Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson [Paperback]

Clive Scott (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1845112237 | ISBN-13: 978-1845112233 | Publication Date: September 18, 2007

Street photography is perhaps the best-loved and most widely known of all photographic genres, with names like Cartier-Bresson, Brassai and Doisneau familiar even to those with a fleeting knowledge of the medium. Yet what exactly is street photography? From what viewpoint does it present its subjects, and how does this viewpoint differ from that of documentary photography? Looking closely at the work Atget, Kertesz, Bovis, Rene-Jacques, Brassai, Doisneau, Cartier- Bresson and more, this elegantly written book unpicks Parisian street photography's complex relationship with parallel literary trends -- from Baudelaire to Soupault -- as well as its more evident affinity with Impressionist art. Street Photography reveals the genre to be poetic, even "picturesque," looking not to the type but to the individual, not to the reality of the street but to its "romance."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Clive Scott is Professor of European Literature, School of English and American Studies, University of East Anglia. His numerous books include The Spoken Image: Photography and Language (Reaktion Books, 1999).

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1845112237
• ISBN-13: 978-1845112233
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living in the Moment through Photography, April 27, 2009

By 

Mark Barnes (Orange Co., California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson (Paperback)

I first saw this book in Hardback at a local retailer and was disappointed at its $76 price, so while cashier was ringing up a couple other items for me, I logged onto Amazon on my iPhone and ordered this paperback version. Only downside was the 24 hour wait as I was hooked on this book from its first few pages.

Although appearing as though this is a summary of late 19th and early 20th century photography written decades ago, it was just written in 2007. The author's style lends itself to giving it a true resonance of authenticity while providing the necessary hindsight implied in the many years between photograph and now. There are hundreds of inset quotations from early manuscripts and accompanying photographs that give you an enormous amount of insight into how paintings and photographs played off of each other and how much goes into just seeing the picture you are about to make.

It's not a manual, but a spiritual guide for opening your eyes, and in many cases, limiting your view through the lens instead, to capture a certain moment in time. It is this moment that psychologists all talk about as "living in the moment". And for me, that is where this book becomes a textbook for that eternal quest.

Anyone who loves photography and struggles with over thinking, dwelling on the past, or dreading the future, need only read a few passages from this book, pick up your Leica or pocket camera and start seeing the world the way it is.... Right at this exact moment..... Now. It's amazingly therapeutic. You will see the world differently after reading this book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars extremely thorough, October 27, 2007

By 

S. Bienstock - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson (Paperback)

this is extremely thorough if not slightly wordy opus. While reading, it gave the impression of a major paper written for peer review. On the downside I felt that it was not overtly aimed toward the "layperson" photographer. If I were to be in a place to ask, I would also wish for more photographic illustrations. However it is well worth plowing through for its insights into street photog as related to other movements in the arts and letters from the same epoch.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars PoMo Analysis of Street Photography, September 7, 2008

By 

Daniel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Street Photography: From Atget to Cartier-Bresson (Paperback)

It's a well-written book with thorough footnotes. It's NOT, however, the type of book to inspire modern-day street photographers. If you like Post Modern analysis of pre-1960 French street photography, however, this may well be the book for you.