Gift Book?

T. Edwards writes: "Mike—not a comment but a request. I'm looking for suggestions for a book of photographs to give as a gift, but here's the catch: the recipient already has a large collection. So I am looking for quirky/quality books that would not be among the first few dozen that people would buy. I could spend up to $300. Thankful for any idas."

Mike replies: I thought I would put this up so others can make their own suggestions.

It would help a lot to know what kind of books he or she collects, to be able to suggest something outside of the giftee's sphere of interest. For $300, however, you can buy some of the more rare, out of print books. A few suggestions might be Multitude, Solitude: The Photographs of Dave Heath, Keith Davis's masterpiece, which is wonderful and out of print; Lisboa from Pierre von Kleist Editions; the beautiful André Kertesz, Diary of Light from Aperture, which is exceptional; A Vision Shared, the best book about the FSA, which is less expensive but would be appropriate as a gift; The Wise Silence: Photographs by Paul Caponigro, gravure-printed mystical landscapes; or Edward Weston's California Landscapes, although s/he might already have that if s/he collects classic American 20th-century photography. If you can give us a better hint about the recipient we can probably make better-directed suggestions. A little-known gem from years ago is the small but potent George Krause 1 Pentti Sammallahti's Here Far Away was one of the most popular titles among our readers. It's a gorgeous book that is right at your budget.

Just because I've linked to Amazon doesn't mean Amazon will necessarily be the best place to buy these. Poke around a bit.

Another option is to find a good photobook dealer and ask for suggestions within your budget. The advantage there is that they will suggest books they've seen (to appraise condition) and that they have in stock to sell.

Let us know more! And I hope we'll get suggestions from others.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Comments

[Dave]

Haven't seen the book but Don Mccullin: Journeys Across Roman Asia Minor Published by Cornucopia Books looks as if it might be a future collectible.
https://www.cornucopia.net/store/books/don-mccullin-in-turkey/

Dave

[Kristine Hinrichs]

I found “Reunions” to be very different and quirky. Photos are by Chris Porsz, words by Jo Riley. Porsz was a photographer for the Peterborough Evening Telegraph in the UK, I believe. He located the subjects of his news photographs - 20 years later - and recreated the photos, with an update as to what had happened to them since then.

I may have learned about it on this site. I ordered it directly from him chrisporsz.com.

[Mike Plews]

Some are out of print but available.
Photographs and Words, Wright Morris
Sudek, Sonia Bullaty
Color, Harry Callahan

Some of my favorites

[Stan B.]

One can find thousands of unique, indie
(and more commercial) photobooks via the following blogs: Photo-Eye Blog, PhotoBook Journal, The Independent Photo Book.

[Mike Plews]

Forgot Iowa by Nancy Rexroth

[Ed Hawco]

Peter Turnley's new book ("The Other California") looks pretty good, and since it just came out it's unlikely the person already has it.

[Jeff]

This recent, inexpensive, book from Friedlander’s work might be a bit quirky, given the collaborators…

https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Friedlander-Framed-Joel-Coen/dp/1881337367

[Mark Sampson]

Any book found at Lodima.org will be beautifully printed and presented work by some of the best artist-photographers of the last hundred years. I own a few different ones and cherish them all.

[Daniel]

High Plains Farm, by Paula Chamlee
This Land:An American portrait, by Jack Spencer
Structure, by Tillman Crane

All well done, varied subject matter.

[Rick Popham]

"Here Far Away" is the best book of photographs I've bought in a long time. Thanks for the recommendation back in the day, Mike!

I don't remember whether or not I ordered it from Amazon, but I know I didn't pay anywhere near $300 for it. Which means that book has outperformed my IRA. 8-)

[William Lewis]

One of my favorite photographers that seems to be vastly underappreciated is David Plowden. His lifetime retrospective book "Vanishing Point: 50 Years of Photography" isn't exactly cheap but it is the single best photographic book I've ever purchased.

https://amzn.to/476CqaG

Hope this is of use!

[Dean Johnston]

Hi.

Does it have to be a book?

https://benrido-store.com/product-category/mini-portfolio-open-editions/

Peace,
Dean

[Calvin amari]

Blossfeldt editions from the late 1920s and early 30s are in that range. Or modern facsimile editions. Ditto modern facsimile editions of the Pencil of Nature.

