Thanks Adam. These books may have been your early readings, but your curiosity saw this expand quickly developing into a library that, I suspect, underpins your emergence as a very significant and reflective practitioner today (you bet I'm proud). In the contemporary world of photographic practice, each book alone could be seen as problematic. But placed within a rich canon developed across time, these books form a foundation to (and history of) an incredibly powerful (storytelling) discipline.
7th Wave by Trent Park and Narelle, Workers by Salgado and in the American West by Avedon were the first books that really made me understand the power of photography.
For me getting into African wildlife photography was Nick Brandt's "On this Earth" and "A Shadow Falls". Although he doesn't have a book per se Horst Klemm was influential to me in his photos at Abu Camp (which I later visited).
I'd moved to Melbourne from Ballarat for work after graduating from university. As a junior designer prowling an inner-city art bookshops in Flinders Lane, saw a huge, black tome with NATCHEWEY • INFERNO pressed into the fabric cover. I opened it and its contents was like a ton of bricks. I hated to look, but felt morally compelled not to look away. $130 on intern wages was completely unjustifiable, but that book taught me the force of photography's power to bear witness.
MILK's series on love, friendship, family and intimacy pegged out the other end of the spectrum and showed me that photography could love.
In between, I think Larry Towell's "The Mennonites" and Chris Anderson's "Son" both deeply affected my view of photography as something that could be personal, empathic and expressive.
Thanks Adam. These books may have been your early readings, but your curiosity saw this expand quickly developing into a library that, I suspect, underpins your emergence as a very significant and reflective practitioner today (you bet I'm proud). In the contemporary world of photographic practice, each book alone could be seen as problematic. But placed within a rich canon developed across time, these books form a foundation to (and history of) an incredibly powerful (storytelling) discipline.
Great selections. Salgado's 'Workers' changed me forever, as did 'Five Decades' from Arnold Newman (highly recommend!).
7th Wave by Trent Park and Narelle, Workers by Salgado and in the American West by Avedon were the first books that really made me understand the power of photography.
For me getting into African wildlife photography was Nick Brandt's "On this Earth" and "A Shadow Falls". Although he doesn't have a book per se Horst Klemm was influential to me in his photos at Abu Camp (which I later visited).
I'd moved to Melbourne from Ballarat for work after graduating from university. As a junior designer prowling an inner-city art bookshops in Flinders Lane, saw a huge, black tome with NATCHEWEY • INFERNO pressed into the fabric cover. I opened it and its contents was like a ton of bricks. I hated to look, but felt morally compelled not to look away. $130 on intern wages was completely unjustifiable, but that book taught me the force of photography's power to bear witness.
MILK's series on love, friendship, family and intimacy pegged out the other end of the spectrum and showed me that photography could love.
In between, I think Larry Towell's "The Mennonites" and Chris Anderson's "Son" both deeply affected my view of photography as something that could be personal, empathic and expressive.
Cartier Bresson for sure ,Sally Mann,Depardon and Doisneau