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Here at the Photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Gallery in London, I recently picked up \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Photobook: A History Volume III<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d heard about the book before (the previous 2 volumes) but never had the chance to actually sit down, crack one open, and analyze it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Apparently the first volume was much more chronological in terms of documenting the history book, and Volume II was more focused on lesser-known photography books.<\/p>\n Parr and Badger have (funny enough) been accused of manipulating the photography book market by featuring some photography books (that are obviously in their collection). However I think this is utterly ridiculous to say \u00e2\u20ac\u201d they are just trying to bring light to books they think is great (which unfortunately also happens to make these books more demanded). But then again, if they never wrote the photo book history series, nobody would even know about the book anyways.<\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been thinking a lot about photography books \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and sometimes I feel on the edge in terms of their importance and value.<\/p>\n For me (personally), I think the image is everything. I am a lot less sentimental about photography books in terms of how they are constructed, what paper they use, and the print quality. I find the greatest insight through photography books through how emotionally the photographs feel, the editing, and the sequencing.<\/p>\n For this reason, I have really enjoyed downloading some photography books on the iPad. Carl DeKeyzer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zona<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (read my review<\/a>), Christopher Anderon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Capitolio<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, Elliott Erwitt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s<\/a> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal Best<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d are all great books that translate well into the iPad. The photographs are sharp, crisp, backlit, and they are a lot cheaper to download, store, and carry (than a traditional photography book).<\/p>\n But at the same time \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I do love the experience<\/em> of reading a physical photography book. I know that if I am looking at a photography book on an iPad (or some other device) I might get distracted to check Facebook, Twitter, my email, or something else.<\/p>\n There is a great beauty about a physical photography book\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because that is all you focus on. There is nothing to get distracted from. Suddenly all the noise of the outside world shuts up (and all those little social media notifications) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you become fully immersed into a book.<\/p>\n I think experiencing a photography book is very much like being sucked into a film. It is a pretty deep sensory experience too (because you are holding a physical book, smelling the pages, feeling the texture of the paper, and holding a different sized book). Even though I did mention I am not the most sentimental person when it comes to the texture and construction of a book, it is still something that is absolutely lovely to inspect and experience.<\/p>\n I hope to publish a photography book soon in the future. I wish to publish more photography books that are personal (snapshots of my travels, adventures with Cindy and my family), and more serious \u00e2\u20ac\u0153artistic books\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Suits<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project, and any other random projects).<\/p>\n Before stumbling upon this book, there are very few definitive resources on the philosophy, construction, and meaning of photography books. I started this research journey to better understand the photography book \u00e2\u20ac\u201d for both personal reasons (and also to hopefully help you, my dear reader, as well).<\/p>\n I am certainly not an expert of photography books. Far from it. Even though I have made a nice library of photography books that make me happy, I still have huge holes in my knowledge. That is why I am grateful to Martin Parr and Gerry Badger for compiling this book together (apparently Parr has one of the biggest personal photography book collections, if not the biggest, in the world).<\/p>\n I think the Internet is revolutionizing how we publish, share, and distribute photographs. The beauty is the democratic approach\u00e2\u20ac\u201d anyone can see the images in beautiful high-definition quality.<\/p>\n The downside though is that I think social media focuses too much on the single image<\/strong>. Projects aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as easily viewed online (unless you have them in a Facebook album, or on a website portfolio). We live in the Instagram \u00e2\u20ac\u0153instant gratification\u00e2\u20ac\u009d generation, where we want to see single images that stimulate our eyeballs, and to just double click them to give them little hearts.<\/p>\n I think many of us (myself included) have limited attention spans (that are only getting worse from the internet). We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have the patience to look at multiple photos\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and interpret them as a series. We are like crack junkies\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we need our next hit of strong single-images via Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr, etc.<\/p>\n While it is possible to show series on social media (I actually find Tumblr the best for \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmini-series\u00e2\u20ac\u2122) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I think a strong project or series ranges from 20\u00e2\u20ac\u201c50 images), which is best viewed either on an online portfolio or (preferably) a book.<\/p>\n Photography books have many advantages over photography on the internet (or seen on devices). Here are a few:<\/p>\n There is no other time in history as great as now. There is no better time in history to be a photographer than now.<\/p>\n We have access to phenomenal cameras. We have ISO\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s that can shoot up to 12,800 (or even more) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d just imagine photographers shooting Kodachrome on ISO 64.<\/p>\n We have access to print-on-demand (services like Blurb). We no longer need to dish out $10,000 of our own money to see a few hundred copies of our photography book being made.