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Irina Popova - Another Family published by Dostoevsky Publishing (2014)

I’ve spent a lot of time with this book and though I knew I would like it, I’m surprised by just how much. Its format is quite different to what I’m used to in a photobook. It’s split into chapters, contains lots of text, conversations between Popova and her school tutor. Stories and notes written as the project was being documented and unfolded.. and just like any good book, when you start, it hooks you, and you don’t want to set it down until you’ve finished it.

The texts add such an important element to it all. Popova is inside this messy, ditch of a house, documenting a pretty unorthodox family, snapping photos and taking note of her experiences. It may not have been her intention when it all began, but she in turn started documenting herself, and her reactions to the entire process of documenting this family. She has committed herself so much that she becomes part of the family and their story. Even if just for a little while.

The project and subsequent book raised a lot of questions, criticism and controversy. At which point does a photographer stop documenting and start “helping”? In this case it was all because of the family’s little daughter Anfisa and the environmental dangers she was being subjected to. Surrounded by drugs and alcohol, intoxicated and potentially dangerous people. Why didn’t the photographer contact social services? Why wasn’t the young girl removed from this damaging home and placed under “better” care? Well, I imagine as the documenting continued, Popova began to feel more at home, more integrated into the family and as such began to see the love that was evident to her, but would not have been to outsiders.

I loved this book. For the project, pure, raw documentary work and for the teachings it provides. Any aspiring documentary/photojournalism student would get a lot out of it which is even more impressive given the photographer of the project was a student at the time herself.

One of my favourites this year :)

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Books of 2014 :) 

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Daichi Koda - Small Good Lie self published

- Small Good Lie is one of the most beautiful books this year. In its design and content. My favourite book of the year.

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Motoki - White Fang self published - White Fang was an unexpected surprise. It was introduced to me at the Tokyo Art Book Fair and I loved it. It talks about dog fighting in Japan, primarily the Aomori prefecture in the North of Honshu. She uses articles and information from the past along with her current photography and we get a sense of it’s rocky transition up north. The actual fight photographs are quite intense in their ferocity. But she captures it without being gory or overly obscene.

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Rafal Milach - Winners published by GOST - I’m a big Milach fan. I have a few of his previous books and I love them all and this one is no exception. It’s clever and fun. I can’t help smiling while looking through the portraits and reading what contests they’ve won. It make me wonder if they are as proud as their nation is trying to build them up to be.

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Awoiska van der Molen - Sequester published by Fw: - This book is gorgeously designed/produced like so many other Fw: books. What puts it on my list however, is the mood. It’s slow paced, dark and a little eerie. I was listening to the soundtrack to Under The Skin while reading the book, so that may have also contributed.

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Mark Power - Die Mauer Ist Weg published by Globtik Books The design of this books is what got my initial attention. It’s gorgeously designed by Ania Nalecka. Then flipping through its pages recounts the fall of the Berlin Wall according to Power. Alec Soth comments on his LBM blog saying "DIE MAUER IST WEG! is the product of an incredibly lucky timing. On November 9th of 1989, Power made a trip to Berlin to give one last go at being a photographer before giving up to become a carpenter.” Considering all the great work he’s done since, I’d have to agree with Soth. Lucky for Power and for us.

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Masahito Agake - Namekuji Soshi Gaiden published by Sokyu-sha - I was a big fan when the book first came out earlier in the year, and nothing’s changed. Favorite street photo book for the year. Masahito has a great eye and his personality shows in his work. It’s humorous, a little dark and very enjoyable.

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Max Pinckers - Will They Sing Like Raindrops or Leave Me Thirsty self published - So happy I got this book. It tells an amazing story. Many people are aware that arranged marriages occur in India (and many other countries), but we don’t often stop to consider what it could mean for the couple involved. In his book, Pinckers tells us of a group called the Love Commandoes and how the group tries to help couples in love who are forbidden to marry, so they can avoid the harsh repercussions of not following in the family’s strict traditions.

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Euromaidan by Sergiy Lebedynskyy & Vladyslav Krasnoshchok published by Riot books - Great little book depicting the events in Ukraine when the peaceful protests suddenly turned violent and all hell broke loose. The raw black and white photography and the simplicity of the “zine” format reenforce its urgency.

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Peter Bialobrzeski - Cairo Diary published by The Velvet Cell - Very impressive book published by TVC, small indie publisher who until fairly recently had focussed primarily on zines and simple saddle stitched books. Cairo Diary is exactly as it sounds, a photographic diary of sorts Peter kept while he was in Cairo photographing the quiet tension of the city during a time of uncertainty in the country.

