From the Masters: Inspiring Street Photography Books

Digital photos dominate our screens, and the amount of inspiration available to anyone interested in photography is endless. With an abundance of content available, unfortunately, much of it is quickly forgotten. Any online content has a chance of being removed, and that’s especially true of a photographer’s online portfolio as they revise and pivot during their career.

Getting inspired by photography and studying what makes a photo great is sometimes not as simple as staring at it on a screen. It is not only the photographs that create the impact; it’s how they are presented. Anyone who has visited a website that is confusing, cluttered, or difficult to navigate can attest to how that factors into your patience and enjoyment. When you are free from distractions to allow your focus to be on the photography, the experience is elevated with more pleasure and lasting appeal. Sitting down and enjoying photography and studying what others have done with a tangible presentation of their work is a relaxing and positive way to study who you respect. Photography books can also be physically appealing, looking great on a bookshelf and a conversation starter in your home.

Photography books are expensive, so picking which ones to add to your library takes consideration. Some are low-production or self-published, which can increase costs, and even higher-production photography books can be pricey. Fortunately, many of these books are gorgeous in presentation, and the higher price can be justified if the work resonates with you. Portfolio photography books are frequently hardcover coffee table books. They can be large and heavy and, with shipping, can add considerable cost overall. I consider great photography books an investment. I have some books that I look back at, even a decade later.

There is a wide variety of photography books to choose from, but there are a few that I consider must-haves for historic street and travel photography.

Alex Webb: The Suffering of Light (2011)

Born in 1952, Alex Webb is an acclaimed American photographer known for his vibrant colour photography and unique compositions. He became a full member of Magnum Photos in 1979. Webb’s work often focuses on the intersection of light and shadow, utilizing rich colours and layered scenes to convey complex narratives and cultural issues. Alex Webb has numerous books available, including The Suffering of Light, one of his most recognized. A list can be found at the end of the book.

This hardcover book without a sleeve opens with a preface from Alex Webb discussing his inspiration and concludes with an afterword from author Geoff Dyer. The Suffering of Light covers photographs from 1979 to 2010 and is chronologically laid out for the 30 years of photography. It highlights Webb’s use of colour, light, and shadow to convey the story. As the decades pass, Webb’s photographs reflect the culture, revealing his subjects’ lifestyle, emotions, and sometimes hardships.

The photographs are presented semi-gloss, with one photograph per page. With an afterword and acknowledgments, the book is just over 200 pages. It is also quite large, at 13” x 12.5”. As a result, if it is presented on a bookshelf, it may need to be laid flat and stacked with books of various types and sizes, as many of these books are.

Fred Herzog: Modern Color (2017)

Fred Herzog, a German-born Canadian photographer who died in 2019, is recognized as one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He worked primarily with Kodachrome film, and as the title suggests, this book focuses on Herzog’s use of colour and composition, with much of that work being done in Vancouver, Canada. Herzog’s work spans decades, and this book, Modern Color, is a collection of Herzog's images, primarily taken in Vancouver during the 1950s and 60s. It explores urban life brought together by his striking use of colour.

The first 30+ pages of Modern Color are dedicated to opening essays from writer, artist, and educator David Campany, writer and photo historian Michael Koetzle, and photographer Jeff Wall. The accompanying essays and reflections provide context to Herzog’s artistic vision and the cultural landscape of the time. Concluding the written contributions that open the book, the primary artistry in the book showcases Herzog’s colour photography; however, some black-and-white images are also included.

Modern Color is just over 10.5 inches square and features over 230 images.

Ernst Haas: New York in Color 1952-1962 (2020)

Ernst Haas, who died in 1986, was an Austrian-American photographer known for his colour photography. He gained prominence for his ability to express emotion and narrative through colour, a relatively new concept at the time. This book focuses on Ernst Haas’ New York photography between 1952 and 1962.

New York City is a mecca for street photography, and many artists, such as Joel Meyerowitz and Vivian Maier, were inspired by the city and created a lasting body of work with it as their background. New York in Color demonstrates Haas’ ability to capture the city and people in vivid colour, and in some examples, blurred motion allows his subjects to come to life on the page.

The book opens with a foreword from Alex Haas, son of Ernst, and an essay by Phillip Prodger, former Head of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, London. The photography in this book is presented in a single image per page, titled if applicable, and dated with the year of capture. It is approximately 10” x 12” with a slip sleeve and over 200 pages.

Conclusion

I have several books by photographers I admire, and I revisit them to study their work and intentions. Some books are easily sourced, and others are small productions out of print. If you follow a photographer and enjoy their work, jumping at the chance to get a physical representation of it before it’s gone is essential. For a photographer, it’s expensive to self-publish and distribute, and the profit from one’s work can dictate the possibility of future publications.

I’ve highlighted these three books for two reasons. First, they are widely available, so you should have no issue finding a copy if you are inclined. Second, they represent excellent value. They are produced exceptionally well and look great on a bookshelf. Also, the number of beautiful images each photographer includes makes them a fantastic investment for those interested in street and travel photography.

The appeal of a physical book is that holding it, running your hand over the cover, feeling the weight of its pages, and even the smell create a lasting connection that digital formats cannot replicate. The tangibility allows you to absorb the content more meaningfully and personally. A photography book from one of your admired photographers lets you have a copy of their work that will be with you forever without fear of being lost or difficult to find in a digital world.