The Photography Book

The concept for this book is simple: 500 photographers, 500 pages. Arranged alphabetically, each of the photographers--from contemporary Dutch cameraman Hans Aarsman to mid-century New York shutterbug James Van Der Zee--gets a full, oversized page. On it is a large, expertly reproduced image and a concise caption packed with information about the photographer and his or her work. The coincidental alignment of photos of different eras and aesthetic sensibilities provides unusual and exciting contrasts that add an extra dimension to readers' perception of the work. Rineke Dijkstra's color-saturated shot of a bikini-clad beachgoer in South Carolina faces a Mike Disfarmer portrait of a rural Arkansas couple in 1943. Imogen Cunningham's inimitable Nude is here, along with a more surprising image--My Mother, Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire, a color-photo collage by painter David Hockney. With iconic photographs like Alfred Eisenstaedt's shot of a sailor and a nurse kissing in Times Square on V-J Day, historic ones like Larry Burrows's shot of wounded U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, and pop images like David LaChapelle's picture of a bodybuilder posing amid a cluster of little boys aping his stance, the scope of this visual encyclopedia is truly epic. And with its incredibly low price tag, there's no better value out there for fans of photography.

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A brilliant book for enthusiasts - Rated
This book is presented beautifully with 500 pages of famous and less well known photographers who have made an impact on the art today. I think this book was made to entertain more than educate, with its lovely photographs but short descriptions.
I use The Photo Book to help me with college assignments in choosing photographers to study and styles to focus on. I think its perfect for amateurs who already have all sorts of book on technique, and shows us why photography is such a popular subject.
A great coffee table book, if nothing else.

okay - bit disappointing - Rated
I bought this book because I am always interested in the medium of photography and how things are 'caught' on camera but I found this book a bit disappointing and I thought the description with each photo was, to be honest, a bit rubbish. However perhaps that was becuase I bought the mini version, perhaps the bigger version has more description or makes more of an impact.

I think I am more interested in who the subject was or why the picture was important within photographical history but I found some of the photos a bit pointless and the description did not help me to see why this person was a famous photographer or why he/she was worthy to go in the book. However I guess if you are more of a photography student you would find the description more helpful and you would perhpas know more about the person's portfolio of work. I think I am more interested in photographs from a historical/social aspect, and if you're the same I would advise flicking through this book in a library/bookshop but not buying it.

Dull text - but too small tor ead anyway! - Rated
This is the large book squished down to a small format. So the text, which I assume was legible in the original version, is now too small to read comfortably.
It's impossible to open the book fully to look at the photos without breaking its spine.
When you have spoilt the book by opening it and managed to read the text you'll wish you hadn't bothered - it doesn't give you any insight whatsoever into the associated image.
Even at under £6 this is a waste of money.

Breaks down the old fashioned fiew of photography. - Rated
This book shows the best examples of the variety of ways people use their cameras. It shows that you don't need to follow in the footsteps of the masters to get great photos and the great images can be of any subject. The'documenting' photographs, such as the first landing on the moon and the murder of a judge, show a moment in time that is unique and saved on film forever. Photography is not about the great technical skills of Ansel Adams of the ways of capturing human emotion like Bill Brandt, but about capturing a persons view of the world, which all of the photographers in the book have done. Vital in anybodies book collection even if photography doesn't interest them. It's an wonderful example of how we should all stop and take time out to view the world we live in, in a different way. Especially as the mini version is avaliable.

A good book for anyone who likes photography! - Rated
This book includes some classic photos mixed in with the extra ordinary . The use of text is particulally strong as it helps to solve the meaning of certain photos.The book has many strong points but one bad point is that you can't fit it into your pocket to read on the way to work!