Gilden spent his time in Syracuse shooting at the sorts of mass gatherings he had been focusing on at the time – state fairs, fetes, picnics and parties – as well as working his way into the homes of the city’s blue-collar residents. He also photographed the local assisted living communities, impressed by what he saw as the distinctly open-minded attitudes toward them, evident in the local population.

Quote from Magnum's website.

Tom walked into my office with a startling portfolio in which one jumped out; her name was Meliha, a striking, defiant, beautiful woman, dressed to allure in a city without medicine, or make-up. A city where women were reduced to using berry juices for rouge or lipstick. Meliha wore her beauty with pride and defiance as she strode down what was called Sniper Alley, in heels, stockings and pearls, knowing a bullet might end her life at any moment.

Quote by Robin Morgan, Editor in Chief, Sunday Times Magazine. 1991-2009

On 17 September 1951, while he was in Tokyo, Werner Bischof wrote a letter to his wife Rosellina, telling her: ‘The trees are quite exquisite in Japan. You know the poems that tell of the wind blowing through the trees and the leaves. In the centre of the capital, with its ever-increasing bustle, I have discovered some tree shapes of breathtaking beauty, and have drawn them for you. I cannot believe that these people will ever stop venerating nature, that a time will come when they no longer shelter trees and flowers in their houses as symbols of what is noble and pure…’

Rosellina joined Bischof in Japan for three months. During that time, he took the photograph of the Shinto priests in the garden of the Meiji shrine in Tokyo. The story goes that he suddenly ran off and followed the priests. When he returned, he told Rosellina: ‘Now I have the picture of Japan!’ He realized the importance of his photograph immediately. It is also possible that he had in mind the famous screen painted by Master Hasegawa Tōhaku with a depiction of pine trees.

Here's his contact sheet from that roll of film:

*Text and image from the Magnum website.

I can't seem to be able to get enough of Jason Eskenazi, Nikos Economopoulos, Fabio Ponzio, Chris Killip and Larry Towell at the moment. I constantly go back and flip through their books I own.

I've been shooting mostly color for the past two years, but their black and white work is remarkable.

What are yours?

This image is like straight out of a movie, I'm always stunned by it.

A mirror, a chicken, red, blue and a dynamic composition.

The whole book is incredible, highly recommended reading.