<\/p>\n We have access to designers, editors, and collaborators from all around the world (via social media).<\/p>\n We have cheap modes of transportation and travel. Flights keep getting cheaper (I recently flew a one-way from Oakland airport [near San Francisco] to Stockholm for only $250 USD). We can go on road trips quite easily, and people in Europe can travel through the E.U. a lot easier as well.<\/p>\n Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fantasize about being a photographer in the 1950\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s or 1970\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. Things were much more difficult then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and there is still a lot of unpaved ground in photography. The best time to be a photographer is now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n I think with today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s access to the Internet, computers, iPads, and social media\u00e2\u20ac\u201d publishing a photography book seems a bit old-fashioned and pointless.<\/p>\n However I think there are many benefits to working on a photography book:<\/p>\n I also personally like the idea that a photography book is a legacy\u00e2\u20ac\u201d something you can pass down to your children, and they will pass down to their children, and so-forth.<\/p>\n I doubt we will pass our hard-drives down to our children.<\/p>\n I think one of the main lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned from studying the The Photobook: A History Volume III<\/a> is that first of all, a photography book should be personal (for yourself)<\/strong>. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think we should get into making a photography book to become famous, or sell a lot of copies, to become famous\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whatever. Most photographers go into massive amounts of debt publishing books (if they are lucky they break-even). They put their lives and souls into making photography books, because it is their life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s passion.<\/p>\n If other photographers happen to also like their books, it is just an added bonus (not a necessity).<\/p>\n Now moving forward, I would like to share some (additional) lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned from analyzing the text and the books from the history of the photo book:<\/p>\n I think there tends to be a snobbery against self-publishing (especially with new print-on-demand services like Blurb). They aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153legitimate\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (as if you got a traditional publisher to make your photography book).<\/p>\n I think that is bullshit. Many photography books are still \u00e2\u20ac\u0153self-published\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by printing in cheaper places such as China, without the aid of a traditional publisher. Then the photographer him\/herself has to do the designing and marketing of the book (instead of getting a Thames and Hudson to publish and promote the book).<\/p>\n Many of the photography books featured in the photo book history were self-published (many by students).<\/p>\n I think ultimately it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter if a photography book is self-published, printed-on-demand. What matters the most in a photography book is the content, the thought, the editing, the sequencing, the emotional, and the significance to the viewer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Martin Parr and Gerry Badger delve more into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153on-demand\u00e2\u20ac\u009d printing and the benefits that it offers (mainly that they are a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcreasonable cost\u00e2\u20ac\u2122):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also an exciting new phenomenon to be considered: the advent of graphic-designed computer programs, of digital and \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcon demand\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 printing, has meant that photographers have every means to make their own photo books at a reasonable cost<\/strong>. There was an element of the self-published in many books from previous eras, when some photo book publishers demanded financial input from their potential authors, and this is still the case today<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The concept of the self-published book isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t new, it goes back to 1933. And some of the greatest photo books have been self-published:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Real self-publishing, where the photographer designs, prints, and distributes the book by him or herself, is one of the fastest growing areas in the field. Many of the books in this volume have been self-published in one way or another,<\/strong> going right back to a Palestinian protest book from 1933 featured in Chapter 2, which is the earliest book we include here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Parr\/Badger also touch upon the only difference between a self-published photography book and one backed by a publisher is a matter of \u00e2\u20ac\u2122gestation and birth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/em>. The most important part of a photography book is content and quality<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Other than the singular sensibilities of its author, the self-published photo book is distinguished from the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcregular\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 photo book only in the matter of its gestation and birth<\/strong>. Here, we are primarily interested in content and quality, and in this regard many self-published photo books look exactly the same as those produced by publishing firms<\/strong>. Publishing oneself has proliferated, but it is not a genre, nor, as we have said, it is particularly new. Indeed, it may be remembered from Volume 1 that the very first photo book was not only self-published, but essentially handmade by its author.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of the main critiques of self-published books is that they add a lot more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photo books into the market.<\/p>\n But then again, there has always been \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d art out there. There has always been \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photography out there. Sure it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as easily visible, but it was still out there (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photography isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just a modern-day phenomenon).