The Street Photographer's Manual

by David Gibson

A medium reliant on unexpected moments is now catapulted into the future with smart phones, digital technology, and specialty equipment Street photography has been around since the very first cameras were invented, producing some of the most poignant images of our time. Today, a wave of new technology has given this photographic genre a new lease of life, from phone cameras to specialist lenses to digital zooms. The Street Photography Manual leads the reader through a series of fully illustrated tutorials, including how to shoot a face in a crowd and how to train your eye to observe and capture the unexpected. Readers will be inspired by some of the best street photographers in the world, and then go forth and create their own memorable images. 250+ illustrations

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2014

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was very good - discussed different approaches to street photography, gave suggested exercises to do to gain experience. There are a lot of negative reviews on Goodreads, saying it is only for beginners, focuses on "gimmicks", or is not well organized, but I disagree. He said at the outset he does not focus on equipment and technical aspects, and I think that is fine (you can get that in many other places, and many of the readers know the technical aspects very well). The "gimmicks" such as reflections, graphics, shooting from above, etc., are just different ways of seeing, different ways to play with the world.

[GlenK · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Gibson - a founding member of the photographer's collective In-Public - here in an articulate 180+ pages defines and describes street (or as it was previously known, humanistic) photography by what it is and what it is not. Basically what it is not is formal (for example, formal portraits where there is engagement between subject and photographer is not street photography even if the setting is the street). What it is is more difficult to nail down with objects, shadows, sequences, blurs, etc. showcased as appropriate subjects and techniques for street photography. Many of the subjects/techniques discussed (all called Projects) include useful advise and checklists for the aspiring street photographer. Of the photographers presented here I found author Gibson, Johanna Neurath, David Solomons, Trevor Hernandez, and Casper Classen to be of especial interest, both in the quality of their work and their philosophy. One slight problem I had is many of the photos are printed quite small.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! I am an up and coming street photographer and this book helped me tons! It's easy to follow and honest and not preachy etc! Great read for all photographers, Eve. Those who think they know everything!

[Deana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid advice and examples. Patronizing tone was a gift I didn't want. Street photography, it's a boys' club, got it. Don't forget to pack your balls.

[Ammar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to those beginners or aspiring photographers who are interested in street photography. It's answered many questions on my head about what it's all about, how to practice it, what things, subjects, or objects should I take, and answer question that you might not aware of.

This "answer" somehow resonates with me a lot as a person who likes to try something new, "Don't get bogged down into what is and is not street photography. It doesn't matter. Find kindred spirits, join with other photographers, share your disocveries, but above all, look at photographs and particularly look at them in books. Put your own photograph aside. Never be obsessed with your own photography. Enjoy and be inspired by the work of others, because some of that will come out in your own photography."

[Allisonperkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book by any stretch but I did find it lacking in soul. I also found the artists profiled all had a similar view - the true diversity of street photography was missing.

I should also mention the typeface was super tiny.

[Emilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine but it doesn't give much detail on the principles of streetphotography, no technical information or real projects. He only rambles a bit on every topic but doesn't go into detail on how to explore these. Most things were quite obvious to me and it seemed a bit outdated (to illustrate just how outdated: Instagram was explained in the glossary at the end). The fact that the book feels a bit prehistoric in terms of postprocessing-naivety or technological scepticism is not the problem, but rather that you can just get this information by watching videos online of a streetphotography POV, which will give you the same insight but make it more entertaining.

I did not care for his attempts to define streetphotography either. Rather than keeping the definition as narrow and niche as possible, creating rules that limit creativity, I would rather go for a "whatevers floats your boat" philosophy. I don't think there is "cheating" in art. It has to elicit a response in the person experiencing it. That can happen through photos that were shot at the hip, on roads or streets, altered in Photoshop, shot with the newest camera or a smart phone. His introduction seems a bit outdated in that sense because nowadays everyone tweaks their pictures. And that's okay. Whatever floats your boat ;)

On Eric Kim's advice: he says that not everyone knows what a great street photograph is so you shouldn't trust criticism. But that just further gatekeeps (is that the right word?), I mean that it puts a certain limit to who is allowed to have an opinion about streetphotography. But shooting street happens in public and is for the public. Just like books are not written for someone with a literature degree but rather for the average reader. And everyone is allowed to like or dislike something. Whether criticism hurts a photographers ego is their problem.

