That should read “British” photography books but the British bit interfered with the alliteration !
Please note this is not necessarily a “Best” but fave list , the criteria for inclusion is personal , I suspect that my list holds few surprises for most photographers of the same vintage as me .
The books that I value most , tend to be those that have taught me most .
A Day Off , Tony Ray Jones , 1974 .
Lets not mess about , the list starts with the foundation of British Street / Doc Photography , A Day Off , Tony Ray Jones , the guy who showed many of us how to see Britain in a new way , I did not realise that photography was capable of communicating so much until I came across the work of TRJ , humour and empathy with lashings of surrealism create a humanistic melting pot that reflects the social complexities, contradictions and eccentricities of a changing 1960’s England .
A photo-book masterpiece published posthumously in 1974 .
The English , Ian Berry , 1978
This is a portrait of England that I hold in the highest regard , this monochromatic study of my country lacks the visual poetry that TRJ brings to his work in exchange for a portrait of a more industrious nation.
Berry is a master photographer at the top of his game here , this is England through a more objective , “Critical” journalistic eye .
Berry’s superior use of light is demonstrated best when he photographs the North East mining communities , shooting against low sunlight in a couple of memorable views .
Berry actually shoots from Byker Bridge towards the Cluny Wharehouse & river Tyne in one shot , it appears that world class photographers were everywhere in Newcastle’s east end at this time !
The Last Resort , Martin Parr , 1986 .
No blog on British photo-books would be complete without at least one of Martin Parr’s tomes , at the risk of being predicable The Last Resort can not be overlooked !
In my view The Last Resort is a game changer within British photography and the evolution of the Photo-Book as a vehicle for Art / Doc photography. Especially when compared with the books already mentioned in this blog .
It is easy to forget that this book appeared in 1986 and challenged everything that had gone before , Parr brought a new aesthetic to British documentary photography that sat comfortably alongside his newly developed critical , sarcastic eye !
The new middle-class gaze had landed , aided and abetted by TRJ & Dewi Lewis !
The Non-Conformists and Bad Weather lived on another planet and belonged to another time and maybe a different photographer ?
I suspect Paul Grahams use of colour in his 1983 A1 project influenced Parrs’ choice of film stock , I can also inform readers that the super powerful fill-flash technique was borrowed from Killip’s Sea Coal project technique !
Lots to like and lots to loathe here in this depiction of New Brighton , this book seriously conflicts me and wrong foots me with every viewing , long may it continue ?
This book lives on my fave list because I am yet to resolve how I feel about it ?
This book challenged and expanded my idea of what photography could be, just when I thought I already knew !
Cardiff After Dark , Maciej Dakowicz , 2012 ,
Every now and then a book comes along that punches way above my expectations , this is that book !
British based Polish photographer Maciej Dakowicz spent five years documenting the weekend party-night activities of the Welsh capital , warts and all !
All of life fuelled by alcohol is captured here in this deceptively simple record of weekend drinking culture during the 21st century , sadness , loneliness and humour are captured with unusually high levels of empathy,
Photographers who have attempted to shoot this subject themselves will appreciate the skills, risk and persistence required here .
A book that reminds us all that the old dogs don’t know all the new tricks and your next photo project subject might not be too far away .
Byker , Sirkka-liisa Konttinen , 1983 .
This book and all the work in it influenced my life , not just my photography !
In fact the work in this book and all things Side Gallery really helped to shape my life choices , I knew at the age of 14 that photography would play a important role in my life . Many of the locations in this book were very familiar to me as were some of the faces , my connection with this work is much deeper than my usual relationship with a photography book , the history of this book overlaps my personal history .
The work of Sirkka-liisa Konttinen is established now and does not need any introduction or endorsement from me , I was introduced to much of the Byker work via Side Gallery long before the book appeared , Side Gallery demonstrated to a teenage me the power of photography, long before the tinternet age !
The Byker book is much more than a documentary record of life in 1970’s Byker to me , it is a reflection of places, faces and my life at this time , it taught me that my everyday was a valid photo subject and that photography could be a career .
A wonderful book that gets better with age , looking back Raby Street feels and looks like another life , I’ve just remembered the surreal astronaut that used to live on the bingo hall ?
Can the pictures in a photo-book change your life ? I know that they can …
Did HCB once have a pint in The Middle Club ?
My lips are sealed …
Books by Jimmy Forsyth , Chris Killip , “Johnny Stiletto” , Markéta Luskačová , Bill Brandt , Humphrey Spender , Shirley Baker, Bert Hardy, McCullin and many others also live happily alongside each other in the British Doc section of my photobook collection.
David Barrett shot the pandemic crisis during 2020, The Testing Times project can be seen by clicking above .
The State Of Britain series is complete, it explores everyday life during the Brexit era and gives visual insights into British identity, aspirations and post-truth uncertainty .....
Check out the new UK Street Shop on this site to buy Prints, Walks & More …
He is based in the South West of England .