The Pleasure of Seeing: Conversations on the Life and Career of Joel Meyerowitz

The oral autobiography of one of American photography’s most legendary figures

Joel Meyerowitz is one of the pioneers of color photography, street photography, large-format photography and portraiture. The Pleasure of Seeing offers a look behind the scenes of his life and career. In conversation with historian and photographer Lorenzo Braca, Meyerowitz describes meeting Robert Frank; photographing on the streets of New York City with Tony Ray-Jones and Garry Winogrand; traveling across America and Europe; learning from John Szarkowski; working on exhibitions and publications; photographing at Ground Zero in 2001 and 2002; and producing his most recent still lifes and self-portraits.
Meyerowitz reveals the stories behind many of his famous photographs and discusses the value of the visual image as well as technical details concerning cameras and lenses, the printing process and various films. The book features over 100 images, including Meyerowitz’s most iconic photographs and new and previously unpublished material.
Born in the Bronx in 1938, Joel Meyerowitz began capturing everyday scenes on the streets of New York in 1962 and was an early adopter of color film for the genre, advocating its use when many photographers resisted its popularization. He has published more than 35 books.
Lorenzo Braca (born 1977) is an Italian historian and photographer who has published widely on the literature and imagination of the late Middle Ages. His photography explores the urban environment. His first solo exhibition was held in 2021.