Stephen McLarenMagnum Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Street Photography

My groanworthy title doesn't do this book justice. It really is an interesting book even if many of the pictures aren't technically fantastic. I make that judgement not because I'm especially good at street photography although it is a passion of mine, but because I've seen over the years a great deal of street photography done by big names and unknowns alike, and so much of the best in the genre comes down to setting, era, people, quirks, and only finally awesome technical skills!The settings in here are almost always interesting, and sometimes photographed with genuine "everyday drama" in the lighting or the way the shots are composed. The best street photos convey a heightened reality in which the guru photographer's reading of the moment always makes the decisive difference. Sometimes that reality is drama, sometimes bleakness or a sense of disconnection, sometimes just strangeness, but the better street photographers always seem to have that knack for seeing the moment just before it arrives. I was always a bit surprised that Tony Ray-Jones never made it into Magnum's hallowed halls, this book would have been the better for a few of his images and notes!But the big and best names are all here, with enough text to give a small taste of the photographer and his works, at least, those included in the book. It is organised by photographer and after a half page or so of introduction, we get into their images and indeed that's what the majority of the book is, images at a decent size that are often extremely immersive even if often they're monochrome and filled with people all living in their era. I think this is what works about this book, at lest as I see it. The mono images reduce everything to line and form, light and shade in composition and no distracting colours for the most part, and the settings from a past time - even if only recently past - are fantastic mainly because they are gone and won't return exactly in the same way. It's a book of lost moments salvaged by the camera. Colour images also have their part here, colour lending them a familiarity that adds and takes away dimensions of the shots.There are quite a few photos in here that at this moment do nothing for me, but the majority are worth coming back to time and again. In a few months time a different subset will leave me cold, and something new will be seen in a picture I overlooked.In this age where everybody has a camera and the opportunity to take a great photo even without the ability there are probably a far larger number of truly great street images out there to be seen. A million monkeys at typewriters will sometimes accidentally make a compelling sentence, worthy of quoting (maybe one will be me, someday). So while this is Magnum's space specifically, it will always be worth supplementing it with other books.Still a great book that I can return to and see something new.

First Magnum book I’ve bought. I’m looking out for others now. I got bored with photography a few years ago, but discovered a guy on the internet, Eric Kim. Watched some of his street photography videos. That revived my interest and I took up street.I’ve looked at a couple of books on the subject but this is by far the best as:There’s a potted biography of the photographer;The shots have been carefully collated;The subject matter varies immensely;The quality of images is superb;The book is a very high quality product;It’s a really good sized book, thick and heavy and one you can lose yourself in on a dark winter’s evening by the fire;Finally, combining the last paragraph, it’s inspiring.So that’s why I give it five stars.

This is a great book outlining the master of the Magnum photographic gang. Clearly barely touching on each artist's back catalogue, but a very positive dictionary to dig into for a fair price. Use as a route to discover

Calling this the 'Ultimate Collection' was a mistake. It's a great collection, sure, but not the ultimate collection (an impossble task, surely?). Aside from that, this book is a bargain for its £20 price tag with a tonne of Magnum photos by everyone from Abbas to Alex Webb, alongside some succinct and useful introductory texts. Personally, I was delighted to discover that Sergio Larrain had been included, as well as Trent Parke and Guerogui Pinkhassov. On the other hand, there are far too few Magnum women.I'm a street photographer and if I'd been able to wait until Xmas, I would have been delighted to find this lively book in my stocking (and not being outsize, it would probably fit).

Great book as I'm new to street photography I bought this to look at how the greats took them and what subjects they took.

Fantastic street photography book, this is the best one, every street photographer should own.

A great History book for beginner or advanced photographers

The book itself is fabulous, I would have given 5 ⭐️ if the front cover was perfect but the title of the book is smudged and it’s a present. It looks like it’s been used