What to get? WHAT TO GET?!! If you’re like us, you still haven’t done most of your holiday shopping. Baaaad consumer. Well, OK: here’s some help. We asked a bunch of Fotologgers, and other fine Fotolog friends, to weigh in with recommendations of their favorite things from 2006.
Books, movies, cameras, toys, whatever! The only criterion was that they be photography, art, or design-related. And boy did they step up to the plate. So now we’ve got twelve great ideas, and there are still twelve more days till Christmas! See you in the bookstores—or at the online checkout counter. —along
Burtynsky – China, by Edward Burtynsky (Steidl Publishing)
There’s nothing quite like seeing Edward Burtynsky’s large-scale photographs in person. A year ago, when the Brooklyn Museum of Art exhibited a selection of his photos, I wanted to explore every detail of his landscapes, losing myself in the scale of the otherworldly nickel tailings of his native Canada. Though I’d fallen in love with Burtynsky’s ravaged world in Manufactured Landscapes (National Gallery of Canada/Yale University Press), that book felt a bit like a memento. That’s what makes China such a delight: it somehow transcends the scale of Burtynsky’s original prints. Instead of lurking in all the intricacies—or wishing I could—I’m constantly struck by the patterns. It’s an extraordinary experience, since Burtynsky’s China photographs are not just feats of environmental documentation—of the Three Gorges Dam and massive recycling projects—like those that have marked his devotion to the quarries, ore tailings, and shipbreakings that we leave on the planet. Revisiting the book, I’m still discovering the echoes and essential humanity of the disappearing old towns (the single clay building in a modern cityscape), the waves and waves of people manufacturing identical goods. A poignant and powerful book, it’s made me hungry for a copy of Sze Tsung Leong’s complementary view, History Images, (also from Steidl). Ahem, Santa? —Robin Dennis; ribena
Cherry Blossom Time in Japan: The Complete Works, by Lee Friedlander (Fraenkel Gallery)
Armed with his trusty 35mm Leica, Friedlander made four trips to Japan in the 70’s and 80’s, each time during cherry blossom season. Much like his more recent medium-format work (see the wonderful Apples and Olives from last year), Friedlander eschews the obvious—including color—and instead abstracts all the available elements into magically compressed compositions. Branches, flowers, leaves, and reflections combine to form pictures that will have your eyes exploring the entire frame for minutes at a time. Worth noting are the playful flip-book design—under the green cover are horizontal images, flip it over to the pink cover for the vertical photos—and the sumptuous printing, achieved through a process that requires each layer of ink to dry for at least a day before the next is applied. Surely one of the most gorgeous books of the year. —Tom Meadows; meadows
The Photobook: A History, Vol. II, by Martin Parr and Gerry Badger (Phaidon Press)
It may be the season of giving, but no one said you can’t give a little thanks and pick-up a book for yourself this year, did they? Martin Parr and Gerry Badger said you could. They didn’t exactly, but if you’re interested in a book that’ll expand your photo-horizons and give you something to look at for months (aw heck, years!) to come, their latest effort is a must.
Simply put, if this book were medicine for the photographic blahs, Gerry Badger’s commentary would be the active ingredient. He raps your knuckles, makes you sit up straight, and then delivers a paragraph or four that makes every book they include sound worthwhile, by describing how and why each was a unique artistic expression, while also demonstrating how the photographer fit into his or her larger photographic milieu. The Photobook: A History, Vol. II is a work of scholarship and exactitude (without being too stuffy) that looks beautiful, reads better, and allows those without access to great libraries to learn a lot, without suffering. And that’s no mean feat. —Michael David Murphy; 2point8
If you’ve got a digital camera, chances are it also takes tiny snippets of video. But while you can easily enjoy your digital photos in the physical world by printing them, making albums, or exchanging them with friends, what’s an offline body to do with 15 seconds of video? FlipClips has the answer. Upload your short video clips to their site, and they’ll make animated paper flipbooks out of them, just like you used to buy in grade school. Available in several different sizes, and they’re less expensive than you’d think. Neat! —Amit Gupta, co-founder, Photojojo
William Eggleston in the Real World, directed by Michael Almereyda (Arthouse Films)
The real treat of this film, which premiered in 2005 and was released this year on DVD, is simply watching William Eggleston—the first photographer to be given a solo color show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City—and, on repeated viewings, everything he sees (and chooses not to see). From the opening shots, as I followed him prowling the nighttime storefronts of Mayfield, Kentucky, I was hooked. It’s the master class of photo strolls, witnessing Eggleston’s pause on the sidewalk as something catches his eye, the way he holds the camera up and, occasionally, decides that once the scene was in his frame, the shot no longer suited him. Director Michael Almereyda portrays the man and the work. Though Eggleston’s demons and muses emerge as his biography unfolds (the clips from his video series, “Stranded in Canton,” and the boozy late-night conversations can sometimes feel claustrophobically intimate), it’s the relentless observations and explorations that dominate—and inspire. (And there’s a reward for watching past the closing credits, one of those mundane but magical moments of everyday inspiration.) The extras on the DVD are sprinkled with joys. —Robin Dennis; ribena
Work, by Mitch Epstein (Steidl Publishing)
If William Eggleston is the godfather of all photobloggers, then Mitch Epstein is our beloved older brother, off doing all the exciting things we don’t even know we want to do yet, better than we’ll ever be able to do them. Epstein himself studied with Garry Winogrand, someone he looked up to in a similar fraternal way, and even got to see some of Eggleston’s prints in Winogrand’s 1972 class at Cooper Union, in New York. Eggleston’s pictures had not yet been exhibited anywhere. Of that experience, Epstein writes, “When I saw them I felt similar to when I first saw a Godard movie: I would need to see the work again and again to understand what was there. Eggleston was that original.”
