Fantastic Photography Books Want To Change The Way You Shoot Photos - How To Quickly Improve

[@Fidi987]

I would advise everybody to visit their local city library first and take a look at the photography section but also at the section of the genre you are interested in, i.e. cookbooks, architecture books, flower books, illustrated/ coffee table books, art books (paintings, sculptures etc.). For the price of a library card you can then often study lots of books and will know better what kind of photography books you are looking to buy.

[@tylerhuttosmith]

Libraries are such underutilized sources!

[@iaincphotography6051]

They were so good years back but now they seem to have dwindled (cutbacks).

[@teacherdude]

I would definitely recommend Taschen's 20th History of Photography as a great introduction to the sheer diversity of photography. A great way to break out of the idea that your photos have to look like it belongs in a National Geographic article, postcard or a fashion shoot. Pretty cheap new and even cheaper second hand.

[@smokypoo]

I'm used to shopping online for various reasons, but when it comes to books, most of them are physical ones coz I just love the feel of it all. I believe it just helps getting into the story or the subject. So i go to a library at lunchtime and look at the books before buying them specially for creative subjects.

[@kimchikidbear]

Just have to say, a photo book to me is a lot more personable because it tells me who the photographer is. I really love photo books but I only collect from people that I really admire. Often times I find myself analyzing their photos, enjoying their process and it trying to take photos that are often inspired by their images. This is a great video for me because an allowance me do you understand what a photo book really is and I thank you so much for the video

[@simonh]

Funny that, just as you posted this video, I'd spent the entire afternoon scouring charity shops looking for monographs. I didn't find any but I did pick up a couple of nice rugby shirts. I'll keep looking! 😃

[@markconkling4223]

Thank you so much for this video. I discovered your videos late in the revival of my passion (since 1971) of photography and have been focusing too much of my energy on the technical aspects of photography (learning new or improving my use of photo-editing programs, picking the right vintage lens (I only shoot vintage manual focus lenses), all the bells and whistles of my digital camera, etc.) You, more than any other person, has encouraged me to re-arrange my photography book shelf and pull out the Ansel Adams;, Elliot Porter's, the National Geographic collections, etc. and start going to them for ideas and inspiration. Although I am far from an expert, I honestly believe that at my level I am competent with LightRoom and PhotoShop to do almost anything I would need. Discovering your videos has opened a new world to me. I am a 73 year old retired Genetics Professor, who returned to photography after retirement, although I did photograph and print all of the images in my publications throughout my career. Your videos in general, and this one in particular, means so much to me. THANK YOU

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you for watching

[@webvideofan]

Lots of great deals on photo books on Amazon and eBay if you buy used. Such great inspiration to study them in print form. Very relaxing.

[@stephengatley8144]

I love the idea of annotating books for referencing images of interest, thank you for that idea! 👍

[@gem7774]

I love photography books and photography book content. I've recently started to collect them. I really wanted a copy of David Campany's The Open Road but it is out of print. In the uk I saw it from £80 -£480 and was constantly scouring online stores and charity shops etc. I recently found it online from eBay for £26 plus £2.80 shipping from Germany. I couldn't believe it. The copy arrived in virtually new condition. I love it and so glad I found it. Will forever cherish it

[@aes53]

I buy photo books constantly and have a pretty good collection. Probably my favorite find was Constantine Manos's "A Greek Portfolio". I found it on remainders in a book store in Columbus Ohio in about 1972 for what would have been a few bucks (which was all I could have afforded at the time). It's traveled what me ever since. It's long out of print and costs a bit used these days (they did reissue it at one point). I bought a couple of prints from the book sometime in the late 80s and was told that it was easier to find prints than the book.

[@kevinroberts1888]

I agree. I used to read photography books all the time, but when I left the big city in the 90's and lost access to a big library, I basically dropped off of it. Lately though I've really been getting back into reading them again and really enjoying it. I've discovered thrift stores to be a wonderful source for looking for them on the cheap. Recently just picked up a couple in excellent condition for under $10 each.

[@SergejKarssen]

I love going to Half Price Books (used / surplus bookstore in the USA) to browse the photography section; always something interesting there! My most exciting finds this year were Irving Penn's "Worlds in a Small Room" and a copy of Richard Avedon's "In the American West".

[@stanb.5261]

Photo monographs are the best teachers out there, and like poetry, are capable of giving you new insights whenever you make the effort to spend time with them.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Awesome to have you here again. Thanks for watching. what is the most crazy priced photobook you've ever seen? Or did you managed to find a hidden gem - let us know in the comments!

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

I still havent gotten Saul Leiters Early Color because it tends to run $500 plus right now

[@baladino]

Dan Winters. Road to seeing.

[@filmic1]

I used to love going into Concordia University's (Montreal, Canada) Webster Library in the Photography/Fine Art stacks and haul out a mess of monographs and peruse to my hearts' content.

