Paul Caponigro books

[QT Luong]

If you had to have only one of Paul Caponigro books, which one would it be ?
Masterworks from Forty Years ?

[Alan L]

'The Wise Silence'

[David E. Rose]

I agree with Alan. "The Wise Silence" is a more beautifully designed book than "Masterworks". It is also hard to find and expensive.

[Bill_1856]

"The Wise Silence" is a terrible example of printing photographs. The images are printed on a very soft matt paper which completely destroys the beauty of the original prints.
"Masterworks from 40 years" is much better, printed on good glossy stock, but IMO the best Caponigro publication is a very early one, which I believe was actually a catalog from the Weston Gallery (my copy is still packed in a box somewhere after a major move, and I can't find it to give the title).
As much as I admire him and his work, I still think his best work was very early, in the woods and streams around Reading.

[Bill_1856]

Aha! Found it! There are actually two: 1) "Landscape," 1975 by McGraw-Hill, and "Paul Caponigro, Photography 25 years," 1981 by The Photography Gallery. Both nicely reproduced.
Of course they doen't show his later work, but IMO I'd rather have these two small volumes than either "The Wise Silence," or "40 years." I'm not really very entusiastic about that later work.

[Mark Sawyer]

I think I'd go with "The Wise Silence". "Masterworks" is printed differently, and I could see where some might prefer it, but both are nicely done in their own way.

The disappointing thing about Caponigro's books is that most are very repetitive in showing the same images.

[Tom Micklin]

"Landscape" is one of my favorite photo books, period.

[QT Luong]

Thanks, make it two books since I actually have "25 years", but I didn't think of it as a book, more like a catalog. I was also looking for more images, since most of those in "25 years" didn't impress me.

[Bill_1856]

Despite the poor choice of paper surface, "Wise Silence" is the better choice of images.

[Merg Ross]

My favorite is probably "Seasons", 61 images published in 1988. All but three of the images were made between 1960 and 1967, a period of some of his best work, in my opinion. They are reproduced actual size, like little jewels, from when he was working with Polaroid.