Are these the best STREET PHOTOGRAPHY books? We think so!!

In this video we share our favourite books on STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, and what they mean to us.
We have links below to the books (which we could find available on Amazon) and some alternatives. As Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases, so if you would like to help the channel out, please use the links below.
GLASGOW by Raymond Depardon
amzn.to/3hoAN3Y
MANHATTAN OUT by Raymond Depardon
amzn.to/3FRCssj
THE DECISIVE MOMENT by Henri Cartier-Bresson
amzn.to/3FpSqZj
EUROPEANS by Henri Cartier-Bresson
amzn.to/3Wisbec
EDGES by Harry Gruyaert
amzn.to/3HAvaud
MY BRITISH ARCHIVE by Homer Sykes
amzn.to/3W5Hk1K
TONY RAY-JONES by Russell Roberts
amzn.to/3BAbF1j
TONY RAY-JONES (New book)
amzn.to/3VWzoRb
WORK by Chris Killip
We can't find this one anywhere at the moment but as an alternative, there is a new book on Amazon which looks good.
amzn.to/3hmdMyT
Let us know in the comments which are your favourite books.
Thanks for watching and we will see you on the next video!!
Jeff & Sarah

[@vawterb]

Thank you for the book recommendations and insights into your influential photographers. I've added a number these books to my list.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you for watching :)

[@ChristineWilsonPhotography]

Love seeing videos about books and why you like them 😀

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks, Christine. Glad you liked it

[@johnwaine56]

This is a fabulous video. Fascinating to see your influences and inspirations. I've never heard of Harry Gruyaert so I will definitely investigate his work.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

His documentary was on KZbin but I think it's been removed. This is worth a watch though. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYGQo5aAia-Ubdk

[@johnwaine56]

@@WalkLikeAlice A very interesting style. Thanks

[@andybanks3416]

Thank you great video , keep up the great work.👍

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you!!

[@tmuellerbodenheim]

Thank you for this channel. One of the best on streetphotography, imho. Greetings from Germany by another anonymous fellow photographer 😉

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks so much. Glad you are enjoying it.

[@aoi_p]

Great video!🔥 Thank you for sharing!✨✨

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you too 🙏

[@SteveSSBB]

I ordered Edges and after responding some time with it I ordered every other Harry Gruyaert title I could find. I'm not sure how this photographer flew under my radar, but I'm glad you pointed me in his direction. Thank you so much for the recommendation.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

My pleasure. I think he’s one of those Magnum photographers who doesn’t have the appeal of Webb, McCurry or Parr. Maybe Magnum haven’t promoted his work as much as they should? I don’t know. But I was the same the first time I saw his work, totally blown away by it.

[@jc-crafford]

Enjoyed the video. Thanks Jeff.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you for watching 🙏

[@JeffreyOakarPhotos]

I've always wondered where the name came from and was afraid to ask. Now I know! Great video about must have photography books.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you, Jeffrey 🙏

[@photom3]

Happy for this list. Eschewing a long story. I think it was your Documentary style of wedding photography that energized my interest in photography. Whether I have that right or not. These books will further enhance my understanding of how to document the world through photography.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you. Yes, I did shoot weddings in a previous photographic life.

[@catherinejoanpiazza420]

Really enjoyed this video. I recently purchased, "Brassai: Paris" which I highly recommend as it's all black and white images. Todd Hido is another favorite especially his book, "Intimate Distance". The black and white images from "The Recent Past" by James Ravilious which I think Sarah would really like. So many good ones it's hard to choose. I recently got "William Eggleston's Guide" and the jury is still out on that one. One of my favorite things to do is to get a cup of coffee and look at photo books.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks, Catherine. Some fantastic recommendations there. The jury has always been out on Eggleston in this house!! I’m ashamed to say, I hadn’t come across Ravilious’ work before. Thanks for the pointer. I’ll be checking his work out. Jeff

[@ericlarson6180]

Loved the video and looking forward to checking out some of these recommendations. I guess you could consider Bresson the father of street photography, a real genius. Two huge influences for me were Garry Winogrand, and Robert Frank. His The Americans is a masterpiece.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

👍👍

[@Ad-eq3cu]

Thank you for the video and great to see you both in front of the camera. One little thing, the two links for Tony Ray-Jones are exactly the same so maybe you need to change the one for the new book.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks for letting me know!! I'll get that changed.

