Street Photography Now

by Sophie Howarth, Stephen Mclaren

Here are forty-six contemporary image-makers who are noted for their candid depictions of life on the streets and in the subways, at shopping malls and movie theaters, on beaches and in parks. Included are luminaries such as Magnum members Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, and Alex Webb (who are still “seeing what is invisible to others,” as Robert Frank put it), along with an international group of emerging photographers whose individual biographies illuminate the stories behind their pictures of New York, Tokyo, Delhi, or Dakar. Four thought-provoking essays and a global conversation between leading street photographers explore the compelling and often controversial issues in the genre. A select bibliography and a resource section for aspiring street photographers complete the book. 300+ full-color photographs

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, Art and Photography

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Mai M Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

لطيف اوي والصور حلوة وفيها روح ✨
اعتقد كتاب مهم للمصورين عامة ومصورين الشارع بالذات 😌

[Meagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting find! My familiarity with street photography up until this point has been pretty much confined to the big names from the past: Brassaï, Doisneau, Levitt, Frank, etc. (With some fairly massive gaps, I'm sure.) But this book provides a very nice survey of street photographers working today. People from all over the world, in color and black and white, with wildly differing techniques and philosophies. There's a short intro to each photographer, along with a selection of their work. Beautiful, witty, stark, and heartbreaking photos. Street photography is obviously alive and well.

[Eric Strijbos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone interested in Street photography will have his book shortlist that likely will be topped by Robert Frank's The Americans and contain this or that by Cartier-Bresson, but if you want to look beyond the uncropped, black and white and film dogmas of the Street 'purists', this is it. Street photography is still alive, and very much 'now', and this book shows it. As such it can be a great inspiration, especially when you've got tired and demotivated by the countless online discussions what is (or what shouldn't be) Street photography.
From each included photographer a number of works is shown, which is an instructive choice by itself. The photographers range from well-known people like Martin Parr or Alex Webb to lesser known shooters from all over the world. The well-written text places Street photography and the individual photographers in context, and quotes the photographers for their motives, vision and general way of working. It doesn't bother with technical details like focusing, shutter time etc., and I think the book is all the better for that. There are plenty of magazines and websites to get that kind of general photographic knowledge. The information that is given is thought-provoking and has its feet firmly on the pavement or the dirt anyway - no art critic mumbo-jumbo here.
If Robert Frank is everybody's number one, this could be everyone's closing number on the list.

[Emma Sotillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each page of this book was carefully put together, each image has a reason and a meaning. I was delighted by the fact that there is no nudity nor anything inappropriate which I greatly appreciate. The list of contributors is comprehensive, I learned about well established, well known photographers and also enjoyed being illustrated about new and emerging talents. The pictures are inspirational and their texts are insightful. This book was a perfect read for an amateur photographer like me.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of interesting images; however, it was a bit too limited to really get a grasp of each photographer's work. It's an interesting sampling, but I don't feel like I know any of these photographers much better. Either way, a great survey of modern street photography.

[Christel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every photographer, professioanl or amateur, should have a look at this wonderful book. So many exapmles, styles, ideas: you want to grab your camera and start taking pictures immediatly.
My favorite quot from this book: 'If you can smell the street by looking at the photo, it's a street photograph' (Bruce Gilden)

[Brian Umholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book. It is a compendium of many modern street photographers- all from, and working in, different parts of the world. It seems like they all work for Magnum Photos, so I'm not sure if this book is an advertisement for them or what. Regardless, it appears to be a very complete book on the subject.

The quality of the photograph reproduction is very good. Each artist's profile is written like a brief biography so as to allow the artwork more room. Thankfully, this is the case; because as I enjoy reading a bit about each artist's process and influences, I like to sit and consider each photograph even more. The photographer whose work I like the most was Nick Turpin. There were other very powerful pieces on display, but something about his has made me want to seek out more.

Overall, this book is well composed (hehe) and I feel like it would be a required reading for photography students. It would also make a fantastic coffee table book as well for those like me that are interested but can't invest time and money into the field. The photo on the cover really drew me in and led me to borrow it from my library. Enjoy.

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat; some 50 street photographers share some of their work for you to enjoy and be inspired by; on the subject be sure to check out the works by Ansel Adams; The Camera, The Negative and The Print; in addition: Think Like a Street Photographer: How to Think Like a Street Photographer and The Traveling Photographer's Manifesto: A Guide to Connecting with People and Place.

[Peter Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

My best $2 library book sale find of the month! Street photography has an immediateness and rawness that I have always loved. This is a collection of nearly four dozen photographers from around the world. Some of the pictures do feel random, but when you find the right person/people (in my own work) or the juxtaposition of elements, the results can be magical. The book includes a wonderful "Global Conversation" with six of the photographers.

[Vincent Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those large format books that are a taster of various international talents (and the NOW is relative as this was published in 2011). So it is simultaneously informative and frustrating. You get to know some top talent, but only in brief sections. Which works, due to stimulate one to seek out fuller tomes of those individuals that most intrigue. Took six weeks to go through this, no rush, to absorb and be delighted.

[James Ip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection of photos and essays from top photographers. This really helped me learn more about this genre of photography and I love looking at these photos for inspiration. Highly recommended.

[Lauren Callahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have been practicing street photography for a couple of years and learned so much reading this! There was a great display of various artists and their styles and the survey was well researched.

[710Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing publishing and photographs.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing book with beautiful photographs.

