LightBox presents a special preview of the season’s best photography books, featuring new titles from legendary photographers Stephen Shore and Bruce Davidson, as well as inspired work by contemporary photographers Michael Light, Julie Blackmon and LaToya Ruby Frazier.
These photo books, lovingly designed and meticulously edited, are a rare treat in a time when photography is all-too-often relegated to selfies and snapshots, and offer an opportunity to truly indulge in the unfettered beauty of a well-made book.
If you are a publisher and would like to submit a title for our Spring/Summer edition of the Guide, please contact lightbox@time.com.
Nick Waplington's Settlement, published by MACK
A topogographic survey of Jewish identity in Palestine, Waplington photographs families living in settlements in and around Gaza and observes their struggles to find stability in the midst of conflict.Nick Waplington—MACKFrom Nick Waplington's Settlement, published by MACKNick Waplington—MACKFrom Nick Waplington's Settlement, published by MACKNick Waplington—MACK Hiroshi Sugimoto's Dioramas, published by Damiani
A study in dioramas four decades in the making, Sugimoto's photographs explore the stylized reality of museum-made habitats and what they reveal about nature and the power of photography to document the natural world. Hiroshi Sugimoto—DamianiFrom Hiroshi Sugimoto's Dioramas, published by DamianiHiroshi Sugimoto—DamianiFrom Hiroshi Sugimoto's Dioramas, published by DamianiHiroshi Sugimoto—DamianiBruce Davidson in Color published by Steidl
A selection of rarely seen color photographs selected by Davidson himself, Steidl's monograph is a vibrant survey of commercial, fashion and documentary work. Bruce Davidson—Steidl/Magnum PhotosFrom Bruce Davidson in Color published by SteidlBruce Davidson—Steidl/Magnum PhotosStephen McLaren & Bryan Formhals' Photographer's Sketchbooks, published by Thames & Hudson
A glimpse into the creative process of contemporary photographers, this compilation of scribbles and sidenotes reveals the raw ideas of some of modern photography's most inventive artists.Stephen McLaren & Bryan FormhalsJason Eskenazi, from Wonderland, from Stephen McLaren & Bryan Formhals' Photographer's Sketchbooks, published by Thames & HudsonStephen McLaren & Bryan FormhalsRoger Ballen, Installation 2, from Stephen McLaren & Bryan Formhals' Photographer's Sketchbooks, published by Thames & HudsonStephen McLaren & Bryan FormhalsMichael Subotsky & Patrick Waterhouse's Ponte City published by Steidl
A collection of images of Ponte City, an enormous apartment complex in Johannesburg, South Africa. An exhaustive visual, historical and analytical examination of every resident, every doorway, and conceivable angle of the largest residential building in Africa.Michael Subotsky & Patrick Waterhouse—SteidlFrom Ponte City published by SteidlMichael Subotsky & Patrick Waterhouse—SteidlFrom Ponte City published by SteidlMichael Subotsky & Patrick Waterhouse—Steidl Julian Wasser's The Way We Were, published by Damiani
Candid and gracefully executed, Julian Wasser's celebrity photos reach beyond the surface sheen of Hollywood glamor to capture a more subtle, and at times moving portrait of fame and fortune.Julian Wasser—DamianiFrom Jullian Wasser's The Way We Were, published by DamianiJulian Wasser—DamianiStephen Shore's Survey published by Aperture
An exploration of Stephen Shore's groundbreaking photography split into three parts, Survey dissects the complex ideas behind Shore's deceptively straight-forward images.Stephen Shore—ApertureFrom Stephen Shore's Survey published by Aperture
U.S. 97, South of Klamath Falls, Oregon, July 21, 1973Stephen Shore—ApertureRobin Schwartz's Amelia and the Animals, published by Aperture
Robin Schwartz's images of animals have appeared in museum and galleries around the world, and her daughter Amelia has spent her lifetime among the animals her mother has photographed. Robin Schwartz—ApertureFrom Robin Schwartz's Amelia and the Animals, published by ApertureRobin Schwartz—ApertureFrom Robin Schwartz's Amelia and the Animals, published by ApertureRobin Schwartz—ApertureBecoming Disfarmer published by the Neuberger Museum of Art
A disgruntled farmer who reinvented himself as a portrait photographer in dust-bowl era Arkansas, Mike Disfarmer's work remained unseen for decades, and is explored beyond the scope of vernacular photography and reconsidered as fine art.Mike Disfarmer—Neurberger Museum of ArtFrom Becoming Disfarmer, published by the Neuberger Museum of ArtMike Disfarmer—Neurberger Museum of ArtLaura Letinsky: Ill Form and Void Full
Letinsky's tabletop still lifes become abstract collaborative collages, built from past images of her own, photo shoots from design and decor magazines and other assorted objects, creating the serene yet disjointed images in her latest book. Laura Letinsky—Radius BooksFrom Laura Letinsky: Ill Form and Void FullLaura Letinsky—Radius BooksDoug Rickard's N.A., published by DAP
A crash course in found photography in the mobile age, artist Doug Rickard takes still frames from YouTube videos depicting semi-illegal and at times unsettling acts and repurposes them as still images, posing harsh and undeniable questions about private vs. public, photography vs. video and art vs. appropriation. Doug Rickard—DAPFrom Doug Rickard's N.A., published by DAPDoug Rickard—DAPStephen Shames' Bronx Boys, published by the University of Texas Press
A project that began as a 1977 assignment for Look Magazine, Stephen Shames documents the lives of young men and their daily existence in the "terrible beauty" of the Bronx.
