Favorite photographers/photo books?

[meatgrinder]

I was just curious who some of everyone's favorite photographers are.

I love Trent Parke but his book Dream/Life is tough to track down and pretty expensive. My favorite book I own is probably Storylines by Robert Frank. I love his classic stuff, too, but Storylines is pretty unconventional and is a really cool way to experience his work (contact sheets, film stills, handwritten scrawls, etc.).

 

[RML]

You know, my list of favs is long, and growing. Buying books is (can be) expensive. So, while I do buy books once in a while when I can get a nice deal, I've found that the central library here in Amsterdam has a really nice collection of books on/by many different photographers, not just the big names but also many lesser known or unknown photogs. If I were you I'd check out your library and broaden your view further.

 

[photodog]

I suggest looking at The Family of Man edited by Edward Steichen. Two others are The Europeans by HCB and Minamata by W. Eugene Smith.

 

[Sparrow]

David Bailey, Trouble and Strife, not sure why I find it attractive………..

 

[Jamie123]

I like Amanda Marsalis' work (www.amandamarsalis.com).

I like photo books but they're very expensive. The last one I got (got it as a present) was a book with Stanlay Kubrick's photos from 1945-1950. I like it a lot. Most people are not familiar with his photographic work but it's very good.

A friend of mine is working on a photography book at the moment. It's not out yet but once it comes out I'll surely recommend it here 🙂. Her work is excellent!

 

[peterc]

Favourite photo book: On Reading by Andre Kertesz.

Peter

 

[back alley]

my favourie books so far have been the 'daybooks' by edward weston.

i enjoyed reading the hughes bio of eugene smith.

years ago i read a short magazine article by ralph white that i throughly enjoyed and have kept around here to review every few years.


j

 

[reagan]

I'm just finishing Hungry Heart, {a memoir} by Gordon Parks. There's little technical stuff, but rather focuses on relaying stories of Parks' very interesting life. I gladly recommend it.

 

[narsuitus]

My personal favorite photographers are those who have produced a large body of work that I admire enough to pay big bucks for their books.

Here are some of them:

Yousuf Karsh (portrait)
Peter Gowland (glamour/fashion)
Francesco Scavullo (glamour/fashion)
Mathew Brady (reportage)
David Hume Kennerly (reportage)
Margaret Bourke-White (reportage)
Alfred Eisenstaedt (candid)
Linda McCartney (candid)
Erich Salomon (candid)
Lawrence Parent (landscape)
David Muench (landscape)
Tim Fitzharris (landscape)

My favorite photo book is my autographed copy of Texas by Lawrence Parent.

 

[wlewisiii]

I'd have to say that David Plowden is my favorite. www.davidplowden.com gives a hint of what he's done. I mean, this guy started helping O. Winston Link and has taken that basic concept as far as it can go. It doesn't hurt my eye that he likes the square... 😉

William

 

[RayPA]

I've picked up two books within the last week. Lee Friedlander's "Cherry Blossom Time in Japan," and "Walker Evans: Lyric Documentary." Both books have excellent presentations and quality, particularly the Friedlander book, which is beautiful. Those are two of my favorites, but my list of favorites is long. 🙂


.

 

[Graham Line]

Six or seven years ago I cleaned off several shelves of photo books and converted them into cold cash because I simply didn't look at them any more.
Here are the picture books that survived the cut, and I apologize for not being more current -- there's a lot of good photos being made these days:

Volkswagen: A Week at the Factory -- Peter Keetman
Minimata -- W. Eugene Smith
A Time of Trains -- David Plowden
Imprints -- David Plowden
West From Omaha -- Jack Pfeifer
Andre Kertesz -- Aperture 'Masters of Photography'
Walker Evans at Work
Above and Beyond -- Ruth Orkin
The Place No One Knew -- Eliot Porter
Manzanar -- Ansel Adams
Vision -- Galen Rowell
Rails -- Don Ball

There are some technical manuals and references as well, but these are the picture books.

 

[IGMeanwell]

I don't know if they are my favorite photographers

but some recent books I purchased that I think are superb

Sam Haskins : Cowboy Kate and Other Stories

Bert Stern: Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting

 

[tblanston]

I just got my copy of It's All Good. www.artcoup.com

It's the only book of photographs that I own so far so it'd have to be my favourite.

 

[dreilly]

Any of the tomes that Sebastiao Salgado put out...I have "An Uncertain Grace". It's a great, heartbreaking book. All his stuff is wonderful, but not easy to look at.

Michael Light's collection of Apollo moon photos is also an incredible, must-have book for photographers and astronomy-buffs alike. It's called "Full Moon." Everyone should check this out...you'll be suprised that you only see one or two photos from the Nasa Hassies.

 

[ghost]

i've got to pick up the bert stern book. i have a full set of 'eros', and that would make a great complement.

recently got a copy of 'st. louis and the arch' by meyerowitz. great stuff!

 

[kbg32]

I just purchased "Saul Leiter: Early Color". Really beautiful work from a not very well known photographer.

Here's a nice slideshow and selection - http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=505099

 

[ray_g]

I just got a copy of Michael Kenna's Japan. Exquisite.

 

[PlantedTao]

I only own how-to books.
mags are where I have been getting my continous inspiration ...
B&W and, Lenswork are my favs.
(the gallery here is not too bad either)

🙂

 

[loon]

Magnum Stories by the guys from Magnum Photos is by far the best book i have yet to purchase. For each photographer is a little biography of themselves, how they got started or their own view on photography followed by a short portfolio of a few pages. i highly recommend it to anyone.