captured me.
‘The Photographer’s Truth’ by Ralph Josiah Bardsley is an extraordinary, thought provoking novel, both haunting and disturbing. It’s a novel of love, discovery, family, doubt, acceptance, photography, fashion, work, and unintended - but nonetheless devastating - emotional pain. Bardsley’s characters are so believable, even if not personally relatable, they quickly become very real.
As an avid reader who’s never attempted to write - or to create art in any form - there was a profound discussion in ‘The Photographer’s Truth’ that so clearly resonated it will undoubtedly influence the way I review from now on. This is that exchange:
- - - - -
“Usually people tell me if they think I am good. You said that you liked my work. The difference is important to me.”
I nodded, taking in the breadth of his comments. I had never stopped to differentiate between the two statements.
“I guess, maybe in English they mean the same thing?”
“Do you think they do?” he asked. “That would be such a disappointment.”
“A disappointment?” I echoed. “How is that a disappointment?”
“Let’s take one question at a time…Let’s keep with the difference between ‘I like your work’ and ‘you’re good.’”
“If you like my work, it means something to you. You’ve personalized it. If you think I’m good, it means nothing to you. You’re passing judgment on my skills as a photographer, and the truth is that you probably don’t have any real credibility to do so.”
- - - -
I liked Mr. Bardsley’s work.
The opening lines of his novel set the tone for everything that followed. Ian Baines had left California to study engineering at a small college in Vermont. His third year roommate, Vince, was an art student.
“The first time I saw a Mapplethorpe print, I was twenty years old. It was my junior year in college, and I had gone with my roommate to New York City on spring break.”
“I felt like I had never really witnessed passion and loneliness before that moment. The powerful black and white images, the ghost of hope in the men’s faces, the way Mapplethorpe captured a split second in time and used it to illustrate love and lust and loneliness and comfort all at one - it was a revelation to me."
Fast forward several years to Paris, where Ian, now a happily married father of two teen-aged sons and a software designer in San Francisco, has been sent to develop a new computer program for Môti House of Fashion’s soon to open museum.
In Paris, Ian meets Luca Sparks, a ‘retired’ fashion photographer. As a result of that chance meeting, both their lives and the lives of many others are forever changed.
The story told in ‘The Photographer’s Truth’ may not appeal to everyone. But, particularly because I have friends who have experienced life changing events similar to those of Ian and his family, this novel certainly captured me.
March 24, 2020
Alright.
I did it.
I bought a 9.99 book from an author that was unknown to me.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. Without a doubt.
Wow.
Here I am sitting in dark after just finishing this story.
Trying to swollow the lump in my throat.
My heart is heavy.
My soul is hurting.
This story was captivating.
Beautiful. Raw.
I'm at a lost for words.
This is a story about self discovery.
That ending. wait. a. minute. 📸
I did it.
I bought a 9.99 book from an author that was unknown to me.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. Without a doubt.
Wow.
Here I am sitting in dark after just finishing this story.
Trying to swollow the lump in my throat.
My heart is heavy.
My soul is hurting.
This story was captivating.
Beautiful. Raw.
I'm at a lost for words.
This is a story about self discovery.
That ending. wait. a. minute. 📸
August 19, 2016
I can't even write a worthy review of this book.
It's near perfect.
5 stars
It's near perfect.
5 stars
July 12, 2016
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*Some stories leave an indelible ink on your soul...this was one of them.
"Even if you are broken, you're beautiful to me. You make me see light Luca. Light like I haven't been able to see ever before."
It felt like the greatest love story ever with a disastrous ending. The song says: Falling in love is never an easy thing. Falling in love when you have a family is a complication that neither men could prevent. When Ian was offered a job in Paris for three months, he never expected the fiber of his life to unravel like a crotchet sweater hooked on a needle. Meeting Luca Sparks, an ex-photographer who was once all the rage had him remembering things from yesteryear and creating feelings he never once before felt.
I held my breath throughout this read, a feeling of dread running through my blood, feeling the hurt and pain and sadness. Smiling at the newness of young love and experiencing the blossom of something so real. How could something that feels so right be so wrong?
I do not condone cheating, nor do I cheer it on. But I have written earlier in another review that the heart wants what the heart wants. When faces with dire situations, we as human have the ability to be strong or become as weak as a link. We become vulnerable and if we are like that, we are open to suggestions.
I admire the author's writing style and his ability to stay true to self. Many are face with similar situations. Are we strong enough to walk away and live with regrets? Or are we strong enough to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and just LIVE?
Both Luca and Ian had to faced their truths, and though hurts ensue, they were better when honesty won. This was not a story of shame or love is love. This was a story of finding one's inner peace, removing the cobwebs of doubt and being true to self. As Ian asked: "Can we try? Or do we have to give up and surrender to always having nothing?"
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cee from Alpha Book Club
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*Some stories leave an indelible ink on your soul...this was one of them.
"Even if you are broken, you're beautiful to me. You make me see light Luca. Light like I haven't been able to see ever before."
It felt like the greatest love story ever with a disastrous ending. The song says: Falling in love is never an easy thing. Falling in love when you have a family is a complication that neither men could prevent. When Ian was offered a job in Paris for three months, he never expected the fiber of his life to unravel like a crotchet sweater hooked on a needle. Meeting Luca Sparks, an ex-photographer who was once all the rage had him remembering things from yesteryear and creating feelings he never once before felt.