Epstein is too. If Eggleston is brilliantly offhand, and Winogrand was uncannily inclusive, Epstein is sublimely straightforward, and exclusive. Dad’s Briefcase (2000) offers only three plain objects: a wall, a mattress, and the briefcase, but it embodies a life’s worth of emotion. French Quarter II (1975), on the other hand, presents a lot of detail, like much of Epstein’s work, but everything you can see—the specifics of the empty sidewalk and club, the grimy red awning, the peach-colored wall, the impassive gaze of the transvestite at the door—is distilled into one truth: heartbreaking loneliness. Work, a stunning career retrospective volume covering more than thirty years and Epstein’s six major series, has more than its share of heartbreak. —Andrew Long; along
Monkey Portraits, by Jill Greenberg (Bulfinch Press)
Monkeys make me smile. The images in this book stopped me in my tracks—they were so not like what I was expecting to see. In lush color photographs, close to looking like paintings in a way, these simians exhibit more personality and emotion than most people I know—especially in a portrait studio setting. And pathos. And dignity. And wisdom. Greenberg is also known for her recent series of photographs of crying children; I care so much more about these monkeys. —Pamela Bannos; palmea
Forever England, by Liam Bailey (Dewi Lewis Publishing)
A little photo book that made me smile big. Sweet, funny, sad and quirky, and—not so far beneath the surface—a little dash of wickedness for good measure. Beautifully photographed and beautifully printed.
Sitting comfortably? OK, well then I’ll begin. Once upon a time, that time being 1927, in Berkshire, England, the foundations for a miniature village called Bekonscot were laid. This was the beginnings of a mad hobby of a well-heeled accountant who worked in London during the week—a desperate attempt to impress his high society guests in his Berkshire home at the weekends with an entertaining novelty.
Over the years his hobby grew and grew. Now it’s become a whole kingdom populated by 3,000 little people, plus lots of little animals: horses, cows, chickens, and even an elephant (I guess the circus came to town). There are pretty little English country cottages, little rolling green hills, churches, castles, pint-sized football pitches, a small zoo and even a teeny, tiny swimming pool complete with sunburnt bathers. Every single little thing is made by hand out of plaster, clay, and enamel paint.
The book is the personal work of a photographer obsessed. I like it because Bailey’s tongue is placed firmly in cheek, he’s documenting the fantasy world of a real eccentric, and it’s all done with a wry eye and affection. And best of all it takes the piss out of Middle England and nostalgia—in the nicest possible way.
