Focus On Paul Freeman…

Regular readers may recall last week’s post announcing the release of Australian photographer Paul Freeman’s lastest collection of male nudes – Bondi Road. The books are such perennial favourites with TPI regulars that we have decided to offer an early Christmas special.

TPI bookclub members – and readers of this blog – can pick up the complete set of “Bondi” photographic books for only $280.00. The set includes:

• Bondi Classic
• Bondi Urban
• Bondi Work
• Bondi Road (2007 release).

Freeman’s work appeals to a broad range of photography enthusiasts. Apart from the obviously homoerotic content, the books are beautiful studies of the male nude that have a place in a tradition of classic human form photography that reaches back to the work of Edward Weston.

TPI’s Top Ten Photography Books…

The TPI Top Ten List

1. Adobe CS3 for Photographers

2. Louise Mann: The Joy of Light

3. Face of Fashion

4. Skin : The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing, and Retouching Faces and Bodies

5. Image Makers Image Takers

6. Yvonne Todd: Dead Starlets –

7. Michael Langford’s Starting Photography

8. Still Life and Special Effects

9. The Art of People Photography

10. Light Science & Magic

The TPI top ten list reflects our customer mix. Although we are a specialist photography bookshop, our Chapel Street location means that we attract a large number of browsers and books like Joy of Light, Dead Starlets and Face of Fashion are appealing to a general audience. We also stock a large range of technical books such as Skin and Adobe CS3 that are suitable for beginners and for more advanced users like tertiary students and professional photographers. These kinds of books are not normally carried by general bookshops and libraries do not always have them.

Book Review: Paul Freeman – Bondi Road

This new collection of male nudes from Australian photographer Paul Freeman features colour images as well as his trademark black and white. The beautifully lit, formal nude work remains prominent however, Freeman’s style has evolved and he includes many ’snapshot’ or ’street’ photography style images. The work has travel and rootlessness as its theme.

D.I.Y.Book Publishing…

For the last two years, Melbourne photographer Jesse Marlow has been documenting in black and white people who have been affected by superficial injuries as they go about their daily routine out on the street. Like an obsession, he followed the walking wounded as they awkwardly manoeuvred their way through seas of commuters. Thirty nine of the images have been collected in his self published book Wounded.

Marlow is one of the contemporary photographers currently revitalising street photography. Other Australian practioners can be found at the photo agency Oculi. The book has been extremely well received internationally and won a major award for the designers. Click here for a review of Wounded that also reviews some American self published books.

For those interested in colour photography, Australian photographers Louise Mann and Ken Ball have both self-published books that can be considered art photography. Joy of Light is the first book from award winning Western Australian photographer Louise Mann, the images featured perfectly capture the joy of light. The work has a painterly quality and subject matter includes landscapes and figures.  Ken Ball has three books out that are impressionistic in style: Impressions in Passing, Impressions of Nature and Impressions of the Female Form. He has also published a book of portraits: Happening Women in Australia & New Zealand.