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Frédéric Brenner - an Archeology of Fear and Desire published by Mack books - This is one of my favourite Mack titles this year. This book is part of a series of books in which Brenner and other photographers visited Israel in attempt to recontextualise our views on the country, showing us that there’s a lot more than just what the media shows on tv.

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Irina Popova - Another Family published by Dostoevsky Publishing - I feel this book didn’t get the attention it deserved. In Another Family, Popova stayed with a family who are the opposite of what is usually acceptable in society. Mother and father often drunk or high, apartment a disastrous mess, “friends” stopping by to get trashed, or have a place to crash for the night all while a little girl is left wandering around in the filth left by everyone. The most interesting part of the book though is that it isn’t so much about the family, but about Popova’s experiences with the family and dealing with the online backlash that followed.

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Mikhael Subotsky & Patrick Waterhouse - Ponte City published by Steidl - Big huge book of awesome. Ponte City shows us the ups and downs and attempted ups but just more downs of Ponte City, a massive apartment complex in Johannesburg. Ponte City is broken up into parts. The bulk of the photography is in the big cloth covered book, while 17 little booklets are filled with essays and other interesting stories that explain what’s been going on with Ponte City.

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Ichiro Kojima - Tsugaru facsimile published by Nohara Publishing Tsugaru is a beautiful reproduction of Kojima’s classic (and only) book. Tsugaru is like an ode to the place he came from. It comprises of text by Yojiro Ishizaka, poems by Kyozo Takaki in Tsugaru dialect and photography by Ichiro Kojima. And for the first time since the original, an English translation accompanies the work.

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Dear photobook fans! The great people at Sputnik Photos have an indiegogo campaign to help fund their new photography project in Central Asia. There are great perks for your contribution and I highly encourage you to support.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lost-territories-photo-project-in-central-asia

I am extremely excited to see the results of this project. Fingers crossed!

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Matej Sitar - Morning Sun self published (by his own company “The Angry Bat”) 2014

Getting this book posted onto The New Frame is LONG overdue. I received it during a very busy time and haven’t been able to sit down and write much for a while. But finally, it’s here.

This is an interesting book. Its design was kept simple as opposed to his previous book (America, My Way) that had a more playful layout/reading. Morning Sun is cloth-covered, case bound with its title debossed and tipped in cover photo. The design feels very well suited to the project.

Flipping through the pages of Morning Sun gives off a nice calm, contemplative mood, almost meditative. Some of the images bring to mind Rinko Kawauchi’s work and her delicate, ethereal way of shooting the world around her. The reason I find the book so interesting though is even though you get this calm mood throughout the reading, I imagine that the photographer would have felt quite the opposite. The memories, thoughts and visions of the future all colliding in his mind. For him -whether he shows it or keeps it to himself- I imagine all this would have led to quite a hectic train of thought.

It starts off after the title pages with one of my favourite shots in the series, the shot of the basketball hoop hanging from the shed/barn. I love it and Sitar recently explained the significance of the shot in an interview with Augusto Mendoza of Books Are Niceand the photo helps put the rest of the book into perspective.

Knowing a child is coming into his life, the familiar suddenly becomes something different. A basketball hoop where he remembers playing with his brother in law, now becomes a place where he will teach and play with his son. A place where his son may ask for advice. A place that will allow them to bond and remain close as he grows into his teens and beyond. This change in the familiar flows through the book and is matched by the changes in his partner as they prepare for the birth of their son.

I really enjoyed this book. Thanks Matej, all the best to you and your family.

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Eric Gunderson - Good Day Mr Knutsen published by Jameric Editions (2014) edition of 500 (including 50 special edition copies with print)

After years of being inspired, moved & excited by photographers and their photobooks, I’ve decided to publish my own.

My partner Jamee and I chose to create Jameric Editions and we recently released our first book “Good Day Mr Knutsen” where we invite the viewer to get to know someone new. We are surrounded by new people; potentially very interesting people, all the time. But we hardly ever go beyond the greetings. With this book, the greeting is the beginning, then we go a little deeper and get to know our subject by going out for the day. Words are hardly spoken, but by being attentive, and observant, you’ll get to know him a little better, just like I did.

There is a trade and special edition (edition of 50) available. The special edition comes with a signed and numbered a5 c-print.

We hope you enjoy it.

