I was invited to a brunch with Eli Reed arranged by Leica Store LA from 10 am to noon, immediately before the public book signing. Store Manager James Agnew (pictured with Eli Reed, below) and his Leica colleagues laid on a delicious mid-morning buffet, welcoming guests with champagne mimosas. Two varieties of quiche, bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers, and a generous selection of pastries along with plenty of fresh coffee and tea were served in the upstairs gallery. Given that the Leica team also participated as co-sponsor of 2015 Paris Photo LA that weekend, they should be commended for their stamina as well as their generous support of the local photographic community.
A good number of local photographers, both amateur and professional, attended the event, as well as some of Eli's personal friends. Eli circulated among the guests, graciously answering questions, sharing experiences and posing for a multitude of cameras (mostly Leicas
). At noon the guests returned to the ground floor store where copies of Eli's beautiful new book, "A Long Walk Home," were available for sale, and which Eli signed and personalized. Just published by the University of Texas at Austin (where Eli is Clinical Professor of Photojournalism), and with an introduction by Paul Theroux, the book is graced by a spectacular collection of works from throughout Eli's career, printed and edited with skill and grace. Combined with Eli's humanist approach, powerful composition and deep feeling for his subjects, the book - taken as a whole - is so much greater than the sum of its parts. My inscribed copy now has a place of honor in my library.