[Andy Holman]

Momento by the late George Zimbel is filled with photos of some famous and many not famous people--the human condition over a 60 year span.Available for a very reasonable price at https://www.camtecphoto.com/en/product/george-zimbel-momento and others.

[Herman Krieger]

"Churches ad hoc: a divine comedy" a low
priced book at Amazon.

" Christians see devotion. Atheists see satire. Photographers see artistry." - The New York Times

[Steve Rosenblum]

"Modern Color" by Fred Herzog is really wonderful.

[Bill Kearney]

Genesis, by Sebastiao Salgado is a great book

[Calvin Amari]

… also https://www.amazon.com/Monograph-Limited-Tritone-Photographs-Mapplethorpe/dp/B08NWLMWP2/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1F84LA0S8X1SK&keywords=Tom+Baril&qid=1698293423&sprefix=tom+baril%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-7

A monograph by Tom Baril, sometimes better known as Mapplethorpe’s master printer but a photographer in his own right. The cover is a real photo (and happens to depict an industrial building, formerly a powerplant, on NYC’s East River that was for a time my abode).

[Peter Barnes]

Rick Popham took the words right outta my mouth: ""Here Far Away" is the best book of photographs I've bought in a long time. Thanks for the recommendation back in the day, Mike!"

[Peter Cameron]

Eternal London and Venice are a couple of my favourites from photographer Giacomo Brunelli. He also sells special editions that include a print.

[Nikhil Ramkarran]

Sammallahti’s book is now 600% of what I paid in 2013 when Mike recommended. And it remains one of my absolutely favourite photo books ever. I would not sell it for what it’s going for on Amazon now.

Kertesz acquired! I think I got the last one on Amazon. Thanks Mike.

Wait, who was this post for again?

[MikeR]

You mean I can sell Multitude, Solitude for many times what I paid for it? Quelle ROI!

[Simon Griffee]

Quirky, quality photo book?

I’m feeling bold today after recovering from a bad cold, so, if I may, I’d like to suggest this one:

https://www.simongriffee.com/work/windward/

[T. Edwards]

Many thanks to you and commenters for the great suggestions. I've looked at them all (and bookmarked some for future purchase just for myself.)

I ended up going with a book I found in your archives: https://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2021/06/meatyard.html

I chose this for two reasons 1) I had never heard of the photographer before (so I'm hoping my friend hasn't either) and 2) Meatyard shot with a Rolleiflex medium format, which is my friend's go-to camera.

Thanks again.

[Robert Stahl]

Ernst Haas Color Photography by Ernst Haas
Freeman Patterson: Embracing Creation by Freeman Patterson
Seeing Gardens by Sam Abell

[Tom Frost]

George Tice, Life Work, 2022 from Veritas Editions. Available at a few levels: basic, signed, slip-cased, with a print.

[Sean]

Mike,

What's the most you've paid for a book?

I'm lucky to own both Home and away, and Multitude, solitude. I couldn't imagine paying £300 for them, though. I know it's relative, so I know £300 on a book isn't a stretch for some collectors, but I wonder how many are bought at that price.

Sean

[Hi Sean, T. Edwards said his budget was $300, so some of the books I recommended were in that price range. That's all. --Mike]

[Sean]

Doh!

I meant, Here Far Away

[Trygve Strömberg]

The Last Days of The Arctic by Ragnar Axelsson. One of my favourites. I wouldn’t want to be without it. A very impressive piece of work. Rare, but can still be found. There is at least one preview on the Net.

[Trygve Strömberg]

My previuos comment seems to have ejected itself into outer space. Hence, another try. Some of these books are rare.

Ragnar Axelsson: Last Days of the Arctic (magnificent)
Sebastiao Salgado: Sahel, The End of the Road (famine, drought)
Sally Mann: Deep South (wet plates, evocative)
Susan Burnstine: Within Shadows (home-made cameras, dreamy)
Alex Webb: The Suffering of Light (masterful photography)
Rinko Kawauchi: Illuminance or Utatane (both are surreal)
Masahisa Fukase: Ravens (dark and bleak)
Michael Kenna: Le Notre’s Gardens (different from MK’s usual)

Perhaps too many, but... Pentti Sammallahti has been mentioned a few times already. His book Here, Far Away is superb.

[Mitch Alland]

You could do a lot worse than my book Frog Leaping. As I don't want to make a heavy push, you can see a description and a flip-through video in this Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYfiT5oo1WI/