Photography books: your favorites ?

What are the photography books (LF) that you admire the most, or

have found the most inspiring ?

I've listed some of the items on my own bookshelf in

<a href = "http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~qtluong/photography/lf/books/">

the new books section of the LF page</a>. In addition, if you care enough for

a book to write a short description/review for it, I'll add it to

that section.

While I admire many landscape photographers and their work, the single

most inspiring book that convinced me to pick up a 4x5 camera was :

 

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The High Sierra : Wilderness of Light

by Claude Fiddler

 

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It is truly a work of fine art.

Anything containing George Hurrell's portraits, perhaps - Hurrell's

Hollywood Portraits: The Chapman Collection by Mark A. Vieira.

Dispossesion by Lynn Stern. Very beautiful and inspiring.

"Steam, Steel & Stars" by O. Winston Link & "Brett Weston Master

Photographer" - even if you don't like Brett's work, the

reproductions in this book are the BEST I have ever seen.

 

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More Anon as I consult the bookshelf I'm sure...

The new Arnold Newman anthology from Taschen Press

 

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The Sonoran Desert, Jack Dykinga

 

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Quiet Light, John Sexton

 

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Portraits: Mary Ellen Mark

 

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Photographing Buildings Inside and Out, 2nd edition, Norman

McGrath

 

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Singular Images, Ansel Adams

 

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Forms of Passion, Edward Weston

 

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An Autobiography, Richard Avedon

 

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A Sense of Place, Joel Meyerwitz

 

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Cape Light, Joel Meyerwitz

My goodness, there are so many. Edward Weston's "Daybooks," and Paul

Strand's "Time in New England," and "Walker Evans at

work." "U.S.Camera Annual, 1941," both volumes. "A Way of Seeing,"

by Helen Levitt, and "A Point of View," by Ralph Steiner. Larry

Clark's "Tulsa," and the essay in his "Teen Age Lust." Biographies

of Dorothea Lange, and Gene Smith, and Ansel Adams. Antholgies of

the work of Cartier-Bresson, and Karsh, and Avedon. That's a good

start, eh, Sean?

John Sexton's "Listen To The Trees" for Black and White and

Christopher Burkett"s absolutely stunning " Intimations Of Paradise"

book for 8x10 color. After purchasing Christopher's book, I was ready

to abandon 4x5 and jumpship to 8x10!!!!

carleton watkin's Photographs of the Columbia River and Oregon,

pare's photography and architecture 1839-1939, frizot's new history,

rosenblum's world history, robinson's architecture transformed,

szarkowski's photography until now, diane arbus monograph, cca

monograph on edouard baldus, palmquist's Carleton E. Watkins:

Photographer of the American West, it's hard to know where to stop...

I new I'd forgotten some - Meyerowitz's "St. Louis and the Arch" -

should be required viewing for all photo students

 

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and Nicholas Nixon's "Family Portraits" from Smithsonian Press

Anything by Craig and Nadine Blacklock, particularly "Border Country"

and "The Lake Superior Images"...exquisite composition and extremely

good printing. In large part these two books got me into LF.

I enjoy John Fielder's "Colorado winter", Christopher

Burkett's "Intimations of Pardise" (superb reproductions, and William

Neill's "Landscapes of the Spirit." All of these books reaffirm why I

started doing large format photography in the first place.

Ansel Adams books I, II, III. His portfolios. Modern Architecture by

Ezra Stoller. Buildings Inside and Out by Norman McGrath is good.

Thomas Alcorn Photographs published by Rizzoli.

This fall I took the time (after nearly 30 years) to re-read

Edward Weston's Daybooks and thououghly enjoyed them. <p>

Then I bought a copy of "Through Another Lens, My Years with

Edward Weston". It is the memoir of his wife-model-partner, Charis

Wilson. It's an interesting story and gives a unique view into the

life and lifestyle of Weston from 1934 to 1945.

