TIME's Best of 2011: The Photobooks We Loved

The Place We Live by Robert Adams, selected by Michael Mack, publisher of MACK

"Given the recent rash of 'retrospective-in-multiple-books' I approached Yale's Robert Adams’ three volume set with some trepidation. Thankfully the combination of a generous edit and quite exquisite production makes this a book set to rival any show as a lasting testament to an extraordinary life's work." —Michael Mack, publisher of MACK

Salt and Truth by Shelby Lee Adams, selected by David Walker, executive editor, Photo District News

"Outsiders have often portrayed Appalachia as a sort of rural ghetto, in want of our pity and intervention. But this remarkable collection of portraits by an insider, Shelby Lee Adams, defies the usual shame and condescension by digging deep into the culture and spirit of the place. Adams has an eye for the nuances of the lives and relationships of his people, and a solemn respect for their humanity. The result is a view of Appalachia as a richer, more life-affirming and self-sufficient place than most of us might think." —David Walker, executive editor, Photo District News

West and South by Charles Brittin, selected by Lyra Kilson, writer and editor

"In this well-edited, affecting monograph, Charles Brittin (1928-2011) looks at the West and the South at particularly beatific or volatile moments. The West is seen through the bohemian milieu of a group of artists and writers who Brittin fell in with while living in Venice Beach in the 1950s, while the South is captured from the urgent frontlines of the Civil Rights movement. In 1962, Brittin and his wife attended a meeting of the Congress for Racial Equality, a day that radically altered their lives. Brittin turned from documenting the freewheeling beatnik scene of art-making, parties, and Godard-esque hanging out, to violent protests and tense sit-ins, and began supplying photographs to the Los Angeles Free Press and the Black Panthers. Both eras of his work resulted in vivid, arresting images, but his turn toward social justice also makes him a hero of mine. As he put it simply, 'the times demanded that I do something.'" —Lyra Kilson, writer and editor

Paloma al Aire by Ricardo Cases, selected by Leslie Martin, Publisher of Aperture's Book Program and The Photobook Review

"A thoroughly idiosyncratic book - from its subject (Spanish pigeon racing) to its format and design (spiral bound, full bleed throughout). Spanish photographer Ricardo Cases presents a study of this niche sport, one that seems initially to have been fabricated for the sake of photographing, but turns out to be a hold out, an old-school sport in which pigeons are groomed, trained, and raced. The resulting photo book, quirky and beautifully printed, is a little gem worth seeking out." — Leslie Martin, Publisher of Aperture's Book Program and The Photobook Review

Val Verde by Sam Falls, selected by Phillip S. Block, Deputy Director for Programs, Director of Education, International Center of Photography

"Sam Falls continues his inventive use of photography, his imaginative exploration of the book, and his keen sense of the possibility of it all. Out of whole cloth he builds work that is rooted in the real world, references many media including painting sculpture and yet is firmly grounded in the here and now. His pictures and books challenge the conventions of photography while embracing its traditions." —Phillip S. Block, Deputy Director for Programs, Director of Education, International Center of Photography

Fred Herzog Photographs selected by Natalie Matutschovsky, associate photo editor TIME

"Fred Herzog Photographs is like a film that is equal parts an astute document of working class life and a quietly spectacular omnibus story. Told with a good painter's sensitivity to color and form, the streetscapes, portraits, narratives and abstractions come to life in the photographer's book. Herzog's use of color photo's came at a time when black-and-white photography was still considered a more serious form of the medium, yet the 50-year-old color photographs seem more contemporary then much of the other photography during that time. Which is fitting, since Herzog was a true pioneer."—Natalie Matutschovsky, associate photo editor TIME For more on Fred Herzog Photographs, check out our story here.

