A request from Eric, a valued subscriber of The Nude Canvas Newsletter, to feature my favourite artistic nude books got me thinking. While my collection isn't vast, I found myself contemplating the best way to approach this.
In the end, I've decided to present it similarly to the usual Five Nudes Friday format: showcasing one photo accompanied by a link to the talented photographer.
Here are 5 (+1) of my favourite books, click the link to go to the photographers website.
Personal by Vincent Peters. This book is filled with photos of professional models in stylish and atmospheric environments. Some sensual, some more fashionable.
Photographs by Mona Kuhn. Mona’s style in this book is more documentary. The subjects are in a home/vacation setting, photos with warm colors, or soft grays.
Ralph Gibson’s book Nude contains a wide selection photos made during his long spanning career. His stylised nudes are characterised by dominant compositions created through form and contrast. Bodies often transformed into subjects, stripped from any sensuality.
Shades of Sensuality by Tina Trumpp is almost the opposite of Ralph Gibson’s book. Her book is filled with sensual models, dressed with jewellery and accessories, most often in a studio setting. It celebrates feminine beauty with a sensual undertone, but never erotic or without class.
Chocolate. Unfortunately Marc Lagrange passed away in 2015. He left behind a vast collection of fashion and artistic nude work. This book showcases a collection of large format polaroids. Sometimes they were shot just to check the lighting or composition, sometimes meant to be the final work. Stunning sensual models in a variety of environments like studios or public places, dressed in extravagant clothing and accessories
Last but not least: Visionary Vision of Sanne Sannes. I couldn’t find a websites that properly focussed on his work, but please do a search on Google and you will find many examples of his work, books and life.
Sanne Sannes (1937 - 1967) was a dutch photographer known for his raw, unedited style of working. His photos are contrasty, grainy and often out of focus. His subjects, mostly partners or women from his personal environment in personal and erotic poses or settings. I specifically like this book because it challenges me to look at my own beliefs on how a photo should be.
In my personal view, I find books to be the ultimate medium for experiencing photos. There's a tangible quality to them, with photos intentionally sequenced. Flipping through the pages allows me to delve into the photographer's intent and ponder over the thoughtful choices and subject matter.
Let me know if you have any suggestions for books. When I have another five books to showcase, part deux will be in the making!
Congratulations on another excellent post for The Nude Canvas Newsletter. Thank you for sharing your recommendations and thoughts about the books you featured. I look forward to your future selections and reviews of books.
Personal by Vincent Peters, looks to be an intriguing book to collect. I'm not familiar with the works of Vincent Peters. I'll Google about the photographer to find out more information.
Photographs by Mona Kuhn another book and collection of work I have not heard about before. I'm always elated to find out about new photographers and their work. I did an initial search for this book which yielded some initial high prices for the book. I was eventually able to find a copy of the book on eBay and ordered it for $42.77. I was unable to see some examples of the content of the book, but I did like the work I was able to view about the photographer online.
Fortunately, I own Nudes by Ralph Gibson and Shades of Sensuality by Tina Trumpp.
I was able to Google search about Chocolate by Marc Lagrange and found a copy that I ordered immediately.
Visionary Vision of Sanne Cannes is out of print. I hope to find out some information about the photographer's work on the Internet.
All of the books in today's post are inspiration collections of art that motivate me in my own work as a photographer. Books and prints are the final destination for me when it comes to the ultimate presentation of photographic art. I think people sometimes forget that a book is a form of technology in itself, no different from the Internet or social media. Books don't require charging or an electronic device to view them on. As I continue to collect photography books now, I see the immense value in obtaining photography books whenever possible. I still haven't discovered the balance between showing some of my work on social media and saving the rest of my work exclusively for the photography book projects I am working on. Another thought about books and photography I've brainstorm about often is what determines the collectibility and value of a photographer's work. When does a photographer's work become fine art? Who determines if a photographer's work is fine art? There are so many unknown/undiscovered photographers that I know that are not mainstream artist that produce consistent outstanding photography work. Why do some photographers emerge into the spotlight while other photographers toil in obscurity? I personally believe that every person has a story to tell and that a person has to discover the medium to use to convey their story. Some people using drawing, singing, poetry, or some other form of art to share their story with the community. It was by a chance whim to try something new that I discovered photography as a teenager. I spent decades as a photography hobbyist before deciding to pursue photography professionally. I plan to contribute my own work of fine art nude photography to the universal collective of art in existence. I can only hope that my books are well received.
