Photography books: your favorites ?

I second many of the books on Paul's list. In addition, there is a

really excellent series of books available at the photography museum

in Ebisu in Tokyo on Japanese photographers. One of my favourites is

<i>Tabuchi Yukio</i>.

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One of the worst books I have ever come across is a critical study of

Carier Bresson entitled <i> HCB and the artless art</i>. The

photographs are superb, but the words must count as some of the

densest and most pretentious verbiage ever written.

Hi David, would you know where it is possible to get some good photography books from japanese photographers? It

is always difficult to access japanese websites because of the langage barrier and visiting Tokyo is not yet on my

wish list. I have seen some photos here and there from japanese photographers and they really appealed to see

more. These people have a high sense of aesthetics.

 

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Jacque, I like your conclusion " I do not get inspiration from books, I get inspiration from life". (Once more we guys

need a woman to bring us back down to earth!) Would you mind telling us a bit more? Ansel had a perception of the

"music" of things. Do you experience such thing when you photograph? A communion with your subject? Or a

hunter-picker approach? Sorry, it's a vast question!

I agree with the part about Bill Jay. He is very good at writting. But

I would disagree with not getting inspiration from books. You may not

but I and many folks I know get great inspiration from books and

galleries. In fact when I teach, I tell students to go out and look at

every book they can get. Other's ideas are a wellspring of other

ideas. James

Hi Jacques Staskon, Hi Raymond Bleesz,

I agree with your opinion about Bill Jay. He really cuts the fat and drills to the bone. I would like to read more from him, but it is not so easy to

get the stuff here in Switzerland. Any news, suggestion, information is therefore very welcome and appreciated.

Thanks and a happy, successful new year.

Urs Bernhard

Any book showing the black and white photographs of EDUARD J.

STEICHEN. Many of his portraits and landscapes are absolutely

stunning. He mastered use of light and shade -- a photographer of

immense artistic talen

richard avedon - in the american west

robert frank - the americans

Brett Weston Master Photographer

 

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The ABSOLUTE BEST reproductions of ANY photographers work I've ever

seen. Well worth the $125.00 price tag IMHO

Sally Mann's "Immediate Family" and "Mother Land." She uses an 8x10

view camera and the former book especially shows how the use of

selective focus in the hands of an artist can conjure up a world of

dreams and memories. Her recent landscape work is deliberately

vignetted in-camera (at least that's what it looks like) and exposed

on collodion wet plates. The prints have a rough, primitive quality

(while being grainless) which is very effective. "Mother Land" looks

like it's beautifully reproduced until you see the orginals, then you

realize it's not. But still buy it.

Robert-Parke Harrison, The Architech's Brother. Very interesting and

extremely creative. Incredible textures and emotions. I was awe

struck. James

Picked up a book at a used bookstore called "Images and Essays"

edited by Beaumont Newhall. It is a fascinating and inspiring book

with essays (in their own words) from photographers such as Adams,

Steiglitz, Weston, Fox Talbot, Lange, Wendell Holmes etc. It covers

from the birth of photography (newspaper reports of Niepce/Daguerre)

up until around 1980. The essay from Ansel Adams alone is worth

getting the book for. Plus it contains photographs that are truly

inspirational.

photography books are okay to read. Sally Manns books are very

interesting to read. They help me to know her life and her kids.

Some of my favourites...

 

-Anything by Keith Carter - his photos are mysterious, beautifully printed, and the books themselves are wonderfully made;

 

-"Worlds in a Small Room" by Irving Penn, in which Penn travels to various parts of the globe photographing people with the Northern light, creating a little universe in his studio that I as a viewer long to enter;

 

-Meyerowitz, especially his impressionistic book "Summertime"

 

-"The Lines of my Hand" by Robert Frank, another impeccably edited book of images culled from his lifetime of shooting

 

-Albert Watson's "Cyclops," a textbook in understanding lighting, contrast, and printing

 

-Anything by Avedon - his new book of early Paris fashion photos, his Autobiography, Evidence...

 

-The Diane Arbus monograph published by Aperture; just opening the book and looking at one photo would be enough for one day, her imagery is so potent!

What all those photographers and nobody mentions one of the masters? Paul Caponigro.....his book a 40 year retrospective is excellent, but nothing compared to the real prints!