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Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson belonged to the same generation and shared an insatiable intellectual curiosity. Their works had been exhibited together in 1935 at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York and they shared a period working in America when Cartier-Bresson spent eighteen months between 1946 and 1947 preparing his show at The Museum of Modern Art. This book draws a parallel between the work about America made by Evans and Cartier-Bresson in the period from 1930 to 1947. As John Szarkowski argued, Evans defined in his work the essence of the documentary aesthetic. Cartier-Bresson, on the other hand, was making a fresh start, leaving behind his work in moving imagery and fully embracing a career as a stills photographer. But they were both approaching their work as a form of social criticism, imbued with references to literature and painting. Photograph America presents an opportunity to confront and compare the visions of both of these seminal photographic masters at once.
Novices and experts alike will gain a deeper understanding of great photographers and their work, as Ian Jeffrey decodes key images and provides essential biographical and historical background to the images and their creators. Profiles of more than 100 major photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Paul Strand and László Moholy-Nagy, highlight styles and movements throughout the history of photography. Each entry includes a biography along with an illuminating discussion of key works and ample contextual information, making this book the ideal gallery companion for photography aficionados everywhere.
'Eve Arnold’s People' brings together the finest work by one of the great photographers of the twentieth century and provides, for the first time, an overview of her greatest talent – exceptional photographs of people, both famous and unknown, captured in formal and informal settings. This survey of her extraordinary career includes not only classic and intriguing photographs of Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Joan Crawford and Elizabeth Taylor, many of whom Eve came to know closely, but also of everyday people at work and at play around the world. Regardless of the subject’s fame, Eve’s unwavering eye and her ability to convey the spirit of the person in front of the lens remains constant. Created with Eve’s involvement, and featuring texts by Anjelica Huston and Isabella Rossellini and contributions from friends, associates and creative colleagues – Elliott Erwitt, John Tusa, David Puttnam, Michael Rand, Mary McCartney, Sheena McDonald, Jon Snow and Beeban Kidron – this book places Eve Arnold deservedly at the heart of the canon of photographic greats. It also stands as a testament to the keen attention her work has inspired from the latest creative generation.
The Ultimate Family History Photo Book
My great-grandmother Jo Henderson was born in 1899—at the dawn of a new century—in rural Missouri. As a teenager, she acquired a camera and took hundreds of pictures of friends, relatives and neighbors. She photographed fishing trips, the local swimming hole, Easter picnics, family gatherings, schoolrooms and front porches in Old Linn Creek, Missouri, a town that now lies under the waters of the Lake of the Ozarks.
My favorites reveal rare glimpses of girls goofing off: perching on a Harley Davidson motorcycle, posing in bloomered basketball uniforms or their brothers’ Great War uniforms, playing “baptism” in the local creek, or sitting coyly with boyfriends.
As you can imagine, Jo’s photo album is a prize possession in our extended family. But it had been tucked away in one relative’s home and was gradually deteriorating. That’s why, a couple of years ago, my aunt Judie spent hundreds of hours scanning 300 high-resolution images and creating a 76-page digital photo book to preserve Jo’s album. She wanted to preserve the images to share them with family for years to come.
The Photography Book Ian Jeffrey
Struck out price AUD$75.00 Price AUD$45 Struck out price CAD$65.95 Price CAD$39.57 Struck out price &euro49.95 Price &euro29.97 Struck out price £39.95 Price £23.97 Struck out price T59.95 Price T35.97 Struck out price USD$59.95 Price USD$35.97
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A revised and updated edition of Phaidon's bestselling book, which brings this landmark work fully up-to-date with new additions covering the latest developments in photography. The Photography Book is an unsurpassed collection of more than 550 superb images that represent the world's best photographers from the mid-nineteenth century to today. Arranged alphabetically by photographer, it showcases pioneers such as Gustave Le Gray and Daguerre, icons like Robert Capa and contemporary names such as Richard Wentworth and Carolee Schneemann. The selection encompasses fashion, sport, natural history, reportage, society portraiture, documentary and art, with concise text providing useful insight into each work and its creator. Also included are extensive cross-references and glossaries of technical terms and movements. Specifications:
Photography: A Concise History
Jeffrey does an excellent job of distilling the connection between the different phases and places of photography&aposs development as a form of art (both popular and "fine"), documentation, and communication. From early British pictorialism to travelogues to the ethnographies of pre-WWII Germany and Dust Bowl of America, and then on down through 60s and 70s street.
Given what this work is intended to be--a *concise* history--it&aposs hard to criticize. There are many things that could have been treated Jeffrey does an excellent job of distilling the connection between the different phases and places of photography's development as a form of art (both popular and "fine"), documentation, and communication. From early British pictorialism to travelogues to the ethnographies of pre-WWII Germany and Dust Bowl of America, and then on down through 60s and 70s street.