I held my breath throughout this read, a feeling of dread running through my blood, feeling the hurt and pain and sadness. Smiling at the newness of young love and experiencing the blossom of something so real. How could something that feels so right be so wrong?
I do not condone cheating, nor do I cheer it on. But I have written earlier in another review that the heart wants what the heart wants. When faces with dire situations, we as human have the ability to be strong or become as weak as a link. We become vulnerable and if we are like that, we are open to suggestions.
I admire the author's writing style and his ability to stay true to self. Many are face with similar situations. Are we strong enough to walk away and live with regrets? Or are we strong enough to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and just LIVE?
Both Luca and Ian had to faced their truths, and though hurts ensue, they were better when honesty won. This was not a story of shame or love is love. This was a story of finding one's inner peace, removing the cobwebs of doubt and being true to self. As Ian asked: "Can we try? Or do we have to give up and surrender to always having nothing?"
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cee from Alpha Book Club
July 25, 2016
*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Ian is a Silicon Valley geek, a computer software programmer who lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children. When Ian's work sends him to Paris for a three month project, he meets Luca, a famous retired fashion photographer. They spend their nights together drinking wine and having dinner together at small cafes and strolling the streets of Paris, but things change and Ian begins to have feelings for Luca. He feels things he hasn't let himself explore or even imagine since his college days.
I loved that the author took us through some of Ian's time in college. We got to see where this all started and not just be told about the experience back in college. As an adult, Ian finds himself being torn between his life and family back home in San Francisco and the man he has fallen desperately in love with in Paris. This story is filled with heartache. Even when Ian and Luca are happy there is always an underlying sadness and guilt present. I knew someone would lose in the end, and I just had to hope that the people I came to know and care about during this story would get a happy ending.
This is my second book by this author and I can't even pinpoint what it is about his writing, but he's such a gifted storyteller that he succeeds in pulling you into the world he has created and holding you captivated with his every word. I couldn't put this book down. The book is written in enough detail that I could imagine myself wandering the streets of Paris with Ian and Luca or sitting down at a small street side cafe for dinner or a cafe au lait with them.
**Warning this last paragraph contains a semi-spoiler**
As well as the story was written and as much as I enjoyed it, the ending left me so dissatisfied and frankly, in tears. The ending is left open ended and up to the reader's imagination as to what the future might hold for Ian and Luca. I know how I imagine their future, and I guess that's all that really matters in the end. Still, a very good and recommendable read.
Ian is a Silicon Valley geek, a computer software programmer who lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children. When Ian's work sends him to Paris for a three month project, he meets Luca, a famous retired fashion photographer. They spend their nights together drinking wine and having dinner together at small cafes and strolling the streets of Paris, but things change and Ian begins to have feelings for Luca. He feels things he hasn't let himself explore or even imagine since his college days.
I loved that the author took us through some of Ian's time in college. We got to see where this all started and not just be told about the experience back in college. As an adult, Ian finds himself being torn between his life and family back home in San Francisco and the man he has fallen desperately in love with in Paris. This story is filled with heartache. Even when Ian and Luca are happy there is always an underlying sadness and guilt present. I knew someone would lose in the end, and I just had to hope that the people I came to know and care about during this story would get a happy ending.
This is my second book by this author and I can't even pinpoint what it is about his writing, but he's such a gifted storyteller that he succeeds in pulling you into the world he has created and holding you captivated with his every word. I couldn't put this book down. The book is written in enough detail that I could imagine myself wandering the streets of Paris with Ian and Luca or sitting down at a small street side cafe for dinner or a cafe au lait with them.
**Warning this last paragraph contains a semi-spoiler**
As well as the story was written and as much as I enjoyed it, the ending left me so dissatisfied and frankly, in tears. The ending is left open ended and up to the reader's imagination as to what the future might hold for Ian and Luca. I know how I imagine their future, and I guess that's all that really matters in the end. Still, a very good and recommendable read.
July 21, 2016
Ralph Josiah Bardsley has what I would call a very literary way of writing. It reminds me of the books I had to read for school-descriptive, with lots of exposition. That's not a bad thing, it actually puts you deeper into the main character's thoughts and feelings and gives you a greater understanding of what is going on. For me personally, it also makes some parts of the book go slower as all of the storytelling unfolds. Here in The Photographer's Truth, it was like that for me for about the first two-thirds of the story and then the last third is where things became more intense as the relationship between Ian and Luca becomes deeper and more complicated.
Ian is an average, everyday guy...not someone who stands out or would make you look twice really. But he finds himself becoming more and more entrenched in a situation he is unsure of, and is confusing and a bit scary for him--being attracted to a man for the first time...a bit problematic since he has a wife and family. Luca is the kind of man who everyone wants to be around and with, and who easily fits in everywhere. What develops between the two is complex and becomes difficult given Ian's family circumstances.
The story is beautiful and moving, my only wish would have been to have a more definitive resolution at the end. It leaves you thinking you know where things are headed, but honestly you can't really know for sure. It is because of this and the slower moving pace of the writing that this is a 4-star read for me instead of a 5...but these are personal preferences for me, and this is still a wonderful story. Recommended for M/M romance fans who like their stories told in a more literary fashion-you will find this to be a truly enjoyable book like I did.
