The Photobook Thread

Patrick Robert James · Jul 16, 2023

I haven't been buying too much in the last few years. I think I ran out of space. I already have a ton of books, and I don't get that excited these days over current photographers for the most part. I still like the masters from the previous era. The last book I bought was a Guy Bourdin. Someone brought him up and I happened over a so-cheap-I-couldn't-pass-up copy so I snagged it. One put out by the Victoria and Albert museum. I think the name is right. Before that I think the last two I bought were the last two Ralph Gibson books. Refractions 2 and Self Exposure. The printing in them is amazing. Better than the actual monographs I have. Technology I guess.

I think I am going to pick up the new Aperture Robert Adams book. I like retrospectives these days. Keeps it simple.

One place to look for books if you have one near you is a thrift book store. There was a Goodwill one near me and I snagged probably more than a dozen great books over the years there for peanuts. They closed that location during the unmentionable times, but they are about to open a new one. Can't wait for that. Of course cheap books pile up real quick. Downside.... I usually just donate them back unless it is a keeper.

I need to do a culling too. I have a lot of books I just don't look at and other people would love to have them I'm sure. MoMA Friedlander for example, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks from Parke, and Roversi's Studio, etc..... Maybe I need to clear out and make way for new ones. These threads can be great for the motivation....

warden · Jul 18, 2023

I found this at a used bookstore over the weekend and brought it home. The cover is well worn but the insides are nice. $15.

logan2z · Jul 18, 2023

warden said:
I found this at a used bookstore over the weekend and brought it home. The cover is well worn but the insides are nice. $15.View attachment 344216

Great find!

Alex Benjamin · Jul 18, 2023

Mike Lopez said:
My latest addition. I recently came across a very modestly priced first edition, but I couldn't get past the ~1" rip in the dust jacket. So this will do:

View attachment 343683

Interview with Sam Stephenson about the new edition of both Dream Street and The Jazz Loft Project:

Five Questions with Sam Stephenson and Alan Thomas about the Work of W. Eugene Smith | The Chicago Blog

This year, the University of Chicago Press is publishing new editions of two stunning photography collections by famed American photographer W. Eugene Smith. We sat

pressblog.uchicago.edu

GLS · Jul 23, 2023

I haven't seen any Peter Dombrovskis' works mentioned. I have several of his books: "Wild Rivers", "In the Forest", "Simply" and "A Photographic Collection".

The reproduction quality in all of them is very high, but without doubt the jewel in the collection is "A Photographic Collection". Very pricey these days though, unfortunately. The others are all out of print too, but can be found for more reasonable money.

From what I've read, the recently published anthology "Journeys Into The Wild" has butchered repro and should be avoided.

MTGseattle · Jul 23, 2023

I picked up a "budget" copy of Brett Weston, Master Photographer. The binding is a bit soft and there is no dust jacket, but the interior is in really nice shape. I also picked up Robert Stivers' Listening to Cement.

Twin Palms is having a summer sale. Wheee!

Mike Lopez · Jul 25, 2023

Alex Benjamin said:
Interview with Sam Stephenson about the new edition of both Dream Street and The Jazz Loft Project:

Five Questions with Sam Stephenson and Alan Thomas about the Work of W. Eugene Smith | The Chicago Blog

This year, the University of Chicago Press is publishing new editions of two stunning photography collections by famed American photographer W. Eugene Smith. We sat

pressblog.uchicago.edu

Thanks for the link. One of these days I'll get around to reading Gene Smith's Sink...his work habits sound a lot like how I've had to get things done in the past (minus the amphetamines!).

logan2z · Jul 26, 2023

Mike Lopez said:
My latest addition. I recently came across a very modestly priced first edition, but I couldn't get past the ~1" rip in the dust jacket. So this will do:

View attachment 343683

What do you think of it? I'm close to pulling the trigger on this one.

Pieter12 · Jul 26, 2023

I just can't stop. Last week, Bill Brandt by Bill Jay. This week, Henry Leutwyler: Document. Plus Icons of Style: A Century of Fashion Photography and London Calling: Bacon, Freud, Kossoff, Andrews, Auerbach, and Kitaj from the Getty Museum store sale.

jeffreyg · Jul 26, 2023

I have over 300 titles in my collection and no more shelf space Most were purchased from Photoeye Book store in Santa Fe. Their website is very comprehensive and a number of listings let you turn pages so you can have an idea of the book content. Sometimes they have specials. At one point I belonged to an organization that had an arrangement with them that gave members a discount. Perhaps Photrio can make a similar arrangement as a benefit for subscribers.

Bwbuff · Jul 27, 2023

Just a bit off-topic .

If you were to buy the "The jazz loft project" book, would you pick the 2009 edition or the reissue 2023 one ? is there any difference in the print quality ? Please advise. Thanks.

Arthurwg · Jul 27, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Blurb pulishes books by people who are amateurs and make their own books through them. Here's Fine Art Photography. You can check out other categories as well. If you want to see what photogrpahers beside the famous are doing today. You may be surprised how good some of them are.

Buy Fine Art Photography Books Online | Blurb Books

Shop fine art photography books online at Blurb. Find a wide selection of fine art photography books and buy the one that speaks to you.

www.blurb.com

Very interesting. Thanks for posting. Some very interesting photography.

logan2z · Jul 27, 2023

Bwbuff said:
Just a bit off-topic .

If you were to buy the "The jazz loft project" book, would you pick the 2009 edition or the reissue 2023 one ? is there any difference in the print quality ? Please advise. Thanks.

