Paris – The 27th annual Paris Photo, the world’s largest photography fair, began on 7 November at the Grand Palais. The event, this year, showcased 45 publishers presenting everything from best-selling editions to experimental Japanese "object books", and highlighting the growing, albeit niche, market for photography publications.
Photo books took center stage at Paris Photo, with 45 publishers presenting a rich variety of photographic works. The collection included limited-edition prints, rare volumes, and artist’s books, showcasing the growing importance of this niche segment in the photography world.
Among the featured publishers was Delpire & Co, which, since 1958, has published one of the best-selling photo books in the world, The Americans by Robert Frank (1924-2019).
Paris Photo celebrated the centenary of his birth this year and the legacy of the US photographer.
"The publication of this book caused a shock because of the freedom, the way he took photos on the streets of New York. This had never been done before," Emmanuelle Kouchner, the director of Delpire & Co, told RFI.
To choose a photo book, "people tend to gravitate toward what they know or have heard of," said Kouchner.
"Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lee Miller – these are the reliable names."
Japanese publishers
Japanese photo book publishers also made a strong showing at the fair, underscoring the ongoing significance of the photo book in Japan's rich photographic history.
CASE Publishing, for instance, is known for creating high-end "object books" such as Mineko Orisaku, a work that features a unique printing technique and the use of metallic Japanese ink. The book is priced at 220 euros, reflecting the craftsmanship involved.
The tradition of photography books in Japan has roots in the post-World War II era, where they became an essential tool for documenting history and personal narratives.
"Japanese photographers often aim to publish a book first, whereas French photographers tend to focus more on exhibitions," a Franco-Japanese photographer present at the event, said.
Photo book of the year
In recognition of the crucial role photo books play in the evolution of photography, the Paris Photo-Aperture Book Prize has been awarded since 2012.
This year, the prize went to Taysir Batniji for his book "Disruptions" published by Loose Joints Publishing. The work compiles pixelated screenshots of WhatsApp video calls between Batniji and his family in Gaza, taken between 2015 and 2017.
The first book prize was awarded to Taiwanese photographer Tsai Ting Bang for "Born From the Same Root", a self-published work, awarded with a $10,000 cash prize.
A niche sector
Despite the vibrancy of events like Paris Photo, the photo book market remains a niche sector, facing numerous challenges.
In the last two decades, the number of photography-focused publishing houses has quintupled, but selling these books has become increasingly difficult.
"It's tough because booksellers don’t have much room, and most are quite hesitant to take risks. It's a shame," explained Emmanuelle Kouchner.
"That's why fairs like Paris Photo are so important – they give us a platform to introduce our books to a wider audience."
In France alone, around 200 new photo books are published each year, but the market is characterised by high production costs, limited distribution, and relatively low sales.
The recent surge in paper prices and the global health crisis have only exacerbated these challenges, making photo book publishing more expensive than ever before.
But despite these obstacles, the appeal of photo books continues to thrive among collectors and photography enthusiasts.
