Over the course of a year I am fortunate enough to have many different photobooks pass through my hands. Here I am sharing some of my personal favourites based entirely on my own tastes rather than deeming these to be any better than the many many other books published in the past year.
Laia Abril – The Epilogue
A moving story beautifully presented. A fine display of how powerful a photobook can be.
Tiane Doan na Champassak – Kolkata
Chaotic Kolkata brilliantly photographed and published in this dreamlike photobook.
Federico Clavarino – Italia O Italia
A smart book that slowly reveals it’s hidden depths. No book that arrived this year went into my personal collection quicker than this one.
Cyril Costilhes – Grand Circle Diego
A stunning nightmarish vision of the small town of Diego Suarez in another great book from Akina.
Martina Hoogland Ivanow – Speedway
Another dark book. Speedway like you have never seen before in the extraordinary mesmerising images of Martina Hoogland Ivanow.
Ken Grant – No Pain Whatsoever
A simple design perfectly presents Ken Grant’s haunting photos of Liverpool.
Robin Maddock – III
A book featuring images of a sheet of paper, spilt milk and a ping-pong ball shouldn’t work but this playful riddle of a photobook is a treat.
Awoiska van der Molen – Sequester
Van der Molen’s masterful photographs expertly displayed in book form.
Bertien Van Manen – Moonshine
Bertien Van Manen’s third book for Mack, and for me the best yet, as she quietly portrays the Appalachians and its inhabitants.
Max Pinckers – Will They Sing Like Raindrops Or Leave Me Thirsty
Further proof that Max Pinckers is both a great photographer and one of the best photobook creators of his generation.
In a year with any number of well crafted books that I could have included here are a few more that could easily have made my list:-
Vasantha Yoganthan – Piémanson
Heikki Kaski – Tranquility
Momo Okabe – Bible
Andy Rocchelli – Russian Interiors
Andreas Trogisch – Replies
Alberto Lizaralde – Everything Will Be OK
Grégoire Pujade-Lauraine – A Perpetual Season.
Thomas Mailaender – The Night Climbers Of Cambridge
David Hornillos – Mediodia
Yoshikatsu Fujii – Red String
Kazuma Obara – Silent Histories
Martin Amis founded PhotoBookStore in 2006 and is usually found surrounded by numerous piles of photobooks and rolls of bubblewrap.
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