Photographers by Michael Pritchard and Tony Nourmand. Photos of photographers.

Rare Art Press, 2012.  1st edition. Hardcover with illustrated boards, not issued with dust jacket.  ISBN 978-0-9566487-7-8.  Photos from the archives of Getty Images.  288 pages. Photographs of photographers holding cameras, including self portraits. The cameras are usually identified as are the subjects, who include many celebrities and other photographers such as Margaret Bourke-White and Henri Cartier-Bresson.  Photographers who took the pictures include Clarence Sinclair Bull, Willy Ronis, Weegee, Bert Hardy, Andreas Feininger, Robert Doisneau, Fred W. McDarrah, Ernst Haas, Fred Stein, Dmitri Kessel, Arnold Newman, Pierre Jahan, Edouard Boubat, Jean-Philippe Charbonnier, Howard Sochurek, Ralph Morse, Gjon Mili, Yale Joel, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Peter Stackpole, Oscar Graubner, Carl Mydans, John Iacono, Morris Engel, Gordon Parks, Kurt Hutton, Michael Ward, Tony Ray-Jones, Martha Holmes, Peter Stackpole, Fritz Goro, Slim Aarons, David E. Scherman, David Hume Kennerly, Fred W. McDarrah, Ed Feingersh, et al.  New in original shrink wrap.  Summary:

Photographers (2012), edited by Michael Pritchard and Tony Nourmand, is a high-impact visual history that shifts the spotlight from the images themselves to the people behind the lens. Part of Reel Art Press’s high-end monographs, the book is a photographic tribute to the profession of photography, capturing the world's most iconic image-makers in the act of creation.

The Concept: The Observer Observed

The book is built on a simple but fascinating reversal: the photographers who usually capture the world's history are here the subjects of the frame. It documents the "tools of the trade" and the physical labor of photography across a century of media, from the mid-19th century to the digital dawn.

Key Features and Themes

1. Behind the Scenes of Iconic Moments

The volume includes rare "behind-the-lens" shots of legendary photographers working in high-stakes environments:

• War and Conflict: Robert Capa on the front lines and Margaret Bourke-White perched on the Chrysler Building.

• Hollywood and Glamour: Terry O'Neill, Bert Stern, and Eve Arnold capturing the stars of the silver screen.

• Street and Fashion: Bill Cunningham on his bicycle and Richard Avedon in the studio.

2. A History of Photographic Technology

Through these portraits, the book serves as a visual timeline of technical evolution. It showcases the physical relationship between the artist and their equipment:

• The massive, tripod-bound bellows cameras of the Victorian era.

• The transition to the iconic Leica and Rolleiflex cameras that enabled the "snapshot" revolution.

• The heavy, multi-flash setups of mid-century studio masters.

3. Portraits of Personality

The book highlights the distinct "characters" of the masters. It features intimate, often candid photos of:

• Henri Cartier-Bresson (the elusive master of the "Decisive Moment").

• Diane Arbus navigating the fringes of society.

• Alfred Stieglitz and Ansel Adams shaping the American landscape aesthetic.

Curatorial Excellence

Tony Nourmand (a specialist in entertainment photography) and Michael Pritchard (a leading photographic historian and Director General of the Royal Photographic Society) provide expert context for the images. Their curation emphasizes the heroism, obsession, and patience required to be a professional photographer.

Summary Takeaway

Photographers is an essential "meta-history" of the medium. It demystifies the process of image-making by showing the grit, the gear, and the human presence required to capture a masterpiece. It is a celebratory volume that proves the person pressing the shutter is often just as interesting as the subject in front of it.