Beach Pebbles Rock by Rob Whitworth | My Photo Bookshelf

I’ve never really given the humble beach pebble much thought. We have many pebble beach’s down here on the UK’s south coast so being so used to them, I tend to take their existence for granted. That all changed when I came across Rob Whitworth’s Beach Pebbles Rock project. You could say this book was the result of an impulse buy as within about 30 minutes, I had come across Rob’s @beachpebblesrock Instagram page, checked his website, found the book and checked out.

The synopsis

Rob Whitworth is a graphic designer and professional photographer with a love of the natural world. His fascination with beach pebbles started at an early age, when a friend gave him a paper bag full of them for his tenth birthday. Every pebble on the beach is unique and endlessly fascinating. The subtleties of colour and tone; the infinite variations of form; their tactile nature, rough and smooth and cold; the density and weights that differ for similar sizes; their intricate surface patterns. All works of art in their own right.

Initially posted on Instagram @beachpebblesrock, these photographs have received so much positive feedback and encouragement from artists, ceramicists, designers and others who draw inspiration from the natural world, that the idea has continued to grow, and this exhibition at Inspire Makers is a progression of the project.

My thoughts about the book

Rob has collected beach pebbles for many years and looking for something creative to do during the initial Covid lockdown back in 2020, he began to take photographs of his collection. After posting them on Instagram, and with some positive feedback, he decided to create this beautiful small book.

Apart from a brief introduction, this book is less about the written and all about the visual narrative. Rob's background in graphic design really shows in this book as the minimal design means the pebbles take centre stage allowing their unique textures, patterns and shapes to stand out which to me, is the entire point of the book. Rob’s eye for a pleasing arrangement is also clear to see and I appreciate the time and patience needed to organise the pebbles by size, colour, shape and texture into some well-balanced, harmonious compositions.

Apart from the pleasing aesthetics, a lesson I learned from this book was how I take so much of the natural world around me for granted and rarely do I look properly at the things we see every day. Seeing how different the colours were and their unique patterns absolutely opened my eyes and reminded me to look around more often, paying closer attention to nature’s smaller details, whether I’m out with my camera or not.

Reading this book is an incredibly satisfying experience and if you’re into your small, intimate photography then getting your hands on a copy of Beach Pebbles Rock is a no brainer.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 155mm x 216mm

• Pages: 72

• Photos: 120

• Availability at the time of writing: Still in print and available from the author’s website at https://www.robwhitworth.com/books

Joe Cornish. A Photographer at Work | My Photo Bookshelf

Joe Cornish is widely regarded as one of the UK’s top landscape photographers and this book, written from the point of view of fellow photographer Eddie Ephraums, is a unique insight into the way Joe went about his craft back in the early 2000’s. With an opportunity to observe one of the country’s leading landscape photographers out in the field, this was a must-have addition to my bookshelf.

The synopsis

This highly original book explores the philosophy and working methods of one of the UK’s greatest landscape photographers. Over a four-year period, Joe Cornish and Eddie Ephraums - friend, collaborator and fellow landscape photographer - have created a unique record of Joe’s working approach in a variety of locations.

Each of these locations reflects a different aspect of the creative photographic process. Through conversations between the two, and Eddie’s revealing images of Joe at work, plus Joe’s own pictures from each location, we learn about the exploration of photographic ideas. The book also offers insights into the motivation and decision-making involved in landscape photography.

The genesis of A Photographer at Work coincided with the transition for both photographers from a traditional, exclusively film-based way of working to one that now embraces the use of digital compact cameras, digital SLRs and, most recently for Joe, a large format digital camera. The two authors explore the opportunities that each of these new tools has opened up. For example, Joe now uses a digital compact as a sketchbook and for exhibition-quality prints, while Eddie has employed one to make many of the photographs in the book.

With inspiring images and an absorbing conversational narrative, this book will appeal to everyone with an interest in photography and in the artist’s creative journey.

