Lodima Press is dedicated to publishing photography books of exceptional quality. We make no compromises.

Photographer Michael A. Smith founded Lodima Press in 1981 for the purpose of publishing his first book, Landscapes 1975–1979. At that time he spoke with a number of photographers about their experiences with publishers. The responses ranged from disappointed to bitter. Since that was a spectrum he did not want to be on, he decided to publish the book himself. Conversations with several publishers made it clear that in order to have a book of the highest quality, and to maintain the integrity of his concept, he had made the right decision. Landscapes 1975–1979 went on to win the prestigious Grand prix du Livre (Best Book of the Year) at the Rencontres Internationale de la Photographie, in Arles, France (the Arles Festival) in 1981.

Lodima Press lay dormant until 1992, the year of Smith’s twenty-five year retrospective exhibition at the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House. Several publishers were interested in publishing the retrospective book, Michael A. Smith: A Visual Journey: Photographs from Twenty-Five Years. However, the problems he encountered with both trade publishers and university presses led to the decision to have Lodima Press publish the book.

In 1990 Smith married the photographer Paula Chamlee. A Visual Journey proved to be so successful that when it came time to publish Chamlee’s first book, Natural Connections (1994), there was no question that Lodima Press would be the publisher. The success of that book led to two others by Chamlee, High Plains Farm (1996), and San Francisco: Twenty Corner Markets and One in the Middle of the Block (1997). Smith’s third book, The Students of Deep Springs College was published in the year 2000. That year marked a turning point for Lodima Press. It was the first time to publish a book by a photographer other than Smith and Chamlee—Richard Copeland Miller’s Passage: Europe.

The year 2004 marked a significant expansion for Lodima Press. In addition to publishing three books by Smith and Chamlee:Tuscany: Wandering the Back Roads, Volume I by Chamlee, Tuscany: Wandering the Back Roads, Volume II by Smith, and Madonnina by Chamlee, Lodima Press published Stones and Marks by the Australian photographer Peter Elliston, and Edward Weston: Life Work.

In 2004 Lodima Press also began work on two extensive book series: The Portfolios of Brett Weston in nineteen volumes, and the Lodima Press Portfolio Book Series, an ongoing series of small books by many of the leading photographers of today. Both of these series are available by subscription as well as by individual copies.

Volume I in The Portfolios of Brett Weston series is San Francisco. It will be available in September, 2005. Additional volumes will be released every three to four months.

Also in September, the Lodima Press Portfolio Book Series will début with the publication of Home by Nicholas Nixon. Number two in the series is Solitudes by Carl Chiarenza (November 2005) and number three is Common Mementos (January 2006) by George Tice. A new book will be published every two months and the series will immediately continue with books by Linda Connor, Keith Carter, and Larry Fink.

In the fall of 2005 Lodima Press will publish Crepusculos by the Venezuelan photographer, Alejandro Lopez de Haro R.

In order to preserve the feeling of original photographs, all Lodima Press books are printed to the highest standards. We use printers and printing techniques that are at the limits of what is technically possible in photographic reproduction. Our first books, Landscapes 1975–1979, printed in 1981, and Michael A. Smith: A Visual Journey in 1992, were produced in 300-line screen duotone. In 1994, we published Natural Connections, and printed in tritone using Gardner Lithograph’s Laser Silver-Lit Tones™—a proprietary method using silver ink as the third color. Beginning with The Students of Deep Springs College and Passage: Europe, both published in 2000, all of our books are printed by Salto in Belgium using unprecedented 600-line-screen quadtone, setting a new standard in the reproduction of photographs. We print on heavy cover stock and we finish each book, when appropriate, with a sturdy French-fold dust jacket. These dust jackets will not tear.

Lodima Press is not a well-endowed publishing company. Smith and Chamlee finance their own publications by offering Special Limited Edition books that are signed, numbered, custom-bound, and slipcased. When the books are first published, the Special Limited Editions are available with the purchaser’s choice of any photograph in the book for a price less than a photograph alone would cost. For collectors of fine photographs these Special Limited Editions with prints represent considerable savings.

Earlier, yet collectible, Limited Edition books that are no longer offered with an original photograph are also available.

In 2005 BackStreetBooks, a division of Lodima Press, was created to publish Crash, Burn, Love: Demolition Derby by Bill Lowenburg. BackStreetBooks was formed in order to publish books of high quality, yet books that do not need to be printed in 600-line screen quadtone.

Besides being both full-time photographers and full-time publishers, Smith and Chamlee serve as private consultants to photographers who want help with their books.

We guarantee that you will be pleased with Lodima Press books. Every purchase you make comes with our 30-day guarantee of quality satisfaction. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, simply return the book(s) in like-new condition along with a copy of your invoice within 30 days, and payment for your book(s) will be credited or refunded.