Rwanda 2004: Vestiges of Genocide by Pieter Hugo & Linda Melvern, selected by Rebecca McClelland, Photography Editor of The New Statesman

"My favorite photography book of 2011 is a collaborative work by South African photographer Pieter Hugo and journalist Linda Melvern, issued in a small print run by the new independent English publisher Oodee. Rwanda 2004: Vestiges of Genocide consists of work made in Rwanda, a decade after the mass genocides of 1994. The images are accompanied by Melvern’s essay and a detailed map and chronology of all the major genocide sites in Rwanda. The premise and Hugo’s motivation for making this book can be summed up by one single chilling line at the beginning: “Evidence of genocide was everywhere.” The book is an attempt by Hugo to answer the questions he had about the heritage and legacy of genocide when a whole country becomes the theatre for mass murder. “Why had nobody cleaned it up, how does one regard landscape where this type of atrocity has occurred? How does a divided society that has gone through something as terrible as this manage to co-exist?” he asked. These politically charged forensic still lifes of human remains are followed by the now sublime landscapes of the former sites of massacre. The emotional and physical ephemera of war and death are still evident in everyday life in Rwanda. With this book Hugo continues his persistent questioning of politics, culture and history as an African and a photographer." —Rebecca McClelland, Photography Editor of The New Statesman

drei by Fred Hüning selected by Susan Bright, curator and writer

"DREI is the third in a trilogy of books (the first being Einer and the second Zwei) which he has been working on since 2005. It completes an incredibly tender story of the profound cycles of live in a small family. In Einer the loss of a baby is heartbreaking and the oblique shots of the mother and the dead animals that are though the book are a painful attempt to cope with grief and loss. Zwei concentrates just on Fred's partner, the mother, as she comes to terms with her grief and her position as a mother even though she has no child. It is a gathering back of self and a chronicle of their love for one another. Drei is a triumph in happiness, bonding, togetherness and love. It shows the mother with their son (the sonogram being the last hopeful page of Zwei). As a reader you are so happy they had another chance at having a baby and the sheer delight, joy and tenderness of the mother and child relationship is at times overwhelming. You can not imagine a more wanted or loved little boy, or indeed a more loved mother by both the men in her life. It also shows the power of photography to be a cathartic tool to deal with big emotional subjects and make sense of a world that can at times seem unfair, cruel and desperate Drei is pure beauty and happiness." —Susan Bright, curator and writer

Pontiac by Gerry Johannson selected by Darius Himes, assistant director, Fraenkel Gallery

"For those who first saw Amerika over 10 years ago, it is a true joy to watch Johannson's work gain greater recognition. In Pontiac, Johannson visits the Michigan city of the same name, and the photograph of the car on the cover alludes to the state as the home of America's car industry. His square, black-and-white photographs are studied and quiet, not quick nor flashy. They hint at the travails the city, state and car company have all faced in recent economic times. They also find beauty in the average, Midwestern landscape. This is just the most recent book in a steady stream of consistent, thoughtful books. My advice is to go find his others as well." —Darius Himes, Assistant Director, Fraenkel Gallery

Sunday by Paul Kooiker, selected by Daniel Power of powerHouse Books

"Few in the history of the nude human form can claim a radical repositioning of the oft-too-clichéd art formula; outré artist (not by Dutch standards) Paul Kooiker manages to do just that: a modern photographic Botero incarnate, as delicate and precise as bronze, as luminous and ethereal as ceramic." —Daniel Power of powerHouse Books

Iraq | Perspectives by Benjamin Lowy selected by Larissa Leclair, founder of the Indie Photobook Library

"As a contractor for the U.S. State Department during the early phases of the Iraq war, I idealistically thought that language training would be a useful tool for diplomats and soldiers doing their job in Baghdad, but the reality of Green Zone living and the extreme security concerns limited conversation and interaction with locals. As daily media coverage in the U.S. showed the same kind of imagery, I searched for other perspectives and found them from Iraqi ex-pats who still had family there, Al-Jazeera, and the photographic work by Ben Lowy. Within the constraints of being an embedded photojournalist, Lowy creatively reveals glimpses of everyday life in Iraq in the context of war through the bulletproof windows of military Humvee and night-vision goggles—which in essence is the everyday perspective of our U.S. soldiers. As printed outlets for photo essays have disappeared it is all the more important for this kind of work to be published in book form." —Larissa Leclair, Founder of the Indie Photobook Library

