BOOKSHELF
"I can't get enough books. Perhaps now I have more than I need; but with books, as with other things, the more one gets the more one wants.Books have their own special quality: they thrill you to the marrow, they talk to you, counsel you, admit you to their living, speaking friendship. And they introduce you to other books, their friends". (Francesco Petrarch, 1304-1374)
A tiny selection:
General
- Paul Hill (2004) Approaching Photography, Revised Edition
What is a photograph all about? This classic book focuses on what - both visually and artistically - is produced, not how it is produced. Essential reading for the thinking photographer!
- David Bayles & Ted Orland (1993) Art and Fear
Subtitled: An Artist's Survival Guide - Observations on the Perils (And Rewards) of Artmaking
- Andy Grundberg (2021) How Photography Became Contemporary Art
Covering the period from 1962 to 1991, this book traces the major photographic artists who were the bedrock of contextual studies when I started teaching photography in 1989.
- Lyle Rexer (2002) Photography's Antiquarian Avant-garde
A history of the revival of interest in old photographic process.
- Lucy Soutter (2013) Why Art Photography?
One of the clearest concise summaries of the current range of the field. Mercifully relatively clear of ArtSpeak!
Practical
- John Blakemore (2005) John Blakemore's Black and White Photography Workshop
Although cast in a 'how to do it' mould, this inspirational book is as much about the artistic journey of one of Britain's premier photographers from landscapes to tulips.
- Eric Renner (2004) Pinhole Photography
A comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of pinhole photography.
- Christopher James (2001) The Book of Alternative Photographic Processes
A comprehensive guide to all alternative processes - with a lot of history and philosophy thrown in.
- Katrin Eismann & Sean Duggan (2008) The Creative Digital Darkroom
Given that most people are now working digitally, at least part of the time, this is one of the best books I've come across covering just what a photographer needs to know about. Mainly Photoshop based, though with a nod to Lightroom.
Photographers
- Malin Fabbri (2006) Alternative Photography: Art and Artists, Vol 1
A collection of contemporary works in a range of processes from subscribers to the alternative photography website.
- Abelardo Morell (2004) Camera Obscura
Room-sized pinhole photographs from around the world.
Handmade Books
- Alisa Golden (2005) Expressive Handmade Books
Especially good on concertina books.
- Sue M Doggett (1998) Handmade Books
Clear instructions on a range of methods and styles, with many examples.
- Keith A Smith (1992) Structure of the Visual Book
A classic, not about construction, but about ideas and their visual realisation in book form.
Computing
- Charles Wyke-Smith (2007) Codin' for the Web
Building websites using PHP and MySQL. Without this book, this website would never have been constructed!