<\/p>\n One part that Parr\/Badger touched upon is the idea that everyone has an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unalienable right\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to publish even a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photo book:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The self-published photo book is certainly a phenomenon that is exponentially increasing the quantity of photographic books in the world, but many believe that the trend has simply increased the number of bad books. Then again, it is everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unalienable right to publish a bad photo book, and this right is certainly not confined to the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcindependent\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 sector of photo book publishing<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel guilty, bad, or feel that your ego is hurt by self-publishing.<\/p>\n There are certain reasons why you might want to publish a book with a traditional publisher. The reasons include having help designing, printing, and marketing the book. However if you can do these on your own, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need the backing of a traditional publisher.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the cost of self-publishing (especially if you print-on-demand) it is a lot more affordable. If your goal as a photographer is to have your photography book reach the largest amount of hands as possible (given your personal financial means), self-publishing is always a great option.<\/p>\n There are many advantages\/disadvantages of self-publishing versus having the backing of a traditional publisher. It is also true (I think) that still\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the print quality of a traditional publisher still trumps most self-published books, and Blurb books.<\/p>\n However services like Blurb\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s print quality is still getting better as time goes on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and I am sure within the next few years the print quality will be not as easily distinguishable from a traditional publisher.<\/p>\n So ultimately\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whether you want to go the self-published or traditional-publisher backed route, it is a personal decision. But there are no excuses<\/strong>. You have no excuses in terms of gatekeepers that prevent you from publishing your own book. Just make the best damn book you can, that touches your heart and soul.<\/p>\n One of the main questions I had personally for myself was this: what distinguishes a successful photo book from a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photo book?<\/p>\n The photographer John Gossage shares some insights:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Firstly, it should contain great work<\/strong>. Secondly, it should make that work function as a concise world within the book itself<\/strong>. Thirdly, it should have a design that complements what is being dealt with<\/strong>. And finally, it should deal with content that sustains an ongoing interest<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So to break it down, a photography book should include:<\/p>\n In addition, Parr\/Badger also emphasize that what makes a great photography book is that there is an extra dimension and purpose of the book (rather than just showcasing it):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our primary test in the first two volumes for the most successful photo books was that they were always \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcabout\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 something other than a showcase for the photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What they mean by that is this: A photography book isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just something that shows off your photographs. Otherwise you can just upload it to Facebook. A photography book should have an added layer of meaning: through the way you format the images on the pages, through the pairing you create on opposite spreads, through the texture of the paper or material you print it on, and the experience of the photographs.<\/p>\n A photography book isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just a gallery of your best photographs. It should be an experience.<\/p>\n Also the problem of a photography book is that once it is published, you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t change it. You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go back and edit it.<\/p>\n So when you publish your photography book, make sure you do it to the best of your ability\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and do it well.<\/p>\n He who lives his life for himself is truly dead to others. We are social beings, we are made for one another.<\/p>\n When it comes to photography books, I think we should avoid doing books that are self-gratuitous (doing them to just purely please ourselves). I think ultimately if we are the only ones who are going to ever see the photo book\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is a waste. I think you need to show a photography book to at least 1 other person (than yourself).<\/p>\n Parr\/Badger talk about the different genres of photography books, and they still privilege documentary photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d as they see it having a much deeper purpose and meaning than conceptual or artsy-fartsy books:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are not advocating documentary photography as the only valid photographic genre, but we do privilege it to some extent\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and we certainly are taking a stand against the narrowness of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcphotography for its own sake.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Let us delve more into the concept of photography books having a social purpose. Here is a great passage on the importance of social photography by Lincoln Kirstein:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The real photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s other services, services which take the greatest advantage of his particular medium and invoke its most powerful effect, are social<\/strong>. The fact is our homes and times, shown surgically without the intrusion of the poet\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s or the painter\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s comment or unnecessary distortion, are the unique contemporary field of the photographer, whether in static print or moving film. It is for him to fix and show the whole aspect of our society<\/strong>, the sober portrait of its stratifications, their backgrounds and embattled contrasts.