Review: Alfred Steiglitz, Dorthea Lange, Julie Margaret Cameron, Andre Kertesz

Alfred Steiglitz, Dorthea Lange, Julie Margaret Cameron, Andre Kertesz

Phaidon Press
Street: 09.01

For all of you hipsters who have decided that the camera you wear as an accessory actually can be a wonderful tool to create some amazing artwork, well, that’s step one. Step two, learn how to actually operate it and then develop your prints. Step three; invest some time learning about the photographers who basically pioneered the medium into a form of art. To get you started, you can pick up a great introductory collection of the work of Alfred Steiglitz, Dorthea Lange, Julie Margaret Cameron or Andre Kertesz, published by Phaidon. Each introduction is written thoroughly enough for the reader to get a general history of the photographer’s personal life, as well as what they contributed to the medium and the art world. These are great starter books. Each image is also accompanied by a small paragraph explaining the image and its relevance to the medium at that time. Small, simply designed and informative, these books will look good on your coffee table or be a great gift for someone just learning about the history of photography. For those of you already well versed, these can serve as little reminders of why you love photography, and maybe even provide a little inspiration. -–Emily Allen