My thoughts about the book

When I became more interested in owning photography books and studying the craft of other photographers, it didn’t take me long to buy a book or two which featured the work of Joe Cornish. I’ve been an admirer of his work and overall photographic philosophy for many years now so when I discovered the now out of print A Photographer at Work, and after hunting down a used copy, into the basket it went.

This book is written by Eddie Ephraums who, over a period of a 4-year period, accompanied Joe to many locations and through his own pictures and words, documented him as he worked. Eddie has created a fascinating insight into the way Joe approaches and takes his photos. Each chapter features a new location, behind the scenes photos and written observations as Joe takes a photo and although this book has Joe Cornish In the title, it’s as much the fantastic work and craft of Eddie as a documentarian as it is about Joe the landscape photographer. In my opinion, it works well.

One of the reasons I watch landscape photographers out taking photos on YouTube is that I like to understand what the photographer was thinking, even visualising when taking the photo. It helps me understand what they are trying to achieve and importantly what they are trying to say with their image. That’s why I like books like this as not one for creating YouTube videos himself, it’s the closest I will get to observing one of the landscape photography greats at work.

Book Details

• Softcover

• Size: 216mm x 254mm

• Pages: 144

• Availability at the time of writing: Unavailable from the usual UK booksellers. Consider buying a used copy.

The Landscape by Paul Wakefield | My Photo Bookshelf

After hearing so many recommendations for this landscape photography book by other collectors, I had to see what all the fuss was about and I’m glad I did. In this Photo Bookshelf post, I’m talking about The Landscape by Paul Wakefield.

The synopsis

THE LANDSCAPE is the latest book by British photographer Paul Wakefield. A long-awaited monograph that includes photographs of both epic proportions and intimate detail. Natural landscape is presented through five different sections: Shorelines, Rockscapes, Drylands, Woodlands and Snowscapes.

Paul’s work combines a classic landscape tradition with a contemporary sensibility and reflects his lifelong passion for the natural world. Paul was born and grew up in Hong Kong and has worked continuously on his own landscape projects while using his vision of landscape on advertising commissions. He has published four books previously, three of which were with Jan Morris, renowned author of travel literature.

My thoughts about the book

The first thing I realised when I purchased this book was its size. It’s a big one. So big in fact that it doesn’t fit on my bookshelf! But here’s the thing, having spent time with the book, ready and studying the photos, I can’t imagine it working any other way now. The larger photos look stunning and with the extra real estate, the borders are still a good size meaning even though they are bigger, each photo can stand alone and be allowed to breathe without feeling awkward or cramped on the page.

The book starts with a foreword by Robert Macfarlane and an introduction by Wilton, both written beautifully with a host of quotes and metaphors as they describe Paul’s work and offer their interpretation of the photos.

As mentioned in the synopsis above, when the photos start, they are presented in five different sections: Shorelines, Rockscapes, Drylands, Woodlands and Snowscapes. Within each section is a collection of mostly intimate landscape images with a few wider vistas intertwined. The book flows beautifully and the high-quality paper used suits the imagery perfectly.

For any landscape photographer, this timeless book is a must have. I’ve had the book just a few months and already read it twice and I know for sure, I’ll be drawing inspiration from it for years to come.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 290mm x 363mm

• Pages: 128

• Photos: 80

• Availability at the time of writing: Still in print and available from the author’s website at https://www.paulwakefield.co.uk/the-landscape

Surrey Landscapes by Nick Oakley | My Photo Bookshelf

I’ve lived in Surrey all of my life and explored this wooded county with and without my camera countless times, so when I saw Nick Oakley was releasing his Surrey Landscapes book on Indiegogo, I had to get myself a copy.

Author’s synopsis

This coffee-table book celebrates both the popular hot-spots and less well known corners of the county and is also a call from the countryside to those who want to see more. There are no other landscape photography books celebrating the breadth of Surrey’s natural spaces, so this collection of images, bringing together work from the last two years, is a perfect keepsake or gift for anyone who enjoys the county’s countryside and landscape photography.