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some of the books analyzed in this volume have been photo books that document contemporary life. These photographers photograph the world around them\u00e2\u20ac\u201d trying to find meaning and understand society through their images. Parr\/Badger explain:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The best photographers have always photographed contemporary life and the world around them. The best will continue to do so.<\/strong> As far back as 1938, Lincoln Kirstein<\/a> wrote that pictorials and commercialism were ruining photography, and castigated photographers who try to obfuscate or improve the stark realities revealed by the camera.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Every photograph we take is historical. When you make an image, it instantly becomes a historical document \u00e2\u20ac\u201d as you are just capturing a single moment (that will once pass after you click the shutter):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is not a question of genre, style, or approach but comes from the realization that this is what photography does best. The camera creates images that are instantly historical, tied to a moment.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, there is a social purpose to photography. Photographs influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photography is at the service of many interests and disciplines, from astrology to Zionism, and they all use the camera to record, collect, confirm, indict and persuade<\/strong>. The medium is a vast repository of facts and opinion about society<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n One of my favorite quotes from Robert Hughes in the book emphasizes the importance of having social impact through our photos:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If art doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t say anything about the world we live in, I wonder whether it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth having it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I have been quite interested in urban-landscapes recently, especially the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153New Topographics<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d school of photography. These photographers are photographing the human condition through the man-made urban environment we live in.<\/p>\n The benefit of photographing urban landscapes is that they seem less \u00e2\u20ac\u0153judgmental\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of society (than just photographing poverty or homeless people). But they still pack a lot of emotion, mood, and challenge us to think about our role and spot in society.<\/p>\n Parr\/Badger elaborate:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If concern and sentimentality are problems, they can be mitigated by another kind of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccool\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d not cool in a knowing, hip sense, but in terms of a calm, intellectual emotional distance. this can be found in the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcnonjudgmental\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 tone of the highly influential New Topographical mode, which remains a widely used tool for exploring society in a reasoned way.<\/strong> [\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6] Landscape and environmental issues, for example, seem to demand the more measured tones and psychological distance of the New Topographical approach.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A lot of photography books also have been focused on documenting consumerism\/globalization. Martin Parr does this very well, in his books, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Last Resort<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Small World<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Common Sense<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Luxury<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and many others.<\/p>\n Parr\/Badger expands:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Two other topics, very much interlinked that have been of increasing concern to photo book makers in recent years\u00e2\u20ac\u201d consumerism and globalization. As the world becomes more homogenized, a somewhat restricted photographic style seems the ideal way to comment upon it<\/strong>. Following an example like Lars Tunbjork\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcOffice\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, a whole slew of recent books have investigated the soullessness of the modern workplace and shopping mall<\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I think one of the best things to photograph is contemporary issues. This includes globalization, Internet addiction, the soullessness of the office environment, our addiction to consumerism and products, and obsession with wealth and fame.<\/p>\n I think as street photographers, our primary concern is photographing people. But there are often a lot of ethical questions that loom.<\/p>\n One solution? Photograph in a totally open and transparent way.<\/strong> Collaborate with your subjects more in making images (Alec Soth<\/a> does this really well).<\/p>\n In \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcFinlandia<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 by Jouko Lehtola \u00e2\u20ac\u201d he engaged with his subjects, became more of an insider, and was very intimate and transparent with his photography:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Few photographers attain the intensity of Diane Arbus when making portraits, by Lehtola did. And he did so because he was always engaged. He felt of this subjects, whether outsiders, people with problems, or natural nonconformists. He himself was a nonconformist, a real \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcin yer face\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 photographer and unapologetic about it<\/strong>. Whether photographing people, places, or interiors, this attitude was transparent. Finlandia burns with a passion that almost amounts to rage.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Below are some photos from “Finlandia”:<\/p>\n One type of photography style\/book concept is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153documentary story-telling\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, which Jim Goldberg does well. Parr\/Badger analyze his book: \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcOpen See<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and how he is able to make a much more radical and collaborative method in making a photography book.