My Reference Library

Canon Manual Focus SLR’s – A Collectors’ Guide

Eric Scopec    (Hove Collectors Books – 2001)

Eric’s book is full of information. He describes cameras but I think the real value here is that he describes series, relationships, he makes lists, he makes the families clear. Shell is different than Peter’s book (above) but this little volume is equally useful and very entertaining to read.

Canon Compendium Handbook of the Canon System

Bob Shell    (Hove Collectors Books – 1994)

This book is the finest discussion of the Canon camera I have found. The comments on history and equipment are an essential read for any Canon afficionado.

Lens Work III

The Eyes of EOS   (March 2011 – 13th Edition)

I had just finished (January 2018) posting PDF files of the various chapters of Canon’s Lenswork III when I came across a new print copy of these collected PDF articles in a Kerrisdale Camera shop in Coquitlam.

This very handsome volume is a Canon publication and to a large extent is an unabashed 272 page advertisement for Canon EOS lenses. But it’s well worth the investment for any Canon lover. The book is above average in quality of paper, binding, photography: in short, a joy to hold and read. And it contains a great deal of useful information.

In particular, the section entitled Optical Terminology is a gold mine of technical definitions and explanations. Overall, this is a valuable addition to any camera library.

The Canon Reflex Way

Leonard Gaunt  – Focal Press Limited  1975

This is an instruction book more than a technical historical work. It covers cameras from the Canonflex to the Canon EX EE and gets into their accessories. Final chapters cover film developing and print making. Not a great book for collectors but I do refer to it on occasion.

The History of Photography
from 1839 to the Present – Beaumont Newhall

This book, unlike 500 Cameras, above, is a history of the people and processes. Although it discusses the cameras, the pictures are of … well … pictures and the text is about people, processes and what those people thought about their craft. Is it art? If not, what is it? It is a wonderful discussion.

The Dictionary of Photography
Adrian Bailey – 1987

I found this book in a used book store near my home. It is a simple volume and yet the entries are profusely illustrated and very comprehensive. I actually think it is a good reference work although topics are not covered in any depth. However, the price was right and it will be useful.

Alfred Stieglitz
Aperture Foundation – 1997

This is not a large volume but it is a great book. It has a short biography of Stieglitz and a large selection of his photographs with notes and statistics. The photographs are beautifully reproduced with a range of tone that reveals details in the images you normally don’t see in print. It is an essential read for anyone interested in early American photography and the early arguments about the place of photography in the art world.

From Adams to Stieglitz
Nancy Newhall – 1989

Nancy Newhall knew the great photographers of the 20th century and wrote engagingly about them. This volume is a collection of her writings about the pioneers of modern photography. It takes inside inside the people, politics and development of the art over a 50 year span of years. A great read!

Focus
Memoirs of a Life in Photography – 1993

Beaumont Newall was a 20th century photographic institution in North America. He was a photographer, historian and writer and he knew most of the great photographers of the formative years in photography in North America. In this book he writes recollections of his life and work and the people he has known. He writes in an easy interesting style worth several evenings of your life. It is a great read.

Stieglitz on Photography
Compiled and Annotated by Richard Whelan

I bought this book as part of my education on the early thinking about photography as art and it has been a blessing. Stieglitz is a little hard to read after all these years and the changes in popular writing style but the effort is well worth the effort. This book contains some of the foundational writings on photography by a giant in the field. It also contains examples of the work of early contemporary photographers as well as works by Stieglitz himself. Worth every penny!

500 Cameras
170 Years of Photographic Innovation – Todd Gustavson (2011)

This is a picture book of cameras from the earliest models to digital with descriptions and historical perspective. But it is mainly pictures. And they are luxurious. If you are interested in the history of cameras, then this is a book for you.

On the down side, it does not discuss the people and events of that history. There is no consideration of the processes and the people that developed them. This is a book about machinery. And as a reference work, it is a good one.

Collecting and Using Classic Cameras
Ivor Matanle – Thames and Hudson 1986

This is a neat book. It has good information and history on many classic cameraqs. The photographs are interesting and the description of the cameras is engaging and informative. I have no trouble recommending this book.

Camera Culture
by Halla Beloff – Basil Blackell Limited 1985

This is a discussion of what photography is and how it has affected modern society. It is an enjoyable read but I think Beloff makes too much of the photographic process and draws to many conclusions about the photographer’s relevance in the world. However, it gives a lot to think about and is a good read.

Camera Lucida
by Roland Barthes – Hill & Wang, New York 1980

This book is a rambling contemplation of photography. It tries to define photography and create a sort of philosophy of photography. I don’t think Barthes is successful in this. The attempt leaves the reader unsatisfied.

The Art of Photography
by Bruce Barnbaum – RockyNook Books 2010

I find most books on photographic technique to be shallow and less then helpful. They seem written to make profit rather than offer serious insights. This book is not one of those. The is a serious discussion of photography which I found to be interesting and insightful. And the pictures are really excellent. Really worth a read.

Between the Eyes
by David Levi Strauss – Aperture Press 2003

This volume is more about politics than photography but it does contain some insights into photojournalism which I found interesting.

Working Light – Photographer Edith S. Watson
by Frances Rooney – Carleton University Press 1996

Edith Watson was an amateur photographer who took pictures in Canada and some parts of the United States from the 1890’s to the 1930’s. From the photographs I would guess that her camera was a common “Kodak” as the lenses were not that sharp. But she had a good eye for an interesting photograph. And the text that goes with the collection is engaging. A very interesting collection. I like it.

An Enterprising Life – Leonard Frank Photographs 1895 – 1944
by Cyril E. Leonoff – Talon Books, Vancouver 1990

Leonard Frank took pictures in Alberta, British Columbia and Alaska. He photographed almost anything that passed in front of his lens. At a time when cameras were challenging his work is sharp, fine grained and clear. He was obviously a master photographer. This collection of wonderful images is accompanied by text giving the story of the pictures

The Family of Man
Published for the Museum of Modern Art, New York, by Maco Magazine Corporation  1955

This book documents a photographic exhibition of the Museum of Modern Art in New York curated by Edward Steichen. It was a famous event and the show went on tour around the world to great acclaim. It was a major photographic event of the mid-20th century.

Julia Margaret Cameron
by Joanne Lukitsh- Phaidon Press Limited, London and New York   2001

This small volume is a collection of the work of Julia Margaret Cameran who was a Victorian artistic photographer working in the 1960’s and 70’s. She made a name for herself in the earliest days of photography when photographic technique was heavily influenced by the painters of the age.