My thoughts about the book

I was interested to see the locations featured, to both enjoy some landscape photos taken of places I know well and at the same time, get some inspiration for future photo locations I might visit. This book delivered on both counts. The photos featured in the book are great, capturing the Surrey landscape across all seasons and for each photo, Nick has included a paragraph of text describing the photo, the conditions or the location in more detail.

There’s a good mix of both popular and lesser-known locations and for the locations I wasn’t aware of, Nick included some high-level location information as well as a handy map of Surrey at the beginning of the book with each photo plotted. Keeping the location information high level was a good move in my opinion as he gives you an idea of the general area the photo was taken but to try and visit the exact same spot still requires a bit of exploring and effort on our part.

It’s worth mentioning that this book cost just £12 (£16 including shipping) and for a landscape photography book, that’s incredibly good value. The book is well-made, solid in construction and as mentioned before, full of great photos and useful information. My only negative point is the choice made by the author to print the pages with a highly reflective, glossy finish. I found this a little unconventional and quite distracting while reading the book.

That being said, the book was still amazing value and worth every penny.

The previous paragraph has been edited since the post was first published. I had assumed that there was a correlation between the glossy pages and the production costs of the book, suggesting that it was a quality issue. I have since been corrected by the company that printed the book that the glossy finish was a creative choice and not in any way down to price or quality. I stand corrected and have retracted that point. Check the comment below for more information.

I’m pleased I spotted this book when it went on sale and I will certainly use it to draw inspiration for location ideas around my home county.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 240mm x 240mm

• Pages: Contains 45 colour photographs across facing pages

• Availability at the time of writing: Still in print. Available from the author’s website: https://nickoakleyphotography.co.uk

Venice by Dorothy Bohm | My Photo Bookshelf

Although most of the photo books I’ve purchased feature landscape photography, every now and then I might buy one that has less to do with landscape photography and more about a particular topic I care about. In this case, Venice and specifically the renowned photographer, Dorothy Bohm’s 1992 publication.

Author’s synopsis

Instantly recognizable from snapshots and postcards, the incomparable Venice is a city of many faces. In this lavish book, renowned photographer Dorothy Bohm searches out the layers of significance behind Venice's disguise, probing the many hidden cities behind the familiar architectural drama, the Adriatic light, & the disguise of Carnival. A beautiful collection of images that discovers the true subject matter of great photography in a sudden reflection, a whimsical window display, or the tattered remnants of a poster.

My thoughts about the book

When I discovered this book a few years ago, I hadn’t yet started my photobook obsession, but having already visited and falling in love with this beautiful jewel of the Adriatic, I subsequently came across the late Dorothy Bohm’s work and her fascinating story on a Sky Arts documentary. So, when I found out Dorothy had published a book back in 1992 that combined my love of Venice and her photography, I had to buy a copy.

Most of the books I own are centred around landscape photography, as it’s the genre I enjoy the most, both taking my own and enjoying the work of others. But this book is far from a landscape photography book. Yes, it features some of the iconic cityscapes we all recognise but what I particularly like about this book is that it’s a snapshot in time, combining multiple genres, such as cityscapes, architecture, street and documentary photography, but with a feeling of nostalgia created by the classic film look and the styles captured within them.

Written by author and curator Ian Jeffrey, the forward is a piece of art in itself. It’s so elegantly written and such a beautiful account of Dorothy Bohm’s photography. Throughout the book, many of the photos are accompanied by quotes from famous artists and authors who have some kind of connection to Venice, Italy, or the arts. Dorothy provides a list of these quotes and where they can be found at the back of the book. Also at the back of the book is a reference list with information about all of the photos such as an interesting fact, the place name or a brief behind the photo story. Having these words at the end is an interesting approach as it allows you to add a little more context to the images if you want it. Alternatively, you can ignore the list altogether and just enjoy the photos and their accompanying quotes, allowing you to make your own assumptions.