Given what this work is intended to be--a *concise* history--it's hard to criticize. There are many things that could have been treated in more detail, but that would be for a different book. Jeffrey does clearly have his own stance towards many of the theoretical approaches, but doesn't let it get in the way of writing a clear history. His biases and argument are more implicit than explicit.
Definitely recommended to anyone looking for an introduction to the history of photography as a cultural medium, rather than a technical one. . more
History of Photography: From 1839 to the Present
کتاب تاریخ عکاسی بیومنت نیوهال تقریبا تا حد زیادی شبیه باقی کتابهای تاریخ عکاسی است. کتابی برای مبتدیان که میخواهند با جریانهای عکاسی از ابتدای اختراعش تا حدود دهه ۸۰ میلادی آشنا شوند.
من این کتاب را با کتاب تاریخ عکاسی لنفگورد همزمان مطالعه کردم. به نظرم بیومنت نیوهال با جزییات بیشتری مباحث تاریخی را مورد بحث قرار داده. و اینکه مزیت این کتاب نسبت به کتاب لنگفورد در آن است که سیر جریانهای عکاسی به هم پیوسته هستند. یعنی نیوهال به شکلی تاریخ را روایت میکند و از فصلی به فصل بعد گریز میزند که کتاب تاریخ عکاسی بیومنت نیوهال تقریبا تا حد زیادی شبیه باقی کتابهای تاریخ عکاسی است. کتابی برای مبتدیان که میخواهند با جریانهای عکاسی از ابتدای اختراعش تا حدود دهه ۸۰ میلادی آشنا شوند.
من این کتاب را با کتاب تاریخ عکاسی لنفگورد همزمان مطالعه کردم. به نظرم بیومنت نیوهال با جزییات بیشتری مباحث تاریخی را مورد بحث قرار داده. و اینکه مزیت این کتاب نسبت به کتاب لنگفورد در آن است که سیر جریانهای عکاسی به هم پیوسته هستند. یعنی نیوهال به شکلی تاریخ را روایت میکند و از فصلی به فصل بعد گریز میزند که مباحث پیوسته از آب درمیآیند.
کتاب لنگفورد اینطور نیست. لنگفورد خیلی سادهتر و کلیتر بررسی میکند و مباحثش از هم گسسته است. یعنی مثلن شما نمیدانید که چرا از عکاسی صریح رسیدیم به دوران مدرنیسم و.
یک سری بحثهای معمولی است که به طور کلی گفته شده. البته این را هم ذکر کنم که تاریخ عکاسی لنگفورد در سالهای دهه ۸۰ بهتر بررسی کرده. یعنی دوران پسا مدرنیته و اندیشه انتقادی را بازتر کرده. در صورتی که بیومنت نیوهال آخر کتاب را یک جوری سرهم کرد و بسیاری از عکاسان را در فصل آخر معرفی کرد بدون آنکه سبک هایشان را جداگانه بررسی کند.
ترجمه کتاب چندان روان نیست ولی قابل فهم است. و ارجاعات کتاب هم بسیار دقیق نوشته شده است.
توصیه میکنم برای فهم بهتر تاریخ عکاسی کتاب لنگفورد و نیوهال را با هم بخوانید. . more
My edition is from 1949, I found it in a small second hand bookstore in Slovenia and it’s one of the luckiest finds I’ve ever made.
The book is very comprehensive and it’s funny and amazing to me how a lot of attitudes have not changed for more than a 100 years. Is photography an art? Some still claim that no it’s not. This discussion has been going on since the 19th century. Another one - people were using their 35mm cameras to take snapshots everywhere, all the time, even at theater plays so th My edition is from 1949, I found it in a small second hand bookstore in Slovenia and it’s one of the luckiest finds I’ve ever made.
The book is very comprehensive and it’s funny and amazing to me how a lot of attitudes have not changed for more than a 100 years. Is photography an art? Some still claim that no it’s not. This discussion has been going on since the 19th century. Another one - people were using their 35mm cameras to take snapshots everywhere, all the time, even at theater plays so they had to ban them there. They were also worried that these cameras would drive down the artistic and technical value of photography. Just too many amateurs! Sounds familiar? That’s because smartphones today spark the same opinions.
