Indie Photobook Library » >>Recommended Reading

The Sochi Project & its publications

the logging road / March 11, 2013

Speaking with graphic designer Jeroen Kummer (Kummer & Herrman) about his pivotal role in The Sochi Project and the latest yearbook The Secret History of Khava Gaisanova and the North Caucasus.

The Camera Around Your Neck

Foam Magazine / July 13, 2012

Seba Kurtis and Mishka Henner talk about self-publishing and appropriation.

Conceptual Inspiration, by the Book: Ed Ruscha at Gagosian

by Carol Vogel / The New York Times / February 28, 2013

The artist Ed Ruscha was standing in the middle of Gagosian’s 24th Street gallery in Chelsea on a cool fall day, surrounded by paintings of books he has created over many decades. There were canvases that mimicked old tomes he found in flea markets and secondhand shops, and paintings of marbleized endpapers. There were renderings of open books more than 10 feet long with blank sheets of paper, ravaged with wormholes and water stains. “They’re a bit ominous,” he said, perhaps because of what many believe is the inevitable end of the printed word.

Photography, Narrative and the Book with Christian Patterson

by Blank Paper

Great photo books do things that other mediums cannot do. They pull you in. They make you touch and turn their pages. They tell you stories, often in a beautifully fragmentary way. They take you to other places, internally. They hold and store all of these things inside. They keep you coming back for more. They’re different every time. They’re intimate and personal, but their distribution offers a different kind of wider, shared experience.

Indie Photo Books of the Year: Part 1

by Larissa Leclair / PDN / November 20, 2012

As part of our look at “Notable Photo Books of 2012,” we asked Larissa Leclair, founder of Indie Photobook Library, an archive of photo books by self- and independent publishers, to select a list of ten notable indie photo books published this year.

Indie Photo Books of the Year: Part 2

by Larissa Leclair / PDN / December 12, 2012

The 30 Best Places To Be If You Love Books

by BuzzFeed

A Conversation with Cristina De Middel

by Pat Padua / Lay Flat

Cristina De Middel, born in Spain, earned her MFA at the University of Valencia and received her MA in Photography from the University of Oklahoma, but her real training came as a photojournalist. Her first book, The Afronauts (Self-published, 2012), has received critical acclaim and was named by many as one of the “Best Photobooks of 2012.”

Looking for the Magic: 12 books (and then some) by Ofer Wolberger

Interview by Christopher Gianunzio / ahorn magazine

I have begun to see the book form as a very efficient and democratic transmitter of ideas and experiments. Exhibitions are great too and can do similar things but the fact that you can take the ideas home with you in your hands is pretty powerful. An exhibition lasts for a finite period of time, while a book can theoretically last forever.

Intrinsically Absent, Irremediably Intangible: Reflections on found photographs and Melissa Catanese’s “Dive Dark Dream Slow”

Text by Anya Jasbar / ahorn magazine

Melissa Catanese, with her assemblage, creates a leap into our subconscious and touches us profoundly. The images selected generate an initial path for our thoughts, but they leave enough space also for our imagination. We are forced (like in the well done literary compositions) to fill the gap between the disclosed and the unrevealed. We want to fill up the empty spaces between the concrete and knowable (the images of men and women that we recognize as actual men and women of a specific period of time) and the infinite unknowable (the power of a past that we don’t know and the quality of photographs as something that is intrinsically absent and irremediably intangible).

Interview with: Christian Patterson

by Daniel Augschöll and Anya Jasbar / ahorn magazine

Oddly enough, I feel that all of my detective work brought more mystery back into the story. Not everything in Redheaded Peckerwood is what it may seem. What may appear to be old may be new. What may appear to be fact may (in fact) be fiction. There is a general system of visual rules to the book, but there are exceptions to every rule,…

A teaching treasure trove

by Colleen Walsh, Harvard Gazette / February 21, 2013

Art Museums’ renovated facility will encourage contact with collections….“What we really wanted to do was get the students kind of behind the scenes … to touch and handle things and engage with them in a way that they could do much, much better in person than they could just standing in a gallery,” said Smail.

