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David R Munson
1-Feb-2004, 23:27
Just a disclaimer: I posted this over at another forum a few days ago, but it seems to be getting no replies, so I thought I'd ask it here too.

I'm always interested to hear about the books of images that other people value or that have had some manner of profound effect on them. But it isn't all too interesting to just make a list, really. I mean, what's to learn from a list of titles? So what I would like to accomplish with this thread here is to discuss a few of the books that really mean something to us on a personal level and why they mean what they do. Everybody has their favorites, LF photographers included.

I'll start...

First on the list is the book Shinjuku by Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama. I first saw this book in the library at Ohio University early last fall quarter. It's a medium-sized book, softbound in a slipcase. It's filled with images in Moriyama's signiture style of Shinjuku, the technology district in Tokyo. This book really helped redefine the lo-fi esthetic for me (along with the next book in this list). High contrast, lots of grain, weak black tones - a lot like the sort of thing you see on the drying racks in the art building after the basic B&W photo class has learned (sort of) the printing basics. Only with Moriyama, for whatever reason it actually works. It's really a profound little volume. That I even own a copy, though, is a bit of feat in itself. It was originally only printed in a run of 500 copies, all signed by the photographer and included a poster of sorts with information about the images in the book. I looked everywhere but couldn't find a copy for less than $150 (and as a student that just wasn't going to work). In the end it was my close friend Yuka (who lives in Japan) who found that a second numbered run of 300 copies had been made. She bought one as a graduation gift for me and had it shipped direct from Japan. It's definitely a book I'll hold on to for the rest of my life.

The second book is the self-titled monograph by photographer James Fee. Fee's actual manipulations are not really known to me, but the upshot is lots of distressing of the negatives and prints themselves that leads to a sense of decay and desperation in the final image. The effect is almost spooky in some of the images. When I first saw his work it was one of those moments when you say "oh wow" to yourself out loud. I tend to enjoy art that addresses the darker corners of the human psyche. By dark I do not mean evil, but rather the sorts of feelings we try to put to the backs of our minds. The essense of decay, the inevitability of death, destrudo, etc. For me, Fee accomplishes this in a very beautiful way.

A third book (and the last one I'll discuss at this point) is The Last Day of Summer by oft (and unfortunately) attacked photographer Jock Sturges. I first saw this book when I was about 16 and it left an indellible mark on me. I had never seen such sensitive, intimate, and ultimately honest portraits of people. The fact that many of his subjects were without clothing never really struck me as odd or wrong or what have you. Again, one of the things that immediately struck me and that still amazes me is the honesty of the images. They hide nothing, they make no attempt at modesty. There's an element to them that I have seen so rarely in the work of other photographers making portraits of individuals. So far I haven't found a clear way to articulate just what that element is, but when I see it I know it and I love it.

So, how about you?

Dominique Labrosse
2-Feb-2004, 00:16
David,

Possibly the most influencial (for me) book I ever read is "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Canadian photographer Freeman Patterson. For me the book was not so much about the images (there are many good ones in teh book) as it was about creative process. It was responsible for opening my eyes to the world. It encouraged me to go out and look at things in a different light and to experiment with my camera. It also turned me on to selective focus and shallow depth of field.

As for books of photographs, my current favorite is "A Century Under Sail" a 'greatest hits' book of photographs by Morris and Stanley Rosenfeld (father & son) of classic old sail boats. The focus is mainly on America's Cup Yachts. Tyhe photographs were mostly taken with hand-held large format gear. Can you imagine trying to take a good photograph in midday sun, hand holding a 4x5 on a boat that is pitching up & down on the ocean? This book is a real treat that combines two of my favorite activities, photography and sailing.

james mickelson
2-Feb-2004, 05:09
Shelby Lee Adams- Appalacian Legacy. An incredible book about the backwoods inhabitants still extant in the hills and valleys of Appalacia. His continuing portraits of the people of this region is a wonderful read and enlightens the viewer to a lifestyle fast disappearing due to the "malling" and homogenization of America. There is a current exhibition at the Fahey/Klein Gallery and a documentary detailing his work. I also encourage photographers to take a look at Robert ParkeHarrison. If you've ever wanted to see truly unique and incredibly interesting photography, take a look at this work.