I haven't seen the first edition from 2009, but if/when I buy I'll probably go for the reissue. I've heard that the print quality is very good.

Mike Lopez · Jul 27, 2023

logan2z said:
What do you think of it? I'm close to pulling the trigger on this one.

I've only had it for a week, and have yet to make it through the text (and there is a LOT of text in this book--a real treat!). I know that you are a Friedlander fan--do you have his book American Musicians? That book immediately came to mind as I started flipping through The Jazz Loft Project. Lots and lots of "environmental portraits" of musicians hard at work, deep in thought, etc. Album covers, promo posters, and biographical portraits...these are the kinds of things I think of as I flip through the book. But I think I'll appreciate it all even more after reading all the text.

I saw one review (on Amazon) of the recent re-release of Dream Street in which the customer complained of pages falling out of the book, and they provided photos of the problem. I was concerned that the same issue might show up in this book, but thankfully that's not the case, at least with my copy.

I wouldn't hesitate to pull that trigger if I were you.

logan2z · Jul 27, 2023

Mike Lopez said:
I know that you are a Friedlander fan--do you have his book American Musicians? That book immediately came to mind as I started flipping through The Jazz Loft Project.

I do have American Musicians. I also have a first edition of The Jazz People of New Orleans, which also contains a lot of environmental portraits of jazz musicians.

Mike Lopez said:
I wouldn't hesitate to pull that trigger if I were you.

I'm going to pick it up, I think it'll be right up my alley.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

ajmiller · Jul 28, 2023

Barbara Bosworth 'One Star and A Dark Voyage'. I bought this a few months back and sat down to look it at it the other night. Initially it didn't strike me as much but after a few reads it clicks. Best description is from Bosworth herself:-

“This work began as a way for me to think about life and death and about our ties with nature and our utter dependence on earth, and later, after the death of a loved one, blurred into images about the exquisite fragility of life, about loss and longing,” as Bosworth explains. “I began looking for light in the darkness. Fireflies as I try to hold onto the light. The simple beauty of light falling on leaves. A rainbow, the sunset, the Milky Way.”

One Star and a Dark Voyage / Barbara Bosworth

A story of loss and longing and a journey home.

www.tisbooks.pub

Peter Schrager · Jul 28, 2023

ajmiller said:
Barbara Bosworth 'One Star and A Dark Voyage'. I bought this a few months back and sat down to look it at it the other night. Initially it didn't strike me as much but after a few reads it clicks. Best description is from Bosworth herself:-

One Star and a Dark Voyage / Barbara Bosworth

A story of loss and longing and a journey home.

www.tisbooks.pub

I'm a fan of Barbara Bosworth and have a small book of hers but I'm no fan of page bleeds. I feel they really detract from the experience of enjoying the "flow" of the content.

ajmiller · Jul 28, 2023

Peter Schrager said:
I'm a fan of Barbara Bosworth and have a small book of hers but I'm no fan of page bleeds. I feel they really detract from the experience of enjoying the "flow" of the content.

Yes, I agree, and it's the one annoying thing about this book.

Nitroplait · Jul 28, 2023

Peter Schrager said:
I'm a fan of Barbara Bosworth and have a small book of hers but I'm no fan of page bleeds. I feel they really detract from the experience of enjoying the "flow" of the content.

Who likes page bleeds?
Nobody I have talked to does, yet I see it used all too frequently.
If used frequently in a book, I normally don't buy - even if I am very enthusiastic about the photographer.

logan2z · Jul 29, 2023

Got an email about a sale at Twin Palms Publishers: 50% off select titles until the end of the month. I guess I wound up on their mailing list when I bought a copy of Danny Lyon's Message to the Future - which is included in the sale. There are some other titles that look interesting too.

No affiliation with Twin Palms just thought I'd pass the sale info along.

Summer Sale

50% off select titles through July 31st

twinpalms.com

Alan Edward Klein · Jul 29, 2023

Peter Schrager said:
I'm a fan of Barbara Bosworth and have a small book of hers but I'm no fan of page bleeds. I feel they really detract from the experience of enjoying the "flow" of the content.

Is a page bleed when the photo extends over into the left page as well? Blurb does furnish printing and books that are landscape oriented rather than the portrait that she seems to use.

GLS · Jul 29, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
Is a page bleed when the photo extends over into the left page as well? Blurb does furnish printing and books that are landscape oriented rather than the portrait that she seems to use.

No, "bleed" or "full bleed" is where the image extends right to the edge of the page, with no border.

Generally I don't like it, but it's not nearly as bad as when an image is printed across the gutter.

Nitroplait · Jul 29, 2023

GLS said:
Generally I don't like it, but it's not nearly as bad as when an image is printed across the gutter.

+1

ajmiller · Jul 29, 2023

ajmiller said:
Yes, I agree, and it's the one annoying thing about this book.

Ah, apologies, I got my bleeds and my gutters mixed up. The Bosworth book has no full bleeds but does have prints across the gutter (which is annoying).

Pieter12 · Jul 29, 2023

I have to say I am a bit diappointed in my recent acquisition of Henry Leutwyler: Document, published by Steidl. It is printed on matte, textured stock and I don't think that does the photos justice. Plus, the photos are not captioned or numbered, making you go to the end of the book to look them up. Ordinarily, I wouldn't mind--I like the idea that photos should be able to stand on their own and that captions can be distracting. But the whole premise of the book is these are photos of artifacts of well-known people so part of the interest is who owned that particular item and its place in history. I am of half the mind to return the book, since I bought it from Amazon.

The Photobook Thread

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