Ian is an average, everyday guy...not someone who stands out or would make you look twice really. But he finds himself becoming more and more entrenched in a situation he is unsure of, and is confusing and a bit scary for him--being attracted to a man for the first time...a bit problematic since he has a wife and family. Luca is the kind of man who everyone wants to be around and with, and who easily fits in everywhere. What develops between the two is complex and becomes difficult given Ian's family circumstances.
The story is beautiful and moving, my only wish would have been to have a more definitive resolution at the end. It leaves you thinking you know where things are headed, but honestly you can't really know for sure. It is because of this and the slower moving pace of the writing that this is a 4-star read for me instead of a 5...but these are personal preferences for me, and this is still a wonderful story. Recommended for M/M romance fans who like their stories told in a more literary fashion-you will find this to be a truly enjoyable book like I did.
April 22, 2022
“CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE”
While browsing in Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, I noticed a book on a display rack. The cover showed a thirtyish man in a rumpled suit, wearing glasses, with a camera hanging around his neck. He had a drink in his left hand and a cigarette in his right. The title of the book was The Photographer’s Truth. The author, Ralph Josiah Bardsley, was new to me. Bold Strokes Books was the publisher. OK, I thought. I was in the mood for something sexy and escapist, so I bought the book. Boy, was I surprised when I sat down and read the book!
Forty-three-year-old Ian Baines narrates the novel. In a flashback that helps establish his character, Ian describes a trip to New York that he took while in college with Vince, his roommate. They go to a gallery where Ian is mesmerized by Robert Mapplethorpe’s black-and-white photograph titled “Couple Dancing.” In the photograph, two nude young men, both wearing crowns, are dancing. They seem comfortable with each other. Ian and Vince have a brief liaison.
Ian becomes a software engineer in San Francisco. He marries and has two sons with Ellie, his wife, who is a lawyer. While in Paris working on an online archive project for a famous fashion house, Ian meets Luca Sparks at a sidewalk café. And, as they say, neither of their lives will ever be the same.
Luca sees a passion in Ian that Ian has no idea he possesses. Lucas extends himself to the absolute limit toward Ian, but Ian will not reciprocate. At one point, Luca, photographer that he is, tells Ian, “Choose what you want to see.” Ian returns to the States, takes a brief vacation with Ellie to Hawaii, makes up his mind, leaves Ellie and the boys, and goes back to Paris, only to find that Luca has disappeared.
The Photographer’s Truth is a beautifully written story of two men, an American who hasn’t come to terms with his true sexual identity, and a Frenchman who knows who he is and what he wants. The story moves relentlessly to the climax, lets the reader catch a breath, just briefly, and then sweeps the reader on to--well, no spoilers.
Bardsley expertly describes the fashion milieu in Paris, the clothes, the models, the paparazzi, and Paris itself. The dialogue between the characters is masterful. Some of the most vivid and touching scenes are those between Ian and his sons.
I would love to see this novel, one of my favorite gay novels of all time, made into a movie: Two meaty roles for two handsome, charismatic actors, the beautiful San Francisco and Paris settings, and, at the conclusion—as I said above, no spoilers.
While browsing in Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, I noticed a book on a display rack. The cover showed a thirtyish man in a rumpled suit, wearing glasses, with a camera hanging around his neck. He had a drink in his left hand and a cigarette in his right. The title of the book was The Photographer’s Truth. The author, Ralph Josiah Bardsley, was new to me. Bold Strokes Books was the publisher. OK, I thought. I was in the mood for something sexy and escapist, so I bought the book. Boy, was I surprised when I sat down and read the book!
Forty-three-year-old Ian Baines narrates the novel. In a flashback that helps establish his character, Ian describes a trip to New York that he took while in college with Vince, his roommate. They go to a gallery where Ian is mesmerized by Robert Mapplethorpe’s black-and-white photograph titled “Couple Dancing.” In the photograph, two nude young men, both wearing crowns, are dancing. They seem comfortable with each other. Ian and Vince have a brief liaison.
Ian becomes a software engineer in San Francisco. He marries and has two sons with Ellie, his wife, who is a lawyer. While in Paris working on an online archive project for a famous fashion house, Ian meets Luca Sparks at a sidewalk café. And, as they say, neither of their lives will ever be the same.
Luca sees a passion in Ian that Ian has no idea he possesses. Lucas extends himself to the absolute limit toward Ian, but Ian will not reciprocate. At one point, Luca, photographer that he is, tells Ian, “Choose what you want to see.” Ian returns to the States, takes a brief vacation with Ellie to Hawaii, makes up his mind, leaves Ellie and the boys, and goes back to Paris, only to find that Luca has disappeared.
The Photographer’s Truth is a beautifully written story of two men, an American who hasn’t come to terms with his true sexual identity, and a Frenchman who knows who he is and what he wants. The story moves relentlessly to the climax, lets the reader catch a breath, just briefly, and then sweeps the reader on to--well, no spoilers.
Bardsley expertly describes the fashion milieu in Paris, the clothes, the models, the paparazzi, and Paris itself. The dialogue between the characters is masterful. Some of the most vivid and touching scenes are those between Ian and his sons.