Ron Jude 2010 Photo-Bookworks Symposium

by Visual Studies Workshop

[VIDEO] Ron Jude, of A-Jump Books, speaks at the 2010 VSW Photo-Bookworks Symposium.

An Interview with Matej Sitar

by Books Are Nice blog

“America My Way” is Majet Sitar’s new photo book, in which he documents his journey across North America. Traveling over 15,000 miles, Matej experienced the vast American lands like most natives don’t get a chance to. [Books Are Nice] had the opportunity to talk to Matej about his new book, Polaroids, traveling, and off-course self-publishing.

Dashwood Books: A Curated Bookstore

by Greg Pond / spd.org / February 11, 2013

Dashwood Books is the city’s [NYC] only “curated” visual bookstore. Within this teensy, crammed shop, located on Bond Street, owner David Strettell is unassumingly promoting the work of some of the most radical photographers and visual artists of our time.

Changing Channels

by Paperweight / Christopher Schreck / February 12, 2013

To gain a better sense of how art books are making their way to readers, [Schreck] solicited insight from a few favorite publishers: Shelter Press, Gottlund Verlag, Editions FP & CF, Hassla Books, and Pau Wau Publications. While each stressed the crucial role of the internet in facilitating sales and cost-effective distribution, they also spoke to the continued importance of traditional modes of dissemination, such as international distributors, book fairs, and bookstores as means of gaining legitimacy, promoting strategically, and maintaining a presence within their given communities.

Cristina de Middel’s presentation – Widephoto

by meeatings23

Video – Cristina de Middel’s presentation at Meaatings23. This introduction to her work was the beginning of the workshop that de Middel gave at Widephoto workshops programme. Barcelona, 18-01-2013. She talks about how her point of view on photography has changed throughout her career and the steps that brought her to self-publish “The Afronauts”. widephotoworkshops.com

Photobook Series #2: A Panel Discussion on Photobook Publishing

by photo-eye

Video of panel with Director of Twin Palms Publishers Maggie Blanchard, photo-eye Book Division Manager Melanie McWhorter and photographer Alexandra Huddleston. The discussion was moderated by Katherine Ware, Curator of Photography at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Making An Artist Book Is As Simple As ABC: An Interview With Andreas Schmidt

Blurberati Blog / October 31, 2012

London-based artist and photographer Andreas Schmidt is a prolific and, by his own admission, disruptive photo book maker. He’s a member of the ABC Artists’ Book Cooperative and in the last four years has created 70 Blurb books. With such a back catalogue and wealth of experience, Schmidt is a great interview subject and we were keen to find out more about his work and his attraction to print-on-demand photo books…

Eileen Gittins speaks at Luminance 2012

by PhotoShelter.com

Video of Eileen Gittins, CEO of Blurb, talking about Blurb and self-publishing.

Interview with Pierre Bessard, Part 1

by Melanie McWhorter / November 6, 2012

Editions Bessard has published over thirteen books including monographs by Bessard, Max Pam, Wang Quingsong, Xu Yong (out of print) and in the Zine Collection series, the works of Claire Martin (out of print), Pablo Ortiz Monasterio, Zhu Mo and Max Pam.

LENSCRATCH: Larissa Leclair and the Indie Photobook Library

by Aline Smithson / September 12, 2012

A couple of years ago, I started hearing the buzz about the indie Photobook Library, created by Larissa Leclair. I first saw the library at the Photolucida Portfolio Review last year, where Larissa had set up shop on the second floor of the Benson Hotel. I visited the library again this spring at the Flash Forward Festival in Boston, where I had more time to absorb the profound importance of this very special collection, and was not only excited by what I was seeing, but was inspired to start creating my own “indie” books, three of which were recently submitted to the library.

