Gary Winogrand

Garry Winogrand

Brief Background:

Garry Winogrand was a street photographer who was known for his portrayal of America in the mid- 20^th century. Using his fixed 35mm Leica, he documented the issues of his time which where social, and the big one, the way the media influenced the public. The popularity of his work meant that he was well known all across America and parts of Europe, and was regarded as the central figure in street photography in his time by John Szarkowski who was the director of photography at New York museum of modern art. Sadly he died at the relatively young age of 56 leaving behind thousands of undeveloped films and developed unproved exposures proving that this was more than just a job, but a thing he loved.

Analyzing his work:

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->When I look at this photo, I am instantly drawn to the couple in the center who seem to be cut off from the rest of the passengers. Garry fames them in the white door to make them stand out to emphasize this, or to show what a lonely place New York can be despite having a massive population. From a technical point of view it’s one of my favorites because I like the considered view point which gives it some symmetry, but most of all like the balance of tones in the clothes of the people around the border compared to the contrast of the blacks in the center of the image which makes them the point of interest. I admit this more to do with luck but he’s done a fantastic job to show this divide.        

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->I think this photo has a very powerful message because it represents most modern day society with the beauty and the glam in the forefront of our minds (woman in the sunlight casing shadows), while we ignore the more important things that require more attention, which is represented by the guy in the wheel chair who is in the shade. I personally don’t like this photo composition but I don’t think that it’s meant to be the most beautiful picture in the world. I think it’s more about the message it brings however I think the way the shadow seem to come together is very clever.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->I like this photo because their motions are in sync making it look organised or even planned which you wouldn’t normally associate with street photography which is a refreshing change. Even though it’s a good image it doesn’t trigger an emotional response or tell a story like the other two did which is what you would expect of street photography.  

Conclusion of Analysis:

After writing a brief background on Garry and analysing some of his work, I believe that I have a greater understanding of street photography, i.e. what it can represent and what it can tell us. This research has taught me to capture people emotions and to emphasis it in their surroundings, secondly to highlight present issues in modern life and finally, to take care with composition as well as searching for unordinary.