I would love to see this novel, one of my favorite gay novels of all time, made into a movie: Two meaty roles for two handsome, charismatic actors, the beautiful San Francisco and Paris settings, and, at the conclusion—as I said above, no spoilers.
August 6, 2024
I loved the way the book started. The writing was beautiful and Ian was a character I could sink into and enjoy inhabiting. He’s about my age, and I love nothing more than an awakening. Coming of age 2.0 is my current specific interest; I find myself constantly learning about myself, so I was excited to walk along an MC that was around my age and discovering himself. BUT…and this is a crucial factor. For me, the growth is meant to be expansive. With extra care, I listen to the stillest and smallest voice inside to find my true, true nature. That work weeds out the vague half-calls of my twenties where my desires often led me down rabbit holes. The other key aspect of Coming-of-Age 2.0 is that the accumulated parts of our lives have to be incorporated into the change. We don’t have the luxury of growing in isolation, nor is it desirable per se. We have our families and dear friends, and they need to be part of the future. So…I really struggled with this book. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking, yes, but I’m not sure it had to be. I’m an eternal optimist who believes with complete faith in The Work. I wished there was a way for Ian to evolve without so much wreckage. For my sake - because I can’t bear my heart being broken every time I pick up a book - and for Ian’s or any other middle aged person who cracks themselves open to discover lovely but terrifying truths.
Having read three novels by the this author, I am now curious about the vision of his character arcs. Reading offers a glimpse into a fictional tale, sure, but it’s a peek into a writer’s mind. There’s joy and unity at the end of each novel, but always with a lot of breakage, whether at the outset or later in the novel. Lack of self-awareness seems to be a prominent theme too. Alright, I’m ending my tangent and will dip into a book with a guaranteed HEA for dessert.
Having read three novels by the this author, I am now curious about the vision of his character arcs. Reading offers a glimpse into a fictional tale, sure, but it’s a peek into a writer’s mind. There’s joy and unity at the end of each novel, but always with a lot of breakage, whether at the outset or later in the novel. Lack of self-awareness seems to be a prominent theme too. Alright, I’m ending my tangent and will dip into a book with a guaranteed HEA for dessert.
July 20, 2020
I had this book for a while, having won it at a Bold Strokes festival a while ago. I have never really been into romantic-fiction and this struck me as exactly that which is why it took me so long to delve in.
As the book drew to it's ending, I started to panic a little bit. With the number of pages remaining becoming smaller and smaller, I was worried we would either get an unfulfilling end to their story, or a rushjob one-paragraph happy ever after. My apologies to the author, because the ending was in fact perfect and summarised in a single closing sentence that told me everything I needed to know.
The story is book-ended by this fantastic ending and a gripping, sensitively delivered opening that draws on Ian's past and helps inform a lot of the decisions and struggles he'd later face. A perfect way to welcome readers in and escort them out of the story.
A tiny negative -I felt the title to be somewhat uninspiring and occasional conversations with Ian and Luca, particularly later in the book, felt a little too poetic to be realistic. These are easy to overlook though, I just hope everyone will enjoy the book and not wait as long as I did to enjoy the world that Bardsley has created.
As the book drew to it's ending, I started to panic a little bit. With the number of pages remaining becoming smaller and smaller, I was worried we would either get an unfulfilling end to their story, or a rushjob one-paragraph happy ever after. My apologies to the author, because the ending was in fact perfect and summarised in a single closing sentence that told me everything I needed to know.
The story is book-ended by this fantastic ending and a gripping, sensitively delivered opening that draws on Ian's past and helps inform a lot of the decisions and struggles he'd later face. A perfect way to welcome readers in and escort them out of the story.
A tiny negative -I felt the title to be somewhat uninspiring and occasional conversations with Ian and Luca, particularly later in the book, felt a little too poetic to be realistic. These are easy to overlook though, I just hope everyone will enjoy the book and not wait as long as I did to enjoy the world that Bardsley has created.
June 15, 2021
Wow that was a amazing read.Love this book thanks @judith for her review
July 25, 2016
Ralph Josiah Bardsley’s The Photographer’s Truth is such an elegant and eloquent book. Steeped in the romance of the City of Light is the story of a man, Ian Baines—husband, father, businessman—who seems, from the outside looking in, to be living the proverbial American Dream. The story begins with the introduction of our narrator as a young and as yet unnamed college student who is just beginning to examine who he is and to observe the world around him through a more questioning eye.
Ian is that young man to whom we’ve been introduced, and he picks up his narrative as the now married father of two teenage sons. His life is nothing if not the picture of normality in an average, everyday, wife and two kids sort of way. It’s not until he’s sent to Paris on a work assignment that Ian lives through an epiphanous series of months that not only open his eyes to a new world but also threaten to overwhelm him with the burden of living two separate lives when he meets and falls in love with Luca Sparks.
