Master Photographers & Their Essential Books

Essential collections by legendary photographers

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Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams

1902 - 1984

"The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance."

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. He helped found Group f/64, an association of photographers advocating "pure" photography which favored sharp focus and the use of the full tonal range of a photograph. He and Fred Archer developed a system of image-making called the Zone System, a method of achieving a desired final print through a technical understanding of how the tonal range of an image is the result of choices made in exposure, negative development, and printing. Adams was a life-long advocate for environmental conservation, and his photographic practice was deeply entwined with this advocacy. At age 14, he was given his first camera during his first visit to Yosemite National Park. He developed his early photographic work as a member of the Sierra Club. He was later contracted with the United States Department of the Interior to make photographs of national parks. For his work and his persistent advocacy, which helped expand the National Park system, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980. In the founding and establishment of the photography department at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, an important landmark in securing photography's institutional legitimacy, Adams was a key advisor. He assisted the staging of that department's first photography exhibition, helped to found the photography magazine Aperture, and co-founded the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona.

Essential Books

War Lord (The Saxon Stories, #13)

Ansel Adams 2026 Wall Calendar: Authorized Edition (Monthly Calendar)

August 12, 2025

Enjoy Ansel Adams' iconic photographs all year long in this durable wire-bound wall calendar featuring pages designed to be framed at the year’s end. The photographs of Ansel Adams are among America's finest cultural treasures, and are the foundation of his tremendous legacy of environmental activism. A pioneer of photographic technique and one the 20th century’s most influential artists in any medium, Adams and his creative vision remain as relevant and convincing as ever. Ansel Adams' "Authorized Edition" calendars have been a beloved annual tradition for almost 40 years. The 2025 wall calendar includes: Fourteen spectacular black and white landscape photographs, carefully selected and sequenced to reflect the changing seasons Large format 12.8" x 15.6" wall calendar (25.6" x 15.6" open) Spectacular views from Yosemite National Park, Acadia National Park, Denali National Park, and beyond Superior reproduction quality: Printed in rich duotone on premium paper stock, making each page suitable for framing at year's end. Features US and Canadian legal holidays, phases of the moon, and major religious holidays This calendar is a perfect housewarming gift, holiday gift, or inspirational gift for lovers of fine art, photography, nature, and the outdoors. It is printed in the United States of America, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Ansel Adams’ calendars goes to support the Center for Creative Photography. For more ways to enjoy the photography of Ansel Adams, look for Little, Brown and Company’s Ansel Adams 2025 Engagement Calendar and Ansel Adams' Yosemite

Excalibur (The Warlord Chronicles, #3)

2026 Wall Calendar - Iconic Black & White Images of National Parks and Monuments (12"x12")

Aug 1, 2025

Experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the American West as seen through the lens of legendary photographer Ansel Adams. This 12-month, 12"x12" wall calendar (12"x24" when opened) features black & white photographs of towering mountain peaks, vast canyons, breathtaking geysers, and more. These photographs are some of the most memorable and iconic images ever captured of the American West. Nature photographer Grant Collier spent hours carefully preparing Ansel Adams' images in an effort to do justice to his work. The photographs are printed with premium rich black ink on thick, responsibly-sourced paper. A portion of all proceeds is donated to non-profits working to protect the planet. Published by a small publisher in Evergreen, Colorado.

The Flame Bearer (The Saxon Stories, #10)

America in Black and White: Ansel Adams’s National Park Service Masterpieces: AN ENTRYWAY TABLE COFFEE BOOK

