Genius Of Photography Part 4

Why did Garry Winogrand take photographs?

To see what the world looked liked photographed...

Why did 'citizens evolve from blurs to solid flesh'?

Technology advanced, enabling a quicker shutter speed in order to capture moving citizens. Where as in the past, life of the street moved too fast for the long exposure times. The first street scenes showed artfully staged setups, and surreal ghost towns.

What was/is the 'much misunderstood theory'?

Henri Cartier Bresson’s much misunderstood theory was the decisive moment it was explored in photography that once you get the drift of it, the feel the energy of it you want to go back again and again because it’s where life seems to be going. Out on the street being in this river of humanity and seeing unexpected incidents occur makes you grab the moment and put meaning behind it.

Who was the godfather of street photography in the USA?

Gary Winogrand became a pack leader of young street photographers. He was said to be a nervous energy, and things responded to this energy, things were always happening when he was around.

Who was Paul Martin and what did he do?

Paul Martin was a British photographer, in 1896 he went to Great Yarmouth seaside using a camera that he disguised as a brown paper parcel the pictures he took show the magic of the beach at work. 

Who said “When I was growing up photographers were either nerds or pornographers”?

Edward Ruseha had stated that photographers were nerds or pornographers as there was no redeeming social value to somebody who has a camera who takes pictures. They were about things rather than people, surface rather than soul and not the human drama of the street but the taken for granted backdrop against which the drama plays out.

Why does William Eggleston photograph in colour?

Eggleston took colour at face down, because pictures need to be structured but structuring a coloured picture is different because colour is more dominant. Colour can twist the whole content of the picture. 

What is William Eggleston about?

William Eggleston’s pictures contain all the acute observation of a master street photographer like Winogrand, but the brightly coloured surfaces made them unreadable. He called his pictures democratic, that he was at war with the obvious. Wherever he goes the world travels with him.