I could talk all day about photography. The newsletter has given me an outlet to discover and discuss photography subjects that interest me. Thank you for the courage and insight in creating The Nude Canvas Newsletter. I'll share some book recommendations in additional comments. I look forward to the next post.
Book Recommendations
1. Atlantic Sirens by Stefan Soell
2. Venus On Mars by Thomas Holm
3. The Graces by Thomas Holm
4. Shasta: African Queen by Stefan Soell
5. Beautiful: Nudes by Marc Baptiste
6. Stone Nudes: Climbing Bare by Dean Fidelman
7. Reclining Nude by
8. Diamond and Pearls by Marc Lagrange
9. Black Ladies by Uwe Omer
10. Graphis Nudes by B. Martin Pedersen, Annette Crandall, and Heinke Jessen
11. Tengo un Dragón Dentro del Corazón: The Photographs of Carlota Guerrero
12. Body of Light by Kimberly Meadows
13. Bodyscapes by Allan I. Teger
14. The Opera: Volume IX by Matthias Straub
15. The Opera: Volume VII by Matthias Straub
16. The Opera: Volume V by Matthias Straub
17. Normal Magazine https://www.normal-magazine.com/en
18. Exotic by Uwe Ommer
19. Nudes by Edward Weston
20. #NSFW by Rankin
21. Sensual Erotica by Dubnitsky David
Congratulations on another excellent post for The Nude Canvas Newsletter. Thank you for sharing your recommendations and thoughts about the books you featured. I look forward to your future selections and reviews of books.
Personal by Vincent Peters, looks to be an intriguing book to collect. I'm not familiar with the works of Vincent Peters. I'll Google about the photographer to find out more information.
Photographs by Mona Kuhn another book and collection of work I have not heard about before. I'm always elated to find out about new photographers and their work. I did an initial search for this book which yielded some initial high prices for the book. I was eventually able to find a copy of the book on eBay and ordered it for $42.77. I was unable to see some examples of the content of the book, but I did like the work I was able to view about the photographer online.
Fortunately, I own Nudes by Ralph Gibson and Shades of Sensuality by Tina Trumpp.
I was able to Google search about Chocolate by Marc Lagrange and found a copy that I ordered immediately.
Visionary Vision of Sanne Cannes is out of print. I hope to find out some information about the photographer's work on the Internet.
All of the books in today's post are inspiration collections of art that motivate me in my own work as a photographer. Books and prints are the final destination for me when it comes to the ultimate presentation of photographic art. I think people sometimes forget that a book is a form of technology in itself, no different from the Internet or social media. Books don't require charging or an electronic device to view them on. As I continue to collect photography books now, I see the immense value in obtaining photography books whenever possible. I still haven't discovered the balance between showing some of my work on social media and saving the rest of my work exclusively for the photography book projects I am working on. Another thought about books and photography I've brainstorm about often is what determines the collectibility and value of a photographer's work. When does a photographer's work become fine art? Who determines if a photographer's work is fine art? There are so many unknown/undiscovered photographers that I know that are not mainstream artist that produce consistent outstanding photography work. Why do some photographers emerge into the spotlight while other photographers toil in obscurity? I personally believe that every person has a story to tell and that a person has to discover the medium to use to convey their story. Some people using drawing, singing, poetry, or some other form of art to share their story with the community. It was by a chance whim to try something new that I discovered photography as a teenager. I spent decades as a photography hobbyist before deciding to pursue photography professionally. I plan to contribute my own work of fine art nude photography to the universal collective of art in existence. I can only hope that my books are well received.
I could talk all day about photography. The newsletter has given me an outlet to discover and discuss photography subjects that interest me. Thank you for the courage and insight in creating The Nude Canvas Newsletter. I'll share some book recommendations in additional comments. I look forward to the next post.