Fred Herzog: Photographs

German-born and Vancouver-based Fred Herzog (1930-2019) was a pioneer of color photography. For more than five decades, beginning in the 1950s (at a time when his bold use of color was “unusual”, to say the least), he chronicled life around Vancouver. This photo book is filled with gems from his oeuvre – vacant lots, neon signs, second-hand shops, and candid moments from working-class peoples’ lives. At age 81, the master himself signed off on the color rendition of every single shot when this book was published in 2011 – the photos are beautifully printed at a fairly large size (30×25 cm / 12×10″). I discover new details in Herzog’s photos each time I browse this book.

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