Jamee & Eric

We currently have an offer for 15% off until January 1st. You can order a copy from here (jamericeditions.com) or visit one of our stockists. L'Ascenseur Végétal (France) Popotame Gallery & Bookstore (Tokyo) Flotsam Books (Tokyo/Online Shop) T-Site Daikanyama (Tokyo) Perimeter Books (Melbourne)

PS: Follow Jameric Editions on Facebook. We have some big plans for the future. :)

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Daichi Koda - Small Good Lie self published - edition of 99, 1 - 3 are special edition (2014)

This work really spoke to me… So, I’ll just come straight out and say it, this will be on my list of top books for the year. Daichi Koda’s handmade "Small Good Lie” investigates how we interpret images in comparison to real life situations. In this case, his life with his girlfriend and her depression.

On the website for Small Good Lie, Koda writes “We live in the real world. Every photograph is taken from the real world. But I stand on the notion that photographs do not tell about the real world. Photographs generate totally different things from what our eyes see. I am interested in how the photographic subject is interpreted by the audience. I am attempting to find a new way to reveal the structure of seeing photographs.”

Koda offers an interesting way of thinking… Consider for a moment that the photograph and the time in which the photograph was taken were 2 different realities. One reality is the truth, and the other an interpretation of the truth. Only the photographer and subject are aware of the truth. For the viewer, the photograph merely hints at the truth and the viewer’s interpretation creates the rest of the story.

With 'Small Good Lie', Koda attempts to relay what he sees on a daily basis into a photographic work that an audience can understand. That understanding will differ depending on the viewer and whether they personally connect to the work. But our view as audience, and his view as photographer will never be the same. We don’t have as much invested, and our point of view is much narrower, only being privy to 1 of the 2 realities. We may not have experienced anything in our past to help put the work into context, but regardless of all that, we still feel something, and those feelings help tell the story.

Like any work, the more time you spend with it, the more you will connect to it. This work is subtle, quiet, and sensitive, and deserves the same sort of attention in order to get the most from it. I highly recommend you get a copy before they all go. Only 99 were made.

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Bruno Quinquet - Salaryman Project (2013, 2014, 2015) published by Bruno Quinquet / Bureau d'Etudes Japonaises

I had the great pleasure of meeting Bruno at this year’s Tokyo Art Book Fair and in the process acquired the 3 Salaryman Project books “2013, 2014, 2015”. He’s a great, genuine guy, and I really enjoy what he’s doing with these. The images are clever, funny, well designed and a lot fun to look at. What I especially love is that he maintains the anonymity of the salarymen. There always seems to be something obstructing the view of their face. You can never quite see who's there and as such they become one, "The Salaryman". It’s as if once one wears the “uniform” of the salaryman, their own identity slips into the distant background.

The idea of having the project told/shown in calendar/business schedule form is also great. Firstly, it makes sense given the subject matter. And, if unlike me, you are patient enough to flip through the pages week by week using them as intended, you may encounter a clever, humorous image to brighten your otherwise boring, monotonous day.

*photos shown are from the most recent, 2015 book .

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Motoki - White Fang

White Fang was my most unexpected happy surprise during the Tokyo Art Book Fair. I hadn’t heard of it prior to the fair. I flipped through the copy at the stand and immediately thought “Wow… I have to have this.” It comes in 2 editions. The trade edition (which I didn’t flip through) and the handmade edition. I got the handmade edition. It’s gorgeously produced with high quality papers and printing and bound by a single black string.

The beginning introduces the project by showing us where the fighting takes place, up in Aomori and shows us portraits of the dogs and their owners. It then tells us a little bit about dog fighting’s recent history in Japan. How after WWII, the fights were banned from Tokyo and the main event organisers moved up north to Aomori, away from the judgemental views of modernising Tokyo. There are inserts that contribute to the story. Then bold, high contrast images of a dog fight. The swirly motion blur reminiscent of a calligrapher gone mad. Motoki gets in close, allowing us to see the ferociousness of the battle. You can feel the intensity, hear the growls, until one of the combatant’s inevitable end. Then quiet...

Due to the subject matter of the book, I can understand that this book may not be for everyone. However, Motoki does an excellent job of showing us the brutality, without being gory and distasteful. Really great work.

Available for purchase through Reminders Project

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Nuno Moreira - State Of Mind - self published (2013)

State of mind is exactly as the title suggests. Through wandering the streets, Moreira has captured not only what visually grabbed him on the streets, but his state of mind at the time. There should be an attempt to look at the images through Moreira's eyes. Imagine what made him press the shutter release, attempt to look past the visuals and search for something deeper. I only wish I could have seen short sequences of images, allowing a deeper look inside, rather than a peek.