Along with the landscape and architecture photos, a part of this book focuses on the people of Venice and I love that. You have residents looking out of their windows, ladies meeting for coffee, men at work and people dressed up during the carnival season with masks and face paints galore. What I find fascinating is that although much has changed in the 30 years between the book being published and my visit to Venice, I still recognise so much from this book and get a real sense of nostalgia when I read it. The feeling this book portrays is Venice, it’s a feeling the city has and will always have and that’s how I know Dorothy did such a good job of capturing it in the 90 colour film plates she includes in this fantastic book.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 241mm x 279mm

• Pages: 112

• Availability at the time of writing: Unavailable from the usual UK booksellers. Consider buying a used copy.

Vistas - Landscape Photography by Nigel Danson | My Photo Bookshelf

This is Vistas by Nigel Danson, a landscape photography book crammed full of photos of some of the most beautiful big vista landscapes in the world.

Author’s synopsis

This book highlights my love of the big vista in landscape photography and showcases some of my favourite images from The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Scotland, Norway, The Lake District and Yosemite and has been careful created to showcase my painterly style of photography.

My thoughts about the book

“Vistas” is the first of what will be a trilogy of landscape photography books by Nigel Danson and having followed his work for a few years, I was keen to get a copy and see his photos come to life in the printed form. With the follow-up books being “Woodland“ (already released) and “Seascapes” (due later in 2022), this book is, as the title suggests all about the big vistas, the epic views Nigel has captured both in England and further afield.

It’s a stylish grey canvas lined cover with silver text and feels sturdy and well made. On build quality alone, I had already felt the relatively modest investment was money well spent before opening the book.

Having already studied much of Nigel’s work, I knew this book would include some stunningly beautiful images but it was nice to see plenty I hadn’t seen before and the sequencing of the book works well with the photos grouped in chapters based on location such as England, Scotland, Faroe Islands, etc.

In terms of narrative, there isn’t a huge amount of text in the book. Each photo has a title, location and Exif data, a nod to us fellow photographers I imagine. Every few pages there is a small paragraph of text about a particular image which is a welcome addition, but given that I’m quite partial to a “behind the photo” story and love to get under the skin of photos I particularly like, it would have been great to see just a little more text in this book. That being said, it is very much a personal preference.

My only slight gripe with the book, (and it’s something that will split opinion) is how some photos span multiple pages as I can find it quite distracting. It probably doesn’t bother most people as its common to allow for bigger images and although with the way this book is made, it doesn’t look too bad, I would still prefer each image to remain on a single page. As I said, a small subjective gripe.

Like I said, Vistas is the first of three books Nigel has planned and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I’ve already got the follow-up (Woodlands) on my bookshelf ready to read and I’ll be first in line to order the Seascapes book too. If you can still buy this book directly from Nigel’s website, I highly recommend you do so before they are gone for good.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 240mm x 300mm

• Pages: 120 Litho printed pages

• Availability at the time of writing: 2nd Edition with limited availability at https://www.nigeldanson.com/products/vistas

Masters of Landscape Photography | My Photo Bookshelf

This has got to be one of my favourite landscape photography books I own. Masters of Landscape Photography features 16 of the biggest names in landscape photography, each sharing 6 photos and the stories behind them.

Author’s synopsis

Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres for amateur photographers, with countless competitions and awards heavily subscribed by enthusiasts and professionals who are keen to pitch their work against their peers. Beyond the competitions is an even larger community of landscape photographers, who can be found tramping through the wilderness in search of their next great shot, ready to sit for hours until the light is just right. However, mastering the genre takes time: time to perfect exposure, colour, composition, and perhaps above all else the ability to see and record the landscape in a way that will make your photographs stand above the rest.

