Book Recommendations
Introduction
There can be few keen photographers that do not have a good few meters of bookshelf dedicated to photo books. Usually, we are looking to expand this selection based on the recommendations of others.
In this article, we have collated the personal favourites of a few Arena members; books that have given inspiration over the years. Some of the titles will not currently be available due to their age or short print run. You might like to try Abebooks to track these down.
Caroline Hyman
Richard Avedon - In the American West
Richard Avedon’s ‘In the American West’ is one of my favourite books. He photographed his subjects against a starck white background, emphasising the character of these people so strongly. This book has had a profound and lasting influence on my portrait work
James Ravilious - Down the Deep Lanes
I have loved all of James Ravilious’s books but ‘Down the Deep Lanes’ is my favourite.It is about the ordinary, unsung,everyday life of the countryside which we all take for granted. The strong black and white photographs tell the story of life in the west country and Ravillious's love of the Devon countryside.
Ron van Dongen - Alba Nero
Ron van Dongen's still life images are exceptional.His way of working with flowers and plants is unique.I treasure his books and it is hard to choose my favourite. I think it has to be 'Alba Nero' for the purity of each image
Trevor Crone
‘Gabriele Basilico - Work Book…1969-2006’
I became aware of the photography of Gabriele Basilico some years ago when I was coming to terms with the technique of view camera use. His precise black and white images of architectural subject matter hit an immediate cord. His placement of subject matter within the frame seems to have laser precision and his black and white photographs have a wonderful tonal range and if they look that good in print I would dearly love to seem them on the exhibition wall.
What struck me with Basilico’s urban photography was the absence of people, they are their by inference or when they do actually put in an appearance they are small and fleeting within the frame. It’s as if he is photographing a film or stage set and the ‘actors’ have either been and performed and moved on or they have yet to appear.
Basilico who was born 1944 in Milan, has many books to his credit although some are now becoming difficult to obtain. Fortunately this publication is still available and is published by Dewi Lewis, ISBN: 1-904587-35-6, www.dewilewispublishing.com
Although I’m not enamoured by the cover, what really matters is what’s between the boards; some stunning 300 + black and white photographs, an article on the opus of Gabriele Basilico, a comprehensive bibliography and a list of his exhibitions (selected), sadly only two in the UK and they were back in 1997/98. The book is heavily bound and has approx. 240 pages. The list price is £35 but I purchased my copy for just over £19 including postage from an Amazon merchant.
Graham Dew
Bryn Campbell - World Photography
More than any other book, this is the one that set me off along the path of creative photography. First published in 1981, this compilation is a who’s who of many of the most famous and accomplished photographers of the time. What marks this book out is selection of the photographers, and the format given to showcase their work. Printed large format each photographer was given eight pages of pictures and four pages of text to represent themselves. Campbell was able to invite the likes of Cartier-Bresson, Kertesz, Brandt, Klein, Burri and many others to discuss their work. The book is hugely stimulating, both visually and narratively. Long out of print, you might be able to find a second-hand copy on Abebooks.
Martin Parr - Think of England
From its cheeky title through each of the witty, off-beat pictures, this book captures the idiosyncrasies of Middle England. My copy is the A4 paperback; all the pictures are printed full bleed in Parr’s signature super-saturated colour that just smacks you in the eyes. You cannot read this book without smiling!
Alistair Crawford - Mario Giacomelli
This superb posthumous retrospective covers the whole of Giacomelli’s life and work. Working in black and white with one simple camera for most of his photographic career, what impresses most about his work is the shear breadth of ideas fizzing from this great talent. Arranged in essays, the book explores love, loss, memory and humour in the most striking landscape, street scenes, portraiture and documentary approaches. It is the monograph I most regularly return to when I feel in need of reinvigoration.
Tim Rudman
Sebastiao Salgado - An uncertain grace (Thames & Hudson)
Salgado’s work needs no introduction of course but for me this book in particular has an endless appeal. The viewer is drawn irresistibly to the subjects of Salgado’s seeing eye and camera and cannot help but be moved. Powerful images that will confront and move the viewer to question so many things and attitudes in the world around us, including our own.
Denis Thorpe - Photographs 1950 – 2000
A wonderful record of the work of this gentle perceptive reportage photographer. His pictures never fail to move me in one sense or another. They tell a whole story in a fraction of a second with an uncanny precision – but they do so much more than that. They are a model of observation, timing, the use of light, composition and empathy and although the photographer remains detached and invisible in each single image story, the collection viewed together reveals as much about the photographer as the subject .
Ray McSavaney - Explorations (Findlay & Sampson).
A large format coffee table book of the work of Ray McSavaney, featuring his work with urban and natural landscapes. The images are produced to a high standard of reproduction and accompanied by a selection of essays by the photographer, which provide an insight into both the thought processes and photographic technique involved.
John Sexton - Listen to the Trees (Bulfinch).
This is a beautifully presented book of high quality monochrome prints by the celebrated American photographer and printer John Sexton. As one would expect, the images exhibit a wonderful sensitivity for both the subject and the light. Taken, interpreted and printed in classical west Coast style by a master of the craft.
...and from Arena...
Tim Rudman - The World of Lith Printing
Tim's new book is probably the most comprehensive, and certainly the most beautiful book on lith printing. Find out more in this news article .