在这本书里，几位作者探讨了最有趣、最有活力的一种摄影类别的发展。《旁观者》1994年出版时被誉为一部里程碑式的作品，并被广大街头摄影师当作街头摄影界的“圣经”。本书涵盖了大量摄影人才，从19世纪末不知名的人物到20世纪公认的摄影大师，如Atget, Stieglitz, Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Kertesz, Frank, Arbus, Winogrand 和 Levitt，仅列举一小部分。在这个全新修订版中，重新评估了一些历史材料，包括了更多现代摄影师，讨论了数码摄影的不断发展，这些都为街头摄影的故事增添了时代气息。

In this book, the authors explore and discuss the development of one of the most interesting and dynamic of photographic genres. Hailed as a landmark work when it was first published in 1994, Bystander is widely regarded by street photographers as the ‘bible’ of street photography. It covers an incredible array of talent, from the unknowns of the late 19th century to the acknowledged masters of the 20th, such as Atget, Stieglitz, Strand, Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Kertesz, Frank, Arbus, Winogrand and Levitt to name just a few. In this new and fully revised edition, the story of street photography is brought up to date with a re-evaluation of some historical material, the inclusion of more contemporary photographers and a discussion of the ongoing rise of digital photography.