Jim Marshall: Proof (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Photographer), Joel Selvin (Introduction) "ELIZABETH COTTEN, MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT (1964) Cotten was discovered late in life, long after she had given up her youthful pursuit of music, by musicologist..." (more)
Key Phrases: proof sheets, San Francisco, Grateful Dead, Billy Bob (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

To say it's rare for a photographer to publish his proof sheets is an understatement. It's almost unheard of. As Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic Joel Selvin says in his excellent introduction, "Proof sheets are like a look behind the curtain at the Wizard of Oz."

This extraordinary book is laid out with the proof sheet of a film roll on the left page of each spread and, on the right, the selected shot from the roll -- such as a doleful Janis Joplin backstage holding her Southern Comfort bottle, Bob Dylan rolling a tire down the street in Greenwich Village, Jimi Hendrix in his Sgt. Pepper jacket at Monterey Pop or the Beatles trudging across the field at Candlestick Park at their last live concert. Sharp and pithy anecdotes provide the context for each selected shot. -San Francisco Chronicle

Product Description

The Beatles racing across Candlestick Park at the end of their final public performance; Johnny Cash pausing to give the camera a middle finger salute before playing for inmates in San Quentin; a weary Janis Joplin backstage, keeping a whisky bottle company. Jim Marshall captured each of these iconic images with his camera. But what of the other shots taken during these legendary moments? For the first time, Marshall shares his contact sheets from the sittings, concerts, and sessions that surround his most famous pictures. Over sixty proof sheets are featured in their entirety, along with the final chosen hero shot on the facing page. This book sheds new light on Marshall's talents for revealing on film the essence of his subjects, from celebrated musicians, actors, writers, and performers, to everyday people from San Francisco to rural Appalachia. A rare glimpse into a great photographer's creative process, Proof provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of some of the most preeminent images of our time.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811843181
• ISBN-13: 978-0811843188
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #377,318 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jim Marshall Photos - Single Malt & Hendrix on the Stereo! , September 15, 2004

By	Nick Despotopoulos (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After the stunning achievement of Not Fade Away Jim Marshall has equaled that effort with this important book. If you care about music or photography this is a MUST HAVE book. Period! Buy the book - pour yourself a single malt, put Jimi Hendrix on a (good) stereo system and enjoy!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent for music lovers, January 7, 2008

By	C. DeMaso (new york) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

i purchased this book for my 17 year old son as a christmas gift. he's a fan of music in general, no specific genre. and he absolutely loved it. pictures and the quick stories are fascinating.

5.0 out of 5 stars A photographer's inner thoughts via proof sheets, August 25, 2007

By	Digital Puer "digital_puer" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I really appreciated seeing proof sheets created from Marshall's rolls of film. For every pair of pages in this book, a black-and-white positive proof sheet is on the left-hand page, and the chosen (usually quite famous) print from that roll of film is on the right-hand page, along with a short paragraph describing the occasion of the shoot. The individual frames of the proof sheet are quite viewable: there are usually 35 frames printed on each sheet, and each sheet is printed in the book at about 8x10". As a photographer, I envy other photographers' final products, and many times I like to see their rejected frames to catch a glimpse of their decision-making and their ad hoc/candid photos. The proof sheet serves as a documentary on how Marshall worked that day: how many repetitive frames he takes for well-prepared money shots, how he shoots horizontal portraits with the rule-of-thirds, and how many candids he takes. The only thing missing is that the short paragraphs describing each shot do not delve into how Marshall selected the one shot from each roll. Looking through the proofs, it's clear that many good frames were left behind. Finally, there is also a very nice picture evidently of Marshall's gear bag, containing several Leicas, rolls of film, and other stuff.