But this isn't just about the photographer's state of mind when he was out taking photographs. It's also about you and I. It's about the viewer's state of mind when viewing the photographs. Attempting to view the book, or any book for that matter, on different occasions, with varying states of mind, will most likely result in a different viewing experience and appreciation for the work. It then also leads to the possibility of comparing his views and our own. Even if it is for the most part theoretical. It's a fun game to play while flipping through the pages.

Then finally, there’s the state of mind of those captured. There’s a lot of contemplating going on in this book. People are just standing, both feet planted on the ground, often in what seems like an odd place to just stop and stand. These people appear completely consumed by whatever thoughts have invaded their minds. It stops me in my tracks and it’s as if I attempt to read their minds. I will never know what they’re thinking, but that doesn’t stop my curiosity from trying.

As a purely visual standpoint, the photographs themselves are great. Nice attention to light and composition. Great shadows and lines. Brief, not so hidden moments caught on film. I’ve been a fan of this sort of photography for a while. Favorites like Trent Parke and Ray K Metzker come to mind. It's also interesting to see the work done in Japan. Though possibly inspired by the greats of Japanese photography, this is different. He definitely followed his own path, rather than try to mimic like so many have done in the past.

It took me a few, very infrequent “sessions” with this book. My initial flip through was almost completely taken over by the visual side of the images. But after considering the ideas intended in the book, the content took on new meaning and I appreciated it much more.

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Italo Morales - Overnight Generation published by Verlag Kettler (2013) texts by Feberico Sicurella & Haris Selmanagic

Overnight Generation looks at the youth of Sarajevo and a city on the mends after decades of war. Many of the youth appear to be in a sort of limbo. Stuck between a confusing childhood many may want to forget and being and evasive adulthood. Who do you look up to when the older generations are still struggling with their past?

I got the impression that the subjects in the book just want to live their lives. Not worry about the past, live in the now and see where tomorrow will lead. But, signs of the past are everywhere, like the bullethole covered buildings. A constant reminder of how fragile society and life overall can be. How do you ignore what’s directly in your face all the time? As headstrong as many of them may be, it would be nearly impossible to go through their lives and not be affected. The past has been engraved into their subconscious and their future will undoubtedly be affected by it. I'd love to see a follow-up project that re-examines their lives some time in the future.

I really appreciate the way Morales has chosen to present this work. Like the youths, he isn’t focused on the past. He definitely didn't ignore it, but he also didn’t give us a long winded history lesson, it would have been unnecessary. Instead, he gave us Sarajevo now and the people of tomorrow. The direction Sarajevo goes will be up to them.

Thanks Italo.

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Atsushi Fujiwara - Butterfly Had a Dream published by Sokyu-sha (2014)

This is the second series Fujiwara originally released as part of his Asphalt magazine series. 'Butterfly Had a Dream' originally appeared in issues VIII and IX and has now become a very beautiful book.

In 'Butterfly Had a Dream', Fujiwara follows a young woman who, after a series of unfortunate events, has been left mentally unstable right around the time of her father's death. - Her father was a professional insect collector who would travel the world acquiring rare insects for other collectors, he had committed suicide.- She then made the difficult decision to leave her children with her mother in her hometown on Miyako-Jima, an island 300 km south of Okinawa's main island.

Fujiwara does a superb job of capturing his subject. Starting from her current home in Tokyo, where she works as a professional Japanese bondage master, to her hometown, a peaceful island where she gets to spend time with her children. You can sense the mood change from one place to the other, like polar opposites, they are worlds apart.

I love the story Fujiwara has told here. He has a very keen sense of observation. Making the links between his subject, her father, the butterfly and the 2 worlds she must flutter between is genius. - I highly recommend this book.

Arigatou gozaimasu, Fujiwara-san.

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Christine Redmond - Sea Change published by Artist Photobooks 2nd edition (2014) first edition originally published by Roundtower (2013)

Another great book by the team at Artist Photobooks. With this one, Christine Redmond has chosen to show us Forty Foot located on Dublin Bay's southern tip where people have been swimming year-round for over 250 years. It was originally exclusively for men but in the 70's, during the women's liberation movement a group of female equal-rights activists jumped into the waters and it has since been open to women and children as well.

Forty Foot has a lot of history and the foreword provided by Ian Bamford does a great job of teaching us some of it. It is known for it's strong Joycean connections. The opening section of Ulysses was set in Forty Foot. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with Joyce's work and can't really comment on it. But from what I've heard of Ulysses, I definitely hope to read it one day.

