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How many have photo library?

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chip j said:
How many of you have a library of books by the legends of Photography? I myself have about 50, but that's only because I can't afford more.
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I don't know if it could qualify as a library, but I have a number of books both technical and artist (Steiglitz, Weston, Adams, etc.), few of which of the nontechnical I bought for myself. My wife raids the used bookstore shelves and presents them to me as gifts.:smile:
 
Somewhere North of 50, many signed and worth a fortune like Bresson's "The Decisive Moment"...
 
My library contains over 300 books and occupies an entire wall.
 
Likewise!-I've been accumulating it for 30 odd years.
 
benjiboy said:
I have about 2,000 photographic books I've been buying them for about 60 years.my wife is an avid reader and has loads of books too our house is full.of them.
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Thus we now know why you have told us that you are on a tight budget. Verily you are correct.
 
At least a hundred I'd say. Such a relaxing thrill to grab one on a Sunday and sit in my window seat as the afternoon sun pours in and be inspired.
 
Yes-and also when you've been out photographing all day as well.
 
About 8' of pitcher books, 3' of Bios and 6' of technical/historical stuff.
 
I've got the inventory of monographs posted to my blog - 67 so far. The catalog of periodicals is a work in progress (well over 200 volumes). I don't have the technical books listed, but that probably runs to 50 or so. This is out of 2000 or so total books in my library. God help me when it comes time to move house.
 
Probably around 40 photo books and photo history books. A dozen or less technical books that I don't read or need any more. I get a book once in a while when it's cheap and used on amazon or ebay. I'd get more, but it takes time to read and study them.

It's no substitute for visiting a museum or gallery; images are supposed to inspire and it's usually a whole level nicer to see the actual prints. It's very rare for books to do an awesome job showing photos. You can learn history and composition from books, but if you want to be humbled in your printmaking, visit a museum showing some of the dead masters of B&W photography.

Picture books usually have poor writing.
 
If you want good photo writing, google americansuburbx.
 
Less than 10 technical books for about 60 monographs, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Izis and Bernard Plossu being well represented.
 
Photo related:

-- About 75 technical, 15 from various artists.

Other hobbies, total:

-- About 500.


I periodically photograph my bookshelves to ensure I don't buy a book I already have (that's happened twice previously).
 
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I'm just guessing here, as a lot of my books stayed behind in Canada when I moved to Japan a few years ago. That said, my collection here now probably rivals or is greater in number than what I left behind. It is certainly better in quality that what I left behind.

Technical - at least 50
Monographs or other collections: Somewhere between 50-75. I have many Kenna monographs, Maier, Izu, Leonard, Corbjin, Rudman, Schwab, W.E. Smith, and many others. I didn't start collecting until about 10 years ago.

Just because of my books alone, I'll probably never be able to leave Japan (!). I shipped one box of books when I moved here, I can't bear to think about what it would cost to ship what I have now back to Canada (and that's just the photo books!).
 
A few hundred I would guess. A mix of monographs, technical, collections, videos. An original of Mortensen's Monsters and Madonnas in the original packaging is a favourite and probably the most valuable. His technical books are also great fun to read. I have picked up a few originals of these over the years.
 

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chip j said:
How many of you have a library of books by the legends of Photography? I myself have about 50, but that's only because I can't afford more.
Click to expand...

My count is similar; but my excuse for not having a larger library differs: I just have not had enough time to make a trip down to Powell's in Portland (THE West Coast's GREATEST bookstore).
 
Exhibition catalogs: 14. Photographers' monographs: 80+/-. Technical books: a LOT. My total library (including non-photographic books) is over 2000 volumes. I'm going to have to find a high school student interested in photography and library science to come over and catalog the books and periodicals some day.
 
While I have quite a few shelves of books devoted to various technical aspects of photography and cinematography as well as artistic and documentary photography, being a hoarder of sorts I have shelves of old magazines such as Camera (from Switzerland ), Leica Phtografie, Camera 35, Viewcamera, etc that I enjoy looking through. Personally, with very few exceptions, I find more interesting photos from the world of amateurs than from professionals. (The most consistent producer of boring pictures are delivered by the Hasselblad advertising e mails)
 
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