This book is well worth a read and holds up really well, I found a lot of information that I had never seen on the internet. Probably because online people are focused on the newest and the greatest, completely oblivious that the arguments they make have been made many times before. And that is the beauty of this book to me, it proves, once again, that history is worth studying because it saves us from falling in the traps that the previous generations did. We like to think that this time around things are different, when often enough, they only seem different on the surface. I am not a proponent of historicism, you won’t deduce future of photography from this book, but it will give you a good chuckle, if you’ve ever spent any time online reading discussions about photography. . more
Secreto Sarayaku, by Misha Vallejo
A young man inspects the skin of a javelin, which is being dried to use as a tambourine. Before important celebrations, such as the Uyantza Raymi, the men spend several weeks deep in the jungle, hunting and fishing for the entire community. The community wastes nothing, using every part of the animal for either food, clothing or instruments. (Misha Vallejo) Trees in the jungle are centers of biodiversity that ensure the continuation of life. Some trees have been alive for millennia and these are essential in maintaining the spiritual balance each member of the community is able to communicate with and connect to them. (Misha Vallejo) Magdalena Santi spreads wituk through her hair. Wituk is a dark ink made from an Amazonian fruit, also known as wituk, and can stay in an individual's hair for up to two weeks. This pigment is a very important part of Sarayaku traditions. (Misha Vallejo) Javier Cisneros takes part in a fight in the community's main square during the Pachamama celebration. (Misha Vallejo) The photographs in Secreto Sarayaku have a surreal, transformative feeling. Like you’ve been swiftly whisked away by Ecuadorian photographer Misha Vallejo and dropped among the Kichwa people of Sarayaku. These residents of the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest have a special connection to the jungle and believe it is a living, conscious entity, with all parts interconnected. Vallejo has been documenting their everyday lives for this project, a collection of beautiful visual details of the mundane, dramatic portraiture and jungle landscapes. The Kichwa have been incorporating technology, from solar panels on their house to satellite Internet access, into their lives to their advantage. When confronted by the interests of Big Oil, they have used social media to advocate for their environmental message and to gain supporters worldwide. Vallejo attempts to reflect their worldview on camera: that protecting their home is fundamental not only to their own survival, but to that of humanity.
Thanks to expert colorizations by Jordan Lloyd of Dynamichrome, historic photographs come to life.
Powerhouse mechanic working on a steam pump, 1920. (Photo: Lewis Hine/WPA)
Wilbur Wright pilots a full-size glider in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on October 10, 1902. (Photo: Library of Congress)
Ice grotto in Antarctica, 1911. (Photo: Herbert Ponting/Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library)
A Douglas SBD &ldquoDauntless&rdquo dive bomber balances on its nose after crash landing on a carrier flight deck in the Pacific, 1943. (Photo: Library of Congress)
Climbing the Great Pyramid of Giza, between 1867 and 1899. (Photo: Maison Bonfils/Library of Congress)
Photography Books - History
2020
--> June 2020
336 pages.
$35.00
Paperback ISBN: 9781503608665
Ebook ISBN: 9781503612327
A picture-rich field guide to American photography, from daguerreotype to digital.
We are all photographers now, with camera phones in hand and social media accounts at the ready. And we know which pictures we like. But what makes a "good picture"? And how could anyone think those old styles were actually good? Soft-focus yearbook photos from the '80s are now hopelessly—and happily—outdated, as are the low-angle portraits fashionable in the 1940s or the blank stares of the 1840s. From portraits to products, landscapes to food pics, Good Pictures proves that the history of photography is a history of changing styles.
In a series of short, engaging essays, Kim Beil uncovers the origins of fifty photographic trends and investigates their original appeal, their decline, and sometimes their reuse by later generations of photographers. Drawing on a wealth of visual material, from vintage how-to manuals to magazine articles for working photographers, this full-color book illustrates the evolution of trends with hundreds of pictures made by amateurs, artists, and commercial photographers alike. Whether for selfies or sepia tones, the rules for good pictures are always shifting, reflecting new ways of thinking about ourselves and our place in the visual world.
Kim Beil teaches art history at Stanford University and writes about modern and contemporary art for publications including Artforum, Art in America, and Photograph. She thinks of Instagram as research and can be found @kim.beil.
"This is a terrific book—once I'd picked it up, I couldn't put it down again. In a series of punchy and perfectly judged miniatures, Kim Beil introduces us to the forgotten influencers of photographic style, placing these voices front and center in all their stridency, certainty, and eloquence. In a great service to photographic history she retrieves from neglected how-to guides a treasure trove that has long been awaiting this sort of treatment. Good Pictures brings an elegant coherence to the great heterogeneity of photographic practice, but without ever losing sight of that heterogeneity."
—Peter Buse, author of The Camera Does the Rest: How Polaroid Changed Photography
"It wasn't until I read Kim Beil's Good Pictures that I understood my own small collection of instructional photobooks could be read not just for practical purposes or ironically, to scoff at their dated naïveté, but in a third way. Beil's essays opened my eyes to the enormous value these books hold for our critical understanding of the medium."
—Alec Soth, Magnum photographer
"Exploring the deceptively simple question of what makes a good picture, Kim Beil's fascinating and informative book delves into the chemistries, cameras, visual techniques, and subjects that have inspired photographers since the invention of the medium. In the process, she takes vernacular photography and photographers seriously and offers a fresh and essential new perspective on photo history."