[@ianstenson7045]

Books I'd recommend for their quality and also their price. Thames & Hudson Photofile series. I many of these little books from Berenice Abbot to Joel-Peter Within and many in between. Geoff Dyer's The Ongoing Moment and See/Saw looking at photographs.

[@rdsmith66]

My public library in Durham, North Carolina has some wonderful monographs that I look at whenever I want.

[@sbai4319]

I have a growing library of photographers books. Robert Frank, Seydou Keita, Steve McCurry, David Bailey, Ansel Adams, Andre Kertez. I also “rescue” undervalued photo books from the discount tables.

[@amigagr]

"No man ever steps in the same river twice" "everything flows" Heraclitus of Ephesus 535 - 475 BC

[@stevekingswell9143]

Just bought Tod Hido’s Intimate Distance, it’s also a lesson in curation and sequencing.

[@mercydudley]

Thanks Alex! Great advice. I often find copies of Aperture magazine in used bookstores and I often check out the library as well. Of course, even museums and galleries are a good method of finding inspiring photography.

[@yetanotherbassdude]

I was lucky enough to find copy of Sometimes Overwhelming, the monograph by Arlene Gottfried, in a charity bookshop in my local area. I'd never even heard of Gottfried but the book was only £6 and I was just transfixed by her photographs. The way she captured these scenes and people on the streets and in the disco and drag clubs of New York in the 70s, 80s and 90s was just fascinating and hugely inspiring. I'm still hoping one day I might find a copy of Bresson's Decisive Moment in one of those shops, but in the meantime I always like to check any charity shop I go past just in case there's a gem like Gottfried's book waiting inside. Even when buying new, a lot of monograms are still orders of magnitude cheaper than any of the camera gear we lust after as photographers, and I absolutely agree that they can be just as inspiring if not more so than any gear purchase and are worth investing in for anyone who cares about photography as an art form.

[@everrit]

Great I'm definitely going to look at more books

[@bwaide]

I just stumbled upon a very interesting book in a museum shop: „A History of Pictures“ by David Hockney and Martin Gayford. It‘s rare to find a book where the Mona Lisa sits next to a photograph of Marlene Dietrich. Very interesting to see the deep connection of these art forms, usually split into their very own categories in books and museums alike. Big recommendation.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

I'm a big Hockney fan. I'll have to look that title up.

[@terencemorrissey4413]

I would recommend a history of photography and theories of photography evening course at your local college or university. I took both at Ryerson University in Toronto.

[@paulsharratt8748]

For many years, once a week I would go to a nearby public library in Washington, DC that had an incredible photography section. I'd take a couple of books look through them and return them to the cart. As time past, I noticed quite a few people doing the same as I had been doing. I was doubly fortunate as during the same period if I walked in the opposite direction I ended up at the National Gallery of Art (free admission).

[@jeremyfielding2333]

A book is undeniable substance.

[@davedonnelly8039]

Couldn’t agree more - educate your “seeing eye”

[@stevekingswell9143]

Letting go of your camera by Brooks Jensen is £4.45 on Kindle and much more in print, I look forward to reading it.

[@izakgreyling8872]

Great video. I think social media like instagram and facebook has contributed to people not wanting to "invest" time and money into monographs. But what they forget is revisiting a specific photograph on instagram or facebook is near impossible.

[@altonbarkley]

Thanks. I love your videos on the thoughtful side of photography. I'm new to digital photography and started out with film many years ago. I understand the basics even if not always applied well. But it's the art that I would like to become better at. Your videos help with that aspect.

[@grahamhobbs3501]

A few years back when I was collecting the old out of print Obie Oberholzer books a friend of a cousin of my wife who worked at a second hand bookshop in Cape Ton had a signed copy of his first book (plus another one) come in which were priced at about £5 each - you can get lucky, as you say, even when other people are selling the same thing for silly money :) - very enjoyable vid, as always :))

[@TheYuhasz01]

Taschen books are great , affordable and mainly images

[@SteveSSBB]

Brooks Jensen also publishes LensWork magazine. The magazine is top quality in terms of print quality and curation. Very economical way to get your eyes on some nice printed work.

[@Diomedes642]

Fantastic video - I recently setup a new bookshelf for my photo books

[@avs4365]

Bob Mazzer's 'Underground' is one I came across recently, Unicorn do a cheaper publication of some of his work titled 'Bob Mazzer'. Shows what can be done travelling on the London tube and others. Others include Giles Duley's ' I Can Only Tell What My Eyes Saw' is an inspirational book taken by a Guy who lost three limbs while in a war zone and now travels the world for charity organisations. Seeing how he managed to fight disability and produce stunning work in hostile environments is a lesson for us all to get out there.

