Long known for its lavish coffeetable books on fashion, art and design, Rizzoli has rarely been thought of among the heavy hitters in photo books. But in the past year it has published monographs like Mark Borthwick's not in fashion (March 2009) and collections by legendary photographers such as Deborah Turbeville's Casa No Name (April 2009). Coming soon from Rizzoli are the hotly anticipated Variety: Photographs by Nan Goldin (September 2009) and Shoot—Photography of the Moment, an anthology due in September. At press time Rizzoli was in talks with the International Center of Photography (ICP) about collaborating on some future projects, and is working with museums like the Guggenheim in New York and Le musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris to publish books that are tied to upcoming exhibits.

Publisher Charles Miers says Rizzoli hasn't changed, it's simply continuing its commitment to publishing quality books. "We've always published very important photographers' work, but usually in a context where it hasn't necessarily been classified as a photography book," Miers says. "For example, Sam Haskins' Cowboy Kate [October 2006] sells more as a fashion book than as a photography book, and I think a lot of people look at Deborah Turbeville for fashion as well, to some degree, and for interiors, to another degree, as well as for inspiring photography."

Miers is loathe to brand his company's books with words like "mass market appeal," but notes that many of its titles appeal to audiences who may not know the photographers' names. For instance, he says, "We tend do a book with photographer Jake Rajs, every other year or so—Cape Cod and The Islands (April 2008), Atlantic (November 2007), Cherry Blossoms (February 2006) and so on—and they are beautiful books with subjects that have a wide appeal." Rizzoli also puts out a lot of books of fashion photography, like the recent retrospective honoring the fifteenth anniversary of Purple magazine, because, according to the publisher, that's what sells.

Like Miers, acting managing editor Anthony Petrillose says Rizzoli is continuing its traditions, but he describes Rizzoli's upcoming list as "more impactful," featuring some works that will prove thought-provoking. Rizzoli has used mostly freelance editors to bring new ideas forward—like freelance editor Martynka Wawrzyniak, who urged Mark Borthwick to do his retrospective book. Also, Petrillose notes, "We work with young freelance designers who have fresh ideas; we're not tied to any one look for a book. Whereas a publisher like Assouline or Taschen has really branded their looks, to their credit, each individual project at Rizzoli dictates what the book is going to end up looking like."

Currently causing a buzz in-house is Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour coming out in October, which Miers describes as "a definitive work" of Parkinson's early photography in which he placed fashion models in ordinary settings, like butcher shops. Miers is also excited about Mil Besos, a book on the art and fashion of flamenco by Ruven Afanador (September, 2009) as well as the Shoot—Photography of the Moment anthology, which he calls a "real photography book with a capital P. It explores artistic directions in contemporary photography—particularly in digital point and shoot—and focuses on who these artists are and where are they leading us."

Rizzoli is also continuing its commitment to lavishness. Patti Smith dream of life (August, 2008), a book by photographer/director Steven Sebring, overflows with more than 400 pages of mostly black-and-white stills from Sebring's documentary of the same name. "We like making really good books, and we tend to produce to the max in terms of page length, image amount, etc.," says Miers. "What we do is kind of addictive, so it's hard to stop putting material in, despite our best efforts."

PDN'S PLAYERS
Clients, Venues, Publishers and Innovators that Made an Impact on Photography This Year. PLAYER MEDIA Wall Street Journal Online New York, NY PLAYER GALLERY Randall Scott Gallery Brooklyn, NY PLAYER BOOK PUBLISHER Kehrer Verlag Heidelberg, Germany PLAYER CAMERAS Digital SLRs that Shoot HD Video	PLAYER PHILANTHROPIST The Annenberg Foundation / Wallis Annenberg Los Angeles, CA PLAYER COMMUNICATION Twitter PLAYER BLOG Big Picture and Friends PLAYER GALLERY Gallery 339 Philadelphia, PA PLAYER BOOK PUBLISHER Rizzoli New York, NY