Photography books in London

I am often asked where to buy photography books in London. Most bookshops will have a small photography section but a few bookshops are definitively worth the detour.

The first one is on the ground floor of Foyles on Charing Cross road (Foyles' flagship store). It not only has a good section of books by photographers and on the art of photography, but it also has a large selection of zines which I highly recommend (I have not yet found another bookshop with a dedicated photography zines section). There is also a small selection of signed books. Foyles encourages browsing and if you take a book up to the cafe (highly recommend it; on the top floor), you can browse your book while sipping coffee.  As you walk out of Foyles and walk south on Charing Cross, you will pass Koenig Books which specialises in art books. It has a small selection of photography books but downstairs, there is a larger section of photography books on sale - you'll find some affordable gems.

Tate Modern has two bookshops, each with a good photography section but it is the bookshop in the new building which has the largest selection of photography books. Somehow people will easily find their way to the bookshop at the bottom of the Boiler House (the main building), but fewer people seem to be aware of the bigger bookshop on the main floor of the new building (the Switch House, now known as the Blavatnik Building). It is that second bookshop which has the most substantial collection of photography books, magazines and DVDs. The section is well stocked and looked after and new books are regularly highlighted. It is difficult to come out of this bookshop without buying a book!

If you are at Tate Modern, there is a little secondhand bookshop just across it as you come out the ramp; it has a small but very good photography section (look out for signs for "Art Books").

Waterstones' flagship store on Piccadilly Street (Europe's largest bookshop) has a good photography selection in its Art department, although it is not as good as Foyles or Tate Modern. The wonderful Photographers Gallery in Soho has a small but very good photography section in its basement; it does however have the largest photography magazines selection I believe (but fewer zines than Foyles).

Finally, do not miss the photobook fair Offprint during Photo London in May: you will find a unique selection of photography books and zines from all over the world. 

Close-up of the extensive zine section in Foyles.

Tate Modern's photography books section

The sale section, downstairs, in Koenig Books on Charing Cross road

Daido Moriyama

I am not always sure why I like Daido Moriyama's photography so much. After all, it is often out of focus, very grainy and contrasty. His photographs are usually of urban settings and not the prettiest parts of town. And yet, his photographs are so compelling. Daido Moriyama is best appreciated by looking at, and reading, his books. Like many Japanese photographers, he has mastered the art of the photobook. Over the years, I am slowly building a little Daido Moriyama library. It will probably never be complete since he is so prolific, but it is a growing collection I enjoy. For me, Moriyama captures like no other the smells, rhythms and sounds of a particular city. I find his type of photography liberating. He goes out most days (actually nights) with a small, simple compact camera and just shoots whatever he feels and sees. When the pictures are put together, they make a unique Moriyama story. Whenever I feel timid about going out doing some street photography, I read one of his books or watch a video of Moriyama on YouTube.  Recently, Thames & Hudson (beautifully edited by Mark Holborn) has published in one volume Daido Moriyama's Records numbers 1-30. These were first published in 1972 as small magazines serving as a sort of visual diary, Kiroku (record in Japanese). Moriyama still publishes them today (I believe we are up to number 36 now). Here is a trailer of the video filmed in London when Moriyama was having an exhibition at Tate Modern with William Klein. You will see how Moriyama goes about taking pictures and putting together one of his records. (The whole video used to be available for free on YouTube but you can only see the trailer now; worth hunting down the video). 

My growing collection