[@Liisa3139]

Many photobooks cost only about 30 euro or sometimes even less. I think it is a good idea to look and/or read something and then leave it aside digesting it for a while. It is true that as time goes by you see new things every time you go back to things you have seen before. One of my favorite photographers (I have many) is Ola Kolehmainen. Books by him; Ola Kolehmainen: Fraction Abstraction Recreation; Ola Kolehmainen: A Building is Not a Building

[@johnr.watson7500]

Another inspiring video, Alex. I'm always interested when newspapers etc showcase a photographer's work, often from decades ago but haven't until now seen the merit in buying one of their monographs (subject to price/availability!). I've seen the light! Thanks.

[@innstikk]

Again, a very nice video. Coincidently, the copy of "Camera Lucida" I had ordered came yesterday. Now I'm a bit unsure 😉😁 With monographs I find that having the patient to really see and contemplate the photos is the hardest thing. Flipping through it is easy, but doesn't give much.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Totally agree. Love to read books about Photographers that more or less photographed the way I like and the way I want to develop. Funny thing is, the older the books (read: the period the images were taken) the more I like them. And if you do some research you can sometimes find videos about your favorite Photographers were you see how they operate on a daily base. 2 week ago I ran into Helmut Newtons Sumo (the big one including the table) at € 1000,- , amazing !! There are also signed copies on the market that cost a small fortune ;-)

[@bobbowring1702]

I have picked up photography book in very old book shops and charity shops.

[@Midas87]

Hi Alex, love the Channel! I would definetly like more Videos on Books! Im very Interested in your Personal favourites! Reading the Bruce Davidson biography at the moment, its a Magnum legacy Book, Good stuff, amazing photographer!!

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Excellent again Alex. Thank you.

[@Rob.1340]

Thank you. 👍📷😎

[@iaincphotography6051]

Great book the A-Z, helps point you in the right direction, the only photographic book that cheesed me of was the one by Susan Sontag, her opinions I suppose but academics don't make great photographers, they're too busy talking about it and busting someone's balls. And I don't care who her partner was! The last book I got was Ernst Haas, New York colour 52/62. Love it.

[@oliverfox838]

Good video. Possibly would have lingered for a bit longer on biographies and autobiographies as they can be very insightful and often times entertaining. Like you I collect photobooks, but I’m not fussed about them as a financial investment. The books have inherent value and collectors are willing to pay large sums for them if they are good. It’s just life. Sunburn is currently £1600 on Amazon UK, but you can get it cheaper on abe books. Unlikely you will see it for less than $1000 ever again. One suggestion for people new to the whole Photobook thing would be to look at the Phaidon 55s or the Photofile series. I have a whole bunch of them mainly because they are a cheap and cheerful way of introducing myself to photographers that I don’t know or there isn’t any other available published work of theirs.

[@petecircenis8930]

One daughter gifted me Charlie Waite’s book The Making Of Landscape Photogrpahs which i am reading

[@cliveeariss880]

Ok thats a great message, and something I will do more of, thanks Alex, great video.

[@erichstocker8358]

That quote is from Heraclitus of Ionia. He actually predated stoicism per se.

[@sarahthomson8183]

Filled with filler-modern life if you allow it. Good reminder. Thank you.

[@gui4j]

im hooked on art and photography books , a few hundred books and a few thousand pound in , and still going , the internet sucks ass in comparison , difference between eating home cooked meal or microwave pot noddles

[@Nitramyeldud]

Hi. Is there a monograph on Erwin Blumenfeld that you would recommend?

[@livetogetherfeckers]

awesome thanks

[@marilyngiannuzzi9867]

I tend to move towards the photography magazines.I haven’t found a book on photography yet that I am willing to pay that much money for,sorry to say!

[@marcpilon4585]

The Essence of Photography

[@marilyngiannuzzi9867]

@@marcpilon4585 I just ordered a used copy of this book.Thank u for your help!😄

[@marcpilon4585]

@@marilyngiannuzzi9867 Note that there is now a second edition that came out in March of 2021

[@johnclay7644]

informative 17mins.

[@NexVoidGaming]

Writers read constantly to keep their skills sharp. It makes sense that a photographer should look at other photography books. Better than Instagram imo

[@frostybe3r]

Sir, I'm dyslexic.

[@hmuz8388]

Can you make a video about composite photography and what you think about it? (Gregory Crewdson for example)

[@Gorganahfikark]

Thanks!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you Andre!

[@anthonygarcia3157]

Thank you

[@mada.jurado]

On top of learning from others through their monographs, how about creating our own photography books? How do you think embarking in a project like this might help us?

[@tonykeltsflorida]

I have had a couple of photo books made for my own bookshelf. It is pretty cheap to have them made. I think it made me think about rating my own photos.

