Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography, Stephen Shore

Stephen Shore’s acclaimed experimental memoir Modern Instances: The Craft of Photography is now available in a new and expanded paperback edition.

Perfect for both new readers and those wanting to learn more from Shore’s invaluable teaching, this edition includes several new essays not included in the hardcover, over forty new images, plus an extensive notes section in which Shore reflects on elements of the original text and expands on themes such as inspiration, gifts, tragedy and vernacular photography.

An impressionistic scrapbook documenting the touchstones that make up over half a century of ground-breaking work, Modern Instances contains essays, photographs, stories and excerpts that draw on Shore’s decades of teaching. It is an essential handbook for anyone interested in learning more about mastering one’s craft and the distinct threads that come together to inform a creative voice. As much as offering meditation on the influences of a single artist, Modern Instances proposes a new way of thinking about the world around us, in which even the smallest moment can become a source of boundless inspiration – if only we pay attention.

Praise for Modern Instances

‘Modern Instances is more than just a collection of musings about a life lived in the arts. The book itself is an artwork.’ Washington Post

‘[Modern Instances] will no doubt affect how you make or appreciate photographs – it might even alter how you see.’ David Fincher

‘Modern Instances is the textbook I’ve been waiting for. It’s about craft and biography, as the subtitle suggests, but it’s also a guide for living.’ Alec Soth

Mack, 288pp, 17cm x 24.5cm, expanded paperback edition, 2023