Ray Metzker: Light Lines

[jmal]

Just got this book and am completely blown away. Metzker is one of the most creative photographers I have come across. Lots of deep shadows, interesting compositions, and innovative ideas. Check it out.

 

[el wacho]

yep, totally overlooked. the scope of ideas impressive.

 

[Struan Gray]

I'll have to put that on my Christmas list. Metzker's "Landscapes" book is one of my Desert Island choices.

 

[Michael W]

I haven't seen this book, but he is a very interesting & inventive photographer & I like a lot of his work.
Question about this book - do the photos bleed to the edge of the page or is there a decent size white border around them?

 

[Anton Lukoszevieze]

Metzker is a great photographer, his landscapes are awesome and his earlier photos are fascinating.

 

[Struan Gray]

This review:

http://5b4.blogspot.com/2008/08/ray-k-metzker-light-lines_8413.html

suggests that the production qualities are up to Steidl's usual high values, and that the book does full justice to Metzker's photographs. It's a judgement I would trust: 5b4 is usually perceptively critical of badly laid out books.

 

[Mike Crawford]

Quite agree with all the above. I only discovered Ray K Metzker recentley when I was in Norway and saw the Light Lines retrospective exhibition at their Museum of Photography. I was blown away by the show, and the book. His use of light, especially in his street photography is wonderful and in a way reminded me of Trent Parke.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive...il_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R13MZYS&nm=Trent Parke

Am now on the look out for earlier books of his. With regards to Goldies question of how the images look in the book, they all have borders, no full page bleed, some are quite small when a sequence is shown over a spread.

 

[Mike Crawford]

I haven't seen this book, but he is a very interesting & inventive photographer & I like a lot of his work.
Question about this book - do the photos bleed to the edge of the page or is there a decent size white border around them?

I just remembered that Steidl's website is good for showing spreads of their books. Check out
http://www.steidlville.com/books/567-Light-Lines.html

 

[jmal]

Just to follow up on the layout, Mike is correct. No full page bleeds and very few photos across the gutter. The photos that do cross the gutter tend to cross in large shadow areas and are not bothersome. It's a nice book.

 

[Michael W]

I just remembered that Steidl's website is good for showing spreads of their books. Check out
http://www.steidlville.com/books/567-Light-Lines.html

Yeah, I already looked at that but not sure if it's 100% reliable as to borders. I'd like to hear from someone who owns a copy as I don't like bleed in photo books.

 

[Mike Crawford]

Yeah, I already looked at that but not sure if it's 100% reliable as to borders. I'd like to hear from someone who owns a copy as I don't like bleed in photo books.

Er...... I do have the book, hence the reply, and the website is very faithfull. Agree with you totally about full bleed. I also don't like images over two pages with the gutter spoiling the image. Would rather have it smaller on one page. Light Lines does only have one dps, (I think), but as jmal says, at least it is a heavy area of shadow.

 

[jmal]

Goldie--I own the book and it has no bleeds.

 

[donbga]

yep, totally overlooked. the scope of ideas impressive.

Metzker is hardly overlooked. His work has been recognized for a long time.

 

[el wacho]

yeah you're right - meant he's a bit thin in these forums.