—Catherine Zuromskis, author of Snapshot Photography: The Lives of Images
"In a lush and lavishly researched new book, Stanford art history professor Kim Beil breaks down 50 trends that informed what society has deemed a 'good picture'. As Beil notes, the rules are always changing—and tracing their evolution is a brilliant way to research and reflect upon broader changes in our society and ourselves."
—Shana Nys Dambrot, LA Weekly
"By studying the predilections and prejudices of photography manuals over time, Beil reveals a fresh and fascinating history of the medium that bridges high and low art, professional and amateur practitioners."
—George Philip LeBourdais, Los Angeles Review of Books
"This is an essential taxonomy of methods, eloquently described, that will be insightful for amateur and professional photographers, graphic designers and anyone interested in the impact of the reflected and exposed image on the history of vision and the vision of history."
"[Biel]'s writing style is inviting and easy to follow. Good Pictures is an appropriate book for those wanting to learn more about the history of aesthetic trends in American photography." –Eboni Jones, ARLIS/NA Reviews
25 Photography Books that will Inspire You
Most photographers underestimate the power of a good book. While scouring Pinterest and Instagram can sometimes lead to inspiration, it’s a very different thing to hold in your hands a book of quality prints that are meant to be viewed as a whole. Here, we’ll list (in no particular order) some of the most inspirational photo books ever published that will help spark your creativity and reignite your passion for photography.
The photography book. The work of French photographer Cartier-Bresson has influenced almost every photographer, or at least inspired every photographer’s inspirations. The decisive moment is a study of timing in photography and ultimately the best place to start if you’re starting a collection of photography books.
Taken during the early portion of Hanson’s career in the 1980’s, these documentary landscapes depict the environmental ruin that has resulted from some of America’s worst business practices. It’s a great example of photography with a message. Read our full review here.
Contemporary photographer Vincent Laforet does what no photographer has ever been able to do before: take high-res, nighttime, aerial photographs of cityscapes. The wild but accurate colors in this book reveal something deeper about humanity and civilization. Read our full review here.
The father of landscape photography goes into extensive detail on his zone system of exposure. If you wanted to learn more about his methods, you could also look for parts one and three of this series, The Camera and The Print.
The title says it all. This collection of essays doesn’t focus on actual photographs, but it has some of the most inspirational and influential opinions from the most famous photographers of the early to mid 20th century.
In this one, the artist plays with the line between reality and misinterpretations of reality that are inherent in photography, which will have you rethinking the entire medium.
Famed wartime photographer Robert Capa turns his eye on the streets and shoots in color, giving a unique, raw interpretation of everyday life.
8. Magnum Contact sheets by Kristen Lubben
If you haven’t heard of the Magnum Photo Agency, you really should look them up. Frankly, I could have filled this whole list with books from this agency, but instead I suggest you check out this collection of the best work from Magnum for a healthy dose of elite, modern photography.
This book is like no other, because it uses a film that almost no other photographer has ever used: infrared film. Originally used by the US military to spot soldiers in heavy brush, Mosse uses it to document child soldiers in the Congo in this devastatingly beautiful series.
This is actually a collection of German photographer Adreas Gursky’s work, curated by other artists. It’s full of Gursky’s signature style that shows patterns and details within society in a miniaturizing fashion.
As you can see from this book’s cover, Leifer has taken some of the most iconic sports photographs in history. He has a knack for being in just the right place at just the right time to create beautiful, memorable images that tell a story.
12. Man Ray by Guido Comis, Marco Franciolli
One of the most influential figures in early photography is recognized and summarized in this book, with biographical notes accompanying the photographs that helped shape the modern photography aesthetic.
These portraits may seem like documentary images of lovers, siblings, or twins, but they are in fact artfully manipulated images of the same person twice, depicting the subtle difference between external and internal relationships.
One of the most famous photography books of all time, The Americans captures the life and times of 1950’s America in simple but powerful images that still resonate today.
This curations was made in 1973 by the Museum of Modern Art photography curator John Szarkowski and is still considered an excellent source of photography greatness. This book focuses on the images themselves, but gives an excellent and insightful explanation of what the curator looks for in an image.
This is perhaps the most successful and well-respected photography book of all time. It is a collection of images that the curator describes as “a mirror of the essential oneness of mankind throughout the world. Photographs made in all parts of the world, of the gamut of life from birth to death.”
Ok, so this isn’t really a photo book, it’s a collection of essays by Susan Sontag about the nature of photography. While it may not give you visual inspiration, it will make you think harder about what the hell a photograph actually is than almost any other book out there.
Widely considered the father of color photography, Eggleston shaped the way color is used and interpreted in photos from the very beginning. This book is a collection of his photos, shot on 2 1/4 inch color film, of everyday people and is a study of American life in the 1960’s.
