Recommended books

Hilmersen

Hilmersen

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I am looking for tips on good books and self publications.
I prefer a less polished look - but do not enjoy the annoying kind of street photography.
My favorites are: Ragnar Axelsson, Pentti Sammallahti, Kåre Kivijärvi, Salgado, John Wehrheim, Koudelka, Ronis, Alain Laboile to name a few..


I am happy that I bought "Omoide" by Andrea Taurisano found here on RFF, and have been looking around in Blurb for some inspiration, but haven't found something that has made me hit the buy button.
Any suggestions? (Famous, unknown - or yourself)
 
I'm flattered. Photo books and film are, IMO, much better ways of spending money than more photo gear.. if only GAS didn't exist. Here are some of my very favorite books (follow the links to browse through them):

"The Dreaming", by Yasuhiro Ogawa
"Shimagatari", also by Yasuhiro Ogawa
"Shikawatari", by Chieko Shiraishi
"Ultimo Sur", by Rodrigo Gomez Rovira
"Invisible waves", by Christopher de Bethune
"The hunt", by Alvaro Laiz
"Goze", by Shoiko Hashimoto

Since you like the look of Polaroid peel-apart film used for my Omoide, you'll also love Robert Franks "Pangnirtung", a true and very unexpensive pearl that you may find at Tronsmo bookstore in Oslo. And staying on Robert Frank... one of his (IMO) best books: "Good days quiet".
 
I recently picked up Adou, Samalada, which might be up your alley. No notes on equipment, but it looks like instant (?) bw large format -- I say perhaps "instant" as there are a lot of imperfections (streaks, bubbles, uneven development) in the shots, which could be instant film, or it could simply be digital post-processing. Shot in the Tibetan area of Sichuan, China, the book is short (no flood of hundreds of images) and "informal" (just stapled in the gutter and with a full bleed, matte printing). Beautiful, rich and dark tones, often shallow depth of field. I don't know if I'd call it "street" or documentary, but it's not formal or posed photography either. In some ways, it reminds me of some of Koudelka's work (e.g. his book on the Roma people though Adou doesn't get into people's homes the way Koudelka did). Worth checking out perhaps. I certainly am very pleased with it, though my sister lives not far from this part of Sichuan (a Tibetan area in an adjacent province) and I've travelled there several times, so perhaps my memories are part of the appeal for me.

Link: https://photographyofchina.com/bookshop/samalada (European vendor, specializing in Chinese photographers and China-based photobooks -- lots of good photography on or from a country that frequently gets overlooked (pun intended!) in the photography-verse.)
 
Hilmersen said:
Thanks. Lots of nice books - and two new book stores I did not know about! 4 books "richer" now!
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Tronsmo bookstore is one of the very few things that make me wish I lived in Oslo instead of Trondheim. It's a treasure for photo book lovers.. if you step in there with some free time, it will fly away (and so will some money..).
 
Andrea Taurisano said:
Tronsmo bookstore is one of the very few things that make me wish I lived in Oslo instead of Trondheim. It's a treasure for photo book lovers.. if you step in there with some free time, it will fly away (and so will some money..).
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Always though Tronsmo mostly had political books, so I haven't been there looking for photo books. Will go there as soon things open up here.
 
I can't recognise your taste but I will say that one of my favourites dates back to the 30's. It's My Leica and I, edited by Kurt Karfeld.

Its articles and photo's by (mostly) amateurs and gives a lot of fascinating insights into the hobby then.

Regards, David
 
Hilmersen said:
Always though Tronsmo mostly had political books, so I haven't been there looking for photo books. Will go there as soon things open up here.
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I can thoroughly recommend Tronsmo, I've recently bought Kivijärvi and Daido Moriyama from them. Be careful not to stray into their comic book section, you might not get out without a serious dent in your bank account! :p I also buy photo books from Beyond Words in the UK, they have a very good selection.
 
Ichirō Kojima Photo Book...

Ichirō Kojima Photo Book...

Previously posted on What have you just BOUGHT?

shimokita said:
This month I picked up a photo book from one of my favorite Japanese photographers... "小島一郎写真集成" by 青森県立美術館 ("Ichirō Kojima Photo Collection" by Aomori Museum of Art) - 2009.

Kojima (1924~1964) was from Aomori Prefecture... served in China during World War II, returning to Aomori in 1946 where he helped out in the family photographic equipment business and participated in an amateur photography group (Hokuyoukai). His short, 10 year span of activity until his death in 1964 at the age of 40 produced (IMHO) some excellent work.

