Customer Reviews

Magnum Magnum

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found the book disappointing. In some aspects, the physical quality of the book is poor: within days after I recieved it in the mail the black print "Magnum" on the cover title was wearing off. The printing of the photography inside, however, is of excellent reproduction quality.

This book falls far short of the earler anthology MAGNUM DEGREES published a few years ago, and Magnum Magnum costs about three or four times the price! Magnum Degrees was / is a far superior introduction to the work of Magnum Photographers and a stronger selection of photographs, I thought.

However, I should note that the photos in this book are nothing to scoff at! Outstanding photography, as one would expect.

But if you want an introduction to Magnum Photos, don't buy this book. Start with their book MAGNUM DEGREES.

It took me about 2 weeks to go through the book, a few photographers a time. I was quite impressed with the book to about half of the book, after what some doubts started to raise. Yes, as some other reviewers have already pointed out, selection of pictures could be better. Especially in second half of the book I saw more images that I did not enjoy that much (I know that photographers are listed in alphabetical order and that is just a coincidence). Just somehow second half of the book is more boring to me, although there are excellent images present there as well.

I understand that this idea of photographers selecting images of other photographers sounds good but I'm not too impressed by the result, because some selections are rather poor (these minor bad selections spoil overall great impression). In a book of that calible I guess we expect to see best images, not just something different. Good example is also Henri Cartier-Besson's images -- while the selected images are not bad in general, IMO they are quite poor representation of Henri's contribution to photography.

The above of course is only my opinion and my taste may be different to all other people...

Cover of the book is covered with cloth and I'm not sure that is a good thing. The type of the cloth is quite "rough" and I'm sure it will show signs of wear quite soon if you are seeing the book by holding it in hand. There is no dust cover, but the book ships in cardboard box that has carry handle.

Print quality of images is very good. Also paper is superb (semi matte) and does not reflect light at all. Your fingers remain clean even after moving your hand over images continiously, no smearing. Binding is also good, and double-page spreads, contrary to another reviewer, look quite good to me, compared to many other books.

Another reviewer complained about not even print quality of images. This complain is not valid as it is logical that images from Tri-X, Velvia 50 and other types of films look very different. Some photographers make intentionally blurry or dark images, so that is not a printing defect. :)

About price -- I feel cover price of $212 is too high for this book. For $140 as Amazon currently sells it, it is not that bad, but now having seeing the book, I would not pay more than that.

This book is big, I have problem fitting it to my bookshelf. However, big format is good for photos and that is not negative aspect.

Weighing in at 15 pounds including its cardboard suitcase this heavily over-dimensioned volume disappoints, because it essentially fails to deliver on much of its promise. It started off as a great idea - Magnum photographers would select what they considered to be - in their view - the six best works of one of their colleagues and explain why they selected these particular images for this collection. I ordered the book expecting to see great reproductions of important photographs and to learn fresh insights into what made these images special. It wasn't to be.

First the production issues: much of the text is hard to read because the typeface is too feint. Double page spreads of single images is a bad idea. For a production this lavish and costly, one would have expected either gatefolds or simply whole page reproductions of the image. Spreading an image accross a double page in a book that cannot open flat chops it and destroys its integrity. The printing quality of the colour images is uneven - a number of them look too contrasty, too saturated and too heavy - one gets the impression the press was over-inked. Second, the content issues: I have a very hard time trying to convince myself, based on what I have seen of a number of these photographers' works, that the selections were the best possible - of course a nearly impossible task and subject to much judgment. There are many images in this collection the intrinsic quality of which eludes me. Therefore I was prepared to be educated, but unfortunately, the quality of explanation for the selections is extremely uneven, ranging from summary to non-existent. People looking for enlightenment on what makes a great image will find some of that here, but not nearly as much as there could have been and should have been.

The Magnum Agency is a wonderful institution and deserves a fine publication to commemorate its 60th anniversary. Doubtless many others will see qualities in this book that I find lacking, so I wish them well with it regardless of my misgivings.

True, the book is not your average photo coffee table book. The cardboard transport device which is included to carry it safely around makes this clear. The word Magnum makes evertything clear, a large photo compilation of such institute and with such photographers behind it, should not be found in an A4 sized softcover. So the book is big, and heavy. It makes you to really sit for it and to watch the images one by one, instead of flipping through it in a lazy chair.
The paper, the binding and cover (however watch out with ink on the front cover, it lets loose easily when by accident scratching it) the printing all is very nice and of good quality. Also the photo selection is for me very nice done.

