Category: Book Review
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#559 – Book review – The Last Years of Coal Mining in Yorkshire
In doing some online research for my blog articles I stumbled across a series of books by Steve Grudgings. Two of these cover the last days of the South Wales coalfield, and the other one was this one on Yorkshire. Regrettably, I never got round to photographing the few collieries that remained in Yorkshire until…
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Book recommendations
I also post occasional articles on my main website Mechanical Landscapes. And I do mean occasionally – this one I’m linking to is the first one in three years! This one is an evolving list of urbex and industrial landscape books that I recommend. I own them all and some I’ve had for many years…
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#462 – Book Review – The Rouge by Michael Kenna
I’ve had a long fascination with the steel industry. Where this stems from I don’t know, possibly from my time at technical college learning metallurgy from a former British Steel metallurgist, and getting my head round such terms as Jominy End Quench, and other such stuff. The attraction of the photography of Michael Kenna is…
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#353 – The Factory Photographs by David Lynch
It’s a while since I’ve seen anything by David Lynch, but I remember that he had a very odd way of seeing the world. Best known for films like Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and the weird Twin Peaks, he’s also had a number of solo art and photography exhibitions. His most recent exhibition and accompanying…
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#327 – Book Review – Abandoned Places 3
I’ve previously reviewed Hans van Rensbergens previous books, and I didn’t realise he’d released a third earlier this year until just recently. Hans has one of the longest running (and best) urbex websites on the web, and was one of the reasons for my increased interest several years ago. One of the first things that struck…
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#324 – Book Recommendation – Looking at Photographs
I saw this book recommended recently on Andy Beel’s blog, just after I’d judged my first photographic competition. While the timing was unfortunate, I ordered the book nonetheless, and I’m pleased I did, not only on the off-chance that I get asked to do some more judging, but also as a concise reminder as to…
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#290 – Book Review – Detroit Disassembled
Andrew Moore’s ‘Detroit Disassembled’ is a book that’s been on my wish list for a couple of years now. I’d discovered it just after it came out, as it was released at a similar time to the eye-wateringly expensive ‘The Ruins Of Detroit’ by Yves Marchand, but at about half the price. It’s certainly got…
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#289 – Thresholds Of Change – Link, Gifford and the end of steam
O.Winston Link – Train No.2 arrives at the Waynesboro Station, Waynesboro, Virginia Colin Gifford The increasing affordability of photography in the 50’s and 60’s meant that the end of steam traction in Europe and America was well documented. Two recent book releases by acknowledged masters of the genre present a fascinating contrast of styles and…
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#265 – Book Review – The Industrial Landscape – Bernd and Hilla Becher
Zeche Concordia, Oberhausen (1967), Germany I’ve heard a lot about the industrial photography of Bernd and Hilla Becher over the years, but from the work that I’d seen, I just couldn’t get excited about it. OK, I’ll be the first to admit that this field isn’t exciting in the same way that, say, motorsport photography…
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#145 – Book Review – Shadows Of Change – Leigh Preston
I’ve been in and out of my local photographic society (or camera club as some call it) for several years. Unsurprisingly, the photos I enter into competitions are unlike anything anyone else puts in, and generally do quite well, although some judges just don’t get them. Fair enough, you either love or hate what I…
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#144 – Book Review – Henk van Rensbergens Abandoned Places 2
After months waiting for the book to arrive (I ordered it in June), Amazon have finally delivered my copy of Henk van Rensbergens new book, Abandoned Places II. Ok, so the title lacks a bit of imagination, but in fairness Abandoned Places is the name of his website, and the photographs definitely don’t lack imagination, and…
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#114 – Book Review – Forbidden Places
There’s one or two urbex books being published by mainstream publishers (there’s an awful lot being self-published on Blurb), the most notable being the superb Abandoned Places by Henk van Rensbergen, which I posted a review of last year. Forbidden Places is very much in the same vein. The book is by Sylvain Margaine, who…
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#93 – Book Review – Hans Steeneken’s ‘All Trains To Stop’
An enjoyable trip to Peak Rail in Derbyshire didn’t produce any great photos, but a visit to their 2nd hand book wagon did yield a couple of 50 pence gems. First up was ‘Steam’ by Ian Krause, whose work I’d seen in the classic Ian Allan ‘Steam Portfolio’. It’s mainly steam in action, and some…
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#78 – Book Recommendation – Within The Frame
I read a lot, and the book I am currently reading is Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David DuChemin. David is a documentary photographer who works for humanitarian organisations across the world, which means his photographs have sod all in common with mine. However, his thoughts on creativity and vision absolutely hit the…
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#14 – Book Review – Henk van Rensbergern’s “Abandoned Places”
Although this book was only published in 2008, it is now out of print and copies were recently selling for £60+ on Amazon! I’m glad I got mine when I did and am kicking myself for not buying several copies now!! The format of this book is superb, with each of the places visited having…
Mechanical Landscapes 