An Interview with Arthur Tress

by Bluberati Blog / July 2, 2012

The books take these orphaned or even forgotten-about projects and give them another more permanent life. And the affordability of the well-printed Blurb book makes it an ideal vehicle for book experimentation in format, sequence and design. My books “Barcelona Unfolds” and “Miami Unfolds” take the very simple idea of DIY gatefolds to create a whole new concept of what is possible in the online book experience and I hope others take up the challenge.

Five questions to Matt Johnston of The Photobook Club

by Martin Brink / The Digital Photobook / Sept 3, 2012

The goal [of the Photobook Club] is to create a space for people to share their thoughts on photobooks as well as to promote the physical book and experience of looking/reading in itself. That space lives online at the photobookclub.org where we choose individual books to look at over a given month and invite others to add their thoughts, but it also lives in the physical world as book clubs.

Essays on the Photobook

Title: Photography and The Artist’s Book
Editors: Theresa Wilkie, Jonathan Carson, Rosie Miller
ISBN: 978-1-907697-50-0 [paperback] | 978-1-907697-51-7 [hardback]
Pages: 350
Price: £34.95 [paperback] | £64.95 [hardback]
Order from the publisher (UK) and for more info: MuseumsEtc
Order through Amazon (USA)

Publication contents
1. Introduction
The Development of Photography and Artists’ Books: Exploring Manchester Metropolitan University’s Artist’s Book Collection
Jane Pendlebury, MMU Special Collections
Theresa Wilkie, University of Salford

2. The Photographic Essay, Photographic Novel and other Narrative Forms
Imaginary Shadows: Fictional Documentary Photography in Artists’ Books
Sarah Bodman
Book Arts, University of the West of England

Artists and Albums
Logan Sisley
Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane

Photographs, Notebooks, Interiority: Francesca Woodman’s Artist’s Books
Jane Simon
Macquarie University, Australia

Book, Exhibition, Lecture: Revisiting Catharsis: Images of Post-Conflict Belfast 2008-12
Angela Kelly
Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Artist Photo Books: Photo Books — Artist Books
Sylvia Borda

3. Sequence, Seriality and Typology
Space-Time-Fragment: Conceptual Documentary Photography in the Artist’s Book as a Tool of Analysis
Elizabeth Neudörfl
Folkwang University, Essen, Germany

Pictures of Things and Things that are Pictures: Artistic Research and its Document as Artist’s Book
David Penny
MIRIAD, Manchester Metropolitan University

4. Audience: Zines, Multiples and Limited Editions
Reinstating Touch in the Documentary Photobook
Tim Daly
University of Chester

PPP: Preston, Paris, Process
Adam Murray, University of Central Lancashire & Preston is my Paris
Diane Smyth, British Journal of Photography

Print/Screen: Current and Future Dissemination of the Self-Published Artists’ Book
Adam Verity
University of Lincoln

A Memory of a Memory
Lawrence Giles
University of Salford

Hot off the press: The newsprint as a medium for photographers

by Olivier Laurent / BJP / July 18, 2012

Newsprint is increasingly popular among photographers, offering a cheap and effective way to publish a story, while reaching a larger audience. Olivier Laurent speaks with photographers who have embraced the medium.

PBN 2011 Juror Interview with Larissa Leclair

by Blurberati Blog / June 27, 2011

The most memorable books are the ones in which I forget about myself for a moment, lose track of my surroundings, and enter into the reality in the photographs. And from that response, it may seem that the book form is of no importance, but it is. The form and materials should aid in experiencing the work.

Part 2: Thoughts on Photobooks 2011

by Darius Himes / June 13, 2011

In my previous post, I outlined some specific thoughts related to the Photography Book Now competition as it enters it’s 4th year. There’s $25k up for grabs for the best in self-published photography books.