If you’re a lover of books filled with engaging dialogue, intriguing characters, and enchanting settings, that is this book. The Photographer’s Truth isn’t flashy; it’s a romance that builds quietly through Bardsley’s evocative prose, and then hits its emotional peak at a crucial moment in Ian’s life—the moment he sees life through the unfiltered lens of a deep love he’d been bent upon denying himself. Of course, there’s an undercurrent that runs alongside the reader’s building investment in Ian and Luca finding a way to be together, that of the breaking up of a marriage and the breaking down of a family. The contrasts between Ian’s two lives is a conflict that causes no small amount of friction between he and Luca, nor no small amount of contradicting feelings in readers.
One of the themes I loved in this novel is that of Luca as the former fashion photographer. Luca sees the world in varying hues and shades that transform the way Ian himself begins to view his life and the city around him. As beautiful as it all becomes for Ian, it also segregates the black and white parts of his life—the parts that mean he has a loyalty to his family back in the States—and creates a tumultuous gray area where his love for Luca exists. The emotional current running through this conflict is always at the fore, regardless of the scene these characters are moving through, which serves as a poignant reminder of the diaphanous ties that bind us together, and that living one’s truth is sometimes both elusive and illusive and often takes a vast amount of courage to fully embrace it.
Ralph Josiah Bardsley has penned a beautiful and often heartbreaking love story, the sort that snuck up on me and then lingered in my memory for days after. The Photographer’s Truth is rich in the realism of the human condition and the reality that no matter who we are, love is the intangible force over which we have no control. And, as in life, the author doesn’t give us a neat and tidy happily-ever-after for these two men. He does, however, light the way for that possibility.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
Ian is that young man to whom we’ve been introduced, and he picks up his narrative as the now married father of two teenage sons. His life is nothing if not the picture of normality in an average, everyday, wife and two kids sort of way. It’s not until he’s sent to Paris on a work assignment that Ian lives through an epiphanous series of months that not only open his eyes to a new world but also threaten to overwhelm him with the burden of living two separate lives when he meets and falls in love with Luca Sparks.
If you’re a lover of books filled with engaging dialogue, intriguing characters, and enchanting settings, that is this book. The Photographer’s Truth isn’t flashy; it’s a romance that builds quietly through Bardsley’s evocative prose, and then hits its emotional peak at a crucial moment in Ian’s life—the moment he sees life through the unfiltered lens of a deep love he’d been bent upon denying himself. Of course, there’s an undercurrent that runs alongside the reader’s building investment in Ian and Luca finding a way to be together, that of the breaking up of a marriage and the breaking down of a family. The contrasts between Ian’s two lives is a conflict that causes no small amount of friction between he and Luca, nor no small amount of contradicting feelings in readers.
One of the themes I loved in this novel is that of Luca as the former fashion photographer. Luca sees the world in varying hues and shades that transform the way Ian himself begins to view his life and the city around him. As beautiful as it all becomes for Ian, it also segregates the black and white parts of his life—the parts that mean he has a loyalty to his family back in the States—and creates a tumultuous gray area where his love for Luca exists. The emotional current running through this conflict is always at the fore, regardless of the scene these characters are moving through, which serves as a poignant reminder of the diaphanous ties that bind us together, and that living one’s truth is sometimes both elusive and illusive and often takes a vast amount of courage to fully embrace it.
Ralph Josiah Bardsley has penned a beautiful and often heartbreaking love story, the sort that snuck up on me and then lingered in my memory for days after. The Photographer’s Truth is rich in the realism of the human condition and the reality that no matter who we are, love is the intangible force over which we have no control. And, as in life, the author doesn’t give us a neat and tidy happily-ever-after for these two men. He does, however, light the way for that possibility.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
August 1, 2016
I loved the journey of Luca and Ian. Ian’s was harder to watch and see through his fear. Luca’s started as very sad as we hear about his reason for leaving and walking away from something he loved to do. Something that catapaulted him into stardom but also put him in his own prison. Ian was scared. Scared of who he really was and what he was becoming before Luca came along. He didn’t know how to put this in words or even see it at first.
We get another amazing journey that is deep and beautiful in Ralph Josiah Bardsley’s book The Photographer’s Truth. Ian is the main character and it is told through his eyes. His emotions, fears and journey is front and center. Along the way though we meet Luca and the two intertwine to go on separate and together journeys. For Ian he finds out who he is and at first is scared, than embraces it but again gets scared and runs. In the end he accepts and becomes who is supposed to be. He hurts people along the way including himself but he doesn’t mean to for the journey into discovering one’s self and the courage to face this journey never goes without damage. Luca when he meets Ian at the cafe in Paris didn’t expect to find himself and love. A love that changed him. It opened him open to emotion and happiness. He learned about life in a way.
The story is about two men on different paths. One in a darkness and not wanting to feel only forget. He lost a piece of himself in his photos and doesn’t really know how to get it back. The other is not even realizing he is lost but when he gets to Paris and meets Luca is. Ian’s eyes are opened once again in color. He sees a different world and is learning who he is. He gains friendship and more it is the more that scares him. I hated what he did to Luca with his cowardice and fear to face himself and what was happening to them.
I did however love the emotionally emptiness and journey Ian went on after Paris and how it led him back to his heart and Luca. This is the beautifully written and gorgeous book on Luca and Ian. How they help each other heal and find ones self again. How they fall in love and break trusts only to find their way together again. You will go on a journey that you cannot put down until you know if Luca finds a way of his prison of unhappiness and gains love and happiness with Ian and see if Ian figures out himself and loves himself enough to accept who he is and gets his happy ever after with Luca even if it hurts others.
