Best street photography/photographers

December 27, 2007 11:47 AM

Street Photography: any suggestions for photography books or or great photographers in that niche? I'm particularly interested in street photography of the 1930's thru the 1970's.
posted by bbranden1 to Media & Arts (14 answers total)

I like Martha Cooper a lot.
posted by box at 11:56 AM on December 27, 2007

Maybe look at some Garry Winogrand books. Some of his pictures have a confrontational feel to them that's uncomfortable and interesting.
posted by dog food sugar at 12:00 PM on December 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

BTW -- check out Bystander: A History Of Street Photography which covers many masters of Street Photography, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Paul Strand, Bill Brandt, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Weegee (Arthur Fellig), Gary Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, Diane Arbus, and Helen Levitt.
posted by ericb at 12:07 PM on December 27, 2007

I second dfs' Garry Winogrand recommendation. Robert Frank's The Americans is one of my favorites. You might also like William Eggleston's Guide. I find The Americans to be really inspiring. Unfortunately, it's currently out of print, but the last printing was in 2000, so it shouldn't be *too hard* to find a copy for a reasonable price. Both were groundbreaking for their times.
posted by strangecargo at 12:31 PM on December 27, 2007

Here is the man.
posted by roderashe at 12:39 PM on December 27, 2007

Diane Arbus
posted by The Deej at 12:42 PM on December 27, 2007

You might want to check out Helen Levit
posted by dinty_moore at 1:12 PM on December 27, 2007

Seconding Helen Levitt and adding Esther Bubley.
posted by nnk at 1:52 PM on December 27, 2007

Robert Capa, Weegee and Henri Cartier Bresson.
posted by Fins at 2:22 PM on December 27, 2007

Best answer: a little off topic, but I always enjoy what I find at Shorpy.
posted by nnk at 2:54 PM on December 27, 2007

James Van Der Zee. Or Gordon Parks.
posted by lunachic at 3:00 PM on December 27, 2007

Response by poster: nnk, thanks for the shorpy link. Very interesting!
posted by bbranden1 at 4:37 PM on December 27, 2007

Brassai!!! I picked up his 'Paris By Night' at a used bookstore and enjoyed it thoroughly.

If you're looking for real contemporary work, I would suggest -- yes, haters -- Vice Magazine and The Vice Photo Book, which I just happened to get for Christmas.
posted by fishfucker at 5:09 PM on December 27, 2007

No one has mentioned Walker Evans yet. So I will.
posted by davetill at 6:28 PM on December 27, 2007