I was strolling around in my favorite bookstore the other day and stopped by the ‘heavily discounted book’ table. There usually isn’t much there, other than books nobody wants, being sold at 60% of their original price.
But this time, a large book with a bright red title caught my attention… The title read ‘Shoot’. I thought it could be a book about guns, or a book about photography.
Well, it was a book about photography, as I confirmed by reading the introduction at the back . The artist was ‘Peter Brew-Bevan’… I have to say I know of lot of photographers, but I must admit I had never heard of this guy!
The short description of the book was:
Shoot: Studio Sessions presents over 40 celebrity portraits by internationally acclaimed Australian photographer Peter Brew-Bevan – together with the stories of their creation, as concepted and recorded in Brew-Bevan’s personal working journals.
Now I get it! The man is an Aussie! No wonders I don’t know of him!! Australia isn’t even on the same planet as North America, or is it?!! This is something that still amazes me to this day: we – here in North America – hear very little of this huge country – which, by the way, is a continent – unless their stars come to Hollywood! Isn’t it crazy?! I am not sure if the same is true of North America when you live in Australia, but I find it amazing that there is so little interaction between these 2 giants who speak the same language (or kind of)…
But I digress…
I liked the concept of the book, and despite it being plastic-wrapped, I picked it up and took it home, as if I had found a rough diamond in the river stream…
Back home, I googled the man, to see if he had some internet presence – the ultimate test of existence! He did, and I found his website. Nice website, with great pictures of people I have heard of, which is a good sign.
I opened the book and went through it slowly, taking in its beautiful layout, with small inserts on tracing paper, allowing you to see through some of the pages. The layout of the pictures is also very original, with fake pieces of tape holding negatives and polaroids in place. A lot of the pictures were collaged together with textured backgrounds, and reproductions of the artist’s notes and journal pages… A very unusual and pleasant experience!
I really like the fact that PBB’s notes are included in the book, as they are a true reflection of what being a photographer is about. From a loose brief to a concept, some research on your sitter, and a lot of logistics details, you come up with some pictures you hope your client will like. PBB shares his impressions on the shoots as well, which is great!
Did I mention that his photography is great too!
I guess I don’t really have to say it, but I LOVE this book and I strongly recommend it if you interested in the backstage of photography.