Photography Book Collection

Day 80 of 365. One of my favourite things to spend money on is photography books - a beautifully printed photography book with an interesting essay attached is a pure joy for me. One of my all time favourites is A Message For You by Guy Bourdin. He was a pioneer of brilliantly idiosyncratic fashion photography - and a technical genius during the era of film - no photoshop to save dodgy exposures!
What I love about this book is that the essay is written by his model / muse or as he called her his "phantom", Nicolle Meyer. She writes so wonderfully with intelligence, warmth, wit and melancholy about what it was like to work with him and collaborate with him. The photographs themselves are, of course, just superb and you can see how his influence still affects fashion photography today. I particularly like this quote from the book - "She was his canvas. She comes and goes, appears and disappears - always different, but always the same". Many, many photographers have searched for that muse that inspires them but very few have found that one person that transforms their photography.