"Tell me what you read, I'll tell you who you are"? We live in days where absurdity is elevated in the rank of "Art". LF

photography is strongly rooted into reality and tends to recenter man into the original natural environment, instead

of escaping in artificial or man made worlds. I remember seeing some portraits or nudes from Strand or Bullock

taken in natural settings in camera magazines when I was a young lad that had a strong effect on me. I later choose

an approach of the landscape where man is not present but where he is invited. Many photography books were

inspirational to me. But as far as LF is concerned I would mention:

 

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Shinzo Maeda's trilogy including "A tree, a blade of Grass","Kamikoshi", "Okumikawa" where my first and perhaps

most inspiring LF books, followed by many others from Ansel Adams "Examples"and"In Color", Jack Dykinga "Sonoran

Desert"and more recent "Stone Canyons" and "Desert", J. Wawrzonek "Walking", Larry Ulrich "Wildflowers of

California", John Sexton "Listen to the trees"and "Quiet Light", William Neill "Landscape of the Spirit", Christopher

Burkett "Intimations of Paradise" and "Robert Frost Seasons", David Muench "Ancient America"and "Nature's

America", Steve Mulligan "Terra Incognita", and other corporate photography books.

From my above: Was it Strand? Or rather E. Weston. Portrait with beautiful old tree in the back.

In addition to many mentioned:

 

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"Natural Light" Joseph Holmes

"Rio Grande, Mountains to the Sea" Jim Bones

Paul

 

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hard to tell, but it sure sounds like Bullock to me

Bill Brandt Perspectives on nudes - he used an ex-police or ex-WD

kodak wide angle camera.

Also check out Huntington Witherill, Paul Caponigro, Morley Baer, Ray

McSaveny, Ruth Bernhard, Rolfe Horn, and Chuck Farmer who teaches

excellent LF workshops along with his friend Richard Garrod. James

Many of the above mentioned books & authors/photographers I would

second. In my childhood, I would have to say that the book, "Family of

Man" by Steichen et al had a most profound impact upon me. Early

editions of the National Geographic not to mention Life likewise had

not only a photographic impact but perhaps more importantly, instilled

upon me a sense of humanity and curiousity about man & nature. A

1950's edition of the Leica Manuel my parents possessed was

stimulating. The "History of Photography" by Beaumont Newhall ranks

right up there for me. And I have to plug Professor Bill Jay's (ASU)

book, "Negative & Positive" if my memory serves me well. This Brit

cuts to the meat & tosses out the fat about photography & art.

Has no one seen books by Frederick Evans? Some of the most

beautiful shots I've ever seen, and through his work (platinum

prints) you can really learn what it means to "see the light".

Although these photographers may or may not have used large format

equipment. My favorite books include books of Minor White,(Jupiter

Portfolio in particular) Imogene Cunningham,(anything she did)Bernice

Abbot,Edward Weston, Brett Weston, Wynn Bullock, Doris Uleman and of

course the God himself Ansel. But I find I enjoy Fred Sommer

(Images) and there is one book I particularly enjoy it is Celebrating

the Negative.

I love reading and re-reading Bill Jay's On Photography. Or anything

that he has written. I see myself sitting in the darkened theatre

after lunch 25 years ago listening to Bill mezmerize all of us. He

probably had the most influence on my life at least as far as

photography goes. I find when I am holding critique, its Bill's

nudges I feel. Cutting through the crap and getting to the meat of

the image. When I am shooting I find I hear his English accent asking

someone in my head " where my dear is your image?"

But, I find that whatever book I am currently reading it becomes my

favorite.

I do not get inspiration from books, I get inspiration from life.

Jacque-- S'il vous plait-----Est vous Francais???????? I would have

to agree with your comments re: Bill Jay-------I can not get enough of

his material, and I have read most of his works. I find him to have a

voice which is not heard very often in the photographic community,

perhaps a voice at the end of the tunnel, a source of light, however,

very few people accept his demenor or thoughts. In an earlier life

time, I saught out Professor Jay at ASU in Tempe to do research, and I

would have to say he is one of my mentors in the photographic

community and another if I may, Mr. Hal Gould, Curator/Director of the

Camera Obscura Gallery in Denver. In the above post, I did mention

that he, Jay, cuts through the fat, and you likewise, make a similar

comment. Please share with me & others, how you came upon Jay's books

& thoughts. Merci! Raymond A. Bleesz

No big mystery about Bill Jay. I am an Arizona Native. I went to

ASU. Bill was my advisor. Hope that clears things up. j