[@mikemichaeld2259]

Love your vids you really catch the passion. I am not sure if you have covered this book before called "Magnum Contact Sheets" edited by Kristen Lubben published by Thames & Hudson every time I read it I find something new

[@wolfgangk1]

I have that book. Wonderful. We had a traveling exhibition at our museum, titled, Contact Sheets.

[@jeez0r]

Is a monograph a book with images only ? Cos that is what I want to see , no talk , just visuals . I get more out of actual photographs than any writing ever will

[@benjones8977]

As a photographer myself, it would be good to know how to make a book affordable for a smaller named photographer?

[@warrend8362]

Helmet Newton’s SUMO from 1999 Get the smelling salts when you look up the price for that one

[@iankellam6440]

I am always confused as to why so many of these books are out of print. The demand is evidently there but the publishers are clearly not interested?

[@NickBarang]

I'd love to read more photo books, but the issue for me is the price of postage. I looked at buying a photobook the other day - $60, fair enough. Cost to post it to the Philippines? $75. I am not sure where they got that insane figure from, but it's absolutely typical of the average vendor of photobooks. I get stuff delivered here all the time, postage is about $10-$20 for items of similar weight and of far more fragility too, I am not going to throw a $55 tip in for you for a trip to the post office. Oh and try and get Magnum Photos to even acknowledge that you're trying to pay them from overseas... it's a complete waste of time. And so on...

[@flow2650]

Hokkaido by Michael Kenna, wonderful book tho

[@terrywbreedlove]

I am waiting for a new book coming out of Tokyo. I am so excited to get this hidden gem. Closest I can get too affording real Art :)

[@jpvvandermerwe87]

I have my fair share of decent photo books. Every year i buy a few (new & 2nd hand), and it has grown from a collection of 8-10 in the mid 90's, to an entire four shelve book shelve. With todays instant gratification digital world we live in, sooo many 'photographers' completely over look the value of books, because they would rather google something (an idea / inspiration or what not...) instead. Thank you for this video - much appreciated Alex.

[@dankoons5577]

why did my post disappear?

[@virginiainla8085]

What is a monograph?

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Fancy way of saying 'book of photos' :D

[@virginiainla8085]

@@ThePhotographicEye haha - love it. Calling myself a Monograph Maker now 🙃

[@robertgrant3844]

Okay

[@jakedooom]

vulcan

[@wolfgangk1]

What you are proposing sounds obvious but it isn't. Can you imagine a person professing to be a professional classical pianist who wouldn't be interested in watching acclaimed performances or learning more about the various composers--or an artist who never visited the Louve in when in Paris or the National Gallery in London, or The Metropolitan Museum of Art when in New York, etc. Makes you wonder how serious they really are. For those of us, whose introduction to photography consisted of the organic experiences of selecting the appropriate films for the occasion and understanding the characteristics of the films and brands, studying zones, darkrooms, and anticipating Life Magazine for their photos, exploring photography in library books seemed only natural. Personally, it's not enough to view a photo on a monitor. In the front of my mind, my photos/images are intended to be posters, framed, or featured in magazines--not Instagram for 4 seconds. I'm disturbed at the growing features within Photoshop, the augmenting, distorting, lengthening, replacing turning photography into a version of ugly autotuning. In short, you'll want to know if you genuinely love photography as art.

[@mikskinner6431]

I'm nine minutes in and I'm waiting for the fifth set of adverts to end! I know you need to make some money out of these videos but this is gonna make people turn off. And that would be a shame because I enjoy listening to what you have to say.

[@marcusdekker]

If people dont even look a t photo books, then what 's the whole point of photography? For the newspapers are close to extinction, magazines are in decline; the printed press is on its last feet. Digital, you say? Well im watching a video now; TALKING about photography, but im not actualy watching photographs. So, its a dying art and those who love it dont evn watch it; they watch videos about it!!

[@jamesoliver6625]

Limited edition, the cost of offset printing, and the digital viewing zeitgeist have pushed the price of print beyond reason. I spent a 33 year career in the technical side of high end offset prepress starting in the 70s and the cost of printing 300 line tritones for high end output challenges the process camera operator, proofer, and press operator immensely and is no less an art/art execution exercise than all the camera work before you get to that point. You do what's involved to get there 50 to 100 times on a "b&w" Ansel Adams table book that only has a run of 5 or 10 thousand, coupled with the cost of quality papers and bindery/finish work, and three figures for the book aren't really giving the printer a whole lot oof profit. Just sayin'

[@John.Cameron]

I disagree. Books are a thing of the past; like film. Dead. Image saturation from countless hours online searching for that one photo to inspire but never find it. I would say "best thing to do right this second is pick up your camera and start taking photo's". Life is short; stop wasting it. On a lighter note; Love love your content!

[@alexmcmurtrieSits]

Love the Stoics. It's a great way to live.