Darkside I: Photographic Desire and Sexuality Photographed, Vol. 1 Book

One of the best books on photography I have read, a must-read if you are interested in documentary photography.

Note that there is just one picture per chapter, so if you are looking for a book of photographs, that's not it (even though almost all of the pictures chosen are remarkable). It is in fact fine, as the text is excellent, but of course by the time you're done reading, you'll probably order a couple of books by the photographers interviewed.

Indeed, what makes this book fascinating is that each chapter is written in the first person, as the transcript of interviews run by the author/editor. Thus, while there is no specific chapter on "how the scope of a project is defined" or "how does one gain the trust of one's subjects", etc., all aspects of (social) documentary photography are tackled through the natural course of conversation and anecdotes related to landmark projects.

Sometimes, books that take the form of collections can be unequal but here, all (or almost all) of the chapters are a great read, even those dedicated to topics you might not feel naturally drawn to (such as mining in my case).

The book seems to start slow but quickly picks up speed as it becomes more contemporary and more geographically diverse. A specific section on "Curators and Editors" provides a different angle, while the last section, "In the Field", is a splendid grand finale. The Introduction and Afterword provide an excellent perspective on the field and its evolution.

My only regret is that this Second Edition of the book, which came out in 2010, does not give us an update on how the photographers who are still working have changed (or not) the way they take pictures, with the advent of digital photography.