Book Review 001: Vivian Maier, Street Photographer

Vivian Dorothy Maier was an American nanny who incidentally became a photographer. She was born to a French mother and Austrian father. She used to shuttle between the states and France and finally in 1951, she moved to New York. John Maloof (her curator and the person who owns about 90% of Maier’s works) describes her as:

‘She was a Socialist, a Feminist, a movie critic, and a tell-it-like-it-is type of person, she learned English by going to theaters, which she loved…..she was constantly taking pictures, which didn’t show anyone.’

I first came across her works in the documentary film ‘Finding Vivian Maier’ – I think you can watch it on Youtube. It was so interesting just reading about someone who was working as a as a nanny professionally and while tending to her daily tasks she photographed New York. What was more interesting was the fact that she was able to photographs tons and archive each and everything roll of film she shot. Which was one of the main reasons why I think Maloof found it so easy being able to put them up. Definitely credit goes to Maloof, who is a historian and believing in the value of Maier’s work. If not for him, I don’t think we would be able to witness her amazing work.

In terms of photography technicalities, she started using a modest Kodak Brownie box camera (with 1 shutter speed, no aperture and focus control) and then went on to use the Rolleiflex 3.5T, Rolleiflex 3.5F, Rolleiflex 2.8C, Rolleiflex Automat, Leica II1c, Zeiss Contarex, Ihagee Exakta and others. Mind you these are amazing cameras but there are still most definitely more difficult to use than the film and digital cameras we have today. However, I don’t thing being an expert in using them were her goals but instead it was more of capturing daily life. Most of these cameras are designed in a way to be used at waist-height which is evident from most of her pictures. I have tried using similar approach in my own works and its very instinctual approach which yields really amazing results if the focus is right. For Maier to get the focus right, catching the most intimate moments crisp as one can get only goes to laud her skills in the medium as well as her ability to captures ‘decisive moments’.

Now about the book – Vivian Maier, Street Photographer – one of my first few purchases when I received my first paycheck as an employed person straight out of University. The book is clothbound and contains 136 pages and first published in 2011 by powerhouse Books. This is one of the 2 books based out of her discovery. The other titled ‘Self-portraits’ which I’m obviously trying to get my hand on as well. Back to the book – it’s a very humane book that contains pictures that are distilled from 150,000 or so negatives. I believe the pictures are mainly from France and the United States but I think there might be more from her other travels as well. The pictures are very raw and moving and the stories that could be derived from her pictures is only possible after continuous hours, rolls of just taking photographs. It’s a habit I really had inculcated in myself when I was in Paris where I always wore a camera and shot anything and everything but here in Singapore, not so much – but I will really try my best into getting back that habit.

Maier’s eye for details and I think her images made the medium of photography very accessible.

I think about Maier’s work from time to time and the impact that she had on me and many other street photographers. Usually she embodies what the essence of photography is – which is to continuously shoot, document everything and anything and archive it and expect nothing in return other than the thrill of getting all the aforementioned activities done. Many a times, we tend to forget that – the current generation of photographers or shall I say Instagram-driven photographers (even me when I was starting out was to get more followers and likes) and not enjoy the entire photographic process. However, I can finally say that, those things don’t really matter to me anymore, I post a photo because I want others to see it and that’s about it. I maintain a website so It can be my physical portfolio when I eventually apply for photojournalistic jobs. I have a scrapbook of all my travels to archive memories and pieces of items and memories that will hold it’s value down the years when I’m old and weary. I do photograph because I enjoy it and I think it will help me note down life. Even in the documentary, it was hotly debated whether or not Maier wanted her work to be published or not. Part of me thinks it shouldn’t be published but the other part of me strongly thinks that her work even if its posthumously shown around the world – it should still be exhibited. Simple reason for that – her work is set in a time which is constantly being erased in the hypergrowth, capitalistic driven and also a society which has slowly become desensitized to what happened in the previous decades. So yes, her work actually helps pause time and helps us reflect a time which is slowly becoming distant.


If you have come thus far, I’m really happy and thankful. This is the start of my weekly series where I reflect upon a photobook of my favorite photographers and just pen down my thoughts – more than anything, I think it’s good writing practice. If you are reading this, you are probably my friend or relative as I doubt a stranger reading this – let me know either ways what you think and on what I can improve on. If you haven’t already, should get a hold of Maier’s book on Amazon or other bookstores and publishers.