any reccommendations for a good photo essay book?

[greg_mason]

With valentines day coming up, I was going to drop some hints to my wife for a good photo essay book. Any reccomendations?

[karl_georg_wolf]

Wouldn´t know if you can call it photo essay, but if you look for

something fairly big, suited for a coffetable try: S. Salgado, EXODUS

the book on refugees.

 

<p>

 

A must for the LEICA enthusiast.

 

<p>

 

Best egards

[nicholas_wybolt]

Not an essay book, but you might like "W. Eugene Smith: Shadow and

Substance - The Life and Work of an American Photographer" by Jim

Hughes.

 

<p>

 

For essays, I sort of like some of the classics, such as "The

Creation" by Ernst Haas or "The Americans" by Robert Frank.

 

<p>

 

The latest acquisition has been "Ansel Adams at 100" which is just

beautiful (and expensive).

 

<p>

 

-Nick

[br]

Dream Street W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Project.

[preston_merchant]

Two lesser-known items:

 

<p>

 

Return to Mexico: Journeys Beyond the Mask, by Abbas (Iranian

photographer, Magnum, Leica)

 

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Picture Mumbai: Landmarks of a New Generation (a remarkable project

involving school kids in Bombay, using P&S Nikons--this really is a

great book, but your wife might wonder why you need such expensive

equipment when these kids get such good results with the P&S)

 

<p>

 

Good luck!

[rolo]

Also not really an essay, more a retrospective: Crosstown, by

Helen Levitt. Beautiful book and the early work (1936-1948) is

marvelous.

 

<p>

 

Another wonderful retrospective: Wisdom Cries Out in the

Streets, by Louis Stettner.

 

<p>

 

For a photo essay (kind of), try to find a copy of Progreso, by

Charles Harbutt (it's not a big book but it's getting scarce).

[steve_belden]

The Eugene Smith books are very good as well as the Sabastiao

Salgago books. My favorite Salgodo book is titled Other Americans.

Great South and Central America images.

 

<p>

 

I also recomend Witness of Time by Flor Garduno. I have no idea

what she shoots with, and nor does it matter. The images are

outstanding.

 

<p>

 

Regards Steve

[Spearhead]

<i>Witness of Time by Flor Garduno</i><p>

 

This is a <b>phenomenal</b> book, and it's great that it is finally

out in the US. The printing in the Aperture book is just beautiful,

also.<p>

 

I'm fairly certain she shoots medium format. I corresponded with

her a few years ago but it wasn't about equipment.

[andrew1]

Hey Greg-

I have recently picked up Mary Ellen Mark's "American Odyssey"

and recommend it. She works with Leicas, amoung others.

 

<p>

 

Also recently found a copy of George Tice's Urban Romantic,

which is rare and out of print, but I recommend it to anyone who

can find it- it's a stunning collection of photographs from a lesser

known true master of the craft. Tice has also recently released a

couple of new collections, in small paperback format,

intentionally designed to be inexpensive (but still good

reporductions of his spectacular and well crafted large format

images) so that they would be more accesible. This guy should

be better known. Anyone who checks out his work will be

rewarded with his weird story, off-kilter vision, and masterful

prints. I especially dig his images of rural Maine and Lancaster

County Pensylvannia.

 

<p>

 

Anyway, Greg, there are so many great photo books out there, I

know you'll have a great Valentines Day. So what are you going

to get HER?

[jeremy_thomas]

"Maroc", photographs of Morocco + its people by Albert Watson.

Beautiful images, very well done, superb printing technique.

 

<p>

 

jeremyT

<a href="http://www.lifeinblue.com">blue, Ink.</a>

[anon_terry]

The most recent additions to my collection are "Magnum Degrees"

(which is not really an essay but a collection of recent work from

Magnum) and "Portraits of America" by William Albert Allard (same).

[angus_ngtg]

Greg,

 

<p>

 

It is out of print but I would consider the photographic essay by

William Allard. IMO one of the best books on the subject. The author

talks about field work as well as technical aspects of doing essays,

the photography is wonderful as well.