This recent release is a collection of photographs of David Bowie taken during the mid 70’s by famed portrait photographer Steve Schapiro. It’s an excellent example of collaboration between photographer and subject with each image revealing another side of the iconic pop musician. Read our full review here.
Richard Avedon is widely regarded as the leader of 20th century fashion photography. In this survey of his work, you can see his creative development unfold as he shapes popular culture for over five decades.
This is another aptly named book, as it explores the important interplay of shadow and light. Though the images within the book depict British life in the early to mid 1900’s, it is the tonality and interplay of densities that deserves careful observation.
In this highly conceptual book, contemporary artist Laura Letinsky builds on her past work photographing dining tables by collecting images from various sources including magazines, friends, and her own backlog. Many of these images break down the barriers between private and public life while also calling into question the very nature of perception.
For those looking for a bit more direct guidance in their own work, Matiash guides you through his systematic method of developing a unique, recognizable photography style that will keep you shooting for years.
This three book set explores the connection between photography and books themselves, and is more about the layout than any individual photo or subject matter. By using various materials, sizes, and color schemes, Gossage investigates the physical form of a photograph.
If you still aren’t ready to dive into any of the individual artist listed above, this book should have you covered. It lists, explains, and gives samples of hundreds of important and talented photographers, so you’re sure to find something to get your creative juices flowing.
There are certainly many more excellent photography books that didn’t make this list, so let us know what you think should have been included in the comments below.
A Primer on Collecting Photo Books
Revisiting my photography book collection has brought me much enjoyment during the lockdown. A dozen years ago, as the business of photography was good, I used the disposable income to start collecting. In this article, I summarize what I wished I knew back then, not only as a photographer and book collector but also from the perspective of a former art gallery owner and current publisher.
Why Collect Photography Books?
The prevalent digital consumption of photographs cannot replace the viewing of photography in print. Seeing original prints at exhibits is irreplaceable, but there are only so many museums and galleries even in a major metropolitan area such as the San Francisco Bay Area. Photography books, defined as books where the message is primarily carried by photographs, are the most practical entry into a photographer’s work.
Unlike magazines, they are physical objects of beauty, with superior production values such as materials, design, and printing. The sequencing, layout, and combination of images and text add layers of meaning and complexity beyond single photographs. Books from a lasting record of works of art. They can rise to the level of works of art themselves, but unlike the art in the museum or gallery, that is a piece of art that you can hold in your hand.
The simplicity and materiality of the book provide an experience altogether distinct from electronic media. Book pass through ages. In our personal lives, they are often loaded with sentimental value. It can be argued that without books, there would be no modern civilization.
There are many approaches to photography book collecting that are equally valid. Two ends of the spectrum are to collect solely based on personal taste, ignoring any other external opinions, and to collect based solely on rarity, seeking vintage first editions in excellent condition. I took a middle road, seeing photography books as a vehicle to discover more about photography and deepen my knowledge of its significant artists.
I was not trying to build an egg nest with the collection, because I wanted foremost to focus on contents and buy books according to interest rather than as an investment opportunity. However, there is no denying that the mercantile aspect of the hobby can be fun and educational, as it mobilizes quite a bit of knowledge: you have to do your research, budget, and prioritize your acquisitions.
It could be profitable: once I noticed that Mack was going to re-issue Masahisa Fukase’s Ravens, therefore ensuring my continued access to the work, I resold for $1,000 the copy of the Rat Hole Gallery edition bought for less than $100. Note, however, that monetization is always uncertain (the stock market is for that!), and there are indications that the book market is softer than it used to be. Unlike book dealers, even if they seek appreciation in value, collectors generally do not seek to monetize it. Like in all collecting the process can be more satisfying than the resulting ownership.
Photography books have become highly collectible over the last two decades, thanks to a recent appreciation and recognition of that particular medium, and maybe nostalgia for physical objects. Some books can quickly become worth more than their list price. Once I understood that carefully chosen books can be resold for a profit if needed, I was less hesitant to spend serious money that way.
There were years when I spent more on books than on photography gear. I sometimes bought multiple copies to resell as a way to finance the hobby, a trade of sorts. While that mercantile aspect of collecting should remain secondary to the love of the books, it is by far the easiest to explain and quantify, kind of like the technical mechanics of photographs, and that is why I will focus on it. The definition of a collectible is: worth more used than what it cost new.
The Value Cycle
The factors that make any given object collectible are scarcity and demand. Because of the need for quality reproductions, photo books cost much more to print than other books, and therefore they are more expensive. Higher prices result in demand often too small to justify a large print run. Except for some popular coffee-table books, a print run of a few thousand copies is considered large for a photography book. At the same time, although small, the demand often remains steady. Eventually, copies become scarce and valuable. The cycle for desirable books goes like that:
1. Book is sold near list price upon release, as novelty is a major selling point.
2. Once the novelty wears out, deep discounts (50% is not uncommon on Amazon) become available. In industry jargon, the book has gone from “frontlist” to “backlist”: in catalogs, it is no longer fully described, but merely listed.