January 31, 2025

Over 200 Remarkable Photographs – Featuring a comprehensive array of black-and-white images, many of which are rarely seen, this book offers a fresh perspective on Ansel Adams’s unforgettable works. Unparalleled National Park Coverage – Commissioned by the National Park Service in the early 1940s, these photographs highlight iconic locations such as Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Rich Historical and Cultural Context – Beyond the well-known park landscapes, the collection includes rare depictions of Navajo and Pueblo communities, Boulder Dam, Acoma Pueblo, and Owens Valley, capturing significant moments in American heritage. Perfectly Proportioned for Any Setting – Sized at 6x9 inches, this book can be displayed effortlessly on entryway consoles, side tables, nightstands, or bookshelves, adding a subtle yet captivating design element. Definitive Black-and-White Mastery – Adams’s skillful play of light, shadow, and contrast endows each photograph with a timeless quality, revealing the essence and power of the natural world. Celebrating Ansel Adams: A Timeless Tribute This 6x9 coffee table book pays homage to the legendary photographer Ansel Adams, presenting over 200 black-and-white images, many of which have remained largely unseen until now. Originally commissioned by the National Park Service in the early 1940s, these photographs capture the majestic landscapes of Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Kings Canyon, Mesa Verde, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and more. From sweeping valleys to striking mountain ranges, each image testifies to the immense power of nature and the need to preserve its beauty. The Perfect Small Coffee Table Book for Any Space At 6x9 inches, this book is designed to be both elegant and versatile. Unlike oversized coffee table books that dominate a space, this perfectly sized edition is ideal for entryways, nightstands, side tables, or bookshelves. It serves as both a decorative element and a source of inspiration, offering guests and homeowners alike a glimpse into Adams’s world. Whether displayed in a cozy reading nook, placed atop a minimalist console table, or stacked with other curated objects, this book blends seamlessly into any interior style. Its compact size makes it a thoughtful addition to small apartments, office spaces, and personal retreats, where a moment of quiet reflection is always welcome. Unveiling History and Culture Adams’s vision extends beyond pure landscapes. His collection also explores the cultural and historical fabric of places like Boulder Dam, Acoma Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, and Tuba City, where he documented the lives and traditions of Navajo and Pueblo communities. The result is a fascinating blend of natural wonder and human stories. Notably, the inclusion of Kings Canyon photographs—taken in 1936, before the area was designated as a national park—offers rare insight into a region in the midst of transformation. Why His Black-and-White Photographs Still Resonate Even in an era saturated with vibrant digital images, Adams’s monochromatic style has a lasting allure. By focusing on light, shadow, and contrast, he brings forth details that color photography often overlooks. His pictures inspire viewers to pause, reflect, and fully immerse themselves in the landscape, showcasing nature’s purity and grandeur in the simplest of palettes. A Conversation Starter – Whether placed in a home office, coffee table, or living room, this book invites guests and family members to explore and discuss the beauty of the natural world through Adams’s legendary lens.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson

1908 - 2004

"To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye and the heart. It's a way of life."

Born in Chanteloup, Seine-et-Marne, in 1908, Henri Cartier-Bresson developed a strong fascination with painting early on, particularly with Surrealism. In 1932, after spending a year in the Ivory Coast, he discovered the Leica, his camera of choice thereafter, and began a lifelong passion for photography. Taken prisoner of war in 1940, he escaped on his third attempt in 1943 and subsequently joined an underground organization to assist prisoners and escapees. In 1945, he photographed the Liberation of Paris with a group of professional journalists, then filmed the documentary Le Retour (The Return). In 1947, with Robert Capa, George Rodger, David “Chim” Seymour, and William Vandivert, he founded Magnum Photos. After three years spent traveling in the East, he returned to Europe in 1952, where he published his first book, Images à la Sauvette (published in English as The Decisive Moment). He explained his approach to photography in these terms, “for me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously… It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.” From 1968, he began to curtail his photographic activities, preferring to concentrate on drawing and painting. In 2003, with his wife and daughter, he created the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris for the preservation of his work. Cartier-Bresson received an extraordinary number of prizes, awards, and honorary doctorates. He died at his home in Provence on August 3, 2004, a few weeks short of his 96th birthday.

Essential Books

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Decisive Moment

The Decisive Moment

Published:

The Decisive Moment (Images à la Sauvette in French) is one of the greatest photography books ever published. It brings together photographic material from the first twenty years of Henri Cartier-Bresson's career.

Masters of Photography Series

Published:

Henri Cartier-Bresson reveals--as only a few great artists have done--the variety and richness of human experience in the twentieth century.

The Decisive Moment: Photography of Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photographer

Published:

This book offers an outstanding retrospective collection of the master of 20th-century photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson. Reproduced in exquisite black and white, the images in this book range from Henri Cartier-Bresson's earliest work in France, Spain, and Mexico through his postwar travels in Asia, the US, and Russia, and even include landscapes from the 1970s, when he retired his camera to pursue drawing. While his instinct for capturing what he called the decisive moment was unparalleled, as a photojournalist Cartier-Bresson was uniquely concerned with the human impact of historic events. In his photographs of the liberation of France from the Nazis, the death of Ghandi, and the creation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Cartier-Bresson focused on the reactions of the crowds rather than the subjects of the events. And while his portraits of Sartre, Giacometti, Faulkner, Capote, and other artists are iconic, he gave equal attention to those forgotten by history: a dead resistance fighter lying on the bank of the Rhine, children playing alongside the Berlin Wall, and a eunuch in Peking's Imperial Court. Divided into six thematic sections, the book presents the photographs in spare double-page spreads. In a handwritten note included at the end of the book, Cartier-Bresson writes, "In order to give meaning to the world, one must feel involved in what one singles out through the viewfinder." His work shows how he has been able to capture the decisive moment with such extreme humility and profound humanity.