<\/p>\n Goldberg is interested in making a multi-media story and narrative, and has his subjects interact with him. They write on the images, and he combines other objects and images to complement this story. Parr\/Badger expand:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This important work takes Goldberg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s collaborative methods to a new high, whereby he incorporates text (getting his subjects to write on the images in his unusual manner) and combining his photographs with other ephemera\u00e2\u20ac\u201dPolaroids, video stills, found imagery, hand-written texts\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in order to allow those he photographed a say both in the making of the work and in the construction of the story<\/strong>. And he himself contextualizes the portraits that form the book\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s core with street scenes, interiors, and landscapes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, what makes Goldberg\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s books so strong is that his books are very complex\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and not only try to find meaning and identity in his subjects, but also himself. He asks a lot of questions, and presents many different views:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In his familiar style of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdocumentary storytelling\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, Goldberg is at the fore of a recent tendency: the desire to make a multi-layered, multi-media narrative that is not only complex and searching but also self-questioning<\/strong>. Indeed, asking questions is perhaps more important than trying to answer them<\/strong>. Goldberg is also concerned, as he freely admits, with making photographs that are radical aesthetically<\/strong>. The result, exemplified beautiful in \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcOpen See\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, is not just one story but a number of inter-linked stories, not just a monocular point of view but a number of points of view, none of which attempts to cancel the others out<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Regardless of how good your photography book is, you can never please 100% of people<\/strong>. There will always be people who either don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appreciate your photography book, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand it, or just hate it.<\/p>\n For example in the book \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcPort Glasgow<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 by Mark Neville, he collaborated with the community, invited his subjects to make a collaborative effort in putting together images and the book.<\/p>\n Mark Neville spent a year as an artist-in-residence in Clyde Estuary town\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and when the book was published, he gave it directly to 8,000 homes in the town (members of local football team delivered it). It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t intended to be published for the public, he wanted to do it just for the community. However some copies of the book have slipped onto eBay and now go for thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n But anyways getting back to the point\u00e2\u20ac\u201d even though that Mark Neville has great intentions with his photography book (getting the community involved)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d there were still many members from the community that hated the book, and actively boycotted it:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Despite Neville\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s care, the book still aroused controversy. While most thought it a fair reflection of the community, there were dissenters<\/strong>. There were too many images of pubs and drinking, some complained. In a very West of Scotland reaction, some Protestants burnt their copies at the back of a local Catholic Club citing a perceived pro-Catholic bias in Neville\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s representation of the community\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a false accusation, as it turned out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The takeaway? You cannot please all the people all the time. And also remembering that there is no objective \u00e2\u20ac\u0153truth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d reality will always be created by the photographer.<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All this goes to show that photographers cannot please all of the people all of the time<\/strong>. More importantly, it demonstrates that any photographic survey is partial and tendentious: ultimately, the control is with the person wielding the camera.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another approach in photographing society has been via the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153diaristic mode\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which is a much more personal approach:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are about to argue, the so-called \u00e2\u20ac\u2122diaristic mode\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 has become an extremely important approach in modern photography<\/strong>, and we have given it much consideration, while at the same time hopefully distinguishing the diaristic photo books that look beyond their authors\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 egoistic self-absorption from those tiresome volumes that merely indulge it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The difference between the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153diaristic mode\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of photography from other approaches is that they deal with cultural and personal identity, and is much more intimate<\/strong>:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This trend, a turning inward of photographic expression, was made obviously manifest in the diaristic mode that became such a feature of the 1970\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s photography and has led directly not only to the kind of photographs posted on the internet, but also to the self-publishing movement. It has led to different photographic issues becoming important, such as cultural and personal identity<\/strong> and has intensified the role of photography in evoking both personal and collective memory<\/strong>. [\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6] In some quite unexpected areas, photography has become personal<\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For example some of the best practitioners of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153diaristic mode\u00e2\u20ac\u009d include photographers that photograph their own lives, people close to them, places they grew up or currently live, and their life experiences. Some photographers that fall into this camp include Daido Moriyama<\/a>, Anders Petersen<\/a>, and JH Engstrom.