3. Copies are mostly sold out from the warehouse and large booksellers. At this point, they are available only via independent bookstores, and on Amazon via third-party sellers rather than Amazon itself. Prices start to rise back to list price.
4. Book is collectible, with new copies offered for increasing multiples of the original list price, and used copies in excellent condition not too far behind.
Buying at stage 1 guarantees that you get a copy at list price but at that point, it is possible that the price will go down and the book will not become collectible. A book entering stage 3 is likely to reach stage 4, so for those collectors that focus on the “collectible” aspect, this may be the safest time to buy. If at that point you are still on the fence, if do not buy and later you find yourself wanting the title, it may no longer be affordable, or even available at all.
For maximum savings, the best time to buy the books is in stage 2. However, some coveted books never go to this stage and instead quickly sell out upon release and become collectible. This can go pretty fast. Despite its print run of 5,000, the first printing of Treasured Lands (2016) sold out in less than a month. Watching the pre-orders, I initiated a reprint before the book even hit the stores.
Despite the book not checking most of the usual collectibility factors, in the few months between the fourth printing running out and the fifth printing’s availability, the price of a new copy rose to more than three times the list price, while damaged copies sold over the list price. Pre-publication copies of Alec Soth’s Broken Manual sold at art fairs such as Paris Photo. By the official publication date, not a single copy was available from the publisher. I passed on the limited edition available from the artist because it was priced in the high hundreds of dollars. Copies now start at $6,500.
Other books never leave stage 2, and their price keeps dropping over time, as there is no demand. My first book, Beautiful North America retails for a fraction of its list price. That book was not my best effort: I only provided images as required by the publisher. Given the target market of discount stores, their effort in editing, design nor printing quality wasn’t the greatest. I regret this book, and in that case, it would seem that the market’s assessment of its value is correct. However, there also are plenty of absolutely great books that never become collectible and can be bought at bargain prices.
Factors to Look For
Authorship. Generally speaking, books that are a compilation of images by several photographers, especially if derived from stock libraries, lack an authorial voice and therefore are seldom considered works of art. That is the case of many coffee-table books. Exceptions include vernacular photography when curated in some clever way (as pioneered by Mandel and Sultan’s Evidence) and some exhibit catalogs.
In 1975, The New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape was a rare revolutionary exhibit. Even though published 35 years later, the exhibit survey was a much sought after record of it.
Significance/appeal of the artist and work. Work by artists without institutional art world recognition (exhibited in museums and galleries, reviewed in major publications) is less likely to be collectible and the same principle applies to their books. Some artists have such a reputation and manage so carefully their editions, that almost every one of their books becomes collectible. For a given artist, their earlier work or first breakthrough publication is often more sought after. If their career is, sometimes unfairly, defined by a publication, like Robert Frank by The Americans, it is no surprise that demand for that particular publication will be higher.
Although more than 50,000 copies were printed, after Robert Frank’s passing, demand for The Americans quickly drove used copies to more than five times the list price. Reprints have since then reappeared for the work, but not for the monumental catalog of the exhibit dedicated to the book.
Printing quality. Some older books, such as Brassai’s Paris de Nuit used to great effect the photogravure printing process to produce rich and sooty blacks. However, generally speaking, photographic printing quality made such great strides in the 1980s that most books published prior look mediocre compared to recent books. The newer books, therefore, provide more enjoyment even though they may not be as valuable as the older, rarer books.
Some publishers are known for their uncompromising attention to printing quality. In a publisher’s output, not every book is of the same quality. Within their commitment to publishing most of William Eggleston’s work, Steidl’s Chromes volume set was exceptionally well printed, whereas the follow up Los Alamos is just very good. Word has gotten out, and the former is more sought after.
After finding a copy of the first edition of the Portfolios of Ansel Adams, I was disappointed by the printing quality compared to the modern version. After reviewing several, I found out that the big jump in quality occurred between the 1st edition (1977) and the second edition (1982). Their advertising on the cover page was justified.
Elaborate Productions. A lot more goes into book production than printing quality, and this can include special materials for casings, unusually large trims, of which the most well-known example is Helmut Newton’s Sumo, elaborate slipcases, fold-out pages, and unconventional types of binding. For books that exist both as hardcover and softcover, the former is always preferable.
A family-owned publisher like Nazraeli pays individual attention to every book, tailoring design, materials (such as the bamboo boards for Michael Kenna’s Hokkaido), slipcases, trims (Jeff Liao’s Habitat 7 is 24×12 inches, edition of 500) to fit each body of work and create a unique object.
Size of the print run. Everything being equal, the smaller the print run, the more valuable the book. Coffee-table books destined to the general public often have large print runs above 10,000. As a photography contributor to the two latest National Geographic books about national parks, I received a contract that stated a print run of 50,000 each.
