Archiver
Veteran
I bought Store Front recently along with a number of others including Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore, Vanishing America by Michael Eastman, and Approaching Nowhere by Jeff Brouws. I like Store Front just as much, and even more in many ways. I've been looking for more photobooks with explanatory text, as mentioned in this thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105040
but I didn't know that Store Front had text. I bought it simply because I thought it was another photographic documentation of small businesses in America, which interests me at the moment. But it's more than that.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimandkarlamurray/sets/72157612285425548/
Store Front is the result of ten years of James and Karla Murray's work to photograph the small businesses in New York City. Divided into sections by geography and streets, the photographs are of the fronts of a multitude of shops in each area. What is even better is that James and Karla interviewed the shopowners and learned how they started their businesses. Each photograph has a paragraph or two about the business, who owns it, and how they are doing in the world of today.
Many of the shopowners are migrant families, opening mom and pop stores decades ago, that sell books, food, electronics, records and CD's and the like. I found it really fascinating to read the stories behind the shops, and it gave me a much better appreciation of the human struggles associated with them. Many businesses were closing down or had fallen on hard times, while others were embracing modern technology and doing business over the internet.
The book itself is a high quality hardback with a few foldout pages. The photography is sharp and the colours are lush, all shot with film. I'm not sure what the camera, film or lenses were used, but James and Karla seem pretty approachable and you could probably find out if you wanted.
I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in American street-level history and culture; to those who like documentary work in the vein of Vanishing America; and those who appreciate good photography and human stories.
I'm not associated with James and Karla in any way other than being a very pleasantly surprised reader of this book.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105040
but I didn't know that Store Front had text. I bought it simply because I thought it was another photographic documentation of small businesses in America, which interests me at the moment. But it's more than that.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimandkarlamurray/sets/72157612285425548/
Store Front is the result of ten years of James and Karla Murray's work to photograph the small businesses in New York City. Divided into sections by geography and streets, the photographs are of the fronts of a multitude of shops in each area. What is even better is that James and Karla interviewed the shopowners and learned how they started their businesses. Each photograph has a paragraph or two about the business, who owns it, and how they are doing in the world of today.
Many of the shopowners are migrant families, opening mom and pop stores decades ago, that sell books, food, electronics, records and CD's and the like. I found it really fascinating to read the stories behind the shops, and it gave me a much better appreciation of the human struggles associated with them. Many businesses were closing down or had fallen on hard times, while others were embracing modern technology and doing business over the internet.
The book itself is a high quality hardback with a few foldout pages. The photography is sharp and the colours are lush, all shot with film. I'm not sure what the camera, film or lenses were used, but James and Karla seem pretty approachable and you could probably find out if you wanted.
I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in American street-level history and culture; to those who like documentary work in the vein of Vanishing America; and those who appreciate good photography and human stories.
I'm not associated with James and Karla in any way other than being a very pleasantly surprised reader of this book.
gb hill
Veteran
Nice write up. Sounds like a book I'd be interested in so thanks for the heads up. Also checked out their flickr profile. The camera he's holding in the one photo is a Canon FTb so he's a cool kat. 
I also liked how after quitting school at 15 he said he is turning his life around. Something that my own sons are in the process of doing.
I also liked how after quitting school at 15 he said he is turning his life around. Something that my own sons are in the process of doing.andredossantos
Well-known
It's a great book. My wife gave it to me as a b-day gift a couple years back. Several of the storefronts pictured were right near my apartment. Unfortunately, they are now gone.
Florian1234
it's just hide and seek
Excellent project! If I'm not wrong and if it wasn't included in the first link already - there's a short video clip about them somewhere on the net.