Large Format Photography Book Club?

[Mel]

Is there any interest in starting a "book club" of LF artists?

There is so much beautiful photographic art in the world.
Looking at great photography is more inspirational and
affects us more profoundly than purchasing a new lens or
camera system. Nothing fires me up more to go out and
shoot than looking at someone else's work. And the way
I see the world after looking at great art is always broader
and more evolved. So I'm thinking about the collective
inspiration that would be available from sharing our favorite
photographic art books, perhaps on a monthly basis.

I guess I thought about this because of another thread,
"Christopher Thomas: New York Sleeps". I can't wait to get
my hands on that book and know I will love it. Chances are
I never would have heard of it if it weren't mentioned here.

Any bites?

[Richard K.]

I totally agree with your assessment of the value of such books and I think that this is a great idea if by sharing you mean something like all interested parties posting one or a few titles say once a month and also commenting on the previous month's recommendations and not physically mailing books among us ...:)

I'll start with a repost of New York Sleeps by Christopher Thomas :D

As I mentioned previously, I found this in NYC while on a brief holiday there a few weeks ago. What drew me to it was the quiet rendition of some beautiful architecture a la Atget...

So, Sept. 1, we post new titles? :)

[Frank_E]

ok I'll play this game...

I'll add three, each book contains mainly LF photographs (I believe....)
purchased all three books at different times used

the first is a "find" at a used book store last week
Sally Mann's book published by Aperture in 1988 titled
"At Twelve: Portraits of Young Women"
I had seen individual samples of her work before and was impressed
but it was a revelation seeing a whole book on one theme
she is a real craftsperson who can create images with alot of emotion
I can see why she has received the renown that she has
these are all B&W images

the second is another older book containing colour work
I believe all done on an 8x10
it is by Joel Meyerwitz titled
"Cape Light"
some of these images have been reproduced often for other purposes
for example I saw one of them used for the cover "Where Inspiration Lives"
and have also seen another image used for the cover of another book whose name escapes me now

the last is a book by one of the old masters Stiegltiz
it is a compendium of his images
I have seen it referred to on this forum before
copyright 1999, titled
Alfred Stieglitz: Photographs and Writings by Sarah Greenough
what I particularly like is the quality of the printing in this book
it is so much more enjoyable to appreciate a book of photographs if it has been printed well on fine paper
Richard I believe you were there at the "photo swap meet" when I purchased this one...

I purposely didn't list any books by Ansel Adams or Edward Weston because that would seem like too much like preaching to the converted
but I do enjoy the several books I have from these photographers as well

[jmooney]

Great idea!

I'll throw in a few:

O. Winston Link - The Last Steam Railroad in America

This a bonus for me because I'm a train nut. It's worth it even to see what he was able to accomplish in lighting the photographs he made. Technically speaking you'd be hard pressed to do what he did with all the goodies we have today let alone with 3/4 of a mile of wire and 500 flashbulbs.


Edward Weston: Color Photography

A little know book (and a little book as well). I know Weston is famous for his monochrome work and that what a good number of us do ourselves but Weston got to try some of the first Ektachrome (I think it was Ektachrome) and if anything this book is proof that it's the photographer that makes the images and materials have nothing to do with it.

Home Photography by Andrew Sanderson

I'll make the disclaimer that not all the images are LF and it's a bit of a how to book BUT the images are really worth a look and the idea behind the book of photography where you are is a good one.

[Matt_Bigwood]

Definitely Chris Killip's 'In Flagrante'. Great social documentary project about the North East of England in the 1970s and early 80s.

[Mel]

Wow, just saw the interest. I forgot to "subscribe to this thread." This is great.

[Mel]

Have to run out and will read responses later but for now reposting the pics added to the Christopher Thomas thread:

http://www.gallery51.com/index.php?navigatieid=9&fotograafid=117

[Mel]

This is great and I want to say some things in response. But for now my nose is buried in Christopher Thomas' New York Sleeps, which I snagged today. The book is aptly titled. Not a single soul is in it. I am in awe of Thomas and each beautiful image he created late at night and early in the morning. There is much to love here: New York, symmetry, long exposures, landmarks followed by simple street corners, snow scenes and New York grandeur reflected in wet streets almost-dry after a rain, the toning of the prints printed on rag paper--all black & white...more. And Linhof built that Linhof for Thomas. There's a beautiful photo of him with the camera on the last page of the book. And it isn't one of those high tech Sinar Artec's with the digital back for architectural shooting at $14K. Just a simple 4x5 but Linhof and hot nonetheless. Thanks again for bringing this book to our attention, Richard.

[Brian C. Miller]

When I think of a LF book I like to peruse, I honestly don't think of Adams. Nope, I think of someone who basically has only one thing in common, a 4x5 camera.

Weegee the Famous, Arthur Fellig.

The cheap Aperture book has a photo that really strikes me, one that I haven't seen in other books. Page 27, untitled; car, lampost, man (back to the camera). I wonder if it was processed in the trunk of Fellig's car, because it seems the development is a bit rough and uneven. It's lit just by the streetlamps, so of course it was pushed a bit. But there it is, and to me it's the best in the book. So simple, so elegant.

There was a website years ago that had some interviews with Fellig (ICP link (http://museum.icp.org/museum/collections/special/weegee/)). I liked listening to his honest, rasping voice. "What I do, anybody can do."

[Mel]

When I think of a LF book I like to peruse, I honestly don't think of Adams. Nope, I think of someone who basically has only one thing in common, a 4x5 camera.

Weegee the Famous, Arthur Fellig...

There was a website years ago that had some interviews with Fellig (ICP link (http://museum.icp.org/museum/collections/special/weegee/)). I liked listening to his honest, rasping voice. "What I do, anybody can do."

Brian, here's an of 8 1/2 minute AUDIO of Weegee himself and then a link to that text and his work:

http://tedbarron.com/BWF-June-2009/22-Weegee.mp3

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2010/05/interview-famous-photographers-tell-how.html

Can't help but be struck by the emerging New York theme. At night I might add. That's where my head's been anyway.

[Brian C. Miller]

Brian, here's an of 8 1/2 minute AUDIO of Weegee himself

Thanks! I had only heard some snippets. There was another interview I heard that lasted a few minutes, from a different source.

Yeah, I photograph rocks and trees and stuff, but when I think of a photograph, I do think of Arthur Fellig. As Allene Talmey wrote in the Aperture introduction, "Weegee photographs are, for the most part, as direct as a blow on the knees with a baseball bat. Nothing stands in the way of understanding them. They need no captions."

[Mel]

My pleasure...I like that quote, and as summation of his work, too.