Each month, a slew of new photography books hits the shelves, ready for us to pick up and plonk on our coffee table. Here at AP, we’re in the extremely enviable position of seeing these tomes pass by our discerning eyes, in order to help you choose what to spend your hard-earned cash.
Here’s our pick of the best photography books you can buy in July – let us know if any take your fancy, or suggest recommendations of your own. If you’re looking for more inspiration, don’t forget to check out the best exhibitions to see in 2022 too.
The Best Photography Books to buy in July 2022
- A Very British Picnic
- The Mindful Photographer by Sophie Howarth
- Venezia: Through a Venetian’s Eyes by Federico Povoleri
- The Polaroid Book 40th edition by Barbara Hitchcock, Steve Crist
- The Mennonites by Larry Towell
- Modern Forms: An Expanded Subjective Atlas of 20th Century Architecture by Nicolas Grospierre
Best archive photography book July 2022
A Very British Picnic
RRP £17.95, Hoxton Mini Press, Hardback, 128 pages, ISBN: 9781914314193
The 11th book in Hoxton’s Vintage Britain series, as usual we are treated to a nostalgic and playful collection of images – this time focusing on the humble British picnic. Although it might seem like quite a niche subject for an entire book, it’s one that probably every UK citizen has experienced at some point, so it has interest for all of us.
It’s also a quirky collection that speaks to collectors of documentary, street and historical photography – with images covering pretty much the entire 20th century. Who knows, you might even spot yourself – or somebody you know – among the leaves of this charming little tome, which is, as ever, beautifully made. If you’ve got the rest of the collection, it’s an excellent addition, but even if you haven’t, it’s a fun little gift (if only to yourself).
Best photography technique book July 2022
The Mindful Photographer by Sophie Howarth
£14.99, Thames and Hudson, softback, 144 pages, ISBN: 9780500545539
We’re big fans of mindfulness here at AP, so we were very interested to hear about this new book by Sophie Howarth.
Drawing on the work of high-profile photographers including Saul Leiter, Rinko Kawauchi, Sally Mann, Edward Weston, Teju Cole and more, this book gives you inspiration and stories which will help broaden your photographic knowledge and offers new perspectives on creativity.
Designed to give us a new way of thinking about photography – dismissing the notion of perfection – it encourages us to slow down and discover the joy and rewards from a ‘mindful’ approach to photography. Affordable and well-sized, this is nice to have on the bedside table or to dip in and out of when a pinch of inspiration is necessary.
Best landscape photography book July 2022
Venezia: Through a Venetian’s Eyes by Federico Povoleri
£45, TeNeues, Hardcover, 224 pages, ISBN: 9783961713981
An extremely popular destination for photographers, there is of course an abundance of imagery of the photogenic city of Venice. However, when those pictures are taken by a native Venetian, who knows the city better than most, it’s safe to say that they’re above average.
Claiming to be the only black and white book of photographs dedicated to Venice on the market, this charming edition is well worth a look for those interested in both monochrome and travel photography.
As well as the fantastic photographs, there’s also interesting information about recent events in Venice – including a 2003 fire and an insight into the local characters and traditions of the area. There’s also commentary on the impact cruise ships have had on the city, something has become increasingly controversial over the years.
See more of our landscape photography book choices here.
Best analogue photography book July 2022
The Polaroid Book 40th edition by Barbara Hitchcock, Steve Crist
£25, Taschen, Hardcover, 456 pages, ISBN 9783836591997
No other photographic brand has created a product as unique and instantly recognisable as the Polaroid Corporation. The Polaroid camera and its peel-apart/wave-in-the-air prints were immensely popular in the 1970’s among the great unwashed and renowned arts alike – all fascinated not only by the immediacy of the emerging image, but also by the distinctive look of the picture and the print itself.
This curation of prints from the Polaroid archive includes an astonishing array of styles, formats and subjects shot by famous and not-so-well-known photographers who used Polaroid products through its history. It contains a potted history of the cameras, as well as a nerd-heaven index of the cameras and materials used to take each shot.
This reprint of the 2005 original edition, to celebrate the best of Taschen’s 40-year history, is simply brilliant.
Best black and white photography book July 2022
The Mennonites by Larry Towell
RRP £60, GOST, Hardcover, 288 pages, ISBN: 9781910401538
Selected by our regular columnist Tim Clinch, this book is a second edition of the original, first published in 2000. The project itself began in 1990, with this extra edition revisiting the project and includes 40 previously unpublished photographs.
In Towell’s own words: ‘In 1989, I discovered them [the Mennonites] in my own back yard, landhungry and dirt poor. They came looking for work in the vegetable fields and fruit orchards of Lambton, Essex, Kent and Haldimand-Norfolk counties. I liked them a lot because they seemed otherworldly and therefore completely vulnerable in a society in which they did not belong and for which they were not prepared. Because I liked them, they liked me, and although photography was forbidden, they let me photograph them. That’s all there was to it.’
Best architecture photography book July 2022
Modern Forms: An Expanded Subjective Atlas of 20th Century Architecture by Nicolas Grospierre
RRP £35, Prestel, Hardcover, 288 pages, ISBN: 9783791388106
Grospierre’s celebrated tour of modernist architecture has been expanded for this new edition for increased global reach. We now see buildings in Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa and South America.
If you like intriguing and modernist architecture, as well as travel and documentary photography, this fascinating collection doesn’t come highly enough recommended. You could even use it as a checklist of potential places to visit, if that’s your cup of tea.
Related reading:
Best photography books of 2021
Best Photography Books 2020 | Books to inspire
