Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quintessentially New York, January 19, 2001
By A Customer
This afternoon, I hailed a cab near Union Square in New York City. As we pulled away, I noticed the driver had two small black and white photos (New York cityscapes) posted next to his hack license. The pictures were small but alluring in that New York noir sort of way. One was signed "Bradford," the same name on the hack license. "Cool photos," I said. "Do you show?" To which the driver said, "My book," and he handed me "Drive-By Shootings." The book is substantial, somewhere near 500 pages with thick paper to accomadate these extraordinary photos... Bradford has an alert and whimsical eye. Of all the photography I have seen of New York, Bradford's body of work captures the energy and essence of what it is like to be here and live here, better than any I've seen. There is enormous love for the city and compassion for his subjects. There is also present a strong sense of irony alongside the photographer himself being humbled by this thing --New York City -- which is depicted here as being as tame as it is wild. Like Bradford himself, this book is very engaging. If you like New York, or have an interest in photography or art, you'll appreciate "Drive-By Shootings."
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
New York for those who can't be there, May 24, 2000
By A Customer
I found this book to be a true depiction of what it means to be in New York - not just the skylines and the tourist attractions. Bradford's perspective - both literally (from the inside of a cab) and mentally - give the pictures a unique feel. In addition, the organization of the book - day, night, rain, snow - convey the notion that the city is continually changing it's mood and it's feel. I would highly recommend this book.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of the best photo books i've ever bought!, September 30, 2002
a book of photographs (and some prose) done by a NY taxi cab driver. all the photos were shot with a point and shoot camera, while he was driving his cab. a great example of how a body of work is equal to more than the sum of the parts. in other words, the individual images are not necessarily masterpieces, but when you put them all together, the body of work could definitely be exhibited in a gallery. goes to show you that to be a successful artist, a concise body of work is more important then successful individual images alone. also, this book is a great example of taking one's circumstances and surroundings and creating something artistic from them. there's room for creativity everywhere, especially for photographic creativity. and in it, the author transcends what might be an ordinary job into something extraordinary. like a bumble-bee buzzing throughout the city, Braford in his cab with camera in hand shows us that in the wake of the events of 9/11/2001 (in fact, the World Trade Center buildings are in many of his shots), NYC is a city full of vitality, life, and soul. as a published photographer myself, and someone who has not yet spent much time in New York, i really appreciate this book. it's one man's view of the city, yes. but he has such a great vantage point as part of the livelyhood of it.
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