Six excellent new photo books

I went to Powell's last night and saw 6 great new photos books (ok, one is a reprint, and a second is already out of print -- but they are all "new" to me!). Here they are, along with some links for the folks' websites where you can view more of their work:

1. "Saul Leiter" by Saul Leiter, Steidl, 2008

Awesome, painterly, emotive, mysterious street photography, very much in the tradition of Robert Frank or Louis Faurer -- but with a William Eggleston sensibility for color. If you intend to buy this book, and look at Amazon, don't be confused, they have two different listings, one is for $41 if you go straight through Amazon, but when I searched through Bookfinder I found it on Amazon for $31. There are also a couple of other books of his work currently in print, one of color work only, and another, but I didn't see those at Powells.

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2. "Cafe Lehmitz" by Anders Petersen, Schirmer/Mosel, 2009

This is a gorgeous reprint of the classic photo book from a dive bar on the Hamburg redlight district. It was hard to find an earlier edition for under $100 -- and not all were even in English -- this one has biligual text. Here's Petersen's website where you can view images from that book and others,

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3. "Written in the West" by Wim Wender, Schirmer, 2008

This book might already be out of print. I looked around a little on the Internet, again try Bookfinder for best price. Wim Wender (if you didn't know) is a Academy Award nominee director, who directed the evocative "Paris, Texas" movie (with awesome music by Ry Cooder) -- this book is from his location hunting for that film, kind of sketching out the kind of imagery he wanted in the film using a large format camera and color film. Another body of work that reminds me of Eggleston's, though this has something a little more gritty about it -- more southwest, more Texas.

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4. "Sawdust Mountain" by Eirik Johnson, Aperture, 2009

This work is more in the traditon of Joel Sternfeld, Stephen Shore and Alex Soth -- but it's pure "Northwest" -- right down to the moss growing on rooftops, deep green hues, and rivers floating with logs. A brand new book from Aperture, with a nice discount at Amazon. Here's a link to his website, and click here for the book's images.


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5. "The World from my Front Porch" by Larry Towell, Chris Boot, 2008

This is a surprising book from a Magnum photojournalist -- has the look and feel of a scrapbook, including mixture of different papers, fascimilies of drawings, keepsakes and personal snapshots. And what is most surpising is the richness of his "personal images" -- reminds me a whole lot of Emmet Gowen -- also maybe Eugene Richards and/or Sally Mann. They are mysterious, evocative, quiet & earthy. He weaves his personal imagery with his photojournalism about as well as I've ever seen this done. Check out his video on Magnum's website (although this does NOT give you any kind of feel for the book -- you really need to see and hold it to appreciate it):

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6. "Store Front" by James & Karla Murray, Gingko Press, 2009

Yet another big suprise -- this one I didn't even find in the photo section at Powells, but rather in the "excess culture" section -- but for the lover of New York City culture and street photography -- this is Walker Evans and Ed Ruscha and Eggleston too -- with a little bit of the spirit of Atget. A nice book -- a real slice of what may be slowly disappearing from the city. To see images from the book click here, and here is their website.

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I wish I had a few hundred dollars to spend on these, but if any of you can afford any of these, I'd say they are well worth the money!

Collector's Specials for September

Below are my two "Collector's Specials" for September:
1.

"RV fire - Portland, Oregon 2009"

First I have this very recent shot (above) from Portland, just-printed -- a large 16" x 20" photograph, for only $150!!! (if you didn't know, that is a lot lager than the average 11x14 photograph, and at that size the sense of drama of the people in this space becomes very striking!) This is a fiber-based, archivally printed photograph, printed by me here in my darkroom less than a mile away from where it was shot (only weeks ago) -- signed and editioned (2/25) on the back in pencil.

Normally I would sell a print of this quality and size for $400 or more, but right now you can get this one, for the one-time-only recession-era bargain price of $150!!! (unframed) Grab it before someone else does!

(I will deliver in the Portland area, to other destinations shipping costs are extra)

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2.

"Woman holding a cross at bus rest stop - Ronan, Montana, 2000"

Second, I have this vintage print, one of my absolute favorites (shown above)-- and it's available framed and ready to hang!!! This photograph, titled: "Woman holding a cross at bus rest stop - Ronan, Montana, 2000" is from my first of two bus trips across the US This photo appears in my "Rabbit" book -- this is an 11" x 14" fiber-based print, archivally processed, signed on the back, edition 3/25 -- printed in 2000 just after my return from the trip. And if you purchase it framed, it comes in an acid-free "rag" mat -- with lovely semi-matt black painted wood 16" x 20" frame. This is a haunting image, beautifully printed -- a real American "on the road" moment -- and, again, you can purchase this photograph for a one-time-only bargain price:

$195 unframed/unmattedsold
$295 framed/matted sold

(I will deliver in the Portland area, to other destinations shipping costs are extra)

More on Robert Frank and "The Americans"

And, if there hasn't been enough written about Robert Frank and "The Americans" over the last year, during this 50th anniversary of the book, here is a lenghty article about the book, anniversary exhibit, and the photographer by Anthony Lane in The New Yorker. Also a little slide show here.

About "The Americans" Lane writes:
"Such is one definition of “The Americans”: a sheaf of stills from a film that was never made—or a film that was made but never released, after the studio heads, examining a rough cut, discovered that every scene had been shot at just the wrong time, when the smiles of the stars and the chatter of the extras had yet to kick in, or had already started to fade... "
check it out.

Oneonta Gorge, Portland landscapes & Patricia

I developed some new film Sunday night. Here are few shots from Oneonta Gorge (a very famous creek gorge that flows into the Columbia River Gorge). I went with Patricia about a week ago -- too bad the weather was cloudy and rainy -- it would have been nice to get a little more light down into the narrow gorge. I'll have to go back again next time we see the sun here in western Oregon (hopefully before next spring!).








Here's a few recent Portland landscape shots. First, driving across the St. Johns Bridge.


Second, some telephone poles, power lines, and oil tanks along the St. Helens highway.


Third, a shot of the old Montgomery Ward building at sunset.


And last, a shot down below our house in North Portland at a railroad tracks crossing near the Willamette River.


And last for today, some recent shots of Patricia. The first 5 are from our trip to Oneonta Gorge, then the next one I shot while we were having burritos in a great St. Johns Mexican restaurant, and the last is of her with my former student (and an excellent photographer) Ward Shortridge on Alberta Street for "Last Thursday."














that's all for today...

Jay Fiorenza and Carol Isaak

Here are a couple of good Northwest Photographers I discovered recently:

photo by Jay Fiorenza
First, Jay Fiorenza's "Disappearing Landscapes" series, which is currently on exhibit at Powell's Books "Bh Gallery" in the downtown Portland bookstore. I think the prints are a little too small -- and somehow don't quite hold up to the idea that they are these precious vintage prints (I think that is his goal) -- but the images themselves are dreaming and nostalgic -- and some of them really do feel like they are shots that were made a long time ago. And it's a very nice series that works well together. Here's the link to his web gallery.


photo by Carol Isaak
Second, is a Carol Isaak, whom I met when I brought students to the Portland Art Museum on a tour of the photography gallery about 3 years ago. She was our docent guide for the exhibit. I had no idea she was such an accomplished photographer until I bumped into her at Newspace Center for Photography last Friday -- and she told me of her upcoming exhibit at Camerwork -- and gave me her card. I went to her website and was very impressed with her sophisticated and evocative color imagery. Here's the link to her website.

Enjoy!

More on Robert Frank's elevator girl on NPR

Here's an NPR article and NPR radio piece about the Robert Frank "Lonely Elevator Girl," with her speaking about the photo.