Annie Leibovitz

Annie Leibovitz

1949 - Present

"You think you know something, and you realize you haven't really been looking that close yet."

Anna-Lou Leibovitz (/ˈliːbəvɪts/ LEE-bə-vits; born October 2, 1949) is an American portrait photographer best known for her portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in intimate settings and poses. Leibovitz's Polaroid photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken five hours before Lennon's murder, is considered one of Rolling Stone magazine's most famous cover photographs.[1] The Library of Congress declared her a Living Legend, and she is the first woman to have a feature exhibition at Washington's National Portrait Gallery.[2] Leibovitz was just a student in the 1970s when her photos were published for the first time: pictures of Vietnam War protesters in Israel, taken on assignment for Rolling Stone, one of which landed on the cover. Since then, she has captured film stars, politicians, athletes, royalty and artists for features and cover stories in other major publications, including Vanity Fair, Vogue and Time.

Essential Books

Ena Twigg: Medium

Women: 2025 Edition

November 4, 2025

Annie Leibovitz is known for her exceptional portraits of women. A new collection featuring her most recent work on this subject is accompanied by the republication of her landmark collection (1999), together in a slipcased edition First published in 1999, Annie Leibovitz's landmark collection of portraits of women is back in print, together with a new book of photographs. The broad array of subjects reflects what women look like now: dancers, actors, astronauts, artists, politicians, farmers, writers, CEOs, philanthropists, soldiers, musicians, athletes, socialites, scientists. Together, these highly personal books feature more than 200 portraits in the unique, personal, and insightful style that is Leibovitz's trademark. Stunningly reproduced photographs – in both color and black and white – represent an international who’s who of women effecting positive change in the world, from Louise Bourgeois, Joan Didion, Elizabeth Taylor, and Eudora Welty to Joan Baez, Billie Eilish, Serena and Venus Williams, and Anna Wintour. Featuring texts by Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Susan Sontag, one of the most prominent writers and public intellectuals of the twentieth century; and feminist icon Gloria Steinem, this two-volume, slipcased edition is a celebration of women by one of the most influential photographers of our time.

The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy

Annie Leibovitz At Work

November 19, 2024

Annie Leibovitz, our most celebrated living photographer, explains how her pictures are made, in this updated edition of her classic text In this newly revised edition of her seminal work, Leibovitz addresses young photographers and readers interested in what photographers do, but any reader interested in contemporary history will be fascinated by her account of one of the richest bodies of work in the photographic canon. The subjects include photojournalism, studio work, photographing dancers and athletes, working with writers, and making the transition from shooting with film to working with digital cameras. Originally published in 2008 and then updated and reissued in 2018, this revised and updated edition brings Leibovitz’s bestselling book up to date, showcasing some of her most recent work. The photographs discussed include: portraits of the Rolling Stones, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Meryl Streep, Keith Haring, Joan Didion, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Patti Smith, William S. Burroughs, Rihanna, Agnes Martin, HRH Queen Elizabeth II, and Barack Obama.

The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy

Portraits 2005-2016

October 25, 2017

In this new collection from Annie Leibovitz, one of the most influential photographers of our time, iconic portraits sit side by side never-before-published photographs. Afterword by Annie Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz: Portraits 2005-2016 is the photographer's follow-up to her two landmark books, Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, 1970-1990 and A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005. In this new collection, Leibovitz has captured the most influential and compelling figures of the last decade in the style that has made her one of the most beloved talents of our time. Each of the photographs documents contemporary culture with an artist's eye, wit, and an uncanny ability to personalize even the most recognizable and distinguished figures.

More Masters Coming Soon

We're carefully curating collections from additional legendary photographers

Sebastião Salgado

Sebastião Salgado

Documentary Photography
Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon

Fashion & Portrait
Alex Webb

Alex Webb

Street Photography

And More

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