Concepts Reading/book list

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Ed Sutton

Ed Sutton

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Ed Sutton said:
Is there a place for a reading list in this section?
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If the mods think this is a good idea please feel free to edit it or otherwise tidy it up if it goes anywhere.

I'll kick it off with a few I've read (which doesn't mean I'm recommending them!) and there are plenty more which could be added.

Why People Photograph - Robert Adams
The Pleasures of Good Photographs - Gerry Badger
The Genius of Photography - Gerry Badger
Parr by Parr: Discussions with a Promiscuous Photographer - Quentin Bajac meets Martin Parr
Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography - Roland Barthes
Ways of Seeing - John Berger
About Looking - John Berger
Understanding a Photograph - John Berger
The Photograph: A Visual and Cultural History (Oxford History of Art) - Graham Clarke
The Ongoing Moment - Geoff Dyer
Photography: A Very Short Introduction - Steve Edwards
The Documentary Impulse - Stuart Franklin
Why it does not have to be in focus - Jackie Higgins
Approaching Photography - Paul Hill
On Being a Photographer - David Hurn and Bill Jay
Image Makers, Image Takers: The Essential Guide to Photography by Those in the Know - Anne-Celine Jaeger
Photography: A Cultural History -Mary Warner Marien
The Making of Great Photographs: Approaches and Techniques of the Masters - Eamonn McCabe
Art and Photography - Aaron Scharf
The Nature of Photographs: A Primer - Stephen Shore
On Photography - Susan Sontag
The Photographer's Eye - John Szarkowski
Looking at Photographs - John Szarkowski
100 Ideas that Changed Photography - Mary Warner Marien
Photography: A Cultural History - Mary Warner Marien
Photography: A Critical Introduction - Liz Wells (ed)
How We Are: Photographing Britain - Val Williams, et al
What Makes Great Photography - Val Williams
 
It’s what I do - Lynsey Addario
early color - Saul Leiter
 
That's a comprehensive list Dave!

The Art of Photography - Bruce Barnbaum
Photographers & Research - Read & Simmonds
Making Photographs - Ibarionex Perello
Street Photography & The Poetic Image - Webb
The Complete Photographer - Andreas Feininger

I'm guessing we're not talking photobooks here (hence "reading in the title), but analyses(?), discussion and talk about [the art of] photography?
A couple of books, like Adams' "The Camera", & John Blakemore's "Black & White Photography Workshop" cover blending the technical with the creative but they don't seem to be in the sentiment of the OP.
 
It's something I've been interested in ever since I wrote my dissertation 40 years ago - when it was a struggle to find any books on the subject. Camera Lucida hadn't even been published in English at the time!

Harlequin565 said:
I'm guessing we're not talking photobooks here (hence "reading in the title), but analyses(?), discussion and talk about [the art of] photography?
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It was in response to @sirch commenting about reading 'the canonical works' in his intro post to this area that I thought a book list might be worthwhile.As you say, not photobooks which could have their own thread/space.
 
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A few from my shelves here. Left some out as I see them listed already, hopefully not duplicated any

Basic Critical Theory for photographers - La Grange
Visual methodologies - Rose
Photography - A Critical Introduction - Liz Wells
Beyond The Lens - AOP
John Berger - About Looking
20th Century Photography - Museum Ludwig Cologne
Susan Sontag - On Photography
Was Of Seeing - John Burger
Basic Freud
Susan Sontag - Regarding The Pain Of Others
A New History of Photography - Konemann
The Genius of Photography - Gerry Badger
A World History of Photography - Naomi Rosenblum
The History of Photography - Beaufort Newhall
The Photograph - Graham Clarke
Martha Rosler - The Bowery
Sigmand Freud - The Unconscious
 
I really struggle with academic writing - but I'll check the list out and find what I think I would enjoy..

I recently bought 'New ways of seeing' by Grant Scott and I enjoyed that
and recently finished, Context and Narrative in Photography by Maria Short

Another book that I've read and enjoyed are How I make Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz

And, on pre order I have the mindful photographer by Sophie Howarth
 
benc98 said:
I really struggle with academic writing - but I'll check the list out and find what I think I would enjoy..
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Approaching Photography - Paul Hill, is short and to the point, non-academic and a good summary of the different photographic genres.
 
