Picturing Joy: Stories of Connection

For more than fifty years, photographer George Lange has been obsessed with connecting with the world through his work. Whether he was shooting a movie star or a family member, he saw his own search for joy reflected in the images.  

While growing up in Pittsburgh, Lange cherished his happy childhood, and he found himself unconsciously yearning for that feeling in his adult life. He strove to re-create those fleeting sparks of childhood joy in his relationships and his photographs. “Each day I am trying to find the place we are all connected, but I never know where that place will be. I create spaces where my subjects feel safe and trusting and can share their part of their own joy.” 

Picturing Joy: Stories of Connection is a lively guide to Lange’s approach to life as well as the highlights of his career. This optical and optimistic book captures his curiosity, energy, and enthusiasm for people and photography. It also distills wisdom gleaned from a lifelong search for quotidian beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed. Through intimate stories and more than eighty photos, Picturing Joy invites readers to appreciate life with all their senses and to change their perspective by being open to new things.