On the other hand, many publishers specializing in “artsy” photography books, especially in Europe, issue print runs in the hundreds. Being geared for the collector market, they often specify the edition size, a piece of information generally not available otherwise. Because of the cost of setting up offset presses and the lack of other economies of scale, the smaller the print run, the higher the production costs per unit, and therefore the higher the retail price.
In measurable terms such as page per dollar, those books can be an order of magnitude more expensive than mass-produced coffee-table books. Even though those editions are not limited in the sense that the publisher leaves to door open for a reprint, in practice, they rarely occur because demand is limited to collectors.
The copyright page of both those diminutive titles states that they are issued in an edition of 500.
Publisher. Books from some publishers (for example National Geographic) are hardly ever collectible, while almost everything that some other publishers put out is. This is simply because the later’s productions always check the four criteria mentioned above so they become known for publishing significant artists, in exquisitely crafted books of generally short print runs. This in turn generates prestige that attracts the best, a self-reinforcing loop.
Steidl was the gold standard, with their art publishing program partly funded by some other aspects of their publishing enterprises, but while they remain a major force many contemporary photographers seem to have migrated to Mack.
Non-profit publishing, a model that works well for photography books, is represented by museum or university presses, and associations such as Aperture and Radius. The later puts out books representing a great value given their production quality. The renewed interest in the photography book and the increased accessibility of publishing and printing resources has led to a profusion of very small publishers, whose work often surpasses that of more established ones. Some of the most prized books are artist books, sometimes made by hand.
Lodima Press, a small publisher created by a pair of fine art photographers, has used up to 600 line-screen whereas 175 line-screen (which requires 350 PPI) is standard – the Brett Weston portfolios, containing only about a dozen images each, retailed for $60 or more. Limited editions. Sometimes, concurrently to a trade, unlimited edition, a limited, numbered edition of the same work is offered. Those books are certainly more valuable, but I normally pass on them because they can expensive, especially if the offering includes a print. I find them worth it when the limited edition is a different and more appealing presentation of the work.
Chris Killip’s Here Comes Everybody came in two editions. The trade edition looks like any other photo book. The limited edition (300 copies) is an elaborate production that resembles a photo album with tissue overlays and tipped-in plates, recreating the way the book originated.
First editions. Editions refer to a book being re-issued with substantial updates, a different presentation such as softcover vs. a hardcover, or a different publisher. They are more relevant to guidebooks or technology tutorials, but even art books are sometimes re-issued with additional images or commentary. Editions are often mentioned as part of the title.
Printings refer to the book being re-issued in identical or near-identical form. They are indicated on the copyright page. If you don’t find a mention such as “2nd printing”, there may be a series of numbers on the copyright page such as “10 9 8 7 6 5 6 5 4 3 2”, with the last number representing the printing. Sometimes, only the year of the printing is indicated, and you need to research the printing history of the book to figure out which printing it is.
Even if a book has a large total print run, the number of copies of the first edition and first printing (sometimes abbreviated as first edition) can be much smaller, which makes it valuable to collectors seeking rare books.
When Steidl reissued Henri Cartier-Bresson’s The Decisive Moment, I bought a copy to use for reading, as my 1952 first edition copy was literally falling apart. Despite the availability of the reprint, the value of such a tattered copy didn’t fall, while copies in excellent condition continued to command high prices.
Condition. Everything else being equal, in the collector world, a book’s condition is the most important factor in determining its value because even if an old book is not particularly rare, a copy in excellent condition is. From worst to best, the following terms are used: poor, fair/acceptable, good, very good, near fine, fine/like new, new.
Most collectors consider that “good isn’t good enough”, and seek books in condition at least “very good”: minor signs of wear, but no tears and no markings. It is important to take good care of one’s books. The better the book is, the more likely one is to share it with others, so the more likely it will get worn out no matter how careful you are. For this reason, some collectors like to buy two copies of titles they are excited about, one to read, and the other to keep in pristine condition, under the publisher’s shrinkwrap.
Three printings of the same book (John Muir’s Our National Park) in fair, good and fine condition.
Removable elements. Some books were issued with a dust jacket. When buying used, a bit of research is necessary to figure out if that was the case, since dust jackets are often missing from used offerings. A first edition (later printing) copy of John Muir’s Our National Parks with a dust jacket is worth ten times more than one without. Because of the book’s size, the dust jacket for Edward Weston’s My Camera at Pt. Lobos is frequently damaged, so a dust jacket in excellent condition is particularly rare. To separate photographs from captions or commentary a separate booklet may be included, for instance when the book is printed full bleed like Sebastio Salgado’s major projects.
Quite a few Japanese books include belly bands. Easily lost or damaged, not mentioned by the publisher, they sometimes contribute to most a book’s value.
