Gary Winogrand

Garry Winogrand

 

American, 1928-1984





"Photography is about finding out what can happen in the frame when you put four edges around some facts,  you change those facts."  - Garry Winogrand



 What i find interesting and inspiring about this photographer is his ability to capture humor or irony within his images. many of Garry Winogrand's images appear to have deeper meanings or messages than what may first meet the eye. 


For example, this image here is firstly striking because of the couple carrying these animals in clothes, as though they are their children. This strangely enough draws attention to the fact this couple are of mixed race, seeing as though this would have been rare in the time the photo was captured. Views of mixed race couples would have been mainly negative around this time, is this image trying to signify that the children of a couple such as this would look like the animals they are carrying?  Whats really succesful about the image is the way it has been captured so close with neither person seeming to be aware of the photo being taken. I think the fact a child is also in this image at the bottom right creates an interesting comparison between children and pets being treat as children? Lastly the shadow captured within the image means the photographer has made his presence known, i think this idea is brilliant and is something i would like to try in my own work, as it creates more interesting eliments within a photo and is something which most photographers would understandibly avoid doing. 

What honestly first captured my eye about this photograph is the resemblance between the woman in the photograph, and what she is clearly choosing to be photographed with, at what looks like a zoo. This image shows exactly Garry Winogrands ability to capture rare moments and capture humor within his images. I like the normality of this image, its what we would expect any image of a person at a zoo to look like. This contrast of natural behavior with the comparison of irony and humor within the image creates a really interesting effect. 

The distance in which the photographer has chosen to capture this image from, really influences my opinion of the image. The fact the image has been taken a matter of yards away from this bench and every person on the bench is completely occupied and unaware that the photograph is being taken, makes me automatically assume that the image is taken in a park in a city? It represents how busy and caught up people are in their own activities or thoughts to even be aware of whats going on around them. The different shapes and angles of the peoples bodies also make the image so interesting to look at. In my opinion there is not really one particular person or area of the photo in which the eye is drawn to, as there seems to be so much going on in each section of the image. 

Again in this image, there is so much going on that the eye is drawn to so many different areas. Is this just normality in a big city like this, or has the photographer been in the right place at the right time? The diversity of activity and  rare characters in the image is so  interesting and is again something you'd only expect to capture on the street of a busy city like New York. Its interesting how the two most interesting characters happen to be in solid black. The angle in which the image has been taken from, means that the eye is drawn down the interesting angle of the pavement. 

the most interesting concept of this image in my opinion is the way the image has been taken on an angle. The main focus of the image is obviously the unusual stance the girl has in the phone box. Garry Winogrand has been successful in capturing this rare moment, i find it inspiring how he captures unusual activity on the street. I think the dynamic angle the image has been taken at emphasizes how unusual this sighting is. 

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

Walking

Loy Chuan Photography. 

http://www.loychuan-photography.com/2011/07/street-photography-walking/

After developing my first few images from my first rolls of black and white film, I've noticed that without actually intending to, I've started creating some sort of an on going theme throughout my street photography shoots. Some of my best images from my films which I have chosen to enlarge are of people walking.

 This was the first image I took in this style. I've found the images I've un intentionally captured of walking people so far really successful so I thought I'd do some research into this concept and see if there are any other street photographers out there which capture similar style images. I think now I've picked up on this style I could carry on capturing images in a much similar style, this could even be an ongoing theme in my project which I focus on and produce final prints relating to? 

These are two images which i have enlarged. both images were some of the most successful images on my roll of film. Again these images follow this unintentional theme of people walking. 

So when researching on google I found a street photographer who captures images using a digital camera called Loy-Chuan. This photographer has a whole range of images like the style of my 'walking' street photography.

These three images are what I would say are most similar to that of my own, as I have taken almost all of my 'walking' images from a side of view, focusing on the person more than part of the street may be in the background. 

The next lot of images I've found are slightly different and have a more modern street photography feel to them as they again consist of walking people, taken from a side of view, but the people all seem to be captured walking past advertisements and billboards. The images show that the photograher has really thought about what they intend to have in the background more so than the images above. This is an interesting idea as captures the eara the images have been taken in really well. The particular advertisements can also portray a message.. 

The images which has the billboard in focus and the person actually blurred creates an interesting look and atmosphere to the image. Trying this myself would be a great opportunity to experiment with slower shutter speeds.