[Aruna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most clean and complete guides I’ve ever come across in the street photography genre.

Lessons learned:

- Buy books, not gear.
- The only way money might make you happier in photography is if you invest it in experiences.
- Most famous photographers are only known for two or three of their most popular images—often recognized after they passed away. If you manage that, you’ve already made a meaningful contribution as a photographer.
- Street photos of people simply walking by billboards are boring.
- No amount of post-processing can turn a mediocre photo into a good one.
- Spend 99% of your time editing your photos (Choosing the best photo) and only 1% post-processing them.
- 99% of people on the internet don’t know what makes a great street photograph. Don’t rely too much on likes, comments, or favorites from social media. Instead, spend time in serious public critique groups focused on street photography.

Favorite quotes:

- "Shooting from the hip on a busy street is fun, but ultimately there are far more misses than hits."
- "The best streets urge you to stay; the road is an endless incentive to leave."
- "Put simply, on a crowded street the camera freezes a moment that we often only half see."
- "Some photographers literally shove the camera in a person’s face, and their reaction becomes the photograph. This accusation has been aimed at Bruce Gilden—but he does it with a degree of empathy. He gives people time; he doesn’t seek conflict. Unfortunately, some street photographers do enjoy conflict. Unlike Gilden, they are not members of Magnum."

[Pedro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sinto a falta de conversar com outras pessoas que estejam no meio da fotografia, ou, como no meu caso, ainda a aprender a fotografar, daí estar à procura de livros como este, baseados na experiência técnica e criativa de outros fotógrafos. David Gibson parece-me um bom sujeito e tem alguns bons conselhos que, pela minha limitada experiência, subscrevo. Dito isto, a tradução é terrível em alguns pontos (mesmo em algumas das frases que "sublinhei" para aqui, no Goodreads). Também achei desnecessária alguma da condescendência que aparece aqui e ali ao longo do livro em relação às mulheres fotógrafas.

[Riz · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot to learn from this very good book about street photography. The book has five chapters that cover different aspects of street photography which are accompanied by projects. In between, there are also two page spreads on twenty accomplished street photographers with information on their unique styles and interesting photos. However, the chapter on ethics is at the end of this book which I think should have been with the introduction and in more depth.

I reckon this book can be of great help to those who are either new or at an intermediate level in street photography and it can also help discover one's style in street photography.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need help with taking photos. I need some inspiration now that I have purchased a new camera. I read this book to reactivate my interest in photography. I used to take my camera out regularly but fell out of the habit as lots of things started to crowd my life. So I want to get back to the things that I used to enjoy and photography was one of them. So where to start? The Street Photographer’s Manual is a good place. I have found this book to be useful on a practical level and inspiring. I’m going through this book slowly. I don’t want to rush it and I want time to think about what I am reading and try out the things it says. I really like the practical application of this book and the helpful tips. I also enjoy the featured photographers chapters. They are inspiring and I have gone onto their websites to check them out in more details. This is a great book and hope you enjoy it as much as I am.

[Palo Markovič · Rating 2 out of 5]

This second edition is not printed as nicely as first edition from 2014: The Street Photographer's Manual and has replaced some content to make it more attractive to Instagram users, thus contradicting the original intent to focus less on technical details, and introducing mistakes. Some profiles of photographers have been replaced to put more emphasis on follower count. If you care more about actual photography, reach for first edition.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always good to expose yourself to different kinds of techniques within your wheelhouse. This book provided that for me. I'm not a street photographer, more of a landscape shooter but I do like photographing people in non-posed settings. This book gave me some tools to think about and photographers to check out who are established in the field. There were a couple of things that were eye-opening and comforting within this "tutorial". If nothing else, it helps me to see in a different light and be exposed to some other photographers that may inspire.