Jay DeFehr
2-Feb-2004, 09:29
I have a dear friend who seems to know my mind better than I do at times, and she has given me some of my favorite books. The Model Wife, edited by Arthur Ollman is a collection of portraits of photographers' wives over long periods of time, and includes work by Edward Weston, Alfred Steiglitz, Emmett Gowin, Harry Callahan, Nicholas Nixon, Lee Friedlander and others. The work is very diverse, but the subject matter imparts a continuity that is often poigniant and occasionally tragic.

Another book given to me by the same wonderful woman is Changing The Earth, by Emmett Gowin. It is a collection of aerial photographs of some of the world's most distressed topography, including nuclear test sites in Nevada and strip mines in the Czech Republic, along with many other alarmingly beautiful locations. The reproductions are excellent and give an indication of the beauty and luminosity of the original prints. It is the only "landscape" book I own, and is unlike any other I've ever seen. Many of the images are decidedly otherworldly, and it is sometimes difficult to interpret the relationships of tones as they relate to the elevations of the surfaces, or the scale of the image, which is often immense. His aerial perspective allows us a view of our planet that reveals more than we might be comfortable with, but the beauty of his prints soften the blow. I highly recommend both of these books.

Mark_3632
2-Feb-2004, 10:50
I do not seem to get my inspiration from books of just pictures. There has to be a written purpose behind the photographs. Maybe a philosophy, or techniue described. If I want to just look at pictures I prefer the gallery experience. The photograph is much more than a book reproduction could emulate. I am a big fan of Freeman Patterson's books and galen Rowell's:

"Photographing the World around You: A Visual Design Workshop" "Photography and the Art of Seeing" "Photography of Natural Things" I have just ordered a copy of Odysses: Meditations and Thoughts for a life's Journey.

Galen Rowell's "Inner Game of Outdoor Photography"

Gallery experiences: I am most influenced by AA's work and Edward Weston. Both are much more imprsssive in a gallery than a book. But I will look at what is hanging if it catches my eye.

Bruce Watson
2-Feb-2004, 11:17
You'll laugh because it's such a cliche. But, every cliche has at its heart a kernal of truth...

Yosemite and the Range of Light by Ansel Adams is the book that kicked me over to large format photography. It's an incredible body of work, beautifully published. It just inspired the heck out of me. I've never seen anyone who was able to translate grandeur to a photograph like Adams.

Another one is Eliot Porter by, of course, Eliot Porter. Porter could see, no question. He is the master of middle distance photographs. He shows you what is there, that you didn't see until he showed it to you.

Then there is Paul Strand, the book published by the National Gallery of Art for the big Strand retrospective shown in 1990. Strand teaches elegance, I think, especially his late photographes of his backyard garden. Elegance and simplicity.

They all show that there is beauty all around us. We just have to be willing to see it.

John Kasaian
2-Feb-2004, 11:35
'On HIgh' by Bradford Washburn---An eye-opening example of LF aerials that show how beautiful an aerial perspective can be.

'Summit' by Vittorio Sella---Profound proof that one can oversome incredible obstacles of much greater burden than I will ever have to(taking huge glass plates mountain climbing, no less!) and still produce awesoome photographs.

'Father Browne---A Life in Pictures'---A 99 cent remainder I found who knows where on what clearance table. It dosen't deal with LF, but I find it inspirational. With modest equipment and resources, Fr. Browne, who's vocation as a Jesuit certainly took it's priority over photography, none the less enjoyed a very successful second life as a documentary photographer. For an amateur, he received an impressive number of commissions and donated all his earnings to his Order. The man enjoyed his photography pure and simple(and kept it that way.) Inspiration enough for the amateur balancing home, family, job, and resources in order to mess about with big(and little) old cameras.

Too many instructional and reference books to mention! 'Night Photography' by Andrew Sanderson; 'The Art of Black and White Photography' by John Garrett (both from Amphoto); and the The Ansel Adams trilogy come readily to mind.

Cheers!

