Magnum Contact Sheets Paperback – October 24, 2017

if you are a photographer or if you love art, this book is a must have. really well curated

I read this book cover to cover over the course of a few months. Just a few entries each weekday morning after I dropped my kids off to school. The images are wonderful, of course, but seeing the contact sheets and learning even more about the context in which the photos were taken as told by the photographers themselves (!) just adds to the quality of this fine, fine book.Don't flip through it. Read it page-by-page. When you read the photographer's words about how/when the photos were taken gives so much great background detail. And with that info, once you turn the page to see the full-scale image they've been discussing and setting up?!?! WOW. It's a revelation.A must-have book for any photographer open to inspiration.

Photography is a hobby of mine and this book was full of insights. You do not have to have a background in film to understand what happens in a contact sheet. You just need to see enough of them to learn how to read them. When I worked at a fashion studio, we were happy to get one keeper in a 36 exposure roll. What you don't see in the other 35 shots is often helpful in understanding what steps led to that $$$ keeper. You know your process from reviewing what you shoot, and then to see it from what other people have shot helps you understand the process is different for all of us, but, yet, the visual path of other photographers is readable. You'll flip the pages and read the details and you will "get it" and be happy you digested this brick of a book. I mean, that is, if you visually want to get better.

A historic book with Great composition references from the best.

Magnum Contact Sheets is truly a masterpiece in terms of content.The reproductions of the photographs in this book are of outstanding quality. This is an iconic book that will be highly sought after in the future. I would expect prices to skyrocket once it is out of print.In my opinion, this is a book that every serious photographer, student of photography and connoisseur of fine photography books should own.And now for the bad news: Due to a combination of marginal binding strength by Thames & Hudson and improper packing for shipment by Amazon, I had to return the book repeatedly to get an undamaged and/or non-defective copy. When copy #4 arrived, I at long last had an acceptable copy of this outstanding book. There are two threads on this book and the trials and tribulations associated with it at L-Camera-Forum (Google it).I would rate the book at five stars (or an "A") for content and quality of photographic reproduction. However, in terms of the binding I would have to rate it at two stars (or a "D").It is truly unfortunate that the marginal binding has flawed an iconic book that is in all other ways a masterpiece.

Honestly, I was shocked at the print quality for the price of $45. I’ve bought photo books that cost 2x-3x as much that less photos in worse quality. It’s also just absolutely massive at over 500 pages with something interesting on almost every page. I’m a bit worried about the longevity of the binding as it’s a lot of strain and weight on a paperback but I imagine if I’m nice with it it will last a good while. If you want it as a book that you take to your grave, I’d go with the hardcover. But for a student like me, the paperback is a real value proposition.

This book represents a unique and extraordinary insight into the photojournalistic photographic process. Many famous images are represented here, but what makes them particularly valuable is you get to see the contact sheets as well as the stories behind the pictures. I know of no other book on photography that comes as close to this. Some examples that spring to mind are Ansel Adams - Making 40 Photographs, Michael Freeman's photo books, and most recently, those of Scott Kelby, all of which give you insights into technique and the photographer's mind. But none of these tap into the extraordinary resources captured in this book. My approach to reading and absorbing this substantial volume has been to look at the contact sheets first, to understand the material captured, and then see how your choices relate to those of the photographer. This in itself is a valuable learning experience, not diminished in any way by the clues contained on the contact sheet in the form of notations. This is one book that should be on the bookshelf of every serious student of photography.

At this price? Or at any price a fantastic treasure of a book. I recommend it for any serious student of photography. A collectible. A great book o understand the editorial process.