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American, 1926 to 2009
Vivian Maier
studied
streetself-portraitblack and whiteRolleiflex
“We have to make room for other people. It is a wheel.”
The signature
A nanny's secret, prolific street archive of mid-century America, discovered only after her death.
What to study
Maier shot a waist-level Rolleiflex, looking down, which let her photograph people candidly and at close range. Study her self-portraits in reflections, her tenderness toward strangers, and the lesson of her story: she made the work for its own sake, not for an audience.
Why for Matias
She models shooting for the love of seeing, and her waist-level method maps directly onto your hip-shot practice.
Iconic images
We do not host copyrighted photographs. Tap an image to read what to notice and to open a search or source.
Best books
Vivian Maier: Street Photographer (2011)
The first major collection.
Vivian Maier: Self-Portraits (2013)
Her reflections and shadows.