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DOLCE VITA From its very beginnings, photography has been produced on various physical media: plates, glass, paper…
Today, many believe that the “original” in photography is the print—the one that is exhibited—and they view the book as a secondary medium, a catalog accompanying an exhibition. Just as in painting.
While this view is indeed valid, it is nonetheless extremely reductive. In reality, for a photographer-artist, the book is a means of creation and expression just as important as the exhibition. And even more so if we delve into the history of photography.
Through numerous historical examples (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, Robert Frank, William Klein…) and contemporary European, Japanese, and American works, we explore why the printed page lies at the heart of photography’s aesthetic history.
The concepts of print quality, choice of paper, layout, binding, photogravure… all these criteria, beyond the quality of the photos, also give a book its personality and authenticity.

Jean Chritophe Béchet Image: William Klein photography