Magnum Contact Sheets by Kristen Lubben selected by Phil Bicker, associate photo editor, TIME

"Magnum Contact Sheets published by Thames and Hudson offers a unique insight into the working process of the celebrated agency’s photographers over the past seven decades—their approach to taking and editing their pictures, as well as their idiosyncratic relationships with the contact sheet. The book details—and in some cases reconstructs—the back-stories behind some of the 20th century’s most iconic images. From those taken in the 1930′s by Henri Cartier-Bresson—who, the book reveals, purged all but the “Decisive Moments” from his archive —and Robert Capa’s celebrated images of the D-Day landings, to the civil rights era work of Bruce Davidson and Gilles Peress’ contact sheets that document the massacre of unarmed protesters on Bloody Sunday, to the more conceptual use of the contact sheet in the contemporary work of  Chien-Chi Chang and Jim Goldberg." —Phil Bicker, associate photo editor, TIME For more on Magnum Contact Sheets, check out our story here.

History’s Shadow by David Maisel selected by Colin Westerbeck, curator, writer, and teacher of the history of photography

"Basically, there are two ways to make photographs. One is to put all your photographic technique up front so that becomes your subject matter. The other is to put the technique behind the subject, in order to show it off and put all enhancements or clarifications at the service of that subject. The latter - what walker Evans called "documentary style" - is David Maisel's practice in History's Shadow. His subject is x-rays of sculpture made for conservation purposes, and his method is simply to put them on a light table and photograph them. The result is that these literal records made for scientific purposes take on an astounding symbolic life all their own. The book is also enhanced by having as a text, in place of the usual academic essay, an equally mysterious story by Jonathan Lethem titled 'Curator X.'" —Colin Westerbeck, curator, writer, and teacher of the history of photography

Series by Enrique Metinides, selected by Doug Rickard, photographer, publisher and editor of American Suburb X

"Humans have a special place in their hearts for tragedy. News media coverage of violence and our urge to gawk, hand over mouth, at car wrecks and catastrophe support this notion. From the eye of the gawking-storm comes Mexican photographer Enrique Metinides. As a Weegee-like photographer of the macabre, Metinides' glorious eye has been turned on murder, mayhem and catastrophe for all of his life. The results are shocking yet touching - a voyeur glimpse into heartbreaking despair and utter helpless/hopeless-ness. Kominek Books, in their Metinides title "Series" (2011), bring a broader cinematic and serialized glimpse into key scenes that Metinides has left in his wake. A gem of a book, innovative, intimate and powerful." —Doug Rickard, photographer, publisher and editor of American Suburb X To see more on Metinides check out our story here.

Mark Morrisroe by Mark Morrisroe, selected by Vince Aletti, critic for The New Yorker

"As usual, there are too many great books to choose from, but I'm going for Mark Morrisroe (JRP/Ringier), the book that accompanied his exhibition at Artists Space earlier this year. Morrisroe (1959-1989) is the most radical, experimental, and audacious of the loose-knit group of photographers, including Nan Goldin, Jack Pierson, and David Armstrong, who became known as the Boston School. Although he was a runaway at 13, a hustler two years later, and never exactly led a stable existence, his work was vivacious and frequently celebratory. He photographed himself, his friends and his lovers as if they were taking part in a spontaneous performance event or a never-ending party. He had a genuinely outlaw sensibility but an obsessive artist's eye (most evident in his Polaroids and photograms), and this book is the first to cover the full range of his often astonishing output." —Vince Aletti, critic for The New Yorker

Believing is Seeing (Observations on the Mysteries of Photography) by Errol Morris selected by Dan Leers, The Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, Department of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art

"I was excited to read Errol Morris' musings on photography compiled in the recently published Believing is Seeing (Observations on the Mysteries of Photography). Morris' critical investigation of Roger Fenton's iconic Crimean War photographs proves the point that if you look at a picture long enough, you'll always find something new." —Dan Leers, The Beaumont and Nancy Newhall Curatorial Fellow, Department of Photography, The Museum of Modern Art For more on Believing is Seeing (Observations on the Mysteries of Photography) see our story here.