We get another amazing journey that is deep and beautiful in Ralph Josiah Bardsley’s book The Photographer’s Truth. Ian is the main character and it is told through his eyes. His emotions, fears and journey is front and center. Along the way though we meet Luca and the two intertwine to go on separate and together journeys. For Ian he finds out who he is and at first is scared, than embraces it but again gets scared and runs. In the end he accepts and becomes who is supposed to be. He hurts people along the way including himself but he doesn’t mean to for the journey into discovering one’s self and the courage to face this journey never goes without damage. Luca when he meets Ian at the cafe in Paris didn’t expect to find himself and love. A love that changed him. It opened him open to emotion and happiness. He learned about life in a way.
The story is about two men on different paths. One in a darkness and not wanting to feel only forget. He lost a piece of himself in his photos and doesn’t really know how to get it back. The other is not even realizing he is lost but when he gets to Paris and meets Luca is. Ian’s eyes are opened once again in color. He sees a different world and is learning who he is. He gains friendship and more it is the more that scares him. I hated what he did to Luca with his cowardice and fear to face himself and what was happening to them.
I did however love the emotionally emptiness and journey Ian went on after Paris and how it led him back to his heart and Luca. This is the beautifully written and gorgeous book on Luca and Ian. How they help each other heal and find ones self again. How they fall in love and break trusts only to find their way together again. You will go on a journey that you cannot put down until you know if Luca finds a way of his prison of unhappiness and gains love and happiness with Ian and see if Ian figures out himself and loves himself enough to accept who he is and gets his happy ever after with Luca even if it hurts others.
May 3, 2020
4-4,25/5
La photographie va bouleverser la vie de Ian deux fois. Une première fois, il y a bien longtemps, une photo en noir et blanc, une réflexion, des questionnements, de la curiosité.
Puis une deuxième fois, aujourd'hui, avec la rencontre d'un certain photographe.
Ian est le narrateur ici, il nous confie sa vie, ses secrets, ses doutes et nous interpelle. La plume est vraiment très jolie, j'ai personnellement adoré me fondre dans la vie de Ian et assister avec lui à sa rencontre avec Luca, un homme passionné et passionnant, me promener aussi dans Paris...
Ian va mener une bataille avec lui-même, avec ses désirs, ce que Luca lui fait ressentir. Avant tout ça, il y a une très belle amitié, une complicité presque instantanée entre les deux hommes, c'était très beau à voir, à lire.
Comme je le disais, la plume est superbe, c'est très beau et poétique. La voix de Ian est puissante et m'a captivée d'un bout à l'autre. J'ai aimé la façon dont l'auteur a utilisé la photographie tout au long de son récit, à travers des photos et citations un peu pour illustrer ses propos.
Le personnage de Luca est très beau aussi. Et voir cette flamme se raviver en la présence de Ian était touchant à voir.
Ce roman aurait pu être un coup de cœur, seulement un ou deux petits trucs m'a empêché de vraiment décoller si je puis dire.
Une très belle lecture donc ! Un livre et surtout un auteur qui mériteraient d'être plus connus, c'est certain !
La photographie va bouleverser la vie de Ian deux fois. Une première fois, il y a bien longtemps, une photo en noir et blanc, une réflexion, des questionnements, de la curiosité.
Puis une deuxième fois, aujourd'hui, avec la rencontre d'un certain photographe.
Ian est le narrateur ici, il nous confie sa vie, ses secrets, ses doutes et nous interpelle. La plume est vraiment très jolie, j'ai personnellement adoré me fondre dans la vie de Ian et assister avec lui à sa rencontre avec Luca, un homme passionné et passionnant, me promener aussi dans Paris...
Ian va mener une bataille avec lui-même, avec ses désirs, ce que Luca lui fait ressentir. Avant tout ça, il y a une très belle amitié, une complicité presque instantanée entre les deux hommes, c'était très beau à voir, à lire.
Comme je le disais, la plume est superbe, c'est très beau et poétique. La voix de Ian est puissante et m'a captivée d'un bout à l'autre. J'ai aimé la façon dont l'auteur a utilisé la photographie tout au long de son récit, à travers des photos et citations un peu pour illustrer ses propos.
Le personnage de Luca est très beau aussi. Et voir cette flamme se raviver en la présence de Ian était touchant à voir.
Ce roman aurait pu être un coup de cœur, seulement un ou deux petits trucs m'a empêché de vraiment décoller si je puis dire.
Une très belle lecture donc ! Un livre et surtout un auteur qui mériteraient d'être plus connus, c'est certain !
June 30, 2016
The first thing that strikes me upon finishing this book is how perfect, and important, telling it in a reflective past tense.
Ian, a computer programmer from San Francisco with a wife and two teenage boys, gets sent to Paris to work on a long project; setting up a digital museum for famous fashion house, Moti. And he slowly becomes friends with Luca Sparks, one of the most famous fashion photographers in Paris, who had given up taking pictures.
I really liked this, a lot. It's very different from Brothers - which I also loved (and why I was delighted to get this book through NetGalley) - as its tinged with sadness throughout. You are aware for this romance to have the ending you think, that Ian has to completly overhaul and rethink his life, and this from a man who's had only one homosexual encounter in his youth that he's carefully buried.
