A Top 6 of photography books to read

Because you are stuck at home

Hello everybody,

As most of you know I’m a huge fan of photography print and photography books. As I explained in a previous post I think you learn a lot by looking at photography books - way more than a photoserie online. But it’s not only about learning, it is also simply the fact of enjoying a master piece of work presented in a book, that you can hold with your hands, look at while sitting in a nice place and dive into the world of a photographer.

Here is a list of books I suggest you look at; I’ll not start critics of them because I find them all excellent for various reason.

Instead I’ll just go for a short description.

SON

By Christopher Anderson

As most of the world is currently stuck at home, I think looking at this book where Anderson photographs his family would be a nice start. You can feel so much love in these photograph - that is a must have, or at least a must see. Anderson recently published COPS and Approximate Joy.

Photographs

by Jack Davison

I discovered the work of the UK photographer Jack Davison being struck by his black and white portraits of celebrities for the NY Times magazine. I looked further and found out that he recently published a monograph with pictures he made between 2007-2019. Published by Loose Joint, a mix of colors and black and white, personal and neutral, simple and extremely efficient work. Another must see if you want to be surprised by a master of photography.

Omaha Sketchbook

By Gregory Halpern

If you have not seen his first book ZZYZX go and check it out. It will blow your mind. This is his second book which is actually a copy of a sketchbook he made some years ago depicting his version of America. There, you will see again his specific vision, distance and unique way to look at colors and light. Check this book out you will be surprised.

CONFINI DI UMANITA

By Paolo Pellegrin

“Borders of humanity” the title says it all, the cover also. Look at it.

2 Mississippi

By Hans Zeeldieb

The photographer is also a sailor. A man that walks around, smells the streets of any harbor he will get. As said in the beginning of the book containing these stunning portraits “These images are the result of a trip between, 2016 and 2018 from Douarnenez to Aberwrac’h, passing through Iquitos, Bogota, New Orleans, Recife, and a thousand others stops”. This work revealed by Marie Sordat and published by Le Mulet is a rough and raw lesson of black and white street portrait. A must have.

MOSCOW

By Boogie

Boogie is back in the streets. For his most recent photography book he hits the streets of Moscow and the Russia that he admires. Rough, impactful, tensed, irreverent and truly honest this is one of the favorite books I have in my shelve.

Did I already talked about Boogie in a previous post ?

YES! OK I’ll get you another referral then.

Une Vie à Vif / Stanley Greene

JD Morvan / Tristan Fillaire

First things first It is a comic. Second it is in French but I think it will come in English. This comic is a biography of the war photographer Stanley Greene. This comic was really intense and I couldn’t stop reading it. I red it all in one evening, wiping away a tear at the end. It will be a gift for many friends to who I wish would understand the life of a reporter. If you don’t speak french - or don’t like comic you can also try to get a hand on Black Passport the last book Stanley made.

This is all for now I hope you enjoyed this post!

If yes

like it and share it or just let me know if you want more references I have an entire shelves of books.

All the best,

Sébastien Van Malleghem