What Is The Best Street Photography Book?
Street photography is a dynamic and captivating genre of photography that has been popular for over a century.
It captures the essence of everyday life, documenting the spontaneous and candid moments that occur in public spaces.
With the rise of social media platforms such as Instagram, street photography has become more accessible and popular than ever before.
In this article, I’ll be exploring the 10 best street photography books that offer a glimpse into the world of street photography and its masters.
These books provide a wealth of inspiration and knowledge for both beginners and experienced photographers, showcasing the artistry, technical skill, and creativity of some of the most celebrated street photographers of all time.
List Of Top 10 Best Street Photography Books
- Wonderland by Jason Eskenazi
- Bystander: A History of Street Photography
- Magnum Contact Sheets
- Street Photography Now
- The Americans by Robert Frank
- The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment by Gordon Lewis
- Koudelka: Gypsies by Will Guy
- Minutes to Midnight by Trent Parke
- William Eggleston’s Guide
These books are selected after many customer reviews and needs of customers.
1. Wonderland by Jason Eskenazi
Wonderland is a photography book by Jason Eskenazi that chronicles his 1990s travels through the former Soviet Union.
The collection of black and white photographs in the book captures the essence of life in post-Soviet Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other countries.
Eskenazi’s photographs depict the struggle and beauty of the people, landscape, and cultural traditions in the region.
His photographs are intimate, raw, and evocative, revealing the complexities and contradictions of life in a changing region.
Wonderland is regarded as a contemporary documentary photography classic, with critical acclaim for its powerful imagery and storytelling.
Buy the book now: Wonderland by Jason Eskenazi
2. Bystander: A History of Street Photography
Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz’s book Bystander: A History of Street Photography explores the evolution of street photography as an art form.
It examines the work of some of the genre’s most influential practitioners and traces the history of street photography from its beginnings in the early twentieth century to the present day.
The book contains over 400 photographs and insightful commentary on each one, making it the definitive reference on the history and significance of street photography.
Buy the book now: Bystander: A History of Street Photography
3. Magnum Contact Sheets
Magnum Contact Sheets is a photography book that provides a unique look into the creative processes of some of Magnum’s most well-known photographers.
The book includes 139 contact sheets, which are essentially work prints that contain the entire sequence of images from a single roll of film.
Each contact sheet includes commentary from the photographer as well as background information about the situation in which the photographs were taken.
Readers gain insight into the creative processes and stories of photographers.
Magnum Contact Sheets is a fascinating and informative book about the art and craft of photography, as well as the inner workings of one of the world’s most renowned photography collectives.
Buy the book now: Magnum Contact Sheets
4. Street Photography Now by Sophie Howarth
Sophie Howarth’s book Street Photography Now features the work of 46 contemporary street photographers from around the world.
The book features a variety of street photography styles and approaches, such as candid snapshots, portraits, and urban landscapes.
Each photographer is given a brief biography, and their work is accompanied by insightful commentary that provides context and interpretation.
Interviews with some of the featured photographers are also included in the book, providing a more in-depth understanding of their artistic vision and techniques.
Street Photography Now is a visually stunning and thought-provoking book that celebrates the vitality and creativity of contemporary street photography.
Buy the book now: Street Photography Now
5. The Americans by Robert Frank
The Americans is a photography book by Swiss photographer Robert Frank, first published in 1958.
It features a collection of black and white photographs taken during his travels across the United States in the mid-1950s.
The book’s unconventional layout and sequencing, with images often arranged in pairs or triptychs, challenged the conventions of photography books at the time and helped to redefine the medium.
The book had a significant impact on the development of modern photography and became a cultural touchstone, inspiring countless photographers and artists.
Today, it is considered a classic of 20th-century photography and a seminal work in the history of American art.
Buy the book now: The Americans by Robert Frank
6. The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
The Decisive Moment is a 1952 photography book by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson.
It is a collection of his photographs from the early 1930s to the late 1940s, including many of his most famous images.
The title alludes to Cartier-concept Bresson’s of the “decisive moment,” which he defined as the exact moment when all the elements in a scene come together to form a perfect composition.
The book includes photographs from all over the world that capture the beauty, humour, and pathos of daily life. It is regarded as a photography classic and has had a significant impact on the medium.
Buy the book now: The Decisive Moment by Henri Cartier-Bresson
7. Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment
Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment is a comprehensive guidebook by Gordon Lewis that offers practical advice on how to create compelling street photographs.
It covers a wide range of topics, including equipment, lighting, composition, and technique, as well as ethical considerations and legal issues related to photographing in public places.
It features numerous examples of street photography from around the world, with commentary from the author that offers insight into the creative process and the choices that photographers make when capturing the candid moment.
The book is aimed at both beginner and experienced photographers who are interested in exploring the art and craft of street photography, and provides a wealth of practical tips and techniques that can help photographers take their work to the next level.
Buy the book now: Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment
8. Koudelka: Gypsies
Koudelka: Gypsies is a book of photographs by Czech photographer Josef Koudelka, with an introduction by writer Will Guy.
The book features a collection of black and white photographs that Koudelka took during his travels with the Roma people (commonly referred to as Gypsies) in Central Europe and the Balkans between 1962 and 1971.
The images offer a powerful and intimate portrayal of the lives of the Roma people, capturing their struggles, joys, and traditions.
Koudelka’s photographs are characterized by their raw and evocative style, and they are a testament to his deep respect for his subjects and his commitment to documenting their lives.
Koudelka: Gypsies is considered a classic of documentary photography, and it has had a significant influence on the development of the genre.
Buy the book now: Koudelka: Gypsies
9. Minutes to Midnight
Minutes to Midnight is a photography book by Australian photographer Trent Parke.
The book features a collection of black and white photographs that Parke took during his travels across Australia and around the world between 2003 and 2007.
The images offer a haunting and poetic portrayal of contemporary life, capturing moments of beauty, mystery, and danger. Parke’s images are characterized by their evocative use of light and shadow, their surreal compositions, and their emotional intensity.
The title of the book refers to the symbolic “minutes to midnight” of the Doomsday Clock, and the photographs can be read as a meditation on the fragility of life and the looming specter of catastrophe.
Minutes to Midnight is considered a landmark work in contemporary photography, and it has won numerous awards and accolades since its publication in 2013.
Buy the book now: Minutes to Midnight
10. William Eggleston’s Guide
William Eggleston’s Guide is a photography book by American photographer William Eggleston, first published in 1976.
The book features a collection of color photographs that Eggleston took in the American South in the mid-1960s and 1970s.
The images offer a unique and idiosyncratic vision of American life, capturing the beauty and strangeness of everyday objects and scenes.
Eggleston’s use of color was groundbreaking at the time, and his photographs helped to legitimize color photography as a serious art form. The book’s publication was a major event in the history of photography, and it has since become a classic of the medium.
Today, William Eggleston’s Guide is widely regarded as a masterpiece of color photography and a seminal work in the history of American art.
Buy the book now: William Eggleston’s Guide
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Conclusion
Street photography has been a significant genre of photography since the early days of the medium, and it continues to evolve and thrive in the 21st century.
The ten books discussed here represent some of the most influential and iconic works in the history of street photography, offering a rich and diverse range of approaches to capturing the candid moment.
These books are essential reading for anyone interested in the art of capturing the world around us.