The place's intended purposes have undoubtably changed throughout the years, from military defence post to popular bathing place. It has become a place where people come to escape. to be free of judgement, free of daily stresses, free of all thought. Like a form of meditation I suppose. Those who swim these waters let it all go.

The photography really confirms these ideas about the Forty Foot. Its calm, quiet waters contrast its cold, harsh surroundings and it's as if stepping into the water will make it all disappear.

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Hi everyone. Remember the great and now sold out “America My Way” self published by Matej Sitar Well, Matej is making his second self published book and would love some support to make it happen. It’s called “Morning Sun” and it looks great. Follow the link below and grab yourself one of many great supporter perks. Please hurry, only 10 days left.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/morning-sun-limited-edition-photography-book

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Mads Greve - Blind Date published by Ajour/Postcart (2012)

Greve is a teacher at the Danish School of Media and Journalism in Aarhus and represented by Prospekt Photographers agency in Milan. He's among some incredible talent. I highly recommend a look through the 'photographers' page.

Blind Date is a personal story about getting back on your feet after a crisis and plays with the analogy between life and a blind date. Going out and experiencing every day, every new situation, as a blind date. Never knowing what to expect, but always being ready for it - camera in hand.

Everyone has experienced crisis in some form or another. Using this experience will allow you to relate to these images. What you see in the images are a new beginning and a chance to explore and love life again. You get to follow his transition from a dark place to a more joyful time in his life. In the first few images you see a ghostly dress hung in a dark room, a dead dear, even a self portrait… The following images appear to be an attempt to move on. Random encounters, with seemingly random people (they may not be random, but I prefer to think they are). Bars, clubs, drinking and dancing. Lots of fun. Then the following images appear to become more intimate. A more genuine intimacy than to those in the previous pages.

I really enjoyed this book. His style is raw, fragmented and full of movement. Experiencing life and photographing it as it happens. I get a sense he doesn't over think things but acts instinctively. Just as a good photographer should.

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Todd Hido - Silver Meadows B-Sides Box Set published by Nazraeli Press (2014) edition of 500

So this is pretty cool. I was a big fan of Hido's most recent book, "Excerpts From Silver Meadow". Around the same time that was released, a set of 8 posters was also released for his exhibition at Transformer Station in Cleveland. Now when this set of cards was brought to my attention (by Marcel Du) I thought it would be a nice additions to the "Silver Meadows" collection.

If you're a fan of Hido like I am, then you can never really get enough of his photographs. So I was pretty happy to see more. Similarly to how contact sheets have been popping up as interesting additions to photo books, these cards act kind of like a more polished version and gives us a little peek at his ideas and selection process.

A selected number of these cards were released early for a signing at Paris Photo LA last month. I was fortunate (and maybe quick enough) to get onto Nazraeli and snatch up a set they still had at their office. They will be released soon though, and if you contactNazraeli they'll have more details for you.

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Ken Grant - Flock published by Artist Photo Books (2014)

A little about Ken Grant. Grant is a documentary photographer from Liverpool and is currently a lecturer in photography at the University of Ulster. Grant is known for his long term projects and has had work published by Dewi Lewis with "The Close Season" (2002) ; and Journal with "No Pain Whatsoever" (2014) and now "Flock".

With Flock, Grant takes us to Hereford to visit one of the last inner city Livestock & Agricultural markets in Britain. This market has been around for centuries. Aware of Hereford's redevelopment plans, Grant took it upon himself to immortalise what's left of the market in the last 5 years of it's existence, until its relocation outside the city.

The images show the liveliness of the market. Where young and old, buyers and sellers fill the tight spaces of the sheds. Livestock, produce, poultry and meats, are all sold inside the sheds. But while the people in the photos are focussed on the merchandise, Grant directs our gaze towards the people. The photos are filled with interesting people and playful juxtapositions (as the title suggests). One of my favourite sequences would have to be the image with the cow alone in its pen waiting to be sold off while potential buyers surround it. Then, turn the page and there's a "pen"of tables, over crowded with people.

It's a great book filled with a lot of great characters and an age-old custom constantly challenged by modern changes. I hope the market manages to keep going strong in its new location. Traditions need to keep being passed on. Times are changing too quickly. Traditions are being lost and forgotten all so we can save a few bucks. People are moving away from the old ways and choosing cheaper, modern means of consumption. Online retailing has taken over. Soon markets like these will become tourist attractions rather than being the norm (it's already the case in many places)