[@Angelo_Botta]

The kind of KZbin channel where I hit the « like » before the video begins (almost before, the video manages to beat me every time for a couple of seconds 😂)

[@WalkLikeAlice]

❤️❤️

[@MeanGreeny]

Hi Jeff, you have the same Amazon link for the Harry Gruyaert and Homer Sykes books. Hope to finally see you this year.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks Simon. I've corrected it now. Yes, give me a shout when you are ready!!

[@wylie_photo]

I am a bit of a photography book addict myself, I have a few hundred as well. One of my most special books is 'Workers' by Salgado, which I bought when it first came out around 1990. At the time it cost me a lot of what I was earning! Special books for me include Minutes to Midnight by Trent Parke, the Wonderland series by Jason Eskenazi and Paul Hart's Fens trilogy. Like you, I have a leaning towards black and white. However, I also really enjoy colour photography, such as American prospects by Joel Sternfeld and more recently Jem Southam's Four Winters. Really, there's just too many books to mention here! The main thing is that the books are just a pure pleasure to read.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Some great choices there, Mark. I have several books by Salgado including Workers. This video was more street orientated, but Salgado is the best photographer on the planet right now. My hardback copy of Migrations is signed and is kept away from the rest of the collection. I do have a second copy to read (I know that’s very sad!!)

[@wylie_photo]

@@WalkLikeAlice Ah, my Salgado book is kept in its own place so I am with you there! It's a toss up between him and McCullin for me as both were amongst my earliest influences. I also have a couple of copies of a few books, like She Dances on Jackson and Songbook, just in case of disaster! ;)

[@WalkLikeAlice]

@@wylie_photo I've met Salgado and I've worked with McCullin. Two completely different personalities and styles. I've known McCullin's work since I was a teenager growing up and he was a big influence on my landscape work. Salgado I got into around the late 90s. My old dog ate a copy of McCullin's Southern Frontiers which is rare now. We were able to get another copy which was in slightly worse condition than mine (before the dog ate it) so it wasn't too bad although I didn't think that at the time. I have a signed copy of In England which has a personal note to me from Don inside it. That's perhaps my most treasured book.

[@wylie_photo]

@@WalkLikeAlice I am quite jealous of you! Those would have been pretty special experiences. I have always liked how their work has contrasted in styles, even though they have both covered profoundly important subjects. I love McCullin's landscape work, it's very poignant.

[@Boatzerama]

Great video 📷👍🏼

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you so much.

[@monikabrandenstein5011]

Thank you for allowing us to take a look at your personal photo library. Very, very interesting to me. As soon as I enter a bookstore/antiquarian bookshop, my path leads me straight to this type of book (besides the art books) and I have already made some interesting finds there. Inspiration often lurks in the furthest corners that you have to track down ;-). What I keep noticing is that your male colleagues are more likely to be present. Sarah, all the more gratifying that you've been on the way to disproving that for a long time ;-). To name one female photographer whose countless photographs were only discovered posthumously and are, in my opinion, of fantastic quality is Vivian Maier. When I first saw pictures she took, I was "blown away". Many thanks to both of you and have a great time full of inspiration on your common path - Monika

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you, Monika. Maier was a wonderful find. I can’t help wondering if she would have liked all the attention her work has created.

[@monikabrandenstein5011]

@@WalkLikeAlice You are definitely right about the question. Looking closely at her personality, you'd think she wouldn't want that. Although she went public to take photos, she kept her photos out of the public eye. Strange. Maybe she's watching "from above" and wondering. ;-)

[@Swingkid14]

I can recommend Greg Girard, Anders Petersen, Tish Murtha, Theo Gosselin and Bruce Davidson

[@filterfreephotography]

Bresson was know to hate cropping. The ironic thing is that his most famous photo of the guy on the water is a huge cropped photo. Another great video!