What is nice or not nice is personal and that certainly can be said about the selection. So do not expect a collection of the most famous images ever published by Magnum, you will be disapointed. However the book gives a good view of the diversity of photographs and photographers, which is forming Magnum's photographic wealth.

I purchased the book last week at the Aperture gallery unveiling, where Bruce Davidson, Paul Fusco, Bruce Gilden, Alex Majoli, Steve McCurry, Susan Meiselas and Alex Webb were on hand for meeting, greeting and signing. One would hardly know one was amongst titans.

I'm no expert but the printing is fabulous; it's not as lush or idiosyncratic as a vintage print, but it's as close as I've seen reproduced in a book. It's more a coffee table than a coffee table book. The images stand out because the sizes are generous and the spreads --- both b+w and color-- are tailored so suit the particular style of each photographer. Despite the differences in format (b+w, color, full bleed, four ups, etc.) and each photographer's style, the design is simple, classic and elegant and feels gracefully uniform throughout.

I already have a handful of Magnum anthologies (IN OUR TIMES, MAGNUM DEGREES and MAGNUM STORIES) and dozens of Magnum monographs, so they really had to go a few extra miles to get me to commit to this new tome. Each photographer's section presents an editor's introduction, an essay by a fellow Magnum photographer, and a selection of the photographer's images chosen by the fellow essayist.

The formula works, but, for me, perhaps not as quite well as MAGNUM STORIES in which the text reads like well-edited interviews, which feels less formally composed but more alive. I also prefer STORIES photo essays, which read more like epics than stories. MAGNUM MAGNUM doesn't quite compare in this regard. Perhaps my judgment on this point will improve as I read all the essays (some are better written than others; some are more heartfelt than others). It is rather ingenious to have each photographer appraise another, these assessments reveal keen insights about both photographer's vision (subject and essayist).

Unfortunately, I can't really afford to buy actual prints, so this feels like the next best thing. As such it is a bargain at twice the price, which would have been unaffordable. As for other such tomes crippling my shelves, it's snuggled nicely with Nachtwey's* INFERNO, Stieglitz's KEY SET, and VII's WAR.


* Nachtwey is omitted from this project just as he was from MAGNUM STORIES, as is Sebastiao Salgado. I suppose once one leaves the agency they are removed from its subsequent histories.

69 portfolios of Magnum photographers with Robert Capa, Elliott Erwitt, Richard Kalvar, Steve McCurry, Inge Morath, W. Eugene Smith and Martin Parr among them.

The book is divided into three parts:
1) preface + "what makes a magnum photograph?" (4 pages);
2) photographers' portfolios with a bio and an introduction word from the expert, that made the selection of works (550 pages);
3) conclusion about the Magnum agency + bibliography and acknowledgments (5 pages).
Actually this is not just a book, but a kind of encyclopedia of modern photography.

This book looks very impressive and I will be proud to show it to my friends! an excellent present for anyone who is fond of photography (and doesn't want to read a lot but wants to appreciate its 413 photographs of an excellent quality)!

One of the best book ever. I only wish I bought the hard cover instead of the paperback. The photos in here are inspiring and powerful. Makes me want to go out and shoot each time I look through it. A must have if you're into PJ photographs.

Well...how can anyone be disappointed in photo's that have the magnum quality, they give a clear impression what making good photoreportages mean. The quality of the publication is good, it is heavy and durable, print are all fine although I don't like foto's being printed over 2 pages. But it is a quality celebration book...
The concept where the member select each other's photographs gives some interresting choises, different from those the photographer themselves would have made and avoids that the same pictures are chosen over and over again. I would however have liked to see more comment of the maker on the choise.

Never designed for, but probably intended to serve a very good vision (unwritten?) MAGNUM emerged into one of the ultimate benchmarks in ART without the intention to become it. And I like to believe that is what you exactly see when you go through this absolutely beautiful book that can stop you from talking for hours.
In the event you meet someone who has difficulty in accepting that a photo can be a real piece of art you show him this book. And if it doesn't change his mind you should conclude you've arrived at different problem.

A delight to find all Magnum members in one place
The reviews done by the same authors is very interesting
Printing is impecable