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