Planning a photoshoot can be daunting, especially when the plan is to photograph a heavy wool overcoat and the weather outside is... warm! We often start by listing out how we want the images to feel, and any new places we've found that would make a good setting. Then comes looking through stacks of photography books and dissecting them to see what we're drawn to. Often, there are images that spark ideas for the next campaign. It could be the way the light hits, how someone is framed, or accents of colour that draw out the subject.
Though our industry is all about hiding its references, we wanted to share some of our favourite photo books that continue to inspire us in capturing process, beauty, story, energy, perspective, colour and composition.
We hope you find one or two that pique your interest.
Richard Avedon's portraits from his 'In the American West' series are iconic. Even if you're not familiar with the book, you'll probably recognise some of the images. This series has inspired generations of photographers.
But we're more drawn to the book shot by his assistant, Laura Wilson. This book takes you behind the scenes and through the six-year process of how the whole series came together.
We've picked up this book so many times, and every time, we find something new.
We're also big fans of Koto Bolofo's other books, especially Horse Power, Rolls Royce, and of course, the 11 volume Hermès: La Maison, that documents the process and the people behind Hermès products.
I'd never heard of Justine Kurland before we came across this book by chance and haven't found anything like it since. There's a brilliant narrative running through it that makes you question every page. And then, you find out that it was all staged. Amazing.
So this one is actually a cookbook, but we don't look at it for recipes, its all about the pictures. Bob Carlos Clarke captures the energy of the chefs at work as if they were a rock band. It's playful and has bags of energy.
Yes, as in the actor Jeff Bridges. For decades, Jeff has taken pictures whilst on set using his unique Widelux camera which captures very cinematic images. We love this aspect ratio and perspective, but because of its awkward dimensions it’s a format that's used rarely. Which is sad because it is the width that makes every image feel like a window into another world.
Shot on an old (and extremely heavy) Deardorff 8x10 large format camera (the type you have to get under a small curtain to compose the shot), Joel Meyerowitz captures the colours and feeling of summer. I love how the images slow you down. They make you feel calm.
Saul Leiter's compositions are fascinating. Unlike most street photographers he used telephoto lenses to capture the choas of New York City. Every image feels carefully composed, with interesting framing, and bold colours, making his images feel more like a collage.
This list could go on and on, but we need to get back to work and plan our next shoot.
Any suggestions?
If you have any recommendations of photo books that we should check out, please leave your suggestions via the form linked below. We'll compile the answers and add them to a list on our blog.
Some of the books we've mentioned are out of print and can be super expensive, but there is a way you can still enjoy them. A favourite way of looking through books we can't get our hands on is searching the book title on YouTube. You'll be amazed by how many videos are available of people turning every page of a book so you can see inside. What a time to be alive.
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