What is your favorite book of photographs?

The Americans is high up on my list, as well as Moriyama's '71-NY. The book I've returned to most frequently in the past year is Jim Marshall's Proof, which features many of his classic pictures along with the contact sheets they were selected from. He's one of my favorite photographers and getting a glimpse of how he worked is fascinating.
 
Without a doubt my Walker Evans book. The Museum of Modern Art published a compiilation in the early 70's. I still keep going back to that book. It influenced me when I first bought it and it still does. Second most favourite book: Eugene Atget. Their photographs share many similiarities. I guess I just like that syle.
 
I would prefer my own, a compilation of abstract studies of automobile forms and shadows but that doesn't exist. I will have to be content with "The Americans" (wife bought this for christmas) or something from Winogrand, or Arbus.
 
Koudelka (Joseph Koudelka)...powerful, powerful, powerful images.

As a counterpoint, I also like Harry Callahan.

And.....I was very fortunate to find in a second hand bookstore a copy of "Neighbors" by Archie Lieberman, signed by the author, for only 8 bucks. Worth a hundred/thousand times that!

Somewhere I read (here?) that instead of buying new gear to improve you photography you would be better served to buy books by great photographers instead!

Cheers,
Michael
 
gdmcclintock said:
I have Color Correction and for some unknown reason am disappointed. The photographs are beautiful, the color dramatic, the compositions remarkable, yet the book leaves me indifferent. Perhaps I should sell it at a significant discount....
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Sell it to me if it's in mint shape.
 
Benjamin Marks said:
Tom, I agree. I recently got a copy of Outside/Inside. So impressive. I particularly like it because, although many of the pictures are slightly before my time, it captures the New York City of my childhood. It is very interesting to see that place through another's eyes.
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Great recommendation. I just bought it. The prices in the US now are pretty crazy but I am glad that I got it from amazon.ca.
 
brainwood said:
Particularly enjoying Bill Brandts 'Literary Britain' at the moment and I always keep returning to Fay Godwin's 'Landmarks'
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I love anything by Fay Godwin, she is the original inspiration for my falling in love with black and white landscape!

My favourite tends to be the last thing I bought, at least until I buy something else.

I recently acquired 3 of the Photofile series (which I like because they are small and easy to carry when travelling) these were Saul Leiter, Paolo Roversi and Ernst Haas - I recommend them all.
 
Araakii said:
I assume that what you like the most also reflect your own shooting style?
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Depends. I love the documentary photography genre, particularly of past decades. But the books I buy may be formalist studies (Becher's "Industrial Facades" or August Sander's professional typologies). I have several landscape studies (John Paul Caponigro, John Sexton, Ansel Adams) and I almost never turn my camera in that direction.
 
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