Irving Penn: A Career in Photography is a book that examines the work and life of photographer Irving Penn. Several different writers and people associated with Penn have included text to describe their view of Penn and his life in photography. Colin Westerbeck, Issey Miyake, Martin Harrison, Edmund Carpenter, Rosamond Bernier, Colin Eisler, and Jennifer Jankauskas all contribute to the book. Writer and editor Colin Westerbeck invites the reader into the history of Irving Penn through a summary of Penn's life in his photo career. He begins with Penn's early fashion feature called "Flying Down to Lima" where after a case of airsickness, developed a new vision that changed his view of photography. Westerbeck also mentions Penn's different styles and renowned photo shoots including his many photos of various celebrities wedged into a narrow-angle corner he created out of theater flats, and also Penn's move to platinum prints. The remainder of the 200-page book comprises Penn's more famous photos. In total, there are 193 in the book, some which correspond to the text.
Irving Penn: A Career in Photography is an excellent book for anyone interested in photography, or even a professional looking for inspiration. Though it is a large book (approximately 10" by 12") its size is fitting for a photo book so that all the images can be easily seen and appreciated. The selection of photos is also suitable in that they are some of Penn's best and most known to the photo savvy, and are also mixed in genre. The text contributed by the aforementioned people help describe and reflect Penn's photos, and also show his many styles, techniques, and views on photography. Though these stories are informative to the reader, they can also get confusing and tough to read, as some of the writers tend to overuse unnecessary wording and phrasing. However, the excellent use of text/photo relationship in design and content work well in presentation, and contributes to an overall superb book.