Books

Now this is a valuable thread!! Not like the time-wasting ones on which lens is better, etc.

For me the following books have been especially important:

"In the Land of Light" by Rodney Smith (ISBN: 0-395-34425-5) - I came across a printer's proof in a used book store in Dallas. No cover images or anything, but when I opened it up it was an epiphany for me. Wonderful images!

"As I See It" by John Leongard (ISBN: 086565167-1) - Love John's work and words.

"Tropism" by Ralph Gibson (ISBNl 89381-255-2) - Almost anything that Raplh has done inspires me.

"Early Color" by Saul Leiter (ISBN: 3-86521-139-9) - Second someone's early pick of this book. I have pre-ordered his other one "Early Black and White". Another inspirational book of images.

"Arnold Newman" by Philip Brookman (ISBN: 3-8228-7193-1) - Arnold was a genius when it came to environmental portraits. His ability to crop the negative to just the right composition was a talent.

"Seeing Gardens" (ISBN: 0-7922-7956-5) and "Stay This Moment" (ISBN: 0-9734738-72-6) by Sam Abell - One of many National Geographic photographers I admire.

"Portraits of America" by William Albert Allard (ISBN: 0-7922-6418-5) - Another NG photographer, he has other books I would also recommend with a great eye for the unusual and a real character as well.

"W. Eugene Smith - Master of the Photographic Essay" by William S. Johnson (ISBN: unknown), publisher Aperture - Many photographs that have not been published before from this legend. Laid out chronologically by assignments and personal work.

"Amish Odyssey" by Bill Coleman (ISBN: 0-912383-49-6) - a portrait photographer in State College, Penn. Wonderful work on the Amish!!

Continue this thread as a 'sticky' somewhere!!!! This should be required reading by all forum members.
 
The new "Magnum Magnum" is excellent, albeit very expensive. It was reviewed in Saturday's Financial Times:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ae0bf4e-a13b-11dc-9f34-0000779fd2ac.html

The reviewer's comment on the sheer size of the book are worth noting. It ships in a cardboard case with its own handle, and a good thing, too. I thought I was going to have to hail a cab to get it home, but I was eventually able to wrestle the pig aboard a bus, where it took up its own seat. The reproduction of the images is superb, especially the color (prompted me to take some Kodachrome out of the fridge). I still can't figure out what Rene Burri thinks of Martin Parr's work, though.
 
Thank you for such a great thread!

I just "read" Elliot Erwitt, Photographs and Anti-Photographs (used <$5.00 without dust jacket). Also finished off On Being A Photographer: A Practical Guide, David Hurn and Bill Jay. Great books.
 
Seasons Greetings and I hope that you received your fair share of photographic books in your Christmas Stocking.

I received two books that I have had my eye on for some time.

Unknown Bown 1947 -1967 - Photographs by Jane Bown - Published by The Observer.
Outstanding 6x6 Rolleiflex Photographs.

Willy Ronis - Published by Taschen.
Good quality B+W very much in the Doisneau mould with some very good 1950's portraits.

Regards

Harry
 
Chuck Albertson said:
The reviewer's comment on the sheer size of the book are worth noting. It ships in a cardboard case with its own handle, and a good thing, too. I thought I was going to have to hail a cab to get it home, but I was eventually able to wrestle the pig aboard a bus, where it took up its own seat. The reproduction of the images is superb, especially the color (prompted me to take some Kodachrome out of the fridge). I still can't figure out what Rene Burri thinks of Martin Parr's work, though.
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The package weighs 17lbs, and I was lucky enough to get it delivered from Amazon. This is a wonderful book which I feel will become a classic. Additionally I also really like the new Steidl/ICP catalog of the Gerda Taro exhibit at the ICP (ending Jan 6 I think).
 
Bill Pierce said:
Ted -

I run into Susan every few trips to NYC. In fact, the book she edited on El Salvador got layed out on the floor on my NY loft. I, too, am a giant Meiselas fan. Did you know there's a new edition of Strippers with some added pictures? It first came out in conjunction with a traveling exhibit. I suppose the exhibit is now retired, but, hopefully, the book is still around. That's the problem with photo books. 6 months out and they're collectors items on Ebay.

Bill
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I just picked up the new (softcover) edition of Susan Meiselas' book on Kurdistan. To do the layout on a floor, she would have had to rent Madison Square Garden! It's quite a work, described as a visual history of Kurdistan. It has only a handful of her own pictures, the rest being archival material that she collected, and essays by other photographers. If I recall correctly, she used most of that MacArthur grant she got many years ago to compile the first edition (1998). The new edition is updated to include developments since then, and at $50 it is half the price of the first edition (which is getting hard to find). Well worth it if you're interested in the history/current events of that part of the Middle East.
 
Winterreise--Luc Delahaye--isbn 0714839973

Flophouse--Text by David Isay and Stacy Abramson photos by Harvey Wang
isbn--0375503226

River of Colour--Raghubir Singh--isbn 0714839965

Alex Webb--Crossings and Amazon

Josef Joudelka--Gypsies

Gary Winogrand--1964

Sally Mann--Immediate Family
 
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