Winogrand said that took photos to see what the world looked like photographed. Very much what photography was about in 60s and 70s.
O'Sullivan brought his photo with him to the desert in 1860s. Typical of the physical struggle that was part of early photography in particular.
Roma takes walk with my camera.
Photography has had many journeys. Best known was Robert Frank in 1950s. As a Swiss born photographer, his was an outsiders perspective of 1950s USA when doing 9 month tour. Worried less about photographic perfectionism, more like abstract expressionist art or BEAT poetry. Like Jackson Pollock. Released from constraints.
Took 700 rolls of film. Did layout for his book The Americans in one day with French publisher. Critics hated it. Book lost money.
William Klein also. Trained as artist in Paris then back to New York in 1954. Aggressive photographer worked on the street.
Street and people photography was difficult early in photographic history because of long exposure times meant that people looked blurred. Klein as first pop photographer. People are actors in his lens. No respect for sacred cows of photography.
Weegee was similar. Liked crowd scenes.
Klein cruised the streets. Kid points gun at the lens.
Meyerowitz took inspiration from Klein. shoots street photography in New York based on the Cartier Besson theory of decisive moment. Views himself as a visual athlete. Reimagine the decisive moment for New York.
Friedlander, Arbus and Winogrand all worked New York street.
Winogrand had thousands of prints. He had an appetite for life. Viewed as the godfather of street photography. Very energetic. Rich material from New York. Couple in Central Park Zoo has a couple with chimpanzees instead of babies.
Tony Ray-Jones was acolyte of Winogrand. Be more aggressive, get in closer, don't take boring pictures, get more involved, talk to people, stay with the subject, were all mantras of he and other street photographers as enunciated in his notebook.
Back in Britain, Ray Jones headed for the beach and turned in to a psychiatrist's couch. A place to record eccentricities, people out of themselves.
Ed Ruscha produced a series of books as milestones in pop photography. eg Twenty Six gasoline stations was example of "blank reality" of subjects. Same deadpan approach used to photograph parking lots and the whole of Sunset Strip.
In 1970, biggest change was colour photography. Considered heretical and amateur. Serious photography HAD to be B&W.
Cameras describe things so why not use colour? Needed 8 by 10 inch large-format view cameras. Tripods became essential.
William Eggleston took images of Memphis. He published William Eggelston's Guide. Some say inconsequential, some say baffling beauty.
In 2005, Eggleston took pictures of Dunkirk. Eccenctric quiet guy who works alone. Dismisses analysis of his work.
Photographers better see the world, help us make sense of what is around us.
Friedlander, Arbus and Winogrand all worked New York street.
Winogrand had thousands of prints. He had an appetite for life. Viewed as the godfather of street photography. Very energetic. Rich material from New York. Couple in Central Park Zoo has a couple with chimpanzees instead of babies.
Tony Ray-Jones was acolyte of Winogrand. Be more aggressive, get in closer, don't take boring pictures, get more involved, talk to people, stay with the subject, were all mantras of he and other street photographers as enunciated in his notebook.
Back in Britain, Ray Jones headed for the beach and turned in to a psychiatrist's couch. A place to record eccentricities, people out of themselves.
Ed Ruscha produced a series of books as milestones in pop photography. eg Twenty Six gasoline stations was example of "blank reality" of subjects. Same deadpan approach used to photograph parking lots and the whole of Sunset Strip.
In 1970, biggest change was colour photography. Considered heretical and amateur. Serious photography HAD to be B&W.
Cameras describe things so why not use colour? Needed 8 by 10 inch large-format view cameras. Tripods became essential.
William Eggleston took images of Memphis. He published William Eggelston's Guide. Some say inconsequential, some say baffling beauty.
In 2005, Eggleston took pictures of Dunkirk. Eccenctric quiet guy who works alone. Dismisses analysis of his work.
Photographers better see the world, help us make sense of what is around us.
