Best in Photography 2011

Dear Friends, Readers, and Friendly Readers,

Looking back, 2011 proved to be an extraordinary year for me, filled with writing, travel, and the completion of my MFA at Chatham University.

As a growing photojournalist, I’ve endeavored to produce a wide-ranging portfolio of portraits and landscapes, photographing Pittsburgh personalities, Aruban desert, Mexican beaches and the Laotian interior. I am very proud of the results, and prouder still to share them with you. This “best of” compilation showcases some of my favorite work in 2011.

Happy New Year,

Robert Isenberg

Birds, Downtown Pittsburgh

Book Review: The Lost Cyclist

The Lost Cyclist: The epic tale of an American adventurer and his mysterious disappearance by David V. Herlihy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the most enjoyable histories I’ve ever read — largely because of the subject, but also because Herlihy tells such a gripping, romantic, mysterious story. His research is impeccable, and the narrative pedals along as steadily as a bike on rough roads. Although his story is tragic, Frank Lenz has become a new hero of mine, for his humble Pittsburgh origins, his tenacious “globe-girdling” venture, and his martyrdom in the name of anthropology of adventure. I wanted to begrudge his rivals (old-money New Yorkers who never had to raise a nickel for their three-year trek), but they were also a delight to read about. It’s heartening to know that, even during the Victorian age, a clique of young men could travel the world and embrace its diversities.

Should you have a similar fetish for history, photography, long-distance cycling, early journalism and adventure travel, “The Lost Cyclist” absolutely must be found.

View all my reviews