<\/p>\n Many young photographers are also making books for personal means\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to understand life and the society around them:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153In the past decade a new generation of documentary photographers has directed the documentary approach towards more personal ends<\/strong>. Their aim has been not to reform life, but to know it<\/strong>. Their work betrays a sympathy\u00e2\u20ac\u201d almost an affection\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for the imperfections and frailties of society<\/strong>. They like the real world, in spite of its terrors, as a source of all wonder and fascination and value\u00e2\u20ac\u201d no less precious for being irrational.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Photograph not just for yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but also for others. You can better learn more about yourself, your personal identity, and society through a more documentary style.<\/p>\n I think the documentary\/personal approach is one of the best ways to make a meaningful photography book\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and this can be done through street photography which is much more personal to you.<\/p>\n Another main type of photography book that is made is based on place. You can imagine this as photographing your own neighborhood, photographing a place (when you travel), or just any certain area.<\/p>\n Photographing place can be generalized as starting off more as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153tourist\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos. Many exotic places were photographed because they transplanted people into new and foreign places. People would live vicariously through National Geographic\u00e2\u20ac\u201d experiencing all these exotic places from all around the world. This would give people a sense of wonderment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and excitement about the world around them.<\/p>\n Parr\/Badger talk more about how some of the earliest photo books were essentially \u00e2\u20ac\u0153travel albums\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and photographed a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153sense of place\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of different locations. The greatest gift was transporting the viewer to an exotic place, as they explain:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photographing place, like photographing people, is fundamental. Many of the first photo books of the mid-nineteenth century were travel albums, essentially replacing or supplementing earlier topographical painting. They consisted of photographic views of faraway and exotic locations, and were made \u00e2\u20ac\u201d once photography had progressed from an amateur pastime to a professional business\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to be sold to tourists or to those back home unable to travel. Photography transplanted people.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I think photography is a unique medium\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because it makes someone feel like they are really somewhere. If you have never been to Istanbul\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you can see photos of Istanbul and get a glimpse of what it feels<\/em> like to be there. Of course you can never get the full-experience of being somewhere (without actually being there)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but photography comes pretty close.<\/p>\n So know that the power of doing a photography book based on a place can transplant your viewer to a different location mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.<\/strong><\/p>\n I think one of the most underrated types of photography is photographing your home. I can personally attest to this\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that it is very difficult to photograph a place that is very familiar to you. We get accustomed to routine, and when our homes and neighborhoods look routine\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we have no excitement or interest in photographing it.<\/p>\n But at the same time, the great benefit of photographing your own home or neighborhood is that you know it better than anybody else. A great example of a photographer who was able to document his own city well is William Eggleston<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you live in a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d neighborhood or environment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you actually have an added benefit\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that what you are photographing is much more unique.<\/p>\n For example, if you try to do a street photography book on New York City, you have to compete against all the great street photographers who have done work on NYC such as William Klein<\/a>, Bruce Gilden<\/a>, Garry Winogrand<\/a>, and many other master street photographers<\/a>.<\/p>\n But if you photograph your own neighborhood, it is far less likely that anybody else has photographed it. This instantly makes your projects more unique.<\/p>\n Furthermore, although it may feel restrictive to photograph your home\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I think it is that restrictions which breed creativity.<\/p>\n Even Parr\/Badger say that the best photographers are the ones that can photograph their own home and environment well:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Photography at home, although seemingly restrictive, tends to bring out the best in photographers (in the best photographers, that is) since they have such personal and profound connections to their subject.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fake emotion and connection. If you have a personal connection to your home and environment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the photographs with ooze with emotion and soul.<\/p>\n Make it personal. Photograph home as an idea for a project and book.