Taschen’s retrospective, LeRoy Grannis: Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s, is a big, beautiful book of surf photography from one of the pioneers in the field. An essay by Surfer magazine editor Steve Barilotti traces Grannis’ life and work from his start as a hobbyist to his retirement, with plenty of anecdotes, quotes, and history in between. Like many Taschen books, the essay is translated and reprinted in both German and French in the first section of the book. However, different photographs illustrate each version of the essay, making it worth a look even if you don’t happen to read the languages.
Once past the introductory essay(s), the book is broken into two main sections: California and Hawaii. The California photos show us long board riders catching tubes and smaller waves, as well as the beach lifestyle. It’s these latter photos that make the book so interesting to me. Grannis captured California surfing right as it was entering pop culture. The photos here, of the beach, of the cars, of the rising competitiveness, and of the burgeoning fashion scene act as both history lesson and museum exhibition for a time familiar only through reruns of Gidgit on late night TV.
The Hawaii section follows the same footsteps, only the waves are bigger, the wipeouts more spectacular, the lifestyle more mainstream. The history is present, too, as we see the beginnings of big wave surfing, with helicopter rescues and oh-so-many broken boards. There is, though, a lack of fame and celebrity in this section. There are not as many models or competitions, just lots and lots of people surfing. Maybe it is because Grannis was back to photography as hobby by this time, or maybe it was just a desire to get back to the roots of surfing.
This is a Taschen book. The photo print quality is excellent. The pages are a glossy, heavy paper, and the layout and type easy to navigate. If you’ve any interest in surfing as a sport or a lifestyle, mid-century pop culture, or just beautiful photography from a master, you’ll enjoy this book.
– Joel Neff
LeRoy Grannis: Surf Photography of the 1960s and 1970s
by Steve Barilotti (author) and LeRoy Grannis (photographer)
Taschen
2013, 192 pages, 9.2 x 12.1 x 0.7 inches
See sample pages from this book at Wink.
