I have a passion for observing photographs as long as I remember. I
could stare at pictures in books and magazines for hours and thinking about
people or places on them. Reading is great and important, but sometimes just
need something different to relax and get carried away. I recently discovered that
my favorite kinds of pictures are called street photography. This is not
professional definition, but street photography simply means to take pictures
of random people and random non pre directed situations on the streets. Often
people don’t have a clue that they are being photographed, other times they are
posing for a portrait. I don’t know how is with permissions these days. I
assume some people are mad if you take pictures of them, but maybe this was
always a problem.
I decided to buy one book about street photography. Ok not maybe only
with pictures strictly by this definition, but simply said, photo that I would
really like and never get bored by it. That kind of book that would represent
my sanctuary when I’ll need some comfort or something that would lift my
spirit. Pictures are never the same, every time you discover something new in
them, they can awake different emotions. Problem is which book to buy.
I adore streets of New York, especially in early 70s and 80s. I would
like to observe some different era, people and fashion. I prefer pictures in
color, but also black and white can be very inviting and with time I even
forget there’s ˝no˝ color. During my research so far I discovered that I like
work from Vivian Maier. Taking
photos was her hobby. After her death thousands of pictures were discovered and
published in several books. She lived in Chicago and New York and also traveled
a lot. So far, her published work was only in black and white technique, but
later this year a collection of photographs in colors is coming. I’m very
excited about this, but new book will be super expensive. Her work is from a
bit earlier era that I prefer, but I like it anyway. She’s focused mostly on
people and occasionally objects, not directly on architecture. But buildings
are often in background and visible enough to be observed.
Vivian Maier: Out of shadows (2012)
(emka.si)
Apparently out of print, remaining copies are very expensive
Vivian Maier: A photographer found (2014)
(Vivianmaier.com)
Avaiable on Book Depository
Another book that caught my eye was published last year, it called Street: New York City 70s, 80s and 90s
(2017)
(powerhousebooks.com)
Order from Book Depository
This selection of pictures was taken by Carrie Boretz. Don’t really know
why, but I prefer female photographers. Maybe because in some books of male
photographers I often found a lot of homeless people, violence and even dead
bodies. I know that these things are also part of realistic street scenes, but
in my book I only want non violent pictures.
People or architecture? Plain streets or fashion? New York or America?
Everything is inviting and prices are not helping at all.
For the end let me mention one male photographer - Slim Aarons. He’s work is not a street photography, but still
something inviting and more magazine like. I think I would like his series of
books, especially A place in the sun (2005) and Once upon a
time (2005) – so called coffee table books of high society. He often
focuses on a lifestyle of rich and famous people and fashion. I’m just afraid
his pictures are too staged, glamorous and fake. I need to research his work
more.
(Amazon.com)
Avaiable on Book Depository
Comments
Post a Comment