The Photobook Thread

[MTGseattle]

The uncoated paper is not what we are used to seeing in photo books for sure. I'm ashamed to say my copy of "Eden" is still in the shrink wrap.

Now I'm wracking my memory wondering if I own any older titles with an uncoated look. I have a Kenro Izu that's not super glossy.

Here's the description of the printing in kenro Izu; Still Life '55 duotone plates, beautifully printed on Italian heavy fine matte art paper by EBS, Verona, Italy.'

 

[logan2z]

The uncoated paper is not what we are used to seeing in photo books for sure. I'm ashamed to say my copy of "Eden" is still in the shrink wrap.

Now I'm wracking my memory wondering if I own any older titles with an uncoated look. I have a Kenro Izu that's not super glossy.

Here's the description of the printing in kenro Izu; Still Life '55 duotone plates, beautifully printed on Italian heavy fine matte art paper by EBS, Verona, Italy.'

Do you have a copy of Lee Friedlander's The American Monument? It was printed on uncoated paper.

There was a video on Vimeo in which Friedlander and master printer Richard Benson discussed the use of uncoated paper for that book, and Benson thought that the choice of that paper was crucial to the book's success. Unfortunately, I can no longer find that video anywhere.

 

[MTGseattle]

I don't own that one, but I've flipped through it before. I don't remember finding it odd at all.

 

[logan2z]

I don't own that one, but I've flipped through it before. I don't remember finding it odd at all.

I have a copy and don't find it odd either. I also don't have an issue with the Steidl reissue of Eden.

 

[bjorke]

Anyone get any photobooks for Christmas? I got Robert Frank Paris published by Steidl. I have a sneaking suspicion there are more coming for my birthday next week (I was asked for a list )

Only a couple:

Hong Kong After Hong Kong

Someone Somewhere Sometime which is quite interesting printing-wise, tipped-in accordion prints, etc.

 

[logan2z]

Someone Somewhere Sometime which is quite interesting printing-wise, tipped-in accordion prints, etc.

Nice. Radius does have some interesting book designs.

 

[albireo]

I received 'Eden' by Robert Adams, new 2023 print by Steidl.

Robert Adams (early) work is amazing. I love it.

The book however - I'm so disappointed. How can Steidl be so hit and miss?

Every time I open 'From the Missouri West' I'm in awe.

Eden on the other hand looks and feels like it was printed by my uncle on his Epson Inkjet Photo 600 when he was about done with the family Christmas greetings cards.

I just unwrapped my second belated Christmas photobook present, 'American Prospects' - Joel Sternfeld (Steidl, 2023).

Extraordinary work, and in terms of printing quality I'm finding it completely satisfactory. Personally I prefer the look of this book, and by a wide margin, over the look the team was going for in Eden.

 

[Philippe-Georges]

As a new year present: RUINS by Josef Koudelka...

 

[logan2z]

As a new year present: RUINS by Josef Koudelka...

What is your opinion of it?

 

[Philippe-Georges]

What is your opinion of it?

fantastic!

 

[runswithsizzers]

The New York Times website has an article titled, "From the Lens of Lee Friedlander, Real Estate Focusing on the Real" (Dec 29 2023). I expect a NYTimes subscription may be necessary to read the article, but I'm not sure about that. The article is a review the book, "Lee Friedlander: Real Estate." (Eakins Press Foundation, Fall 2023)

The author of the Times article (Anna Kodé), asked Friedlander some questions by email, and he sent her an audio recording as a reply. She provides a transcription of some of his comments in the article. If you have any of Lee Friedlander's books, you know he is a man of few words, and rarely talks about his photography.

 

[logan2z]

The New York Times website has an article titled, "From the Lens of Lee Friedlander, Real Estate Focusing on the Real" (Dec 29 2023). I expect a NYTimes subscription may be necessary to read the article, but I'm not sure about that. The article is a review the book, "Lee Friedlander: Real Estate." (Eakins Press Foundation, Fall 2023)

The author of the Times article (Anna Kodé), asked Friedlander some questions by email, and he sent her an audio recording as a reply. She provides a transcription of some of his comments in the article. If you have any of Lee Friedlander's books, you know he is a man of few words, and rarely talks about his photography.

I tried to read the review yesterday but hit the pay wall. My wife has a subscription and I'll ask her to share the article with me later today.

I've got a ton of Friedlander books, including Sticks and Stones: Architectural America, and I've been assuming there is a lot of duplication with the new book. But if not then I'll probably grab a copy of the new one.

I have some other Friedlander books published by Eakins Press and they are of consistently high quality.

 

[Pieter12]

I don't know if this counts, it's not strictly a photo book: Pleasure of Seeing: Conversations with Joel Meyerowitz on sixty years in the life of photography.