[Ramakanth Domada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recieved it as my birthday gift and enjoyed reading.
This book introduces work of many great photographers from the history along with their focus subjects. Helps one get an idea of photography subjects like objects, lines, beaches, geometry etc. The photographer profiles and suggestions for exercises given by author sets this book apart from other books. Great thing about this book is that there is not a single paragraph about how to use the camera, lens or settings; everything is all about 'photograph' and motivation to photograph.

[Leila Mota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um livro fantástico. Não é só porque o assunto me é caro, mas pela linguagem descomplicada, ideal para fotógrafos super-amadores como eu (o que não impede que outros mais experientes aproveitem o conteúdo). E também pelos exemplos, que me pareceram bem didáticos. É também o tipo de texto que abre caminho para aprofundamento do assunto, possibilitado pela citação de nomes de profissionais relevantes/interessantes, links, livros... Recomendo sem ressalvas.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was curious about the combination of "how-to" tips and short bios of accomplished street photographers. I'm always looking for creative ways to photograph and I discovered some good tips in this book. I was unfamiliar with many of the photographers and I really enjoyed the selections choosen. It's a great starter book and covers the basics of street photography which can be a hard genre to get into. I'll follow up with other books by David Gibson for sure.

[Karl Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read from one of hte greats of the street photography community. The book is at its best when he's profiling other street photographer he admires. The countless pages of attempting to define street photography mostly comes off as pedantic.

Plus the type is so damn small. My tired old eyes were complaining the whole time!

:D

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and very inspiring. I'd have given it five stars but didn't for two reasons: Gibson acknowledges that he hasn't showcased enough women photographers. He should have tried harder to find them, otherwise he's just perpetuating the marginalisation of women street photographers. Also, I found some of Gibson's own photos underwhelming. That's personal taste, though.

[Danil · Rating 3 out of 5]

С одной стороны, в книге есть интересные моменты и советы. С другой, автор постоянно отсылается на фотографии, которых нет в книге. И даже не даёт библиографическую ссылку, где это фото посмотреть. Неприятно.

К концу книги уже дочитывал через силу. Видимо, автор очень хотел, чтобы формат был единообразный, поэтому в некоторых темах просто уже высасывал из пальца

[Shannon Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

the information in this book is quite basic and a lot of it I already know from experience. However Gibson provides good contextual references and the advice he gives is purely based off his experience and trial & error. This book would be perfect for a photographer wanting to start shooting street photography it provides a good list of do's and don'ts.

[Marco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would probably give it a higher rate if not for all the references to photos not shown in the book, which makes it harder to grasp what the author is hinting at without searching on Google every 5 or so lines.
Liked the project structure to tackle different aspect of steer photography. The chapters dedicated to photographers were mostly irrelevant tho.

[Andra Hamburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more of this book. The tips seemed a bit too cliche, since Ive read about this topic before. I liked the author's choices for the other photographers though. And the examples of different styles he mentioned were useful too. I didnt like how the text was formed into 2 sections, it made reading a bit more difficult to the eye.

[Palo Markovič · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author has good intentions of creating a book on how to practice street photography, as if it was a craft with set of rules. It does good work on showing good examples and focusing on image rather technology. It fails a bit with forced interpretation of photographs and uncertainty whether the book should be a “text book” or personal diary. One of the better attempts and still useful.

[Thomas B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was really good! It is descriptive, not prescriptive, providing a scaffolding that one can use in approaching street photography. I particularly enjoyed the photographer profiles and examples of their work. For inspiration, I bookmarked a lot of websites and followed a lot of folks on Instagram, not to mention added some books to my watchlist.

[Quinn Santone · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful dive into the world of street photography. You can tell David Gibson has a devoted passion and understanding for the art form, and would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in photography or the arts.

[Celal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Konu konu gitmesi güzel. Aradaki fotoğrafçı bölümlerini biraz gereksiz buldum. Faydalı diyebilirim.

[Ralph N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational for any street photographer

['ö-Dzin Tridral · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed the text but enjoyed the photographs. I particularly enjoyed shadows, distortions and reflections.

[Sagar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book and the photos in it - I just wish David Gibson promoted his own photos less and the legends more.

[Adam Hegedus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those black letters on white and white letters on black blocks bringing me nuts and I hated them so much.