Description

The U.S. coastline is fertile creative ground for Constantine Manos, who has been shooting it since 1952. As long as the photographer operates “discreetly and never locks in on any one group or individual too long”, he says, they can capture a great wealth of human behaviour at the water’s edge – since “people are uninhibited [there]; they interact more personally than anywhere else in the public domain.” The color is also special in this setting “probably because of reflection from the sand, which is usually white.” Manos’ books American Color and American Color 2 are object-lessons in the pursuit of vivid color and its flipside: tar-dense shadow.

Get Magnum news and updates directly to your inbox

Stay in touch
Monthly updates on the latest assignments, photographer projects and collaborations with brands.
Know when our quarterly 7-day square print sale is coming.
Learn about online and offline exhibitions, photography fairs, gallery events, plus fine print news and activities, on a monthly basis.
Get fortnightly tips and advice articles, find out about the latest workshops, free online events and on-demand courses.
Be the first to know about recent Magnum Shop drops. From new books and limited editions, to special offers, you can find it all on the weekly Magnum Shop newsletter.
Stay up to date every Thursday with Magnum photographers’ activities, new work, stories published on the Magnum website, and the latest offerings from our shop.