Many of the pictures in the book are full page portraits or group shots of the villagers going about their daily life, and all are taken with a macro lens, so we see Bekonscot as if we were teeny, tiny ourselves. Forever England should warm the deepest cockles of the most cynical of hearts. It’s a nice price too. Cheap enough to pop into anyone’s Xmas stocking. —Johanna Neurath; johannaneurath
This do-it-yourself kit totally rocks. It’s got a little square of sandpaper, a foam brush, a jar of glue that doubles as sealer, and 8 hardwood blocks. All you need are two 4 x 6 photos, some scissors, and a ruler. Measure and cut the photos, apply the glue, and after a bit of drying time, you’ve got two great multi-panel stocking stuffers. Much easier than finding a partridge in a pear tree. —Andrew Long; along
Cowboy Kate & Other Stories: Director’s Cut, by Sam Haskins (Rizzoli)
Sam Haskins is genius and takes pictures that make you want to jump inside—or at least add dialogue. As a girl, they are to obsess over—in the same way we did over Faye Dunaway’s Bonnie or the girls in Wingate Paine’s Mirror of Venus. It’s so amazing to be able to buy it brand new—and affordably: it’s been a collector’s item for years and cost silly hundreds. —Leith Clark, Editor in Chief, Lula Magazine; lulalula
Photography: A Very Short Introduction, by Steven Edwards (Oxford University Press)
This small paperback (160 pages) is the perfect traveling companion. It is not your average history of the medium or how-to book; rather, it’s more a compendium of musings on what a photograph is and how that definition has changed through the years. Six chapters and an afterword: Forgetting Photography; Documents; Pictures; What is a Photograph?; The Apparatus and Its Images; Fantasy and Remembrance; Digital Photography. For the novice or the lifelong student. —Pamela Bannos; palmea
The best photographic purchase I ever made was my Zero 2000 pinhole camera. I must admit that I fell in love with its looks—gorgeous teak and shiny brass—and bought it on impulse. It’s been in my bag (along with a mini-tripod and a light meter) ever since. The Zero 2000 is an inexpensive model that uses 120 film in 6×6 format, and has a little sliding wooden shutter. This Hong Kong-based company makes ten different pinhole cameras, ranging from 35 mm to 4 x 5 formats. New this year for panorama enthusiasts is the Zero 612B, which offers 6 x 4.5, 6 x 6, 6 x 9 and 6 x 12, as well as pinhole or zone-plate (more light, softer focus) apertures, a bargain at $188. These babies are also conversation starters—try pulling one out at a holiday party. —Nancy Breslin; squaremeals
Francesca Woodman, by Chris Townsend (Phaidon Press)
Francesca Woodman’s first collection of photographs, Some Disordered Interior Geometries, had just been published when, in January 1981, she leaped off a Lower East Side building to her death. She was 22 years old, distinctly feminine, sexually provocative, and unquestionably troubled. During her short but prolific career, Woodman depicted her own precociousness in surreal and painterly self-portraits, interpretations of the female body and the imagery of presence and absence. Two-hundred of her 2 1/4-inch-square black-and-white prints grace this new monograph, edited by art historian Chris Townsend. Including personal records by the Woodman family, excerpts from the young photographer’s journal (she made her first self-portraits at the age of thirteen), and memories from artist Betsy Berne—a good friend of Woodman’s at the time of her death—the book reads as a provocative diary balancing on that high wire between adolescence and adulthood, the real and the spiritual. As complex as its subject is, the book makes one thing perfectly clear: Woodman discovered and honed her own artistic vision at an age when most people are simply trying to discover themselves. —Youngna Park
Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera
Tallulah received the Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera from her Aunt Laura for her third birthday this fall. We decided to review it together.
J: This is your camera, right? Tell me about it.
T: It’s pink. And a little bit green, and a little bit blue, and a little bit black, and a little bit red, and a little bit grey.
J: Right. Does it make any noises?
T: Yes… Puh-Chuh.
J: How is its design usability? I mean, is it easy to use?
T: Uh, yeah?
J: This green button…
T: Takes the picture.
J: This blue one…
T: Turns it on. And off.
J: The red one…
T: Puh-chuh!
J: Don’t hit that one twice, unless you want to erase a picture, remember?
T: PUH-CHUH!!
J: What do you like to take pictures of?
T: You. Jasper. Papa. Papy. Mamie. Maggie. My feet. My boo-boo… where I was scratched by a tiger. Do you want to see it? Here. Look. He was only a little bit nice, and…
J: Let’s take a picture of it, so you can show me after it’s all better, yeah?
T: Oh, yeah.
J: Tallulah, what do you like best about this camera?
T: It’s pink.
Note: this camera also comes in blue, in case your child is not going through a pink phase at the moment. You can check out the manufacturer’s Web site for all the specifications (8MB memory = 60 pictures) and lists of awards the camera has won since its debut earlier this year.