Stephen Shames—University of Texas Press/PolarisFrom Stephen Shames' Bronx Boys, published by the University of Texas PressBoys play basketball, using the fireescape ladder at the hoop. 1987 - 88Stephen Shames—University of Texas Press/PolarisFrom Stephen Shames' Bronx Boys, published by the University of Texas PressTwo teens wear stocking masks they use to hide their identity when they rob people. Bathgate Avenue, 1982Stephen Shames—University of Texas Press/Polaris Paul Graham's Does Yellow Run Forever? published by MACK
Rainbows, riches and daydreams are the visual focus of Paul Graham's latest book, but the images as a whole tell a more complicated story about what we value in life, and the unexpected places we find it.Paul Graham—MACKPaul Graham's Does Yellow Run Forever? published by MACKPaul Graham—MACKAnnelies Strba's Noonday, published by Lars Muller
A sequel nearly two decades in the making, Strba's quietly inviting photographs show the fleeting moments of childhood and everyday life with the permanence of photography and the sentimentality of memory.Annelies Strba—Lars MullerAnnelies Strba's Noonday, published by Lars MullerAnnelies Strba—Lars MullerDan Budnik's Marching to the Freedom Dream, published by Trolley
A body of work that chronicles three major marches of the civil rights movement, Dan Budnik's black and white photos follow the paths of legendary leaders and the people who rallied behind them in the often times violent fight for equal rights.Dan Budnik—TrolleyFrom Dan Budnik's Marching to the Freedom Dream, published by TrolleyDan Budnik—TrolleyFrom Dan Budnik's Marching to the Freedom Dream, published by TrolleyDan Budnik—TrolleyThe Open Roadby David Campany, published by ApertureDedicated to the Great American Road Trip, Open Road considers road trip photography as a genre of it's own, and studies bodies of work that approach the expansive American landscape through car windows and camera lenses.David Campany—ApertureFrom The Open Roadby David Campany, published by Aperture
Inge Morath, Outside Memphis, Tennessee, 1960Inge Morath—Magnum PhotosLarry Towell's Afghanistan, published by Aperture
A multifaceted survey of a nation plagued by war and shrouded in stereotypes, Larry Towell's images, notes and photo collages show a complex country from a vast variety of perspectives. Larry Towell—ApertureFrom Larry Towell's Afghanistan, published by ApertureLarry Towell—ApertureFrom Larry Towell's Afghanistan, published by ApertureLarry Towell—ApertureLandmark: The Fields of Landscape Photography published by Thames & Hudson Mining the rich and storied genre of landscape photography, Landmark compiles the work of over 100 photographers and their aesthetic fascination with and visual interpretation of the physical world.William A. Ewing—Thames & Hudson
From Landmark: The Fields of Landscape Photography published by Thames & HudsonEd BurtynskyJulie Blackmon's Homegrown published by Radius Books
Continuing her photographic exploration of domestic life, Julie Blackmon casts her subjects in a more painterly light, creating scenes that appear both timeless and contemporary.Julie Blackmon—Radius BooksFrom Julie Blackmon's Homegrown published by Radius BooksJulie Blackmon—Radius BooksEugene Richards' Red Ball of a Sun Slipping Down, published by Many Voices Press
Eugene Richards' book full of unpublished black and white photos and recent color work is a visual reminiscence of the Arkansas Delta, a region he first entered in 1969, and would continually return to. Eugene Richards—Many Voices PressFrom Eugene Richards' Red Ball of a Sun Slipping Down, published by Many Voices PressEugene Richards—Many Voices PressMichael Light's Lake Las Vegas/Black Mountain, published by Radius Books
A harrowing overview of Nevada's post-recession real estate slump, Michael Light photographs half-finished luxury developments and the landscapes that were reshaped to accommodate them.
