Good books on photography

Each of us has his own favourute genre, style and authors. Do you buy top-class albums with description and consider them good investment in the future, any collectible?

If do, share what.

I don't buy books with any eye at all on their future value; I buy what I like to look at, and I don't expect ever to get rid of them (though I have taken one or two to the Oxfam shop).

I have these two down off the shelves now:

'England Observed' by John Gay (ISBN 978 1 84802 003 0)

'Asakusa Portraits' by Hiroh Kikai (ISBN 978 3 86521 601 4)

 

Neither is remotely like my own pictures.

Books are an investment in YOUR future, not some speculative chance their resale value will increase. Buy collectables if you enjoy them. If, perchance, others want them in the future, you probably won't be around to profit thereof. I wouldn't count on anything printed on bleached paper to survive 50 years, much less 150.

 

About YOUR future as a photographer, there are many choices. At the top would be "Light: Science and Magic," by Fuqua et. al. as a primer to the technical use of light. The so-called Adams (Ansel) Trilogy represents a timeless coverage of photographic tools and techniques. Coffee-table books with photographs by others serve little use unless you get into the minds of the authors, why they did what they did, and how they did it.

"Examples, the Making of 40 Photographs", by Ansel Adams is a book that I keep going back to, even though I no longer do darkroom work. Actually, anything written by Adams is well worth reading. I find his writing style to be superb. The only photography book that I own that might be worth more than I paid for, in about 1979, is an autographed by Ansel Adams copy of "Ansel Adams, The Eloquent Light", by Nancy Newhall, another fine author.

 

Presently. I am going through "Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers", by Evening and Schewe (I still use CS5). As far as an investment, this is a book that sold new for $55, but I found a used copy, with shipping, for about $5 or $6 on eBay. Good used books on photography are what I buy now days. I donate most of them when I am finished reading.

Books ON Photography or Books OF Photography?

 

ON:

 

Susan Sontag’s On Photography

 

OF:

 

Josef Sudek The Legacy of a Deeper Vision

 

Harry Callahan Color

 

Roman Vishniac A Vanished World

 

Van Derek Coke Avant Garde Photography in Germany 1919-1939

 

Ansel Adams Yosemite and the Range of Light

 

______________________________________________________

 

Invest in real estate or mutual funds.

Erwin Puts latest edition hardcover "Leica Compendium - The Company, The Cameras, The Lenses" - collectable condition typically goes for $700 and up.

Books both ON and OF photography

 

Life Library of Photography - multiple volumes

Get the first edition, where the black and white images are in photogravure - good enough to frame if you are a vandal by nature and would cut up these.

 

Illustration of darkroom from the series

Gravure Illustration of Frederick Evans Platinum print:

 

1903 Sea of Steps

 

These 15+ volumes are often available at library sales for a dollar or so apiece.

Edited October 16, 2018 by JDMvW

"The Americans" by Robert Frank. If you have only one photo book this is the one to have.

hardcover "Leica Compendium - The Company, The Cameras, The Lenses" - collectable condition typically goes for $700 and up.

 

The older editions may go for big bucks, but I got a recent edition hardback for the price of a pizza, and not a gold one.

I got

one

 

Also, a small album by Robert Doisneau

Thinking of Avedon's and Penn's albums.

No photograph book I’ve seen impresses me anywhere near the level of Edward Curtis.

I just thumbed through “The Americans” which I just plucked from the mailbox.

Ironic that I would read this thread, think of Curtis’ work, with that book in my lap.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czjvrXSoSaU

The Map by Kikuji Kawada and Avedon at Work by Laura (Owen's mother) Wilson.

I agree upon & own

"Light: Science and Magic," by Fuqua et. al. as a primer to the technical use of light. The so-called Adams (Ansel) Trilogy

For inspiration & stuff I buy dog eared* second hand or preferably hit the library or read online.

*= I am a simple clueless guy. - All new books look shiny & 60-80% are disappointing. A book looking really bad must have been good enough to reach that state.

 

Sorry If I sound bibliophobic; the interesting bits of a book are the joy of sponging and the back of your head resident inspirations.

Some people might make $$s with collectibles, but:

Have you ever seen coffee table books at dedicated sale out stores? - They happen.

top-class albums with description

could end there too or in the trash to not water down their value.

Many collectors suffer from their idea "$$s! Me too!" & fate's reply: "Nana nana nana". -> Perceive yourself as a last generation dinosaur! i.e. most times there will not be a bigger fresh generation growing after you, to pay your heirs the insane money you expect for your stash of collectibles. - Who is still into postage stamps or Morse keys?

are disappointing

You should read reviews online and watch video-reviews also before you pull the trigger.

They happen

Yes, our store carries a new mint condition Cartier coffe table 2.2 kg book for $15 (but it is not a photography book).