I think it'd create a really interesting image by finding an advert or billboard with quite a stronger or particular message, then capturing a certain character walking past the billboard which would create some sort or irony to the situation? 

I've spotted a few billboards in Hartlepool so I can't wait to carry on this 'walking' street photography theme and give this idea inspired by Loy-Chuan a go. 

Lee Friedlander "America By Car"

Lee Friedlander

I've been massively inspired today by the the photographer Lee Friedlander. He is an American photographer who the majority of the time works with a 35mm camera using black and white film. Although it is two projects in particular that have really captured my interest by Friedlander, it appears that practically all of his images are captured on and around the streets. So straight away it seems like this photographer is a pretty great photographer to research and reference in my work.

"America By Car"

This first series of images by Lee Friedlander which have inspired me so much are called "America By Car". The title literally says it all.. these are images taken over the last decade, in almost all of America's fifty states,  from within a car. 

              Lee Friedlander, Las Vegas 1997 gelatin-silver print

http://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/america-by-car

Lee Friedlander, Connecticut, 1997 gelatin-silver print

http://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/america-by-car

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522299&index=0

Lee Friedlander, Montana, 2008

Lee Friedlander, Nebraska, 1999

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522305&index=2

Lee Friedlander, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2007

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/sep/02/lee-friedlander-america-by-car-in-pictures#/?picture=378522308&index=3

I mostly like the images where you can see a vast amount of the inside of the car, such as the second last image that I've presented here. I think the unique interior of the car, or as i would imagine any car for that matter, creates an amazing frame to the image. Its very clear that from looking at these images you can see that the photographer doesn't just shoot these style images randomly, he purposely uses the car to frame what he intends to capture an image of. 

What is so interesting about this idea is also the wing mirror of the car. I think its amazing how the photographer clearly intends to capture certain aspects in the wing mirror as well, to create more than one view point within the image. this makes the image so much more interesting as it reveals the mystery of what is behind the car and reveals more  about the scene in which the image has been captured in. 

Martin Parr

Martin Parr

So, my last blog post ended on the inspiration I've found in Bruce Gilden's photographs especially those of Coney Island. This has now lead me on to begin researching into the famous British photographer Martin Parr, by focusing on his well known photographs of New Brighton beach resort, as I've found these images share numerous similarities with those of Bruce Gilden's Coney Island images. 

I think to most of those who know of Martin Parr's work, when they think of it, they'd straight away think 'colour'. The majority of Martin Parr's work does heavily revolve around bold colours, which yes, is very different to that of Bruce Gilden's work, and the work I will be producing myself thoughout this project, however it is not the loud colours of Martin Parr's work that appeal to me, it is more so the subject matter and the way martin parr photographs this. 

For decades now, it has been leisure, consumption and communication which this photographer has focused on and explored with his photography. 

     

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Catalogue/Martin-Parr/1985/GB-New-Brighton-The-Last-Resort-NN147024.html

Just like photographing people on the streets, the images involve ordinary people, carrying out their normal day to day behaviour. 

What I find all of the images portray, just like Bruce Gilden's Coney Island images also do, is National Characteristics. 

Just by looking at these images, you can see that they are typically British, right? 

It's interesting to think about why that is? 

The job center 

The litter 

The fish and chips 

The clothes people are wearing 

Images taken of beach resorts in any other country would be very different to this! Just as any images would be if you took photographs on a street in Britain as appose to any other country! 

I think even the colours add to the emphasis of the British theme in the images. However it's safe to say even in black and white these images would look just as interesting and still very clearly portray the typical British seaside scene. 

What exploring this concept of national characteristics has got me thinking about is how I can bring this into my own street photography. Seeing as though the vast majority of my images taken in this street photography project will be on streets within the North East, why not try capture regional characteristics in my images? 

By this I mean not only just capturing the everyday activity of people in Hartlepool and the north east, but focusing on capturing images that very clearly show they have been taken in the North East of England. Like photographs of Hartlepool characters tucking into a Greg's pasty? - that says 'North East' to me. Or photos of people stood outside the job centre, seeing as though the North East has such high rates of unemployment? Or street photographs of our famous colliery villages? 

These concepts may sound like they would portray the north east in nothing but a bad light, but Parr also uses his images as propaganda, creating a message of his own image of society.