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I don’t know if a lot of what Bresson said has been lost in translation, but his photographic approach is full of contradictions. His quotes on black and white vs colour for example. He once asked Gruyaert if he would consider hand colouring his black and white prints!! His much quoted use of the 50mm is another example. A lot of the photos he shot in India were made with a 90mm and virtually all of his American images were with a 35mm.

[@isoseismic]

Great video. Now there’s only one book missing….one by Jeff Ascough!

[@WalkLikeAlice]

You are too kind 😊

[@suehodnett6911]

Great selection! I have a copy of The Decisive Moment and Glasgow. I have a couple of Harry Gruyaert books, but not the one you showed us and I saw a Depardon retrospective in Nice a few years ago which was amazing, his photographs were all printed so small but they nevertheless worked. I was also surprised how small the photos were in the Martin Parr/Tony Ray Jones 'Only in England' exhibition, I think we are so used to seeing enormous medium format art photos in galleries that it's surprising to see little b&w 10x8's and smaller being hung. For colour photography there's Alex Webb - The Suffering of Light, Ernst Hass - Color Correction, Saul Leiter's Early Colour or Constantine Manos American Color 2 which I love. I also like the black and white work of Chris Killip who I met when he donated a body off work to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle, I have a copy of In Flagrante which is very well thumbed! Looking at books by artists can be useful for inspiration too and can teach you about colour and composition, although photographers such as Killip obviously also had an amazing and natural way of connecting with people.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks for commenting, Sue. I saw a Bresson exhibition and the biggest image was 14x11!! Some were only 7x5". Ansel Adams was a huge surprise, his images were nearly all 8x10. William Eggleston's exhibition were all big prints but over saturated. Alex Webb's were all big prints and they were gorgeous. Salgado's Amazonias prints were huge, but too big in a lot of cases. To the point that they had started to break up. From memory, Robert Frank had mixture of sizes, as did McCullin, and also Capa. I spoke to a gallery curator once, and they said that a lot of the prints from the older names come from various sources, so a gallery might loan a few prints but they might all be small. I guess it also comes down to money, large prints are expensive to print, mount and transport. I have Webb's Suffering of Light, but Istanbul is the better book if I'm honest. Under A Grudging Sun shows the photojournalist side to Webb's work and that's worth getting if you can find it at a reasonable price. I also have Leiter's Early Colour, and also Early black and white which is a really interesting book. David Alan Harvey's 'Cuba' is another colour classic and I think that it is his best work. We actually don't mind Parr's Last Resort, but that's the only book we have of his. Fred Herzog's book Modern Color is a classic, but I find it a bit over filled to the point where a lot of his great images are lost in a lot of not-so-great photos. I first saw Killip's work in the late 80s, and while I'm not a huge fan, Sarah is . We ended up visiting Lynemouth just to shoot on the beach where he shot Seacoal!! Jeff

[@suehodnett6911]

Another great colour photography book for me is Maximum Shadow Minimal Light by Brazilian photographer Gustavo Minas, I don't know whether you've heard of him, he's heavily inspired by Gruyaert and Pinkhassov and seems to be a fan of reflections and strong colours/ heavy shadows, I enjoy the almost abstract nature of them. So many good books out there, thanks for the video and reply 👍🏻

[@WalkLikeAlice]

@@suehodnett6911 Yes, Minas is a talent. @SamuelStreetlife did a great video on him if you haven't seen it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJ7KgqGAnK9qlc0

[@veryjr2966]

“Harry Gruyaert is HCB in colour” - love it ! I wish his epic “Morocco” wasn’t ridiculously priced. Still I was wondering how you would compare and contrast him vs Alex Webb in terms of mastering colour ? Thx. Best, Jens

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I like Webb and have a number of his books here. His Suffering of Light exhibition in Brussels was, hands down, the best photographic exhibition I have seen and he has great taste in music!! But, for me, the genius of Gruyaert is his ability to go to places which aren't colourful and still get amazing colour images. His work in Belgium and Russia are two great examples. His photos in Ireland are ridiculously good. I've always felt Webb needs a strong colour environment and strong light to get his best work. 'Istanbul' is a masterpiece of colour photography. Both are world class photographers, but Gruyaert's work, especially with my background, just resonates with me that little bit more. I also wish Morocco wasn't daft money!! Jeff

[@andrewlowe4911]

Great video, thanks. Please excuse this little plug, but I’d like to recommend an autobiographical photography-related book called Life Lit Up, by a friend of mine called Mike Hartley. I found it very entertaining and incisive regarding how different kinds of photographers approach the craft.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks for the recommendation.