[Ralph N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for street photography

[Kavie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Gilden, Nils Jorgensen, Jesse Marlow, Jeff Mermelstein, Bruno Quinquet, Matt Stuart, Ying Tang, Wolfgang Zurborn

[Yamil Vidal Dos Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice book. Although it's mostly about New Yorkers...

[mr t m crossfield]

I have a small number of street photography books, the images in this one are by far the best.

[Sotiris Dimitrakopoulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Μεγάλη συλλογή απο φωτογράφους όχι και τόσο γνωστούς. Ωραίο βιβλίο σε εμπνέει να βγεις και να βγάλεις φωτογραφίες.

[Laroy Viviane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beau format pour les photographies. Nombreux photographes différents.

[traveler, learner, lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

i bought and read this book years ago, though had lost it somewhere on my moved between continents, glad to have reacquired it — must-have for street photographers

[B___y__g · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is the pigeon so big?

[Vivek Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Street Photography Now by Sophie Howarth and Stephen Mclaren was my second book on street photography. The book, at once, seemed too big for me to finish, but it was not at all text heavy.

Firstly, it is not a book on “how to do street photography” and assumes prior knowledge of the subject. It is rather a book of ideas, thoughts, and pictures from contemporary street photographers to help you delve deeper into street photography as a genre. The book claims that it is the first ever comprehensive examination of international street photography since the late 1980s. However, what makes this book stand out among many other books on street photography is that it features 46 awesome image-makers capturing life in streets, subways, malls, theaters, beaches, and parks, and provides you a scoop on their creative vibes with fun essays and quotes that spill the beans on their influences. Legends like Bruce Gilden, Martin Parr, and Alex Webb join fresh talents, giving you a snapshot of epic moments in cities like New York, Paris, London, Istanbul, Dhaka, Delhi, Dubai, and Dakar. In a nut shell, this book helps you see what other renowned street photographers are doing around the globe and their thoughts, inspiration, and influences behind their creation.

More about this book and key takeaways on my blog www.creativegenes.in

[Jereme · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe that with photography---and street photography, in particular---one must really delve into a photographer's body of work to experience his or her art. Three or four photos is not enough. There are some talented shooters in here that I wanted to explore further, but I was unable to find good presentations of their work elsewhere. As for those who do have published collections readily available, I was quite familiar with them prior to reading this book already.

That being said, this is a good collection of photos, and the writing was better than much of what is being written elsewhere on street photography in the many e-books and blogs out there. The exception is the "conversation" at the end of the book, in which various photographers go on and on about defining street, as if it's the only art form in the world that isn't easily defined.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice effort. Well rounded, international, heterogeneous sense of what street photography is and can be. I wish the print quality had been a little better, and that the texts for many photographers defied the gallery gobbledegook so rampant in the art world (e.g., picked at random: "There's a tantalizing, asymptotic convergence between reality and a photograph, but the two never seem to get together."). But overall a welcome survey.

The discussion that concludes the book, though kind of nerdy, actually makes a useful distinction for me: the difference between photojournalism and street photography. In a nutshell, photojournalism tries to answer questions (who, what, where, when, why). Great street photos raise more questions than they answer.

[Drew Brereton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book of modern street photography. It is essentially a sampler of the work of many different photographers, with each getting 2-8 pages, or so. The authors describe the approach used by each, including several quotes and observations. The pictures are really wonderful; often moving, striking, or humorous. It's a great read for fans of street photography. My only criticism is that the text felt a little repetitive toward the end, after describing the often similar styles of so many different photographers. While it might have been nice to have a few more photos from some of my favorite photographers, I admire the author's intent to spread the word about several talented individuals.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of current street photography from a global perspective.

The book also interviews photographers about changing societal rules that challenge photographers in a world of CCTV, terrorism, and privacy concerns. Just today, March 15, 2014 Hungary passed a law that all photo subjects must consent to being photographed in public...

Overall a good photo book, in a world where there are fewer and fewer photography books at all.

Updates 2023: Street Photography, self published photography books, zines, YouTube channels are all much more popular than in 2015. This book has a place at the beginning of 21st Century street photography popularity. It is fun to see the changes from just 8 years.

[Pachelbel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous. A good variety of artists and styles, and representation of the struggles photographers (especially those photographing on the streets) face today. Some of the photos are breathtaking at first glance; some of them you have to study a moment to see what makes it work. And that's what I love about spontaneous portraiture like this: it's chaotic and serendipitous.

Also it's inspiring. I would like to be a photojournalist in some capacity and the unplanned nature of street photography really speaks to me. This collection, in particular, shows that there is still artistry even when you don't map out a scene beforehand.

Feed your artistic side, pick up a copy when you need to smile about humanity!

[Casey Browne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exciting read! This book provides a lovely survey of street photographers working today. People from all over the world, in colour and black and white, with wildly different techniques and philosophies. There's a short intro to each photographer, along with a selection of their work—beautiful, witty, stark, and heartbreaking photos. Street photography is alive and well.
It has a good collection of compelling images; however, it was a bit too limited to get a grasp of each photographer's work. It's an exciting sampling, but I don't feel like I know any of these photographers much better. Either way, an excellent survey of a modern street photograph - and much like "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" you can jump in and out of this book at any time.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and enjoyable journey of current street photographers and their pictures. Nice to see Asian photographers being shown too. 46 photographers are show-cased from the well-konw, like Bruce Gilden and Martin Parr to the less well-known. Each photographer is given a short biography followed by a description about the style and objectives that each have with a small selection of photographs.

I really enjoyed this and still dip into it to get some inspiration.