the first
a visual street photography book of new york city
my winnogrand's work set the standard
this is a great coffee table book

I recently took a class in street photography at New York's ICP and Winogrand's work is something I could never even hope to approach. Some of his images are startling, you feel like the crowd is STILL headed right at you and that you must somehow get out of the way. He was fearless in the street and this collection proves it.

As far as I know, this is the only in-print book of Winogrand's photography available. For me, relatively young and new to photography, I am thankful for the opportunity to see some of his photos. They are a revelation. Even a cursory first glance through the book, I was struck at the complexity of the scenes photographed. These photos speak volumes, though I'm not sure what it is they say. In fact, the attraction of these photos lie in their mystery. Repeat viewings will reveal more nuances...so many layers emerge that interpretations will get lost in themselves. Well, that is TRUTH.

Regretfully, the printing quality of this book stinks. The duotone curve they used for this book is all messed up. Many photos end up looking like sepia prints rather than a black and white print. There are few pure, deep, dark blacks in the book. Instead you get this black-brown color which is really ugly and does a disservice to GW's work. True, Winogrand himself said "anyone who can print a photo can print my work" downplaying the importance of the printing process. And while the poor reproductions in this book does not take away from the strength of the photos, I still find it annoying and most of all...UGLY. All I can hope for is another book of Winogrand's work to be published. With all his millions of negatives, this is just the tip of the iceberg.