A book I suggested elsewhere in this sub forum is:

David Bate's "Photography" Thames and Hudson Art Essentials.

It gives a history of photography broken into periods Modern, post-Modern etc and puts them into non-photographic historical context e.g. the influence of the world wars. Uses less well known, as well as well known, photographers as examples.

Following on from Ben's suggestion for Context and Narrative in Photography by Maria Short, I would suggest any of the books in that same Basics: Creative Photography series.

Jeremy Webb, Design Principles
Maria Short , Context and narrative
Anna Fox/Natasha Caruana, Behind the Image
Mike Simmons, Making Photographs: Planning,Developing and Creating Original Photography
Richard Salkeld, Reading Photographs: An Introduction to the Theory and Meaning of Images

These are obviously written to support degree courses (or similar) in photography and I found them insightful and thought provoking. They also have a very practical approach as aimed at helping students learn how to plan, implement, present and understand their work, and the work of others.

Taken together I think they provide a good foundation to start learning about making, looking at, and understanding photographs.
 
A few more I've read that I don't think have been mentioned:

See/Saw: Looking at Photographs - Geoff Dyer
Albert Watson: Creating Photographs (Masters of Photography)
PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice (The photography workshop) - Sasha Wolf
Photography Masterclass: Creative Techniques of 100 Great Photographers - Paul Lowe
The Passionate Photographer 2nd Ed: Ten Steps Towards Becoming Great - Steve Simon
Photographers on Photography: How the Masters See, Think and Shoot - Henry Carroll
Mary Ellen Mark: On the Portrait and the Moment (The Photography Workshop Series) - Aperture
The Photograph as Contemporary Art: (World of Art Series) - Charlotte Cotton
 
In terms of a list to go on the "READ ME" post pinned on the Concepts forum, what are the picks? Where should people start? what should people really read which is approachable, the list could be just a list of everything we have ever read or heard of if we are not careful. I'd suggest that people start with Approaching Photography, Paul Hill; he is a university lecturer, practicing photographer and it is a down-to-earth book. What would others suggest?
 
sirch said:
In terms of a list to go on the "READ ME" post pinned on the Concepts forum, what are the picks? Where should people start? what should people really read which is approachable, the list could be just a list of everything we have ever read or heard of if we are not careful. I'd suggest that people start with Approaching Photography, Paul Hill; he is a university lecturer, practicing photographer and it is a down-to-earth book. What would others suggest?
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I agree with Paul Hill, but I also like the David Bate's book I listed, because it's a good historical overview and provides a useful addition to Hill's book.

I was thinking about the same question and wondered whether we could have a poll.

I was going to work through the thread and count how often the same title was mentioned, but posters are correctly avoiding listing the same books twice, so that wouldn't work.
 
sirch said:
In terms of a list to go on the "READ ME" post pinned on the Concepts forum, what are the picks? Where should people start? what should people really read which is approachable, the list could be just a list of everything we have ever read or heard of if we are not careful. I'd suggest that people start with Approaching Photography, Paul Hill; he is a university lecturer, practicing photographer and it is a down-to-earth book. What would others suggest?
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My initial 'easy reads' would be:
Photography: A Very Short Introduction - Steve Edwards​
Approaching Photography - Paul Hill​
On Being a Photographer - David Hurn and Bill Jay​

Not so easy:
On Photography - Susan Sontag​
Ways of Seeing - John Berger​
 
On a side note, I bought 'Paris Mon Amour' by Gautrand, Jean-Claude off ebay for £5.41 delivered.

Book is pretty large and thick. If you really like black and white timeless romantic street images of Paris throughout the century by past masters and others then this book is for you!
 
benc98 said:
I'm a slow reader but currently enjoying On being a Photographer by Bill Jay and David Hurn (on the list above and mentioned by @Ed Sutton again a few posts above) - it's given me lots to think about already and it's easy to read.
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I’m just re-reading it for about the third time, still finding new ideas and insights in it. A really rewarding book.
 
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