Best Photo Books of 2009

Both of the books offered in the recent contest are on the Photo Eye best of 2009 list, with Looking In being the top rated photo book of the year. Interestingly enough, both winners choose to receive The Jazz Loft Project, and that book is on it's way to them.

I don't own either of these books myself yet, but plan to buy them at some point. I do own three on the 2009 list; Sarah Stolfa's The Regulars, Zoe Strauss' America, and Shane Lavalette's Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light.

While I treasure my signed copies of The Regulars and America, I really think I scored something quite unique with Lay Flat 01. This was the first issue of a small edition print publication featuring contemporary photography and essays on the medium. The edition was limited to 1000 copies, and it has sold out.

Lay Flat 01: Remain In Light

Edited by Shane Lavalette.
40 pages, saddle stitched + 20 unbound photographs
5.5 x 7.5 in. / 14 x 19 cm.
ISSN 1948-2876
ISBN 978-0-9842973-0-6
Edition of 1,000
January 2009

Lay Flat is a new print publication devoted to promoting the best in contemporary fine art photography and writing on the medium. Each issue is assembled by Shane Lavalette in close collaboration with a co-curator.

Included in Lay Flat 01: Remain in Light are essays by Tim Davis, Darius Himes, Cara Phillips and Eric William Carroll, an interview with Mike Mandel by Shane Lavalette and a poem by Jason Fulford, all accompanied by 20 unbound photographs from a selection of international photographers: Andreas Weinand, Anne Lass, Coley Brown, Debora Mittelstaedt, Ed Panar, Estelle Hanania, Gustav Almestål, Hiroyo Kaneko, Kamden Vencill, Mark McKnight, Michel Campeau, Nicolai Howalt & Trine Søndergaard, Nicola Kast, Nicholas Haggard, Shawn Records, Raimond Wouda, Richard Barnes, Thobias Fäldt, Whitney Hubbs and Yann Orhan.

Lavalette has just announced the opportunity to pre-order Lay Flat 02: Meta. I wasted no time in doing so. This second issue of the series will have a printing of 2000 copies, and you can order one between now and the end of January to guarantee not missing out this time around.

Lay Flat 02: Meta

Edited by Shane Lavalette and Michael Bühler-Rose.
102 pages, perfect bound
7.75 x 10 in. / 19.7 x 25.4 cm.
ISSN 1948-2876
ISBN 978-0-9842973-1-3
Edition of 2,000

Lay Flat 02: Meta brings together the works of contemporary photographers whose images are conceptually engaged with the history, process and conventions of the medium itself. Photographs by Claudia Angelmaier, Semâ Bekirovic, Charles Benton, Walead Beshty, Lucas Blalock, Talia Chetrit, Anne Collier, Natalie Czech, Jessica Eaton, Roe Ethridge, Stephen Gill, Daniel Gordon, David Haxton, Matt Keegan, Elad Lassry, Katja Mater, Laurel Nakadate, Lisa Oppenheim, Torbjørn Rødland, Noel Rodo-Vankeulen, Joachim Schmid, Penelope Umbrico, Useful Photography, Charlie White, Ann Woo and Mark Wyse are accompanied by the textual contributions of Adam Bell (Co-editor, The Education of a Photographer), Lesley A. Martin (Publisher/Editor, Aperture Foundation), Alex Klein (Editor, Words Without Pictures), artists Noel Rodo-Vankeulen and Arthur Ou, as well as an interview with James Welling by Lyle Rexer (Author, The Edge of Vision: The Rise of Abstraction in Photography.

I am really looking forward to receiving this second printing of Lay Flat. It appears that the binding style has been changed. The first printing was a small saddle stitched book with the photographs printed on unbound card stock. The second book will be perfect bound with the photographs included within the book. I loved the style of the first edition, and time will tell if the second is just as nice. These should prove to be highly sought after in years to come. Don't miss out this time!

Pre-Order Lay Flat 02 : Meta