quiet paws.

Some people you just love forever and ever.

For me one of those people is Bill Callahan – an amazing artist of the musical variety. While I’ve never met the man himself, I have loved his musical creations since the very first moment I heard his wonderful voice. I remember that moment clearly… It was a crazy hot summer day, I had just arrived at my destination after a seriously long drive in a non-airconditioned car. Just as I was about to exit the vehicle, a song came onto the radio which persuaded me to linger a little longer despite the heat of the car. I was transfixed – that song was Our Anniversary.

Bill Callahan (who has also performed as Smog) released a new album a few months back (Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle), and my recent music buying laziness has meant that I’ve only just this week purchased a copy.

Not that you’re supposed to judge a book (or an album) by its cover or anything so shallow – but just look at this one (the slight overexposure of the picture, the horses, the font … it’s just all so lovely, lovely). Just as I had hoped and expected this album doesn’t disappoint. In some ways this album is a more sophisticated and layered album than earlier efforts, but it still manages to share this ‘bigger’ sound in a very simplistic way.

I have a feeling that to really appreciate Callahan’s musical appeal you may have to be a little older, a little wiser, or perhaps simply to have ‘lived some life’. There is such intimate beauty to be found in the imperfection of his voice, and much emotional significance to savour within and between his poetic words. Perhaps you will fall in love too?

Beauty can sometimes be found in complexity, in intricate twists and turns, and hidden messages. In rarer, yet often more stunning fashion, true beauty can be found without so much effort…It simply exists. It shines in an indescribable way and with an unconcerned sense of self.

It is in looking at the true essence of something that we can learn so much about the world and our place within it. As the layers peel away to reveal the delicate inner core, there is a real sense of connection with something fundamental, something real.

Art in all its forms can reveal something pure and unashamedly unique, whether that be in print, image, dance or song. Elmore Leonard does this with words, Bill Callahan does this with song and Andrew Zuckerman does this with photography.

A recent addition to my ever expanding collection of photographic books is Andrew Zuckerman’s sublime ‘Creature’. Often animal photography swings between extremes – from sickly sweet and painstakingly posed, to stock standard portraiture that lacks in style and substance. Thankfully Zuckerman is a freakishly talented artist with the ability to transcend all such problems.

With each animal shot against a startling white background, the uncluttered, unpretentious photographs allow the viewer to enter into a visual dialogue and peer through a hidden window into the creature world. In inviting us into their world, Zuckerman lets the animals simply speak for themselves.

With his collection of subjects ranging from lions, to bears, elephants and leopards, this book is a visual feast for all animal lovers. The detail and clarity captured by Zuckerman is startling and inspirational, leaving the eyes hungry for more. He is everything I would ever want to be as a photographer.

If clean lines and pared back photographic imagery is your thing, then Creature is the book for you. Aside from Creature, Zuckerman does a lot of other pretty amazing things with his photography, so some time spent at his website is well worth the visit.