Michael Light—Radius BooksMichael Light's Lake Las Vegas/Black Mountain, published by Radius BooksMichael Light—Radius BooksChristopher Bangert's War Porn, published by Kehrer
A shocking and revelatory examination of conflict photography and cencorship, War Porn is pulled from 10 years of Bangert's photography, covering Iraq, Afghanistan, Gaza, Lebanon and Indonesia.
Christoph Bangert—KehrerFrom Christopher Bangert's War Porn, published by Kehrer
Outside of the emergency room of the Medical City Hosptital the uncle of a young girl called Sahra is crying. She died during a mass panic on the bridge between Adamiya and Kadamiya. Her father is away looking for her mother, who is missing.
Panic engulfed thousands of Shiites marching across a bridge from Adamiya towards Kadamiya in a religious procession Wednesday after rumors spread that a suicide bomber was about to attack, triggering a stampede that killed more than 600 people.Christoph Bangert—KehrerLee Miller's War published by Thames & Hudson.Vogue cover model turned pioneering war photographer, Lee Miller was on the front lines of World War II from the trenches to the gates of Dauchau and, famously, to Hitler's bathtub, capturing the war in photographs that still resonate and inspire. Lee Miller —Lee Miller ArchivesFrom Lee Miller's War published by Thames & Hudson. Lee Miller in Hitler’s apartment at 16 Prinzregentenplatz. Note the combat boots on the bath mat now stained with the dust of Dachau; and a photograph of the previous owner of the flat propped on the edge of the tub.Lee Miller & David E. Scherma&—Lee Miller ArchivesWendy Ewald's This is Where I Live, published by MACK
A social experiment turned documentary project, Wendy Ewald gave cameras to people living in Israel and the West Bank, and asked them to photograph their lives. The resulting images show a deeply personal side of these communities in conflict and the cultures that define and divide them.Wendy Ewald—MACKFrom Wendy Ewald's This is Where I Live, published by MACKWendy Ewald—MACKEliott Erwitt: Regarding Women published by teNeues
An homage to the women who have passed in front of Erwitt's lens, from Marilyn Monroe and Jackie O. to strangers and passers-by, Regarding Women celebrates the wide range of female features that contribute to the wonderful complexities of womanhood.Elliott Erwitt—teNeuesFrom Eliott Erwitt: Regarding Women published by teNeuesElliott Erwitt—teNeuesFrom Eliott Erwitt: Regarding Women published by teNeuesElliott Erwitt—teNeuesStephane Sednaoui's Search and Rescue at Ground Zero, published by Kehrer
A hauntingly beautiful body of work covering the search and rescue efforts in the days following Sept.11, 2001. Heroic and heartbreaking, Sednaoui's images convey both the immense loss in the immediate aftermath, and the glow of hope that rose from the rubble.Stephane Sednaoui—KehrerFrom Stephane Sednaoui's Search and Rescue at Ground Zero, published by KehrerStephane Sednaoui—KehrerJean-Pierre Laffont's Photographer's Paradise, published by Glitterati
A celebrity photographer who dreamt of being a photojournalist, Laffont left Paris and found a land of photographic opportunity in AmericaJean-Pierre Laffont—GlitteratiFrom Jean-Pierre Laffont's Photographer's Paradise, published by Glitterati
Bronx, New York City, NY. Summer of 1966.
An abandoned car becomes a place for kids to play in Fox Street.
From the mid-1960s to the late-1970s, quality of life for Bronx residents declined sharply.Jean-Pierre Laffont—GlitteratiPeter Walther's The First World War in Color, published by Taschen A collection of autochrome photographs of WWI by various photographers who were pioneers in early color photography, reveal some of the most pivotal moments of the war in a way that beautifully upsets the familiarity we've come to expect from black and white war photography of the era. Peter Walther—TaschenFrom Peter Walther'sThe First World War in Color, published by TaschenUllstein Bild - Roger-Viollet/Jules Gervais-Courtellement—Courtesy TaschenLaToya Ruby Frazier's The Notion of a Family, published by Aperture
In her first book, Frazier explores themes of economic inequity, racism and personal politics through three generations of her own family, and documents the tolls that big injustices can have on small families and communities alike.
LaToya Ruby Frazier—ApertureFrom LaToya Ruby Frazier's The Notion of a Family published by ApertureLaToya Ruby Frazier—Aperture
