Elliott Erwitt: Sequentially Yours

A master of capturing poignant moments, Erwitt here puts on a clinic in the art of sequencing. These highly effective vignettes—juxtapositions of two or more images made within short intervals—ply the limits of poetic and narrative economy, with more than a few humorous surprises thrown in. This high-concept edit from the photographer’s contact sheets could easily have come off pat or contrived in the hands of a lesser artist. Instead, it reveals itself as a sustained meditation on photographic grace, as well as hard evidence that sometimes the decisive moment can be plural.

Sequentially Yours (teNeues; $85).