Street Photography is the latest in the Photo Review Australia series of locally-written pocket guides on photography.
Street photography has been around almost as long as the camera, but really came into its own when more compact cameras became available in the 1960s.
The A5, 76-page Street Photography guide, written by Photo Review magazine’s technical editor, Margaret Brown, begins with a discussion of what separates street photography – ‘photography that features chance encounters and random accidents within public places’ – from documentary and portrait photography on the one hand, and simple snapshots on the other, with reference to some of the great 20th Century street photographers such as Cartier-Bresson, Diane Arbus and Bill Brandt.
Considerable space is allocated to the legal and ethical ‘dos and don’ts’ of street photography. This has always been a controversial aspect of public photography, made more so recently through heightened concerns about privacy, security, commercial and local government restrictions, and even child safety.
The guide looks at the best types of cameras to use out in public, with handy tips on how to remain inconspicuous, engage with subjects and show respect for your subjects’ cultures and customs.
It provides easy to follow shooting techniques including zone focusing, framing, single-frame and burst capture, positioning, backgrounds, timing, 4K movie options, and the aesthetics and practicalities of colour versus B&W.
In the final chapter readers are set five challenges to encourage them to approach their own street photography with renewed creativity and confidence.
The print edition has an RRP of $19.95 while the eBook (PDF) is just $9.99.
Stockists wanted!
The extensive Photo Review Photo Guide series are the only publications of their kind written locally for Australian readers. They have proven to be good sellers via photo specialist stores, offer decent margins, and the publisher is seeking new retail outlets. Give David O’Sullivan a call or 02 9948 4600 or an email on dosullivan@photoreview.com.au
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