Things I really liked about this book:
- the characters are older. They're not in their early twenties. I think it's specified, I can't recall, and I pitch them in their late 30's/early 40's.
- I really liked the slow burn of their relationship. How it seems like a friendship and you realise that not only are they slowly falling in love, but that their outlook on the world is being changed too, Ian's in particular.
- This is a book in love with Paris and photography, and is skilfully brought alive by the author. I've been to Paris twice and I could feel myself walking the streets with Ian and Luca easily
- The ending, how it's done, and the last couple of pages. I won't spoil it.
In short, another absolute winner from Bardsley! I must also get a review organised for Brothers too.
Also, for those that it's important to you (it's not to me) - there's no explicit sex in this book (same with Brothers) and it suits the prose really well, I feel.
Ian, a computer programmer from San Francisco with a wife and two teenage boys, gets sent to Paris to work on a long project; setting up a digital museum for famous fashion house, Moti. And he slowly becomes friends with Luca Sparks, one of the most famous fashion photographers in Paris, who had given up taking pictures.
I really liked this, a lot. It's very different from Brothers - which I also loved (and why I was delighted to get this book through NetGalley) - as its tinged with sadness throughout. You are aware for this romance to have the ending you think, that Ian has to completly overhaul and rethink his life, and this from a man who's had only one homosexual encounter in his youth that he's carefully buried.
Things I really liked about this book:
- the characters are older. They're not in their early twenties. I think it's specified, I can't recall, and I pitch them in their late 30's/early 40's.
- I really liked the slow burn of their relationship. How it seems like a friendship and you realise that not only are they slowly falling in love, but that their outlook on the world is being changed too, Ian's in particular.
- This is a book in love with Paris and photography, and is skilfully brought alive by the author. I've been to Paris twice and I could feel myself walking the streets with Ian and Luca easily
- The ending, how it's done, and the last couple of pages. I won't spoil it.
In short, another absolute winner from Bardsley! I must also get a review organised for Brothers too.
Also, for those that it's important to you (it's not to me) - there's no explicit sex in this book (same with Brothers) and it suits the prose really well, I feel.
July 17, 2016
This is the second book that I've read by the author - the first was his debut novel, Brothers, which went on to win a a Book of the Year Award from IndieFAB and also to receive a Lamda Literary nomination. The Photographer's Truth is another well-written piece by Ralph - I love the way he captures your heart with his writing. The characters and the settings are refreshingly real and I feel like the book is something I remember, rather than something I just read.
The Photographer's Truth is cetrainly different from Brothers in a lot of ways - where Brothers is a very touching story with a traditional happy ending, this book is heartbreaking and sometimes difficult to read. It is about two people who fall in love in the worst scenario - one is married with a family, the other is seemingly limping along in life, just managing to cope with the remnants of a former life as a celebrated photographer. Their love consumes everything about them and I found myself rooting for them to get together at some points and horrified at what they were doing to the other people in their lives at other points. But the love they felt for each other was beautiful - and this is where Bardsley's style really shows through. He is able to portray the nuances and conflicts in these individuals amazingly well - so you feel like you know these people - you're unable to judge them as good or bad - they're just two human beings falling uncontrollably in love.
The end - oh, the end. I will be honest that I wanted things to end differently for these two characters. I wanted them to have a fairy tale ending but what the author gave us instead was real and beautiful and haunting. I finished the book weeks ago and it is still with me. Definitely worth the read....and I am hoping he will continue to write more. Note that this book contains no graphic sexual content and it is all the better for it!!
The Photographer's Truth is cetrainly different from Brothers in a lot of ways - where Brothers is a very touching story with a traditional happy ending, this book is heartbreaking and sometimes difficult to read. It is about two people who fall in love in the worst scenario - one is married with a family, the other is seemingly limping along in life, just managing to cope with the remnants of a former life as a celebrated photographer. Their love consumes everything about them and I found myself rooting for them to get together at some points and horrified at what they were doing to the other people in their lives at other points. But the love they felt for each other was beautiful - and this is where Bardsley's style really shows through. He is able to portray the nuances and conflicts in these individuals amazingly well - so you feel like you know these people - you're unable to judge them as good or bad - they're just two human beings falling uncontrollably in love.
The end - oh, the end. I will be honest that I wanted things to end differently for these two characters. I wanted them to have a fairy tale ending but what the author gave us instead was real and beautiful and haunting. I finished the book weeks ago and it is still with me. Definitely worth the read....and I am hoping he will continue to write more. Note that this book contains no graphic sexual content and it is all the better for it!!
August 3, 2016
Ian's life is seemingly perfect. He's a successful software engineer, with an attorney wife and two teenaged sons. He and his wife have been growing a bit apart, but after 16 years that's bound to happen, right?
When a possible three-month work assignment in Paris comes up, Ian reluctantly agrees to go. Being away from his wife and kids that long is far from ideal but he has little choice in the matter. Paris is different and meeting Luca, a brilliant former fashion photographer, gives Ian a whole new outlook on life. As the two grow closer as friends enjoying what Paris has to offer, Ian's memories of a past moment in his youth makes him wonder. Ian's life is back at home in California, his wife, his kids, the life he'd always thought he wanted. Now it's a question of want and need, right and wrong. Can he give up what is expected of him, his role as husband and father? While he knows he can't, he's not sure he's ready to give up what he's found in Paris, either.