Kojima's images emphasize the bitterly cold climate of the Tsugaru and Shimokita regions of Aomori Prefecture. He was known for the dark forbidding skies of his print work. The below images are from the book © Ichirō Kojima, not the best of, rather a couple that I liked on first review.

photo_6781186.jpg


01) Book Cover

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02) つがる市木造 1957-58 / Tsugaru City Kizukuri (town)

photo_6781171.jpg


03) 津軽地万 1957-58 / Tsugaru 地万 ('Jiman' / '-chi man')

photo_6781181.jpg


04) 西津軽郡深浦町北金ヶ沢 1957-58 / Kita-Kanegasawa, Fukaura-chō, Nishi tsugaru-gun

photo_6781191.jpg


05) むつ市脇野沢九艘泊 1961 / Kusōdomari, Wakinosawa, Mutsu City

The hard cover book has 185 photographs (locations & dates are noted), plus a 30 page biography with personal / family photos and a photo-shoot location map from Aomori Prefecture. Most photos are b&w although there is a smattering of colour prints... I like the winter images. One review noted that although the book is oversized, some of the prints are postcard sized... not an issue in my opinion. All text is Japanese.

Casey

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This book is authored by a photographer, using only black and white film to make his photographs.

I bought the book in 2004 and re-read it every so often. The book:

Elements of Black and White Photography: The Making of Twenty Images by George E. Todd

Also check out Monte Zucker’s book on people photography. He was my coach and mentor.

https://archive.org/details/Monte_Zuckers_Portrait_Photography_Handbook
 
What did I buy?
"The Americans" by Robert Frank - A classic that was missing
https://photographyofchina.com/bookshop/ash - ASH
- I am temted by Samalada...I not sure why I bought ASH instead. I'll probably revisit that suggestion later.
"The Dreaming", by Yasuhiro Ogawa
"Shimagatari", also by Yasuhiro Ogawa
- Should probably not have bought both of them...but I could not help myself.

The good thing with a thread is that I can always revisit it.

In a completely differnet genre, I can also recommend Mona Kuhn - love the calmness and the rendering - they just look gorgeous. Naked people, but I end up focusing on the emotions.
 
My 2 all time favorite books:

David Vestal’s The Art of B&W Photography

Ansel Adams’ Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs
 
Hilmersen said:
What did I buy?
"The Americans" by Robert Frank - A classic that was missing
https://photographyofchina.com/bookshop/ash - ASH
- I am temted by Samalada...I not sure why I bought ASH instead. I'll probably revisit that suggestion later.
"The Dreaming", by Yasuhiro Ogawa
"Shimagatari", also by Yasuhiro Ogawa
- Should probably not have bought both of them...but I could not help myself.
Click to expand...

Nice shopping! I couldn't resist and bought the one by Ichirō Kojima that Shimokita suggested above. This last year has given me no joy whatsoever, so I'm indulging in books at least, and with no regrets.
 
Excellent thread. Thanks for starting Hillmerson and to those that have contributed so far. I will be coming back here for recommendations.

I just purchased the reissue of "Small Things in Silence" by Masao Yamamoto
 
Why not just go look for yourself before you buy? Some booksellers post "videos" of books for sale.

On Youtube-
Fofofoto
Unobtanium Photobooks

On Vimeo-
Photobookstore.co.uk Thousands of books....
Tipi Bookshop

Just remember, I warned you!
 
I love documentary work personally, so I am drawn towards cohesive collections of photographs.
The Vietnam work by Philip Jones Griffiths is some of my favorite photography ever. My out of print hardcover Vietnam Inc. is one of my most cherished possessions, I'd sell a few cameras and think about selling my car if I had to in order to keep that book.
Minamata, by W. Eugene Smith is another collection which I feel is necessary.
The 1960s work of Ben Fernandez, following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is amazing. In Opposition is a great collection of protest work.
Impounded: Dorothea Lange and the Censored Images of Japanese American Internment is a great collection of Lange's documentary work during WWII.

Phil Forrest
 
The book "Des oiseaux" by Pentti Sammallhati has just blown me away. My favourite book of all times, I think.
 
Koudelka's 'Exiles' is remarkable. The opening essay by the poet Czeslaw Milosz very profound.

The gentleness of Sergio Larrain is evident in the compilation edited by Agnès Sire. Title 'Sergio Larrain.'

Michael Kenna's 'Holga' has some wonderful things. He carried a Holga with his Hasselblads. The front cover shot of a white dove against the inky shadows beneath a bridge is a little miracle.
 
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