Photographers' Sketchbooks

by Stephen Mclaren, Bryan Formhals

Find out how Alec Soth constructs his projects, why Trent Parke relies on old-fashioned Polaroids and hand-made books, and how forty-one other photographers experiment with new and old technologies, turn their photo-diaries into exhibitions, and attract audiences of millions via online platforms.

This book celebrates the creative processes of the modern photographic era, in which blogs and Instagram streams function alongside analog albums and contact sheets, and the traditional notebook takes the form of Polaroid studies, smartphone pictures, found photography, experimental image-making, and self-published photo-zines. Each photographer presents his or her sketchbook: several pages of images that convey his or her working methods and thought processes. These intimate, oneoff presentations are accompanied by engaging interviews that reveal how the simple act of pressing a shutter can capture and express a fully realized personal vision.

Three essays by the authors explore subjects at the cutting edge of contemporary practice. Designed to satisfy the most demanding of image junkies, this is an indispensable resource for anyone with an interest in photography or the creative process.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Art and Photography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2014

Reviews

[Jesse]

I'm endlessly attracted to artistic process, sometimes even more than finished pieces, and so I enjoyed meandering through these "sketchbooks," glimpsing into various creative processes. What becomes immediately clear is what the term "sketchbook" actually means varies widely from artist to artist—and that's both part of the strength and occasional frustration of the book overall.

Large and substantial in size, handsomely bound, intelligently curated, and stylishly organized.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a simple case of mismatched expectations. I love getting a behind the scenes look at how people create, and while this one attempted to do that, it didn't do so in a way I found satisfying.

[Steef · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not so much about the end result of a photo project, but about the world that exists before that. Beautifully designed, it's a wonderful look into the work process of some interesting photographers, the choices they made and the work they've done and the thought processes they went through.

As with many art forms (and museums), not all of the projects appealed to me in the same way. Luckily, we have many ingredients to make it work here: the editorial texts, the texts by the photographer, (sometimes) sketchbooks, the work-in-progress or behind-the-scenes photos, the pics that didn't make the cut and of course a glimpse of the end result. All these ingredients help you get into the thought process behind a project.

What keeps this from being a four-star rating, is that only half of the time it can be considered a sketchbook, or even work-in-progress photos. Often, only the end result is published, with a short story about the project. I don't think that's what this book is about.

[LeeLee Lulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I read "sketchbooks," I tend to think that there are going to be sketches therein. But these are mostly just their photographs, not an insight into their illustration style or thought processes.

[Anjella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing, and I agree fully with the other reviewers here. I was expecting much more. As a photographer myself, I know of the variations in sketchbooks/visual journals amongst us, and some of my peers have the most amazing journals. Such a wasted opportunity. I ended up skimming through most of the book after a while as it was repetitive and honestly boring.

[Palo Markovič · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the best books on photography practice suggesting that there are no rules in creative work. The book gives access to tools and processes used by various photographers, creating valuable document itself, expanding narrow scope of photography as medium.

[Laam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit repetitive, not a lot of detail on processes either.