As Tallulah’s parent, and sometimes model, I have noticed that the flash does not always work (maybe our batteries are low?), and the resolution is… well, let’s just say that you would be better off giving your child an inexpensive 2-megapixel camera if it’s definition you’re after. The LCD is, likewise, not super clear. But it’s good enough for reviewing images, if your expectations are 3-years-old size. And unlike your grown-up version, this camera features a two-eye viewfinder (have you ever seen a kid squint both eyes closed when they look into your camera?), and an easy-grip body for little hands. Most important, unlike a certain someone’s Canon S70, you can drop this camera once, or even a few more times than that, and it doesn’t break (or give you an E18 error warning.) Maybe Canon should look into this “Kid-Tough” technology… or perhaps, as Tallulah’s father put it, maybe Santa will bring me a new camera when I can finally learn how to take care of mine. Humbug. Anyway, uploading images to your computer is no different than any other digital camera; although, be careful to “eject” the camera icon instead of just disconnecting the cord, which is included.
In brief, we highly recommend this camera: it will inspire your budding photographers to get creative, easily teach them how to navigate the basic elements of a camera, and introduce that all-too convenient aspect of digital photography that won me over: the “delete” button. Be careful, though. We had a full card of genius—yes, I tell you, museum-quality—
photos she took over the last month. That is, until a friend of hers picked it up and became mesmerized by the “red button”… puh-chuh, puh-chuh, puh-chuh, puh-chuh…. Upload often, or be prepared to consider it part of the learning process—applicable for all ages.
P.S.: I promise to be nice to my next camera, Santa. I’ll take it in blue? —Jenni Holder and Tallulah Jane Bouafia Holder; jkh_22, tjhb
All Photos Copyright and courtesy of the publisher or manufacturer.
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11 Responses to “The Daily F’log Holiday Gift List 2006”
Lisa @ 2006-12-13 09:53:10 PM says:
on the twelth day of christmas, my true love gave to me
12 chinese pictures
11 cherry blossoms
10 photo histories
9 flip books filmsy
8 William Eggelstons
7 big brothers fronting
6 funky monkeys
5 English dollies
4 photo blocks
3 pinhole cameras
2 naked ladies
and a kid tough camera in pink (or blue!)
that’s all meant in praise! thanks, all!
along @ 2006-12-13 10:03:46 PM says:
hahahahaa!! thanks for the perfect lyrics to the Holiday Theme Song Lisa!
ja_ @ 2006-12-14 09:14:15 AM says:
hi!
i think like this book of the chef Anthony Bourdeain it´s a great gift for all the people who likes and enjoy the travells and kitchen …
it´s not a tipical cook book… it’s an experiences book of this chef.
it´s cool
jkh_22 @ 2006-12-14 03:37:26 PM says:
i would just like to say that in addition to a new camera,
i now want everything else on this holiday gift list. hint hint.
also, that the charm of the seeing the pictures tallulah takes
with this low-tech camera is not unlike the magic of discovering what your holga, homemade pinhole, etc., creates in your child-at-heart hands.
consider it an all-ages product!
cypher @ 2006-12-14 05:43:56 PM says:
jkh - I just bought one of those last week for Mia and another for her cousin Emma for Xmas. I’ll let you know how they like them. By the way - did you know that they’ve become the hard to find gift of the season? A few weeks ago I bought the first one on ebay (they’re sold out everywhere) for like $70 and then 1 week later the cheapest you could get them is $90. Crazy.
ribena @ 2006-12-14 06:17:11 PM says:
Puh-chuh
I just wanted to say that in response to something.
along @ 2006-12-14 07:27:27 PM says:
PUH-CHUH!!
SmrtAss @ 2006-12-17 10:40:56 AM says:
From cypher, “…did you know that they’ve become the hard to find gift of the season?”
Puh-chuh! I see you haven’t tried to find the WWE Hell in a Cell.
» Blog Archive » Holiday Gift List @ 2007-01-26 11:02:28 AM says:
[…] 5. Or get him/her one of the tremendous photo books that came out this year, or a subscription to jpg magazine, or some photogoodies from the photojojo store (see the photojojo guys hard at work packing and shipping!) […]
» Blog Archive » Seasonal Miscellany @ 2007-01-26 11:11:10 AM says:
[…] N.B. [It’s almost Christmas, but not quite Edition] 1. I contributed a selection (Francesca Woodman’s Amazing Book!) to the F’Log 2006 Gift List, 12 great photo and design related give-ables for the holiday season. […]
Photojojo hits 37,500 subscribers at Amit Gupta’s Blog @ 2007-02-02 06:20:35 PM says:
[…] Our DIY Photo Block Kit has been getting great press: Craft:, Uncrate, Apartment Therapy, The Fotolog Holiday Gift Guide, Parent Hacks, Swissmiss, Notcot We’re working on a second large run of them now. […]