The importance of photobooks

for my photography

Jun 29, 2023

a little selection of my precious photobook collection

After moving back to Germany from the United States in 2012, I had the ambitious idea to create my own photobook1. I had a hard drive full of photographs I had taken in the Midwest and the desire to share those photos in the form of a book.

Shortly after we had settled in again, I took a photobook workshop to help me get started. After showing the teacher the photos I had selected, he asked me what my favorite photobook was and if I could name a few books to show him in what direction I wanted to go with my book. I don’t remember if I blushed or not, but I was pretty embarrassed because I could not name a single book that could have been an inspiration.

At that time, I owned a couple of books about the fundamentals of photography, but only a few of them were actual photobooks. The rough idea for my own book was pretty basic if not to say ill-conceived: hardcover, great paper and print quality, little text and nicely sequenced photos. It was my teacher who opened the door to the world of photobooks for me and showed me the endless possibilities by letting me surf through his well-stacked library.

I am a self-taught photographer. When I started photographing I studied the manual of my camera, read the occasional book on the basic elements of photography, but mostly I would learn by just going outside with my camera and shoot. And I still will say to everyone who wants to get serious about photography that practice is the key to learning.

But ever since I entered the world of photobooks I also would highly recommend to get yourself some photobooks or pick some up from your local library. Learning about photography by studying the works of other photographers has enriched my photography in many different ways. And it doesn’t really matter whether it is a photographer you admire or a genre of photography you are interested in.

I have photobooks in my collection which I love: whether it’s the subject, the layout or the photographer’s style - I just enjoy looking at them. But I also have books I couldn’t connect with right away. Photobooks which challenged my perception of what makes a good photograph or whose concept I didn’t understand. But studying these books, has broadened my understanding of photography just as much.

Monographs or Retrospectives are a great way to study the work and the growth of a photographer.

Sure, every photographer -dead or alive- has its internet presence nowadays. I could easily go to their website or Instagram account and look at their portfolio. But nothing beats the experience for me to have an actual photobook in my hand. It is comparable to an intimate conversation - this too I would rather have in person than on the Internet.

“I very much enjoy the deceleration imposed by the photobook. It allows a richer appreciation than the hasty scrolling of images stimulated by a nervous movement of the thumb against the screen of a smartphone. Seated at a table or in an armchair, with the book nicely placed between my eye and my hand, I feel as though a force field is becoming harmonized, as though something is finding its equilibrium, as in a yoga position.”
- Clément Chéroux2

Nothing beats sitting on the couch with my dog and a photobook.

Photobooks give me the opportunity to study the work of another photographer at my own pace. I can enjoy the photographs, looking at them whenever I want and as often as I want. They will always be waiting on the bookshelf for me. You just don’t get that same experience online or at an exhibition.

Another aspect of why I find photobooks so valuable is the writing in them. Whether it is an exhibition catalog, a monograph or a photobook about a specific theme or project, there is usually some sort of text about the photographer, the project and the photos. Reading the introductions and essays along with looking at the photos help me to get a better understanding of the photographer’s intentions and personality. The writing can also help to intensify a photograph and my appreciation for it.

This is an excerpt from a photobook with works of Edward Weston. The photos are paired with his journal entries. Reading his very own words lets me appreciate his work so much more.

A good photobook is like a visual journey. Getting lost in the world the photographer has created, being able to see how he sees and interprets the world through photography is an invaluable lesson. It broadens my own view and understanding of the world in a very unique way.

Photobooks also help me to evaluate my own work and to improve and grow as a photographer. Studying the work of other photographers, their motivation and their approach to a certain subject can be a big help in refining my own voice and vision as a photographer.

Photobooks help me to find new motivation when I feel stuck. They help me to develop ideas, and get inspiration for own projects. Often, after having sat down with a good photobook, I find myself full of excitement and inspiration to go out with my camera and photograph.

And last but not least, there is this satisfying sensory experience with photobooks:

“Once the cellophane wrapping has been removed from the book, I open it and, with an almost Pavlovian reflex, plunge my nose into the hollows between the pages. Its odor is a mix of glue, ink, and paper. I unfold the dust jacket to see if it is hiding any details deliberately concealed from the surface gaze. “Photography is a secret about a secret,” said Diane Arbus. I caress the grain of the paper with the flat of my palm. I follow the outline of the embossing with my fingertips. I enjoy hearing the cracking of the binding. My thumb on the edge of the pages, I feel the flexibility of the paper and free the pages in a cadence guided by my curiosity. After this initial phase of approaching the book, I put it down and slowly begin its discovery from cover to cover. I scrutinize the colophon, read the texts, and pause for a long time in front of certain images; I evaluate the page layout, go back a few pages, open the folding plates, then carefully close them again so as not to damage them. (…) When I think about it carefully, it seems crazy how much intensity a mere stack of partly inked sheets of paper, assembled in a certain order, held between two thicker cardboard sheets, can contain.”
- Clément Chéroux3

So, whether you are a photographer or not, I highly recommend to sit down with a photobook once in a while. It is such a rewarding experience.

And in case you wonder: no, I haven’t created my own photobook yet, but it is still on my secret wishlist of things I want to do.

That’s all from me today. Thank you for being here and reading this week’s newsletter. I would love to hear from you what you think. Or maybe you have a favorite photobook I really need to know about. Please share it in the comments with me.

My Morning Muse

Discussion about this post