<\/p>\n One interesting projects in terms of photographing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153home\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is from Todd Hido in his book \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHouse Hunting<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. Parr\/Badger describe the project:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153House hunting is the first activity faced by any young people, but Hido is also referring to the photographic process. In \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcHouse Hunting\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, he is stalking suburbia, scouting around for house images that, in their menacing aspects, are the antithesis of the suburban dream peddled by glossy magazines and the property industry.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I know a lot of street photographers who live in suburban environments\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and complain that there is nothing interesting to photograph.<\/p>\n Perhaps we can take a piece of inspiration from Todd Hido\u00e2\u20ac\u201d who would just drive around suburban neighborhoods and photograph homes in a very beautiful way. In a sense they feel cold and alienating (with lots of cold-toned shots with fog)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but there is always a sense of warmth inside (warm colors inside the windows).<\/p>\n I definitely recommend you to check out more of Todd Hido\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work online and in books, he also has some very introspective interviews on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n When we photograph a place, we can do it in a more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153neutral\u00e2\u20ac\u009d style\u00e2\u20ac\u201d as was done in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153New Topographical style<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Most of the shots in this school of thought were on tripods, shot with 8×10 large-format or medium-format cameras.<\/p>\n These photographs tend to have tons of detail of the urban environment, nice color combinations (Steven Shore\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Uncommon Places<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d are lovely), or have a starker feel:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The cool rhetoric of the New Topographical style, feigning neutrality, can be effective both for questioning and for framing indictments. It remains the most widespread approach for photographers documenting place. The full title of the seminal 1975 exhibition was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-altered Landscape<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Not only was the show influential aesthetically; it also set the agenda for what photographers photographed. Following \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcNew Topographics\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, it became de rigger to photograph the landscape as acted upon by humankind rather than as an unspoiled wilderness.<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The most interesting point about the urban landscape is that the environment of a place changes dramatically how we live, think, feel, and interact with one another.<\/p>\n If you are interested in urban landscapes, definitely check out the photographers in the book: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153New Topographics<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n One of the interesting things through photographing places is that photographers can express their sense of concern (either with an individual neighborhood, or the planet at large):<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But the photography of place has become much more complex and critical in the hands of many contemporary photographers. Whether they are examining their own lives and exploring their neighborhoods and homes, or whether they are concerned in the broader sense with the problems of urban development or the well-being of the planet itself<\/strong>, landscape photography and the photography of place remains a vital area of concern for many of today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leading photographers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I think people often think of landscapes as being unattached and cold\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but the best ones are the ones that challenge us in terms of social responsibility.<\/p>\n One of the most ambitious projects to-date (in my opinion) has been Sebastian Salgado\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Genesis<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d in which he is literally photographing the whole world. I think it was a little too ambitious (it was a bit too broad in terms of subject matter)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but he really shows his love, empathy, and concern for the planet and the future of human civilization.<\/p>\n Make photographs that show that you are concerned\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that you care about a certain place. Make it emotional\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and have a personal connection.<\/p>\n One of the strongest types of photography books are the ones that explore ourselves\u00e2\u20ac\u201d our own identity. These photography books show a sense of yearning\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a sense of searching for who these photographers are. They try to find a sense of personal meaning through their photography.<\/p>\n We will explore some more of these concepts of identity (and photo books) below:<\/p>\n In analyzing the trends when it comes to personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Parr and Badger explore two approaches: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Diaristic Mode\u00e2\u20ac\u009d vs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Individual and Collective Identity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d which is further explained below:<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Two distinct trends emerged in photography. Firstly, there was the diaristic mode\u00e2\u20ac\u201d photographers using the medium to make a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdiary\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of their lives and experiences<\/strong>, not simply to make autobiographical images but utilizing personal photography to reflect society\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s experiences through their own<\/strong>. Secondly, the question of identity\u00e2\u20ac\u201dboth individual and collective<\/strong>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbecame an important subject for photographers and the photo book.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is a mode where photographers make a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153diary\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of their life and experiences. This is a very personal way to make photos, as the subject matter, which is often the most relevant to us (is our own lives).