With a camera in his hand, Harvey Stein owns the streets, having spent the past 50 years capturing quintessential moments and making sensitive portraits of the people he meets there. In this two-part episode, he shares details about his photographic process while also conveying the wisdom he’s acquired in publishing 10 books of photographs.

We first caught up with Stein at the 2022 B&H OPTIC Conference in June, where he spoke about his newest book Coney Island People: 50 Years. He describes his interactive approach to street photography by traveling near and far in search of the human animal. Although he packs a Canon 5D for foreign locales where vibrant colors can be an important element, Stein is most at home with his Leica M4, a 21 mm lens, and a finder that lets him maintain visual contact with his subjects. We also learn about his Manhattan darkroom, and all the money he’s saved by rolling his own film for all these years.

In addition to his substantial photography chops, Stein is also an expert in photo book publishing. To leave no stone unturned, we continue our conversation in the studio after a break. Stay to the end for insights about working with publishers, including pitfalls to avoid and tips for turning your own photo project into book form.

Guests: Harvey Stein

Photograph © Harvey Stein

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