Who Cares About Books?

I do!

As for my response:

In the essay, ‘Who Cares About Books?’, author Darius Himes sets out to pinpoint why photobooks are still important in contemporary (digital) culture. For the first few pages, he explains our sentimental, historical, and tactile bonds with books, and why the materiality of a book seems to be of such importance in an age of e-readers. He also traces the impact of books on history, and how they shaped the development of civilization (suffice to say they were integral).  He writes about several “books about books”, the recent publications that select key tomes of importance and investigate the history of the photo book.

In the latter half of the essay he talks about two specific photo books (Bye Bye Photography and A Shimmer of Possibility), comparing and contrasting their qualities and the impact they have on the reader. Following these, he finally explains why we are in the “Golden Age” of the photo book. His theorizes that due to the accessibility of cameras, ease of digital workflow, and presence of many ‘print-on-demand’ companies emerging online, the amount of photo books available on the market will skyrocket, allowing readers greater diversity and artists more options. The ability of the artist to bypass editors, designers, and booksellers allows publication with far more ease, but I must admit, I’m slightly wary. While I think the ability to publish through an online printer such as Blurb is phenomenal, it’s worth noting that the book options of such businesses may lead to a certain homogeneity in photo books- photographers will have to work hard to make sure that their content can work strongly in their limited format options!