Rodarte by Catherine Opie & Alec Soth selected by Feifei Sun, associate editor, TIME

"In an industry known for recycling trends and reinterpreting creations from the past, Kate and Laura Mulleavy—the sisters behind Rodarte—design clothing that belongs in an art museum instead of a fashion runway. Which is why it's so fitting that the great artists Alec Soth and Catherine Opie photographed their first book, Rodarte, published by JRP/Ringier in September. Opie's images of Rodarte clothing appear alongisde Soth's landscape images of California, both the sisters' home state and a constant source of inspiration in their work." —Feifei Sun, associate editor, TIME

Animals that Saw Me by Ed Panar, selected by Neil Harris, associate photo editor, TIME

"Ed Panar uses the language of vernacular photography to turn the idea of observing nature on its head. By capturing a fleeting moment of acknowledgment between species, there is tacit recognition that the roles of observer and observed are fluid and interchangeable. 'That’s what makes these photos interesting to me,' Panar says. 'We don’t really know what they’re thinking. We don’t know what we look like to them or what the world is like for them.'" —Neil Harris, associate photo editor, TIME For more on Animals that Saw Me, check out our story here.

Redheaded Peckerwood by Chrisitan Patterson selected by Caroline von Courten, Managing Editor of Foam

"At first sight or better to say during a quick flip through the photo book, Christian Patterson’s images appear surreal but foremost their colorful beauty triggers the reader’s eye. But when starting to read from the very beginning you’re caught by the five pages long confession letter from 19-year-old Charles Starkweather and 14-year-old Caril Ann Fugate who murdered ten people, including Fugate’s family. Patterson recorded places and things that relate to this murder story and added discoveries along the way when following their killing spree across Nebraska to the murders’ point of capture in Wyoming. The artist deliberately mixes fact and fiction (by using techniques of reenactment, photojournalism or image appropriation), which feeds the viewer’s curiosity in solving this visual puzzle. Documents and objects that belonged to the protagonists and their victims are included along Patterson’s photographs. The way all the visual material is edited provides cues and clues, but at the end, the myth of this tragic story is being kept. Subtle and powerful at once, Redheaded Peckerwood is one of those rare photo books that you want to read again and again." —Caroline von Courten, Managing Editor of Foam

Sydney Jonas Walk by Colin Snapp selected by Alana Celii, photo intern, TIME

"Colin Snapp's book, Sydney Jonas Walk, is an ethereal and fragmented journey through the artist's recent trips to the Northwest and beyond. The images, originally shot on video, were projected on to a wall and re-photographed, thus becoming decontextualized. As a result, the abstractions that remain give little to a sense of time and space, but reveal beauty in the overlooked and mundane." —Alana Celii, photo intern, TIME

Amies De Place Blanche by Christer Strömholm selected by Markus Schaden, founder of Schaden.com

"Like a great work of literature a photo book is really fantastic when you are caught by its story. Les Ameis De Place Blanche by Swedish Master Photographer Christer Strömholm is such an amazing book: Flip through some pages...and you are in Paris in a few seconds, you hear the sound of the Boulevards, your eyes reflecting the city of light, your nose smells the Metro. Now, start to follow Jacky, Nana and their friends into their intense life between Pigalle and Place Blanche. This Masterpiece is now available again as an extended reprint of the 1984 original edition—a must have!" —Markus Schaden, founder of Schaden.com

The Amnesia Pavillions by Nicholas Muellner selected by Jason Fulford, photographer and publisher of J&L Books

