If you’re looking for the photography – and the photographers – that have defined the genre of street photography, then you’ll find pretty much every single one of them has at some point in their lives been associated with Magnum Photos.
Many of the photographers who worked for this exclusive agency helped pioneer and shape street photography and make it what it is today. Before the term was even coined, practitioners such as Henri Cartier Bresson influenced it, giving us a deeply embedded cultural understanding of what it means to shoot street.
The legendary photo agency has hosted some of the world’s best photographers over the years, and we see rich visual treats from many of them in a new paperback version of the agency’s hit book, Streetwise. There’s Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, Bruce Gilden, Susan Meiselas, Inge Morath, David Hurn, Richard Kalvar, Bruce Davidson, Alex Webb, Chris Steele-Perkins and many more besides.
As well as the iconic photography, there’s also interesting essays that help bring context to street shooting through the ages, and how Magnum has been there throughout. On top of this, there’s also location-specific chapters looking at the most recognised areas for street photography, namely New York City, London, Paris and Tokyo.
Magnum Streetwise a book which I’ve actually had on my own bookshelf for a number of years, but in the hardback version. A new paperback version makes it more accessible price wise – and at just £30 I believe it represents incredible value.
Since I’ve owned the original hardback I’ve returned to it many times over, whenever I’ve been looking for inspiration, either for street photography of my own, or to travel to destinations I might find it difficult to visit.
There’s page after page of fantastic photography, and if like me, street is one of your favourite genres, then there’s very little to dislike about the collection. It’s great to track street photography over the years, see the changing fashions, buildings and trends of the times – both in terms of the content of the photography, but also the style in which it is shot.
If you only buy one book this year, this would probably be my recommendation – you won’t be disappointed.
Magnum Streetwise is available to buy now in paperback, published by Thames and Hudson. ISBN: 9780500299005.
Related Reading:
- You’ve never seen street photography like this before
- You need to see this American street photography by the pioneering Gordon Parks
- A subtle master of New York street photography – Helen Levitt’s work is a must-see
Follow AP on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
