My Favourite Photography Books

 

Helmut Newton: Sumo

The biggest and most expensive book production in the 20th century

Limited edition of 10,000 copies worldwide, each signed and numbered by Helmut Newton!
SUMO is a titanic book in every respect: it is a tribute to the twentieth century's most influential, intriguing and controversial photographer. Measuring 50 x 70 cm (20 x 27.5 inches) and weighing approx. 30 kg (66 lb.), the book contains 464 pages, breaking any previous record. SUMO is a truly unique publication. Just  $15,000.00. Comes with the stand. For those on a more modest budget the smaller version is available (which I have) for much less.

Nick Knight ~ Retrospective

Review

“A visual feast by the groundbreaking British fashion photographer Nick Knight. The book features collaborative work with Björk, Gareth Pugh and Massive Attack, and memorable editorial shoots from Vogue.” (The Independent (UK), "One of the Top Ten Fashion Books of the Year" )

With more than 300 striking images reflecting Knight's extraordinary vision and fearless experimentation, this volume is a landmark in both the genres of photography and fashion.

Alfred Stieglitz Bulfinch Press, 1999 & Callaway Editions, 1983 (Both Out of Print)

Based on the "key set" of Stieglitz photographs donated by Georgia O'Keeffe (his wife) to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1949 and 1980, this collection is a singular treasure. Stieglitz's images are notable for their eloquent simplicity. His Equivalents series influenced some of my work.

This is one of the finest books I own and have ever seen. The original was published by Callaway Editions in 1983 as a limited edition.The text was printed letterpress on heavyweight art paper, and the photographic reproductions are of the highest quality.  Following the plates are notes on individual images, and a selection of essays and letters by Stieglitz representative of his thoughts on art and photography. The 1983 first edition now sells for $600 in mint condition. I will never sell my copy as it will only go up in value and it is the gem of my collection. You can purchase the 1999 edition for much less and it is very close to the original in terms of print quality.

 

 

 

The Americans ~ Robert Frank

Robert Frank, an 84-year-old American photographer and filmmaker originally from Zurich, is famed for his interpretive and culturally significant images in The Americans - a book that turned 50 this year.

Frank was thrown into an Arkansas prison while photographing The Americans and deemed a possible “communist affiliate” or infiltrator.  The Americans, now celebrated as one of the most influential works of 20th century American photography. Introduction by Jack Kerouac. 

 First editions are very collectible. Yes I have one :)

 Irving Penn: Passage

This book is the single best compilation of Penn's work and a must for any photographers collection. This volume is the definitive, retrospective collection of Irving Penn's work over the past half century. It shows his mastery of portraiture, still life, and fashion photography and reveals for the first time the breadth of his extraordinary and diverse career. Passage was designed by Penn himself and was reproduced using print making processes developed especially for the production of this book and which are unsurpassed in their technical excellence. Signed copy can be had for $900 here.

Penn is my favorite photographer.

 

 

Albert Watson: UFO

Watson, known as a master of lighting and printing, has won numerous honors, including three Andy Awards for advertising, a lifetime achievement Lucie Award and even a Grammy. Photo District News, the industry bible, named Watson one of the 20 most influential photographers of all time, along with Richard Avedon and Irving Penn among others. Watson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and immigrated to the United States in 1970. He has been based in New York since 1977.

UFO—which stands for Unified Fashion Objectives—presents a 40-year retrospective of Watson’s best work, pulled from his vast archive. In its pages, a memorable era of style, beauty, fashion, personality, and power is captured for posterity. UFO is a landmark publishing event from one of the world’s greatest photographers.
Albert Watson has influenced my work more so than any other photographer. His clean graphic style and masterful lighting is what I try to achieve in my own work.

This is on my list of books to get!

See a preview of the book here

 Richard Avedon ~ Portraits

Published to accompany a major Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, Richard Avedon Portraits celebrates this master photographer's half century of achievement in a portable way. This unique slipcased, accordion-fold collection of 50 black and white portraits from the past 50 years features many famous subjects including Marilyn Monroe, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol and William S. Burroughs as well as portraits of political and intellectual figures. The reproductions are very good

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more to come! stay tuned...