[@chadrem]

By far my favorite street photo book (color) is Alex Webb's The Suffering of Light. It's much of his best work over his entire life all shot on Kodachrome. I'm curious what you think of it? I'm always impressed by the compositions and layering. La Calle and Istanbul are also very impressive. Also for anyone that can't afford The Decisive Moment... highly recommend you buy the French edition of it. It's still available for a good price. You can buy directly from the publisher still in the shrink wrap (purchased it ~6 months ago). Same photos so a great way to save a lot of money.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I commented on a post earlier about Webb in relation to Gruyaert but as far as The Suffering Of Light goes, it’s a great book. The exhibition was mesmerising and still the best exhibition I’ve ever been to. I think the issue I have with Webb is that he’s never really moved on from that era in his life. As great as the photography is, I would have really liked to see him do something different with his work rather than the same compositions, lighting, layering. Istanbul is my personal favourite in that it’s not his ‘best of’ collection and concentrates on one body of work. The poster from Suffering Of Light exhibit is in my office and I have one of his prints on my wall. I’m a big fan but I would have liked to see him stretch himself more after the 90s

[@chadrem]

@@WalkLikeAlice I really appreciate your perspective and thank you for the reply. I think we all hope our favorite photographers will stretch themselves, but I'm sure it's never easy to do. Especially considering how much travel and cost is involved. Also really thanks for sharing these book ideas. A few of them I never heard of and plan on checking out. I didn't see your previous Webb comment, but now I do. Gave it a thumbs up! Definitely gave me something to think about!

[@412foto]

Assuming you already have but if not, get some of Vivian Maier...the story of the discovery of her work is always quite amazing. But LOVE her images.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Yes we have the first book. It’s interesting because someone who has no connection to her, curated the book. I would be fascinated to see what sort of book Maier would have put together.

[@412foto]

@@WalkLikeAlice probably none based on her tendencies. There was another one called Developed by Ann Mark that goes into a lot more detail on her background and is really good. There is the original book of her work too along with one just showcasing her color work. She was so prolific in photo taking and was quite amazing in her skill, eye, and composition as well imo

[@iaincphotography6051]

Interesting choices between the two of you, but I would be raiding Sarah's library.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

She has good taste!!

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

World famous round here by Jack Hulme who spent a lifetime shooting one small pit village in Yorkshire, love this book. I have a book by John Daley called Big Smoke, he shot New Zealand City folk in the 70s, just gorgeous work.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thanks Paul. Another couple of great recommendations. I’ve learned more from doing this video than I thought I ever would. Jeff

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

@@WalkLikeAliceI have so much to learn but so little time to actually study haha

[@ccoppola82]

Nice collection. Will order the Glasgow book. My personal favorite has to be Koudelka’s Exiles. For a totally dark and abstract book, try Far Cry from Nozolino. It’s very abstract though, maybe cerebral is the right word. Touches into street photography…maybe. Interesting though not a favorite.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I have Exiles and it’s a great book. Thanks for the Nozolino recommendation. Wow. Koudelka meets Ralph Gibson and Paolo Pellegrin. That’s some seriously good photography there. Thank you.

[@ccoppola82]

@@WalkLikeAlice ya Nozolino is the visual equivalent of a peaty scotch. A little rough at first but an acquired taste.