 

[logan2z]

I don't know if this counts, it's not strictly a photo book: Pleasure of Seeing: Conversations with Joel Meyerowitz on sixty years in the life of photography.

Close enough How is it?

 

[Renato Tonelli]

On my wish list -Edward S. Curtis:

TASCHEN Books: The North American Indian. The Complete Portfolios

Over the course of 30 years Edward S. Curtis exhaustively documented America’s first inhabitants. Follow along on his visits to 80 American Indian tribes f…

www.taschen.com

…after I make some bookshelf space available; things have gotten terribly out of hand

 

[Pieter12]

Close enough How is it?

Interesting, so far. A lot of anecdotes about him, Garry Winogrand, and the NY street photographers. How much he seemed to like going out and shooting with a group of friends, something I think that sets him apart from say, Robert Frank who I imagine as more of a solo worker. And John Szarkowsky's influence on the photography world at the time. There are photos, but the meat of the book is the Q&A.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

A few "thrift" store finds-

Highlights Photography, MFA Boston
Andreas Feininger: Experimental Work
HCB- The Early Work/MoMA
Portfolios of Ansel Adams. Intro by Szarkowski

 

[MTGseattle]

I had to do some digging as I was curious which source material Taschen used for the Edward S Cutis book. It turns out a library in Gottingen, Germany has one of the original Curtis sets and Taschen photographed that one.

 

[Renato Tonelli]

I had to do some digging as I was curious which source material Taschen used for the Edward S Cutis book. It turns out a library in Gottingen, Germany has one of the original Curtis sets and Taschen photographed that one.

Intersting.

 

[logan2z]

Just unpacked a handful of new books that were given to me as birthday presents. In no particular order:

Bruce Gilden Haiti (Gost Books)

Mary Ellen Mark Encounters (Steidl)

Arthur Grace America 101 (Fall Line Press)

Bruce Davidson England/Scotland 1960 (Steidl)

Can't wait to dig into them...

 

[MTGseattle]

That's a pretty good birthday haul. Every time I check in on this thread, I feel like I am introduced to yet another publisher I had not heard of.

Gost and Fall Line being the 2 most recent.

Calling on the collective knowledge here. Can anyone think of work done in the Florida Keys in the 60' and 70's? I asked in a different space and was told to check news archives and the like.
Based upon a few things I've read, it sounds like the Keys were a weird maritime "old west" type place. I am intrigued.

 

[findthomas]

Greetings from a new member.

I was wondering how people here store their photo books.

Do you place them directly on the bookcase/shelf, or do you first wrap them in something else (paper, or even in a plastic bag or ziplock bag).

I ask because I noticed some rare-books stores would wrap some of the expensive books in brown sheets of thick paper, before placing them on the shelf.


best.
— Tom

 

[logan2z]

Greetings from a new member.

I was wondering how people here store their photo books.

Do you place them directly on the bookcase/shelf, or do you first wrap them in something else (paper, or even in a plastic bag or ziplock bag).

I ask because I noticed some rare-books stores would wrap some of the expensive books in brown sheets of thick paper, before placing them on the shelf.


best.
— Tom

I place mine directly on a bookshelf, I don't wrap them in anything. A friend of mine is a big collector of motorsports books - expensive special/limited editions - and he uses book covers from Vernon Library Supplies. Here's a link to their selection of book covers:

Book Covers | Vernon Library Supplies

Keep your books in circulation longer with protective covers from Vernon Library Supplies. Whether you want to cover your paperback or hard cover books we have the perfect solutions for you. Need to protect something old or valuable? We carry a large selection of archival quality protective...

www.vernonlibrarysupplies.com

 

[Pieter12]

Greetings from a new member.

I was wondering how people here store their photo books.

Do you place them directly on the bookcase/shelf, or do you first wrap them in something else (paper, or even in a plastic bag or ziplock bag).

I ask because I noticed some rare-books stores would wrap some of the expensive books in brown sheets of thick paper, before placing them on the shelf.


best.
— Tom

I don't know if anything I have merits such care. I don't collect books except to read and enjoy them. My books are there for me and others, they are on shelves and tables to be picked up and handled. I wouldn't it any other way.

 

[findthomas]

I place mine directly on a bookshelf, I don't wrap them in anything. A friend of mine is a big collector of motorsports books - expensive special/limited editions - and he uses book covers from Vernon Library Supplies. Here's a link to their selection of book covers:

Book Covers | Vernon Library Supplies

Keep your books in circulation longer with protective covers from Vernon Library Supplies. Whether you want to cover your paperback or hard cover books we have the perfect solutions for you. Need to protect something old or valuable? We carry a large selection of archival quality protective...

www.vernonlibrarysupplies.com

Thanks @logan2z. The book covers look very useful (i.e. not a full closed ziplock bag)

I was thinking that ziplock bags may cause some kind of condensation (temperature goes hot/cold over the winter & summer).