Mike Chini
2-Feb-2004, 11:39
Strand's French, Scottish and Italian books (Il Paese, Le Grand Profil and Tir a'M Hurain). To me, the greatest combination of skill, purpose, beauty and timelessness to be found anywhere. Must have's. I wish they would reissue the New England book in a better edition. Also, Brassai's Paris By Night because it captured an amazing city in its ('one of' I suppose) heydays and also showed us the beauty and intensity of night photography. His other books are also incredible because they are basically illustrated diaries that take us back to Paris 100 years ago and preserve a part of the experience of being there. Then there's Eggleston's Guide for making me appreciate the beauty in the mundane and Stephen Shore for capturing the unique experience that is American life - an experience that Hopper captured so well. Other favorites: August Sander's Taschen monograph, Weegee's Naked City, Moriyama's Stray Dog, Riis' How the Other Half Lives and some HCB books.

Andy tymon
2-Feb-2004, 11:51
I really like, Between dark and dark and Dreaming the Gokstadt both by Thomas Joshua Cooper,very dark and primodial landscapes. I saw a tv programme where he was making images,he spent hours looking for the perfect location,waited till the time /light were right and then made just one exposure and "only one".

I got a copy of New England Days by Paul Caponigro, great reproductions and re -affirmed my belief that a lot of photographers make lots of good pictures in there own backyards

Nick Morris
2-Feb-2004, 12:40
W. Eugene Smith: Let Prejudice be the Truth (i might have that wrong); Paul Strand: World at my Doorstep (and two of the books that contributed to that book, Il Paese and Le Grand Profil) Sixty Years; Edward Weston: Last Years at Carmel, and The Daybooks; Sally Mann: Immediate Family; Harry Callahan: Harry Callahan (National Gallery of Art-Bullfinch); Andre Kertesz: Bullfinch-Pierre Borham; Nicholas Nixon: Family Matters, School; Ansel Adams: Classic Images, Examples, at 100; Roman Lornac: Twin Oaks; Eugene Arget and Bernice Abbott; Alfred Stieglitz: Aperture monograph; Model Wife. I have and have had others, and there are some I'd like to get, but these are the keepers so far.

Jim_3565
2-Feb-2004, 13:15
"On My Doorstep" by Paul Strand probably had the most profound effect on me. Printed by Richard Benson from Strand's negatives, but Strand approved the finished prints. You can see it at the Library of Congress.

JohnnyV
2-Feb-2004, 13:58
As far as books go Joel Meyerowitz's "Cape Light" and "The Arch" - mostly Cape Light - was my biggest push into photography.

Huib
2-Feb-2004, 15:48
I especially like David Plowdon's 'Imprints', why? who cares :-) :-) I just like it.

David Kashuba
2-Feb-2004, 16:22
The Work Of Atget Vols. I-IV. Szarkowski and Hambourg. Moma New York. Great artist, great writer, and great historian. The best reproductions of Atget's work. Anyone bought the Tree book yet?

-David Kashuba.

tim atherton
2-Feb-2004, 16:38
"The Work Of Atget Vols. I-IV. Szarkowski and Hambourg. Moma New York. Great artist, great writer, and great historian. The best reproductions of Atget's work. Anyone bought the Tree book yet? "

Definite agreement on that (although I'm one volume short of the set...) On the Trees book, I am completely intrigued by Atget's tree. park and country photographs. However, Geoffrey James took a look at it somewhere and figured it wasn't worth it - it wasn't done very well and it wasn't a good selection. And at that price I'm not willing to buy sight unseen!

That said, below is a very interesting book on Atget that just came out - it basically re-constructs his working method - how he worked a location or building etc and his method for documenting a particular site or building (and it was quite methodical once you sequence the images - it also goes into how his vision changed over time, looking at places he re-photographed, often after a quite substantial break)./ The paperback is a decent price + lots of good reproductions. As someone who is photographing an urban environment, I am finding it fascinating.

Eugene Atget: Unknown Paris by David Harris

In Canada http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/1565848543/qid=1075764911/sr=1-39/ref=sr_1_0_39/701-3099697-3596367

Tom Westbrook
2-Feb-2004, 17:25
Just two that jump to mind:
<ol><li>Bob Thall's The New American Village. It opened my eyes to modern architectural and urban photography.

