The World Atlas of Street Photography

Several titles on the market address street photography from different perspectives. Most titles speak to techniques for this genre of photography or showcase talent and portfolios. This volume, which is in the latter category, is excellent in terms of the number of established photographers showcased, its (international) geographic scope, and the details provided for the photographers and their artwork. Written by journalist and filmmaker Higgins, this book is organized by five continents and then by 50-plus cities. It highlights "established and emerging contemporary artists" and aims to locate "the world's best urban photographic art." Readers will find full color samples of each artist's work along with biographical information; entries help students understand the uniqueness of this genre within the parent medium of photography. The book's perspectives, coupled with the study of other titles that speak to technique, should pave a path to clear understanding and appreciation of the genre and of street photography as social commentary. Readers may also want to consider Colin Westerbeck and Joel Meyerowitz's Bystander: A History of Street Photography (1993) and Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren's Street Photography Now (2010). Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, two-year technical program students, professionals, and general readers. --John C. Burns, Dixie State University

The long shared history of photography and urbanity arrives at an exciting contemporary (and international) moment through this vibrant volume. Arranged into global regions and then further segmented into urban centers, the book becomes both an exploration of place and of contemporary photography. Brief introductions to the most dominant cities chart the specifics of photographic development within it, then give way to several-page considerations of contemporary practitioners. Street photography is defined inclusively, allowing that reportage and conceptual works all find comfortable homes in the art form as it is defined, Nikki S. Lee's projects of public performance art in New York City receiving the same consideration as Nontsikelelo Veleko's Johannesburg-based fashion photography. The images are beautiful, produced with the same vibrant attention that the text directs toward each celebrated photographer. It is rare for collections like this to pull off such simultaneous breadth and depth, yet this resource of over 100 artists succeeds, edifying and captivating throughout. Color illus. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.