[@pauljenkin297]

Very enjoyable video and some great tips in the list. Thank you. I'll be checking out more work by Harry Gruyaert and Tony Ray-Jones. I went to the Parr / Ray-Jones exhibition some years ago and wish I'd bought TRJ's book at the time. A few years ago, my wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I said 'a copy of 'The Decisive Moment'' and, to my surprise, my wish was granted. I think the latest version cost about £75 when she bought it for me - which I thought was a lot of money. The price on Amazon right now is astonishing. Another couple of books I've purchased (this year) are 'Eternal London' by Giacomo Brunelli and 'London 1959' by Sergio Larrain.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Thank you. Yeah, the Decisive Moment has gone bonkers in terms of cost. I nearly fell over when I was researching. I have lots of books which are ridiculously priced but I was able to buy them at list. Check out the cost of McCullin’s Southern Frontiers on Amazon. My dog ate my copy!!! I literally turned to drink when I found out how much it costs to replace it. 🙈

[@pauljenkin297]

@@WalkLikeAlice Blimey! Mind you, your dog shows good taste. I'm a big McCullin fan. I met him many years ago at a talk he gave. Genuinely nice guy - very straight-talking and I have a few of his books. I particularly like 'India' but that one can be had for sensible money.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

@@pauljenkin297 I spent a week with him in France. He wanted to look at digital capture and I was asked to go and help him. I learned more from him that week than he ever did from me!!

[@markriches3180]

Hi Jeff, not a question about photography. It's about ya watch what is it . I like the design..

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Hi Mark, it's a Tag Heuer Microtimer which I've had since 2008. They haven't made them for many years, but a few dealers have them online. They are scratch magnets though because of the polished metal that is used for the case. watchsquare.co.uk/collections/mens-tag-heuer/products/tag-heuer-microtimer-cs111c-1

[@joao.s.cardoso]

I must say that Alice for me was like an anagram for Leica. It uses the same letters :)

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Yes. Although that’s a happy coincidence!!

[@412foto]

Have you seen framelines magazine? It is street photography related and you might enjoy it

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Is that the one which Josh Edgoose is involved with? I haven’t seen it.

[@412foto]

@@WalkLikeAlice yep.4 or 5 issues I think so far. very good

[@plsm5882]

Favourite photo book? That's a difficult one - there are so many fantastic books. Nope, can't answer that one. Just too many fantastic books and too many fantastic photographers. Well, Workers by Salgado maybe or Subway by Bruce Davidson because they were important to me - and they are spectacular. I do love the beautiful photography by Fan Ho as well. Don Mccullin, Steve McCurry, Elliott Erwitt, Gilles Peress (Telex Iran... My goodness), Leonard Freed, W. Eugene Smith, Larry Towell and many many non-Magnum photographers such as Larry Sultan (Pictures from Home - Just wow) and Nick Waplington... I could go on. Just too difficult. However, the most important book for me, the one that made me want to be a documentary photographer... American Pictures by Jacob Holdt. Not the most beautiful photography but amazingly powerful.

[@justamanwithanopinion]

Some good ideas here, guys, thank you. May I suggest Fred Lyon's San Francisco Noir if you haven't seen it? His images, especially in the fog, are incredibly inspiring.

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Lyon has some incredible work. Mid-century, black-and-white imagery. Beautiful.

[@manlio1152]

And Daido Moriyama ???

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I’m not a big fan of Moriyama’s work. I understand it’s importance and influence on contemporary street photography, and I love his attitude to taking photographs, but I find much of his work to be a bit too haphazard for my eye. Jeff

[@Lowrode]

No Alex Webb!😱

[@WalkLikeAlice]

I love Webb. His “Suffering Of Light” exhibit in Brussels was the best exhibition I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot!! I’ve got maybe six/seven books by him. I’ve his prints on my wall. But, the problem with Webb, for me, is that he’s not really done anything of any real quality for twenty years.

[@davidpearson3304]

My bank account wishes I didn’t watch this video. 😫 I thought buying camera gear could get expensive, photo books are even more addictive

[@WalkLikeAlice]

Sorry, David 😂 The only thing I would say is that books tend to be a better investment than gear!! Apart from a couple of older books (like A Day Off) most of ours were bought new or used from Adebooks and eBay. I have a few charity shop finds in the collection too. Some were bought new for less than £50 and are now worth £hundreds. Crazy.