<li>The big fat Gingko Atget Paris. It immersed me in Atget's work to the extent that I finally 'got it' about his work. I certainly appreciated him before, but once I make it through this tome, I really saw what the big deal is. The man was a genius.
</ol>

David E. Rose
2-Feb-2004, 19:42
"Paul Strand: An American Vision" published by the National Gallery of Art. This is the most beautifully printed book I have ever seen (Richard Benson). It is very much like holding Strand's masterpieces in your hands!

Bill_1856
2-Feb-2004, 19:51
Tim, after reading your glowing assessment of "Atget: Unknown Paris," I literally hopped in the truck and sped to the local Barnes & Noble, money in hand (so to speak). I found myself quite disappointed; the reproductions are so much poorer than the MOMA books, and there was a lot less factual information, or even deduction about Atget's actual working methods, than I expected. Mostly several views of specific locations, sometimes over years, much more interesting from a historical perspective than a photographic one.

I did surprise myself by discovering from reading the above posts, that my own preference in Photography books is not purely about the pictures, but the imagery explained or illuminated by accompanying text.

My favorites are Paul Strand's "Time in New England," Weston's "Daybooks," "Walker Evans at Work," Adams "40 Examples," Avadon's "Evidence 1944-94," Bullaty's "Sudak," ICP's two-volume "Concerned Photographers," and just about anything with Cartier-Bresson's work.

Hmmm, that's all B&W. Gotta add Marie Cosindas' "Color Photographs," Dr. Paul Wolfe's "Color Photography," and Ernst Haas' "The Creation."

KenM
2-Feb-2004, 20:32
The first 'fine art' photography book that I felt was worth my money was Ray McSavaney's book Explorations. He is such an intelligent man, with deep convictions and an incredible sensitivity - his images speak to me very strongly.

I've since purchased quite a few others, but Ray's book is still my favourite; I go back to it again and again for inspiration.

John D Gerndt
2-Feb-2004, 20:36
Sometimes it is more about when it strikes that makes for a books impact. Emmit Gowin’s Photographs 1976 (Alfred A. Knopf) and Ralph Gibson’s Days at Sea of about the same era showed me how an intense personal vision could be brought into being. I think Sally Mann’s Immediate Family and Jock Sturges’ Last Day of Summer are of the same ilk. It took me a long time to realize that part of that intimacy was due to the large format of the images as well as the complete confidence of the sitters.

Funny, I do not do as they do, I do not photograph persons, but the above photographers visions gave me heart so make my own come to life.

Jeff Buckels
3-Feb-2004, 14:48
Szarkowski's introductory essay to his collection MIRRORS AND WINDOWS. One of the most intelligent essays on broad issues of photography and aesthetics ever written. -jb

tim atherton
4-Feb-2004, 08:55
Bill,

Sorry you were disappointed by the Atget book - I was wasn't listing as one of the "all time" monographs - rather as an addition to the library of the Atget fan. For me, what is intriguing about it, is the visual reconstruction of how Atget worked a location. I think there is a sense in which good photography is often hard physical and mental work, not just a leisurely stroll through the woods, photographing what catches your eye. Atget is certainly a demonstration of the former.

As for other favourite monographs - Eggleston - either William Eggleston's Guide or The Democratic Forest for starters. I remember being stunned the first time I saw any of Eggelston's work, which was at a show in London. I immediately grabbed the first book of his I could find (The Democratic Forest).

For me, still one of the few photographers who really understands and captures the essence of colour, especially the colour that surrounds us every days, rather than the colour we might go looking for on vacation strolling down the beach with a Mojito in hand. His works captures the essence of everyday existence for me. And I think few photographers still come close to his instinctual understanding of what colour is about and can then use it the way he does.

tim atherton
6-Feb-2004, 12:52
I'd perhaps add that of monogroahs that have had the most impact on me in most recent years, it would have to be any one of several by Thomas Struth - either "Still", "Dandelion Room" or "Paradise" (among others).

All, to me, stunning and inspiring. Opening up ways of looking and seeing and photographing. Of responding to and understanding a place.