If Only Four Books....

[John Boeckeler]

My collection of photography books includes many mentioned in this thread. These are some of my favorite LF books: East 100th Street, Bruce Davidson; Haunter of Ruins, Clarence John Laughlin; Wright Morris, Photographs & Words; and Inner Light: The Shaker Legacy, Linda Butler with text by June Sprigg. If we were not restricted to LF, I should include George Tice's Stone Walls, Grey Skies; Up River, the Story of a Maine Fishing Community, Olive Pierce with text by Carolyn Shute; and Szarkowski's Looking at Photographs, for the text as much as the photographs - clear and unpretentious writing.

[Barry Cochran]

1. Walker Evans, "First and Last"
2. Paul Caponigro, "MasterWorks from Forty Years"
3. Edward Weston, "Forms of Passion."

And I would be overcome by smoke trying to decide on my fourth pick from George Tice, "Urban Landscapes", "Ansel Adams at 100" or Wright Morris, "Photographs & Words"

[Scott Walton]

Darkroom Cookbook, my own recipe journals, Ansel's The Negative and my signed Ansel prints... after making sure my wife and son are out safetly!

[Stephen Willard]

Wow, there are an amazing number of books noted here. I intend to print this string and use it to generate my book list for the next 10 summers.

Although I have some of the books listed here, I would not grab any of them. I would probable grab my wife first although I would not need a fire to motivate to do such a thing. And then of course I would grab my mistress, Betty Ann, my camera and her jewelry, the lenses. And if time permitted, I would grab the printout of this string which harbors the books I intend to order for the next 10 summers.

[Joseph Kayne]

1) Cape Light-Joel Meyerowitz

2) Lake Superior Images-Craig Blacklock

3) Eternal Body-Ruth Bernhard

4) Daybooks-Edward Weston

Thanks.

Joe.

[Scott Davis]

Ruth Bernhard - Eternal Body

Reuven Afanador - Torero, or maybe Sombra

There was an excellent monograph whose title escapes me at the moment on Mapplethorpe and 18th century drawings and engravings. Fat sucker too.

Native Americans by Edward Curtis.

Although they're not photographers, I'd try to get my books on Caravaggio, DaVinci and Michelangelo out as well. They're inspirations for me, particularly Caravaggio, since he was such a photographic user of light in his paintings.

I'll go ditto on tossing Ann Geddes into the fires, her and William Wegman. Those dogs are just too precious. Shudder.

[tribby]

don't have any...

well, photo books that is. stacks fill my house, though.

me

[Steve Wilson]

A tough choice, but it would have to be these.

1.Stephen Shore "Uncommon Places"
2.George Tice "Urban Landscapes"
3.Mary Ellen Mark "American Odyssey"
4.John Davies "The British Landscape"

(If I had time to run back into the inferno for a second grab they would be...Arnold Newman "Five Decades", Irving Penn "Worlds in a Small Room", Jerry Uelsmann "Photo Synthesis", Gabriele Basilico "Phaidon 55").

[Darin Boville]

I have a fairly robust photo book collection (an assortment, really, hundreds of art and photo books).

I would let it all burn. I would let my negatives and hard drives burn. I would let it all burn.

Too bad the web page wouldn't burn as well.

The past is a heavy load for the future to bear. Think of the opportunity the fire would afford by erasing all of your former inspirations, and all of your former work.

Sort of like being reborn, naked and fully aware. Fully focused upon the future.

--Darin

[Brian C. Miller]

Never mind the books, I'd grab my negatives! Then comes the cameras.

But if I arrived too late, then tomorrow is another day, and very nice film cameras have become cheap.