"Alongside Muellner's photographs, he tells a story about a recent trip to Russia, retracing his steps from 17 years earlier while trying to find an old friend who has disappeared. Text and image are represented in equal parts, and play off of each other with subtlety and emotion. The older Muellner reflects on the younger version of himself with both nostalgia and a critical eye." —Jason Fulford, photographer and publisher of J&L Books

The New York Times Magazine Photographs selected by Kira Pollack, director of photography, TIME

"The New York Times Magazine Photographs book is a window into all aspects of Kathy Ryan’s vision. Almost every photograph has a backstory from the photographer, and often from other editors and Kathy herself, where she so thoughtfully articulates the story behind each picture. At the end of the book are all the tearsheets, so you can see the original context in which the pictures ran. A lot of editors on Kathy’s level have a vision that evolves to a certain point and then stays there. Kathy continues to evolve and constantly grows as an editor. In September of this year, The New York Times Magazine was awarded a News and Documentary Emmy for her incredible production with Sølve Sundsbø, 'Fourteen Actors Acting'— a first for the Magazine and a fitting tribute to her ever expanding repertoire." —Kira Pollack, director of photography, TIME

A Living Man Declared Dead by Taryn Simon, selected by Alexander Ho, verticals photo editor, TIME.com

"The ultimate testament to Simon’s relentless process of investigation, A Living Man Declared Dead is the catalog accompanying her project, and subsequent exhibitions, of the same name. Produced between 2008 and 2011, Simon followed bloodlines and their related stories from around the world; in a Tate Modern interview with the artist, she stated that the project explores “the external forces of territory, power circumstance or religion [colliding] with the internal forces of psychological and physical inheritance... [a] collection at once cohesive and arbitrary, mapping the relationships among chance, blood, and other components of fate”. The formal construction of the book—a black leather cover containing over 700 pages of beige and white paper stock of printed images and text—is reflective of the devout seriousness of the project, and of Simon’s undeniable taste for detail." —Alexander Ho, verticals photo editor, TIME.com

A Criminal Investigation by Watabe Yukichi, selected by Alec Soth, photographer and publisher of Little Brown Mushroom

"Following a detective investigating a 1958 murder in Tokyo, Yukichi's photos almost look like stills from a Chandleresqe noir. Elegantly mixing text and image with perfect printing and design, this is a masterpiece of photographic storytelling." —Alec Soth, photographer and publisher of Little Brown Mushroom

The Suffering of Light by Alex Webb selected by Elisabeth Biondi, former Visuals editor of The New Yorker

"I have been in love with Alex Webb's pictures for years, decades actually. Now there is a beautifully produced and printed book which includes both: pictures that are like old friends and new surprises. It makes me happy." —Elisabeth Biondi, former Visuals editor of The New Yorker

Waikiki by Henry Wessel selected by Paul Moakley, deputy photo editor, TIME

"In Waikiki, Henry Wessel gives us his own careful observations on a place where most people come to escape their lives and experience a little paradise. There are hardly any illusions—just clear eyed observations in precise black and white photographs. The simple, understated book design compliments the nature of the work thus allowing this short series of photos to linger in your head like a vacation from long ago where it was too hot, sometimes boring, beautiful, yet unforgettable." —Paul Moakley, deputy photo editor, TIME

Conductors of the Moving World by Brad Zellar selected by Jörg Colberg, founder and editor of Conscientious

"Every year, I dread having to pick that one photo book that is supposed to be my favorite—usually, there are way too many good books to make this decision easy. Having said that, this year Brad Zellar's Conductors of the Moving World would be my pick. A selection of photographs taken by Eizo Ota, a Japanese policeman visiting the U.S. in 1972 to study traffic patterns, with text snippets from Zen books, traffic manuals and other texts added by Zellar. Each book is unique: The photographs are tipped-in prints, with the prints in each book being just a subset of the original group. Publications using vernacular photography rarely venture beyond simple selections of material, often picked for the purpose of nostalgia or amusement—this one easily and magnificently does."—Jörg Colberg, founder and editor of Conscientious