Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes

I found this book superb, first and foremost because Kyle does not advocate one side or the other in the great gun-control debate. No matter what your opinion on the subject, roughly half of America thinks you are wrong either way. He merely provided stunning photographic evidence of the fact that our friends and neighbors, co-workers and fellow citizens are not just statistics. They are real people, they are you and me. These pictures remind you of that simple fact. Many of us choose to own guns for a sweeping variety of reasons and many people think we are wrong for doing so in an equally broad fashion. I hope this book brings insight and provokes discussion on both sides of the subject because like it or not, we are all americans and have an obligation to look out for each other as well as ourselves. Your government is not capable of protecting you every moment of your life nor is it obligated to do so. Those of us who are responsibly armed may have an opportunity to help, but the only one who can ensure your own safety is you, and that goes far beyond just owning a firearm. As I said, this book captures a glimpse of a private part of the daily lives of many americans that has become far too controversial and vilified by many who dont understand their own rights and responsibilities as citizens of this once great country. I truly hope that it may act as a catalyst for meaningful discussion and not just the usual knee-jerk reaction that both sides seem to be so fond of.

I am embarrassed that I started out with such a small-minded view of gun ownership. I thought I was against guns and seeing pictures of them was viscerally disturbing them to me. However, reading what people actually had to say about their gun ownership did make me open my mind on the issue. I appreciate that the book portrays first and foremost the people and does not slant or objectify them (there is no political agenda) which leaves me able to digest the contents for myself. The author's intro paragraph is very succinct and imaginitive; he is not only a gifted photographer but a unique writer as well. The photos are also really interesting because there's usually something going on in the background - you can see pets in motion captured at a moment in time or interesting expressions on the people's faces.

Kyle, I received your book on, of all days, Independence Day (it was delivered yesterday to my office and I didn't see it until today). My first impressions are - WOW. It reached me on so many different levels: the 'familial' based on one of our LUG family creating a masterpiece; the photographic, based on the technique in achieving the images - bounce flash, rear fill flash, and the inadvertent (?) self portrait on page 127; the contextual notion that the Second Amendment (I am a left wing Democrat, christian more of an Episcobuddhist, anti-war, anti-violence, etc. ) must be always enforced, and in light of the recent idiocy in the WH seems ever more important; and finally the sub-context of all of the animals is just delightful. This is so much different, and better, than what I had expected after reviewing the online images. Seeing the images in print form allows for so much more detail; the messiness/neatness of the subject environs; the additional items, or lack thereof, in their living areas adds so much more to the meaning of each photo. I can't help but wonder how much of the shoot was staged vs. their actual environment. And the captures of the animals are priceless. This was no easy task. I was also struck by the verbosity or lack thereof of the subjects when commenting on their gun ownership and what stuck me most was the argument that the Second Amendment, like all of the Amendments, must be upheld against the moneyed interest purchasing politicians attempting to take away ANY freedoms. This is akin to the NRA, ACLU and Sierra club all agreeing on the same thing. I don't like guns. I was going to say I don't have any guns but that isn't exactly true - I have an old flintlock from the Spanish American war that belonged to a relative of mine standing in the corner of my living room. Why? It just looks neat. This book doesn't necessarily change my need to have or not have guns but it does cause me to rethink any notion of banning guns. Well, done, Kyle, well done.

I pre-ordered this book because I'd seen some of Kyle Cassidy's work and knew he was a great photographer, and I'd seen a couple of these gun pictures online. Despite my high regard for Mr Cassidy's work, I was not prepared for the greatness of this book. The title led me to believe that it was pictures of guns with their people, but in fact it is pictures of people and their pets in their own homes, who are (incidentally) posing with some guns. Some people have one or two guns; others have dozens of guns. Pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles -- doesn't matter. These guns are just as matter of fact as the books and furniture and the paintings on the wall. All of the guns are well cared-for, even the brace of pistols that has been made into a table lamp by one subject. You could airbrush the guns out of these pictures and they would still be great pictures, though perhaps one of the secrets of getting good portraits is to make the subject feel strong by having them holding a gun. Nobody brandishes a gun, nobody looks menacing or dangerous. Everybody looks interesting. I envy Mr Cassidy the opportunity to have met these people and talked to them and be invited into their homes. I found myself playing sort of a "Where's Waldo" game with these pictures, trying to find and identify all of the guns that were named in the caption. Sometimes it's obvious, as the caption will say that there is one rifle and the subject is holding it. Other times it's far less obvious, as there will be half a dozen guns named in the caption but only two or three of them are obvious. The others are surely there, perhaps sitting quietly next to the ashtray or the paperback book or the lamp. There's one pistol that I still haven't found yet, but I will, because I know that I'm going to look at this book over and over and over again. When my wife first saw this book, we were in a fancy restaurant with a few other people. She was so spellbound by it that she totally ignored her expensive dinner (herb roasted chicken au jus with mashed potatoes and fresh green snap beans) while she studied every page. Everyone else at the table had finished dessert and was sipping coffee; she was still spellbound by the book and her dinner was untouched. Half a dozen times the waiter asked her if she wanted her plate taken away and she shooed him off. Finally she finished the book and started on her meal, but all she could talk about was the book. "How is your chicken, dear?" "Did you see that picture where the child was wearing a Superman outfit?" "Well, no, because you wouldn't let go of the book, so I haven't actually had a chance to read it yet." When it's time to put this book on the bookshelf, which it isn't, yet, it's going to go beside my books of Diane Arbus, Yousuf Karsh, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, and W Eugene Smith.

Every time I open "Armed America," I am struck by a different image... another face or interior that begs attention and complete focus... which, I think, is a testament to how powerful the photography itself is. As someone who has always regarded guns with apprehension and never considered firing one, let alone owning one, "Armed America" has forced me to reconsider my stance. There is such a broad cross-section of the American population represented that each page seems to bring a different revelation. The fact that the subjects are allowed to speak for themselves, their words printed below their image, allows you to draw your own conclusions, without the photographer's own views, (which remain a mystery,) getting in the way. It's a fascinating document of American culture... both past and present... and in turning each page, you feel you're on a journey with the photographer, rediscovering this vast, complex country.