Snapping the everyday life.....
Garry Winogrand (1928-1984)
Known mainly as a street photographer, Winogrand, photographed business moguls, everyday women on the street, famous actors and athletes, hippies, politicians, soldiers, animals in zoos, rodeos, car culture, airports, and antiwar demonstrators.
Just looking at some of his work on images is fascinating, while in black and white the energy and life that is apparent.
So many to choose from but I do like the everyday life natural feel. I read that Winogrand has thousands of undeveloped film rolls and photos that were unseen. I cant help but think that his work could fall under the photo documenting category,
For me every picture has me questioning, whether it be the scene itself, the style of the people (clothing-fashion-era) the composition, the energy and fun, the list goes on.....He seems to give a different view of the everyday we all don't see or take for granted.
In one of his most famous images a teenage girl challenges his lens while a woman tucked in a doorway, mid-kiss, turns her eyes to camera with a smirk. Her partner is oblivious to the narrative.
In 1948 he enrolled at Columbia University to study painting, before taking a photojournalism course, where his passion for photography began. I've learnt on reading about this photographer that dedication and commitment is something of a must in any field. His wife had said being married to Winogrand was like being married to a lens.
Married to a lens is a good example as I read that he would walk and just snap.....using a whole roll of film in a short time. With so many images he wouldn't know exactly what he'd shot for months. The amount of work involved in developing his films made documenting his work impossible and he would of rather been out shooting that developing and editing. He would rather leave that to someone else.........You can see how this was more of an obsession than a job.
To be honest I think you have to be somewhat obsessed or passionate for any type of art work. I dont think I have found my interest yet! Things that interest me are textures, like the feel and look of the natural world
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| The soft texture of the green moss. The surface and shadows begs the question how could I recreate this, or bring attention to such a complex living thing while keeping its beauty? Its intrusion and settling. The sense of time and separation, colour etc |
Things to learn from Winogrand on street photography
Don't hestitate and follow your gut... (easier said than done!)
Smile at your subjects ...... A smile can break a mood and make the mood softer, people didnt seem to mind winogrand photographing them...(in this day and age I'd be a little cautious)
Don't crop -Said that photographers had the mentality of not getting the photo right “in-camera” and would subconsciously think to themselves “If the framing isn’t good, I can always crop later”.
Look at great photographs - as with artists also look at others works and photographers
Emotionally detach yourself from the photo - and take more than on shot of a moment as in a second everything changes, light, mood, expressions etc
I haven't done any street photography so will have a go, but already thinking about it I'm thinking of a good setting or town, time of day when where how instead of just doing......need to stop trying to control.......
These are some of the photos from my phone that weren't controlled. While not street photography as such I haven't edited them. Just snaps really..... However my mobile has auto settings and dos what I does best, I feel that if I had to adjust the shutter speed and setting etc then I would have a better understanding of what makes a good photograph in a true sense of ability as well as JUST A GOOD photo....... I'm happy all the same just snapping away on my phone also (contradicting myself here but I hope you understand what I mean) I would like to know the basics then have a choice which lens to use, or the way my style of shooting could be.
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| notice the crack in my camera here |
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| my dear mother haha , like her face as it tells a happy but frightened feel of the moment |