To set you on the path to success, Masters of Landscape Photography delves into the world of 16 leading lights, each with their own unique take on how, where, and why the landscape should be recorded. Through probing Q&A style interviews and beautifully reproduced images, the reader is given an insight into the artist s working practices, from the equipment they use to the techniques they employ to create their breathtaking and visionary works. In this lavishly illustrated title, glorious colour photographs sit beside atmospheric monochrome, the latest digital techniques rub shoulders with traditional film-based imaging, and conventional landscape mores are countered by experimental artworks, guaranteeing something to inspire the reader, no matter what their landscape persuasion.

My thoughts about the book

When I first came across this book, probably via a recommendation and saw whose work was included, I wasted no time clicking the “Buy Now” button on Amazon. Granted, a couple of the names were new to me back then, but when I saw the book featured the likes of Colin Prior, Art Wolfe, Joe Cornish and Hans Strand, I had to get my hands on it. All of the 16 photographers share 6 photos each, meaning the book houses close to 100 world-class landscape photos, each with a unique story alongside.

Putting the content to one side for a moment, I want to mention how the book is formatted. For each photographer, there is a small bio, 6 images with an accompanying story, a Q&A page with differing questions throughout, and lastly, a photo information page with details such as location, camera settings, etc for each image.

I like this format a lot as you get to know a little bit about the photographer (as I didn’t know them all), their thought process and approach to taking the photos and if interested, the technical settings for each. It sounds a bit wordy but it really isn’t as the editor has done a great job to prevent the type from overshadowing the beautiful imagery.

On that note, the way the book has been laid out is superb. Although it’s not a large book, the photos are nice and big and take centre stage throughout and the print quality for a mass-produced book like this is really good in my opinion.

This is a book I’m sure I will come back to again and again and with such varied sub-genres of landscape photography included it has a little something for everyone.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 285mm x 230mm

• Pages: 176

• Availability at the time of writing: Unavailable from the usual UK booksellers. Consider buying a used copy.

Landscape Photography. On Location with Thomas Heaton. Vol 1 | My Photo Bookshelf

This photo bookshelf series is going to start with one of the modern-day heavy hitters in the landscape photography community; Landscape Photography. On Location with Thomas Heaton. Vol 1.

Author’s synopsis

This book tells the stories behind my favourite images from my adventures all over the world. We start from high in the mountains and journey down to the valley floors, through the woodlands, over open desert plains to the coast and finish at the very ground beneath our feet. I share adventures and insights from my time as a landscape photographer.

Adventure is relative only to the person having the experience. Whether you are climbing Everest or exploring your local woodland, I hope this book encourages you to pack your camera bag and see what’s out there.

My thoughts about the book

I do love a good behind the photo story and this book is chock-full of them. Along with some of his best landscape photography work to date, Thomas shares an open and honest account of his experience when taking the accompanying photo which gives a fantastic insight into what it takes to succeed as a modern-day landscape photographer.

As you would expect, the photos are exceptional and you can tell a lot of attention was given to the sequence meaning there is a nice flow throughout the book with mountains and vistas through to smaller, more intimate scenes. The layout ticks all of my neat and tidy boxes with a straightforward story on the left and picture on the right format. Simple but effective without a single photo taking up more than one page (just the way I like it).

Nearly all of the photos in this book were taken while Thomas was filming a YouTube video so he’s done something quite clever in this book and created an index of videos alongside each photo at the back of the book. This means that for any photo or story that captures your attention, you can jump straight into the accompanying video and follow him along on his various adventures.

This is a well presented, hardcover photography book and in terms of build quality alone, punches well above its £39.99 price tag. With large, page filling photos and interesting stories alongside, this book is a great addition to any landscape lover’s collection. I highly recommend this photography book.

Book Details

• Hardcover

• Size: 260mm x 260mm

• Pages: 118 – Fedrigoni 170gsm satin paper

• Availability at the time of writing: Still in print. Available from author’s website: https://thomasheaton.co.uk/product/my-book.