Bill Brandt: 0 (Photofile) Paperback – Illustrated, 2 April 2007

Thanks to a photographic club to which I once belonged, I was able to meet Bill Brandt on at least four occasions and was twice able to see some of his prints at very close range and to handle them. The first was when he gave a lecture about his portraiture although a small number of his nudes were included, and the second at our annual exhibition and Members' Dinner some time later and where he was offered a panel for a few of his prints. The third was at another photographic club where he was judging their annual exhibition and I was a member's guest, and the last at a Social Club jointly used by an adjacent photographic club and studio (where he photographed most of his nudes and some portraits) and by a small professional theatre where we met by chance; he was a member and I again a member's guest.As these images are so different than those I knew, most of which were either commissioned or taken for exhibition purposes, I do not and cannot know for what purpose these were taken. It may have been purely private and personal and intended to show Britain's (and sometimes Ireland's) population whilst at war or recovering from it. It appears that the images were informal and not necessarily posed, although some clearly were but intended to appear informal. Other images are either photo-reportage and not a million miles from the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, although it was unlikely that Brandt had any familiarity with HCB's work immediately post-war or earlier, or landscapes which are as far from Brandt's more recognisable images as it is possible to be. The cover image is possibly rather out-of-place in relation to the main body of images. I had seen Brandt's exhibition print of this and is one that is often easily identified. There are a couple of other nudes within, but not a larger version of that on the cover, and both appear to date from the early-mid 50s, which is a little later than most of the content. There are also a couple of Brandt's more experimental works to end the book where he plays with extreme close-ups of body parts against a landscape that could well stand alone.The images included here are of varieties many of which I had not known Brandt to concern himself with. There are relatively few of his formal portraits and there are a few landscapes, which seems rather strange as I thought I knew his work rather well. However, the images presented here are of a much earlier period, and previously quite unknown to me, and were predominantly taken during and just after WW2. In justification, all the Brandt images I knew dated from the late 1950s through to about the early-mid 70s.Although born in Germany and of German-American parentage, he came to the UK some time in the early 30s via a short spell in Paris where he met Man Ray and spent most of the rest of his life here although spending a little time in Spain during its Civil War, just prior to WW2. I do not know whether he continued to work on any projects similar to those shown here later in his life. If he did, he played his cards close to his chest and did not openly discuss it.The images here show a rather different side to Brandt than I knew existed and show that he was capable of rather more. He had a far better eye for an image than was needed by a pure portraitist, whose major aim is to extract and display his subject's character. If he did not continue with a more general style of photographic work, we had lost a great talent. His portraiture was good, but not as distinctive or character-laden as was that of Beaton or Karsh. Having later seen examples of the latter two photographers' work, also in exhibition, their advantage was apparent. His nudes are distinctively his and slightly unusual, but also not sufficiently great to compare well with the likes of Sam Haskins, David Hamilton or Patrick Lichfield who came to the fore at about the time I knew him.This book is a personal eye-opener and one that has changed my opinion of someone whom I once knew, if only slightly.

One of the finest historic photographers. An icon.

A photographer whose work I greatly admire so I enjoyed working my way through the book. I have a few in these series as they are good value. Disappointed some of my favourite images of Brandt's not in book but you can't have them all. East book to carry and read when on train or coach travel.

A good introduction to a great photographer. Really appreciate this book and the whole collection similar to this one.

A very average pocket size publication. Might be ok as a first introduction series. Not overwhelmed! Might be better to pay more for a superior book.

This book of Bill Brants photographs is so good I bought another one as a present.I recommend this book to all students of photography.

Thank you - happy Customer :)