<\/p>\n We also make our photographs personal by searching for our individual identity<\/strong> (who are we, where do we belong in society) and searching for collective identity<\/strong> (what does it mean to be an American, and what are our cultural values).<\/p>\n Both the individual and collective identity synthesize to give us a deeper meaning of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153self\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n Many photographers use small compact cameras to document their own identity. Some examples include Daido Moriyama<\/a> (film Ricoh GR) and Anders Petersen<\/a> (Contax T3).<\/p>\n The benefit of shooting with compact cameras is that they are always with us (easy to put in our pocket), and also they allow us to quickly capture moments (we can just point-and-click, without worrying about technical settings).<\/p>\n Therefore a lot of these personal photographs tend to look like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153snapshots\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because they are.<\/p>\n Generally a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153snapshot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d tends to be looked down upon. It is seen as not as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153serious\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as a more traditional photograph that is framed meticulously.<\/p>\n But a photographer trying to make a personal diary isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t so interested in composition, and fancy technical settings. They are more interested in capturing raw emotion\u00e2\u20ac\u201d moments, and their life experiences. And by making their photographs just look like snapshots, they feel much more intimate and personal.<\/p>\n Parr\/Badger briefly touches upon the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153snapshot aesthetic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d below:<\/p>\nWhy photobooks?<\/h2>\n
![\"1x1.trans](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i1192.photobucket.com\/albums\/aa322\/erickimphotography\/zona2\/PhotoMay2284159AM.png?resize=640%2C480\" "\\"Book")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhy I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m writing this article<\/h2>\n
![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/parr-office.jpg?resize=589%2C478\")
Photography books vs. the Internet<\/h2>\n
![\"Some](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/parr-photobook-library.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
The benefit of photography books<\/h2>\n
\n
We are lucky to be photographers in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s era<\/h2>\n
Why work on a photography book?<\/h2>\n
\u00c2\u00a0
![\"puklus_rainbow_library\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/puklus_rainbow_library-800x531.jpg?resize=800%2C531\")
<\/h2>\n\n
Photography books for yourself (versus others)<\/h2>\n
Lessons I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve Learned From\u00c2\u00a0The Photobook: A History Volume III<\/h1>\n
1. Snobbery against self-publishing<\/h2>\n
![\"book](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/book-library-600x800.jpg?resize=600%2C800\")
<\/p>\nTakeaway point:<\/h3>\n
2. What makes a successful photo book?<\/h2>\n
![\"1x1.trans](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Robert-Frank-the-Americans.jpg?resize=650%2C574\" "\\"Robert-Frank-the-Americans\\"")
<\/a>\n
Takeaway point:<\/h3>\n
3. Photo books serving a social purpose<\/h2>\n
![\"1x1.trans](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/20140120_130929.jpg?resize=660%2C534\" "\\"Click")
Making books for others<\/h3>\n
On documenting contemporary life<\/h3>\n
Documenting society through urban landscapes<\/h3>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/adamstracthouse-1024x768-800x600.jpg?resize=800%2C600\")
Documenting consumerism\/globalization<\/h3>\n
![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/martin-parr-miyagazi-the-artificial-beach-inside-the-ocean-dome-1996.jpg?resize=1000%2C813\")
Being transparent when photographing people<\/h3>\n
![\"joukolehtola-finalndia\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/joukolehtola-finalndia.jpg?resize=798%2C2538\")
<\/p>\nExploring \u00e2\u20ac\u0153documentary story-telling\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
![\"goldberg\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/goldberg-526x660.jpg?resize=526%2C660\")
<\/p>\nYou can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t please everybody<\/h3>\n
![\"Mark\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/10-Marks-New-Flat.jpg?resize=600%2C477\")
![\"Boys](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/15-boys-who-delivered-the-books.jpg?resize=600%2C400\")
Capturing photos via a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdiaristic\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 mode<\/h3>\n
![\"Anders](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Anders-petersen-2-451x670.jpeg?resize=451%2C670\")
Understanding society in a personal way<\/h3>\n
Takeaway point:<\/h3>\n
3. Photographing places<\/h2>\n
![\"Istanbul](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/NYC28135.jpg?resize=1053%2C704\")
Photographing home<\/h3>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/william-eggleston.jpg?resize=1200%2C796\")
Photographing houses<\/h3>\n
![\""House](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/todd-hido-house-hunting.jpg?resize=928%2C1167\")
Photographing a place \u00e2\u20ac\u0153neutrally\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n
![\"Stephen](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/stephen-shore.jpg?resize=1000%2C792\")
Identifying concerns<\/h3>\n
![\"cover_fo_salgado_genesis_trade_gb_1307081418_id_618549\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/cover_fo_salgado_genesis_trade_gb_1307081418_id_618549.jpg?resize=640%2C909\")
<\/p>\n4. Looking at Ourselves: The photo book and identity<\/h2>\n
![\"Daido](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/daido-moriyama-provoke.jpg?resize=800%2C578\")
The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Diaristic Mode\u00e2\u20ac\u009d vs. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Individual and Collective Identity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n
The Diaristic Mode<\/h4>\n
Identity: Individual and Collective<\/h4>\n
The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Snapshot\u00e2\u20ac\u009d aesthetic in capturing identity<\/h3>\n
![\"Nan](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Nan_goldin-Custom-4-800x529.jpg?resize=800%2C529\")
![\"Ezra](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/ezra-pound-richard-avedon.jpg?resize=472%2C480\")