Firstly I want to say Ralph Josiah Bardsley has a remarkable way of telling a story and capturing your attention. He has a talent for words as well as imagery, making many of the scenes throughout the book come to life and flow off the page.
I loved the progression of Ian and Luca's relationship. A friendship that developed into something more deeply intimate and evolved into to love. There was a beauty to it. I found both Ian and Luca to be realistic and relatable. Although I could not agree with many of their actions, I felt as if I could understand them, empathize with them.
As much as I enjoyed the story the ending was not what most would expect. It's vague and I guess open for interpretation. I know what I believe happens, but I'm not sure if we will ever really know. Still, I definitely would recommend Ralph Josiah Bardsley's The Photographer's Truth.
4.5 Stars!
***A Copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review***
When a possible three-month work assignment in Paris comes up, Ian reluctantly agrees to go. Being away from his wife and kids that long is far from ideal but he has little choice in the matter. Paris is different and meeting Luca, a brilliant former fashion photographer, gives Ian a whole new outlook on life. As the two grow closer as friends enjoying what Paris has to offer, Ian's memories of a past moment in his youth makes him wonder. Ian's life is back at home in California, his wife, his kids, the life he'd always thought he wanted. Now it's a question of want and need, right and wrong. Can he give up what is expected of him, his role as husband and father? While he knows he can't, he's not sure he's ready to give up what he's found in Paris, either.
Firstly I want to say Ralph Josiah Bardsley has a remarkable way of telling a story and capturing your attention. He has a talent for words as well as imagery, making many of the scenes throughout the book come to life and flow off the page.
I loved the progression of Ian and Luca's relationship. A friendship that developed into something more deeply intimate and evolved into to love. There was a beauty to it. I found both Ian and Luca to be realistic and relatable. Although I could not agree with many of their actions, I felt as if I could understand them, empathize with them.
As much as I enjoyed the story the ending was not what most would expect. It's vague and I guess open for interpretation. I know what I believe happens, but I'm not sure if we will ever really know. Still, I definitely would recommend Ralph Josiah Bardsley's The Photographer's Truth.
4.5 Stars!
***A Copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review***
June 27, 2016
Netgalley
I was initially a bit disappointed when starting this book because it's written in the dreaded first person POV which I think is extremely tricky to pull off successfully, and I'm still not convinced that a 3rd person POV wouldn't have worked better. Also, as his first book, it starts with a long exposition I'm not sure is necessary.
But there's something about the writing that made me fall right into the story and I was swept a long for the ride. Regardless of the limiting POV, the characters are well rounded and the story flows well.
Some little things annoyed me but they in no way hindered my enjoyment of the novel.
I can't help but think that if a lesfic novel had the same premise, the outcome would not be an equivalent to this but something much more bland and formula. Still confused how this can be the same publisher.
I was initially a bit disappointed when starting this book because it's written in the dreaded first person POV which I think is extremely tricky to pull off successfully, and I'm still not convinced that a 3rd person POV wouldn't have worked better. Also, as his first book, it starts with a long exposition I'm not sure is necessary.
But there's something about the writing that made me fall right into the story and I was swept a long for the ride. Regardless of the limiting POV, the characters are well rounded and the story flows well.
Some little things annoyed me but they in no way hindered my enjoyment of the novel.
I can't help but think that if a lesfic novel had the same premise, the outcome would not be an equivalent to this but something much more bland and formula. Still confused how this can be the same publisher.
September 16, 2016
Great second novel by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as I did with the first one, Brothers. Bardsley has a unique way of building his characters and describing their lives......making the reader feel like they are part of their inner circle.
The book is sad at times, as it's a love story based on the impromptu meeting of two people who fall in love only to have to deal with the fact that one is already married to someone else. I loved both main characters, although very different people. You're able to be a part of their everyday lives, ups and downs, good and sad times and ultimately how everyone deals with 'those things that cannot be changed'. Entertaining, thought provoking and emotional read.
Looking forward with great anticipation to many more of Bardsley's great writings.
The book is sad at times, as it's a love story based on the impromptu meeting of two people who fall in love only to have to deal with the fact that one is already married to someone else. I loved both main characters, although very different people. You're able to be a part of their everyday lives, ups and downs, good and sad times and ultimately how everyone deals with 'those things that cannot be changed'. Entertaining, thought provoking and emotional read.
Looking forward with great anticipation to many more of Bardsley's great writings.
June 11, 2023
Me gustó mucho. A pesar de tratarse de la historia de un americano en París (una premisa de la que hubiera huido si no llega a ser porque el libro venía bien recomendado y prometía cuernos ) no me sepultó la avalancha de clichés esperada. Y mira que teníamos todos los elementos para ello: el artista francés, el expat americano poco sofisticado (los americanos y británicos no son emigrantes), el mundo de la moda, París ciudad del amor... Pero no, bastante bien, oiga. El romance no me conmovió en exceso, aunque esto no es decir mucho porque desde hace un tiempo soy una Calamarda del amor. Muy recomendable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews