Twenty-One Street Photography Books That Reflect a Wider World

A personal recommendation of street photography monographs with some familiar and lesser-known photographers.

Putting together a list like this isn’t easy. It would’ve been simple to rattle off the usual suspects—the books that show up on every “best of” list and fill the shelves of most photography collectors. And while many of those titles are worth knowing, I wanted to do something more intentional.

It was important to me that this list reflect a wider range of voices—photographers whose work expands how we understand and practice street photography, not just across decades, but across race, gender, culture, geography, and approach. Because street photography isn’t one thing, it can be intuitive or intellectual, fast or meditative. It can be made on a Leica or a phone, in Manhattan or a small town in Mississippi.

The books below reflect that diversity of experience. Some are iconic, others are lesser known. A few are out of print, so you may have to find them used or track them down at your local library. But if you do, I think you’ll find they’re well worth the time.

Here are twenty-one street photography books that remind me just how expansive and expressive this medium can be. Many are available through Amazon, but I also recommend the following independent bookstores that may have the books in stock or can special order them for you.

Arcana Books

Moe’s Books

Powells Books

Vroman’s Bookstore

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1. The Americans – Robert Frank

The book that changed everything. Frank, a Swiss outsider, showed us a fractured, poetic, and deeply human version of 1950s America.

2. Back in the Days – Jamel Shabazz

A joyful, defiant celebration of 1980s street culture in New York’s Black and Latino communities. Full of pride, style, and connection.

3. Vivian Maier: Street Photographer

Maier’s work, discovered only after her death, feels intimate and timeless. Her images are filled with subtle grace and a deep sensitivity to human moments.

4. Crosstown – Helen Levitt

Levitt found poetry in the every day, especially in the play of children on New York’s sidewalks. Her work is soft-spoken but unforgettable.

5. Women Street Photographers – Edited by Gulnara Samoilova

A global collection featuring 100 women photographers working in the genre today. Bold, wide-ranging, and long overdue.

6. The Notion of Family – LaToya Ruby Frazier

Frazier’s images of her family and hometown blend documentary, street, and personal narrative. Powerful, intimate, and deeply rooted in place.

7. Tokyo is Yours – Meg Hewitt

Shot mostly at night, this gritty and cinematic series turns Tokyo into a fever dream.

8. Exiles – Josef Koudelka

This book speaks to displacement and solitude in a way few others do. Every image carries the weight of wandering.

9. On the Street: 1980–1990 – Amy Arbus

Shot for The Village Voice, these portraits reflect the raw creativity and personal expression of ‘80s New York.

10. Cuba: Campo Adentro – Susan S. Bank

This one may be hard to find, but it’s a gem. Her black-and-white images of rural Cuba are filled with warmth and quiet observation.

11. Sleeping by the Mississippi – Alec Soth

Less street, more wandering—but deeply connected to the idea of photographing strangers in shared space. Poetic and slow-burning.

12. Street Level – Ruben Natal-San Miguel

His portraits are colorful, direct, and human. They elevate people who often go unseen, each one made with real presence and respect.

13. Street Portraits – Dawoud Bey

Shot in the ‘80s using a large-format camera on the street. These portraits are about dignity and engagement, not just what people look like, but how they want to be seen.

14. Color – Fred Herzog

Herzog was ahead of his time. His lush-colored images of mid-century Vancouver are quiet studies in light, space, and humanity.

15. Color Correction – Ernst Haas

Painterly, abstract, and full of movement. Haas showed us that street photography could be as expressive as any other art form.

16. Record – Daido Moriyama (Selections)

Raw, grainy, and instinctive. Moriyama’s work in Tokyo doesn’t aim for perfection—it aims for feeling.

17. American Geography – Matt Black

A visual map of poverty and invisibility across rural America. Street, landscape, and social commentary in one.

18. On Contested Terrain – An-My Lê

While not traditional street work, Lê’s images explore public spaces shaped by war, power, and spectacle. They are quietly political and razor-sharp.

19. Encounters – Lissette Solorzano

A master Cuban street photographer. If you ever come across this book used or in a library, pick it up. Her images hum with rhythm and presence.

20. Lagos: Wide Angle – Andrew Esiebo

One of Nigeria’s strongest photographic voices. Esiebo captures the dynamism and complexity of modern Lagos street life with energy and purpose.

21. A Period of Juvenile Prosperity – Mike Brodie

Shot while riding freight trains across the U.S., Brodie’s work blurs the line between street, documentary, and personal myth. Raw, rebellious, and full of life.

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I return to books like these not just for inspiration but also to remind myself how wide this language really is. Photography gives us a way to look more deeply at the world, at each other, and ourselves. These books remind me of just how many ways there are to do that.

But this is just the beginning. I’d love to hear your recommendations. What street photography books have moved you or changed how you see? Send me a message or leave a comment—I’m always looking to discover something new.