Beyond that, I hinted at the “extremely rich moment” we are witnessing in the history of photography and books. Unparalleled resources and tools are available for artistic expression and the possibilities for distribution, primarily of self-published books, are growing. I want to mention these a bit more in-depth.

Interview: Myles Haselhorst of Ampersand Vintage in Portland, OR

by Douglas Stockdale / The PhotoBook / June 17, 2011

The sheer abundance of photographic books being made is remarkable. As a buyer for a store, it’s difficult keeping up with everything that is available. I’m sure collectors face the same problem—making sense of what & what not to buy, especially when edition numbers are often low & certain books sell quickly. That’s why online resources such as yours, Jeffrey Ladd’s blog and The Indie Photobook Library are so important.

Interview: Alan Rapp on Getting Your Photography Book Published

by Reuel Golden / The Photoletariat / September 7, 2010

Alan Rapp works with authors, visual artists, photographers, and designers developing books and other projects. As the editor overseeing the art, architecture, design, and photography lists of the San Francisco publisher Chronicle Books, Alan Rapp acquired and developed more than 100 titles over the course of ten years, collaborating with such artists as David Maisel, legendary music photographer Jim Marshall, Elinor Carucci, and Justin Guariglia. Based in Brooklyn, Rapp is a frequent panelist, portfolio reviewer, workshop leader, and lecturer. He discusses the appeal of photography books and offers advice on what you need to do.

Q&A: Lisa Naftolin talks with Hassla

on The Photography Post / August 20, 2010

David Schoerner launched Hassla Books in January of 2007. The independent publishing company has released 14 titles to date with another handful in the works.

Newsprint and the Contemporary Photobook / Part 3 : John Gossage, Michael Mazzeo and Erik van der Weijde

by Melanie McWhorter / July 24, 2010

Addendum and Follow up

Newsprint and the Contemporary Photobook / Part 2: Nicholas Gottlund and Grant Willing

by Melanie McWhorter / July 19, 2010

Newsprint and the Contemporary Photobook / Part 1: Alec Soth and Andrew Roth

by Melanie McWhorter / July 16, 2010

INTERVIEW: Blurb CEO on the future of books

by Jasper Jackson / StrategyEye.com / July 12, 2010

Eileen Gittins, the CEO of bespoke book-publishing firm Blurb, talks e-books, new publishing models and the iPad.

Publishing in your hands

Andy Adams, David Bram, Darius Himes, Melanie McWhorter / Fraction Magazine / June 30, 2010

At the end of last year (2009) Miki Johnson and Andy Adams coordinated a “cross-blog” discussion about the future of photography books. Over forty bloggers participated with a range of amateur and professional voices piping in and adding their thoughts to the mix. The interest in the subject of photobooks* has continued unabated and various fairs devoted to the Photobook are popping up around the world.** With the 3rd annual Photography Book Now contest deadline fast approaching (sponsored by Blurb and featuring a whopping $25,000 grand prize), a few of us that love photobooks thought we would initiate another online discussion about self-publishing—where we’ve come in the last few years in terms of perception, creativity and technology.

Photographer Stephen Gill: the devil in the detail

by Tamsin Blanchard / Telegraph.co.uk / June 14, 2010

The photographer Stephen Gill ensures his pictures are shown in the best possible light – in his own handmade books.

Gerry Badger and John Gossage Podcast

by the Aperture Foundation

“Welcome to the Gerry and John show” Aperture editor Denise Wolff stated in her introduction to Gerry Badger and John Gossage’s recent conversation at Aperture Foundation. Both Badger and Gossage have each been in the field of fine art photography for over thirty years and established acclaimed careers. Gerry Badger as a critic and author whom has written for dozens of periodicals and coauthored with Martin Parr The Photobook: A History, Volumes I and II, and John Gossage as a photographer with seventeen published photo books and work in several public collections. They also happen to be old friends. Take a listen to this podcast of Badger and Gossage discussing The Pleasures of Good Photographs.