 

<p>

 

Tom

[glenn_travis]

Ralph Gibson's "Deux Ex Machina," a retropspective of a 5o year

career as a Leica Photographer. It's a book about photography, and

not about causes.

[steven_fong1]

Enduring Spirits by Phil Borges. Fast disappearing culture. Gorgeous

medium format work and great selective hand toning. Proceeds goes to

the Amnesty International.

[thomas_nutter]

Here are a few:

 

<p>

 

Allard again--"Vanishing Breed"

 

<p>

 

David Alan Harvey---"Cuba" Imight draw some flames for this

one.

 

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If you can find it---Bruce Davidson's "Subway"--Try a college

Library.

 

<p>

 

I don't have this one, but how about Jodi Cobb's "Geisha" or

ANYTHING by Eugene Richards:

--Below the Line, --Knife and Gun Club, Americans We,

Dorchester days( WHICH WAS re-released last year.), "Cocaine

True, Cocaine Blue."

 

<p>

 

Shelby Lee Adams:

"Appalacian Portraits" OR "Appalacian Legacy"

 

<p>

 

More Allard: "A Time We Knew" --about Basques in Europe.

 

<p>

 

Brian Lanker--"I Dream a World."

 

<p>

 

Sandro--"American Bikers"

 

<p>

 

David Graham--"Land of the Free," or"Taking Liberties."

 

<p>

 

Jill Freedman, "Circus Days"

 

<p>

 

Shall I go on?

 

<p>

 

Some of these may require spending some time browsing used

book stores, but all are well worth it.

 

<p>

 

WHEW!

[thomas_nutter]

One More---and if you can find a copy, I'll buy it from you,

 

<p>

 

--Les Krimms, "The Stack-O-Wheats Murders."

 

<p>

 

This is not an essay in the true sense of the word, but it's

hilarious. It's a series of staged photos of "scenes of the crime"

where a supposed serial killer leaves a stack of Wheat

pancakes next to each body.

[ray_moth]

Hi Greg,

 

<p>

 

Good luck in your quest, I hope you get what you want. Maybe, in

return, your wife would appreciate a photo essay book created by YOU

for St. Valentine's day 2003? :-)

[edward_deangelis]

Greg,

I offer "Robert Doisneau A Photographer's Life" by Peter Hamilton.

Not an essay but a great read. Lyrical photographs, good writing, an

interesting life, and a critical time in history. As a bonus,

Doisneau's take on technique and the cameras he used. Bought his

first Leica, a IIIc, in the early '50s.

Ed

[wgpinc]

Dennis Stocks books Provence Memories and New England are beautiful

and great examples of it's the photographer and not the cameras that

take the pictures. Both were done and extensively documented with

technical data from an Olympus OM System.

Fulvio Roiter did several beautiful books on Venice with the R Leica

system (a few M shots).

Fred J. Maroon did a stunning book on the US, These United States,

also with Leica R system plus quite a few pictures with Leica

M/21mm. He also did a great book illustrating the US Capitol.

And of course Ernst Haas In America, In Germany & Color Photography.

There were quite a few years when I couldn't afford books or

cameras. I kept my M Leicas but missed a lot of books when they

first came out. I have been upgrading my Leica system these last

couple of years and I have been on AbeBooks.com lately buying some of

the photo books I missed the first time around. Good luck.

[nesrani]

I would recommend Falkland Road, by Mary Ellen Mark, and Winterreise,

by Luc Delahaye. My two favourite photo books.

[chuck3]

W. Eugene Smith: Minamata. The guiding light of passionate, in depth photo

essays. Find it at abebooks.com.

[wgpinc]

A Greek Portfolio by Constantine Manos. All Leica M, tri-x in

Rodinal. Beautiful images.

[rolo]

Ooh, how could I forget: "Signs & Relics," by Sylvia Plachy. One

of my recent favorites. Photos (some old, some new) grouped

by ideas or themes. Lots of fun.

[wilhelm]

"Suburbia," new edition, by Bill Owens.

[ken4]

Olympic Portraits ~Annie Lebovitz