Signed copies. There is a saying that the difference between a poster and an art print is the artist’s signature. It is not entirely true, because the printing process matters a great deal. Still, an artist’s signature helps in conferring to a book the status of an art object. Some signatures are rarer than others, and this varies from book to book.
The very social Ansel Adams signed many more books than Edward Weston. When My Camera at Pt. Lobos was published, Edward Weston was sick with Parkinson’s disease, so signed copies are extremely rare. The proper spot for a signature is normally the half-title page – the page where the only type is the title. Signatures can be obtained at lectures, gallery openings, and of course book signings. Pre-signed copies are sometimes available from the publisher or a gallery. Inscribed copies include, in addition to the signature, an inscription to a person. When the person is not of particular note, the inscription devaluates the signature, however, when they are, the inscription makes the book a valuable “association copy”.
I like my books personalized as a memento of a connection with the artist. A book just signed may have a higher resale value, but I plan to hold onto those.
What to Collect?
If you buy books that you like, whether they appreciate doesn’t matter. With experience, you will be able to spot good books, well-made, and with inspired works in any genre, collectible or not. However, if you stick only to your present interests, you may be missing a lot of the vast world of photography. There are so many photography books out there that knowing where to start can be daunting. Anybody who studies literature reads through a list of classics. Photography has also its classics, representing a consensus of curators and critics.
In the 20th century, the history of the photography book was kind of hidden within the history of photography. Since the beginning of this century, its narrative as a full medium has emerged. In 2001, Andrew Roth published the first authoritative English-language study of photography books, The Book of 101 Books: Seminal Photographic Books of the Twentieth Century.
Three years later, Martin Parr and Gerry Badger vastly expanded Roth’s survey with The Photobook: A History (Volume I), followed by Volume 2 (2006) and Volume 3 (2014). Those foundational works form an excellent introduction to photography books and feature a wealth of titles in an engaging format.
Note, however, that their selected books share the authorial stance of an extended essay and a specific social/cultural theme, leaving out for example most of the American modernists, and omitting many genres. Three that interest me are landscape, including nature landscape (surveys: Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Philip Hyde, Galen Rowell, 15 more classic color nature photography books), nude, and all photographer retrospective monographs. All those books about books except Parr/Badger Volume 3, have become collectible themselves. Unfortunately, they have also caused many of the books featured to rise in price and become quite expensive. It wouldn’t be the worse idea to buy Volume 3 now and see which of the books mentioned are still reasonably priced. The success of the Parr/Badger series has spawned several books surveying a particular region or country’s photography books.
For reviews of new titles, blogs are your best bet. Some of my favorites include 5B4, PhotoBook Journal, Collector Daily, and Photo Eye. To see what titles caught the attention of the blogosphere in a given year, refer to an initiative called the “photobook meta-list” that attempts to aggregate many “best of the year” lists.
The first photobook meta-list was created by Marc Feustel in 2011. I subsequently maintained the meta-list (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017). Since 2015, Viory Schellekens has been compiling another meta-list, and discovering that hers was more meticulous and informative than mine, I decided to pass the baton. Here are the links to Viory’s lists: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. In the winter of 2016, Source Magazine used the methodology of the meta-list to create a list of the greatest photobooks of all time.
Where to Find Books
Amazon offers discounts on new titles and free shipping, but their packaging is often inadequate, frequently resulting in bumped corners and other damage. They sell photobooks as commodities, unlike the bookstores specializing in photography books such as Photo-Eye in Santa Fe or Dashwood Books in NYC. Those stores are run by people who know and love the medium, and are often able to procure hard to find books, foreign titles, or signed copies.
If a title sells fast via other channels, the publisher may not send copies to Amazon at all, since of all bookstores, Amazon terms are the most unfavorable to publishers. As a result, if you placed a pre-order or order on Amazon for that “hot” title, by the time you realize that it will not be fulfilled, the title may already have entered collectible territory.
If you are knowledgeable, you can sometimes find bargains browsing used bookstores, and also make trades. However, the better the selection, the better the owner will be aware of the value of their books. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Moe’s Books in Berkeley has the best selection. Such places are particularly valuable because you get to see in person many books. Their number has been declining, as the market has been moving away from brick-and-mortar towards online.
Although not specializing in photography books, used bookstore networks such as Abebooks, Alibris, and Biblio give access to reliable professional used booksellers, especially those affiliated with the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America, whose meticulous descriptions can be relied upon. The best way to mobilize those vast resources is to use the bookstore meta search engine Bookfinder.com.
I try to buy books directly from artists when possible in order to obtain a signature. It also helps them financially, since a book sold through retail earns the author only 5-10% of the list price. If you really get bitten by the photography book bug, you may want to travel attend some of the fairs and festivals dedicated to the medium that takes place annually.
Collecting photography books is a great hobby that I highly recommend provided that you don’t plan to move too often.
