William Eggleston

William Eggleston

Context

Eggleston was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1939, and he grew up on the very fringe of the Mississippi Delta. He bought his first camera, a Canon Rangefinder, in 1957, and after a brief period of work in monochrome, he switched to colour in 1965. One aspect of Eggleston's photos that not everyone agreed with at first was his use of colour. Another factor about Eggleston is that he notices every small detail within an area, his images are anecdotal moments that happen in everyday life that he manages to capture. He only takes one shot of the same image and doesn't take multiple shots to find the right one proving his skills within Photography and his ability to capture shots at the right moment similar to Henri Cartier-Bresson's. I want to use Eggleston's ideas within my work because I like his ideas of using bright colours similar to Martin Parr, I also like the way he contributes old America and new America within the same picture. 

Eggleston's skills are present within this image because as at first glance it seems as though we are looking at a car tyre but this image is actually a self-portrait. In the top right hand corner we can see Eggleston's reflection in the car, it shows us the low angle that Eggleston used to take his images. This image doesn't show the colour that he uses in his other images but it shows the small details that he choices to photograph. He has chosen to photograph a car tyre with no tread around it, also it looks dirty but these small details give the image meaning. I think that he is trying to show the view that American people were obsessed with cars at this time showing how used and worn away the tyres are. The small details that Eggleston's photographs I want to use in my work because it will establish my view of British Culture in a different way.

This image shows Eggleston's use of colour as there are bright colour's within this image. There are small details within this image that show Eggleston's background and show the elements of small rural America. The rusty old car on the top of the building represents the area that he is in and the background that he is coming from, it shows the rural America areas. This could link in to my project regarding British Culture because I can photograph elements in British areas to show British Culture in a similar way he has shown American culture. He has shown the rural America alongside the modern America because it shows the old rust car alongside the new buildings. He has shown the difference between the two different time periods. This can be present in my project because there are elements of old Britain and modern Britain within the places I have visited.

This image shows a modern view of Eggleston, this is a view from a section of an aeroplane. I would assume that is is the VIP section because of the type of drink she has, showing an upper class view from the plane. Like the image before this also shows the colours that Eggleston uses because of the bright colour of the drink. The main element of the image that I am drawn in by is the shadow that is created by the drink, this is another small detail that Eggleston has noticed. Like the majority of Eggleston's images this doesn't show the identity of the woman who's drink it is, we instantly associate this drink with a woman because of the elegancy of her hand and the femininity of the drink. This image is different than other images that Eggleston has produced because it shows an upper class view of America whereas in his other images he shows the both time periods of the place.

In this image we can see an old rusty child's bike. This image shows the low shot that Eggleston takes to capture the details in the shot. This image also shows elements of comparing old American and modern America because the old bike in the front can be compared to the new modern buildings in the background. This image doesn't show the colour elements that are present throughout his other photos because this one appears much duller. The angle that he has taken the image at has made the bike seem bigger than what it actually is as he has made it look bigger than the houses. We know that he takes his images from a low point of view because of his reflection in the car image.

In this image we can see a table within a diner with various objects on the table. The angle that the image has been taken from shows a shadow from the sun onto the objects. This image represents the culture within America because it shows the types of places that American people enjoy going, there are still diners around in America which could be something that Eggleston is trying to portray, culture doesn't really change sometimes it stays the same. His images are extremely colourful and show and inviting aspect within them, the bright colours draw us in to the picture because they are bright. I think these objects could represent people and the different types of people there are in the world, all shapes and sizes. The image gives a connotation that all these people of different sizes, races and shapes are all the same and merge into one because of the shadow that is created on the table by the sun reflecting on the objects.

Influence and Summary

William Eggleston has influenced my work because of his idea to notice small details within an area. In his shoots he is known for documenting the ugly in an area that tells a story, for example the image of an old child's bike above. In the beginning of my project I wanted to document objects close-up to show British culture but my idea changed and I decided to document landscapes. His influence is not really existent within my work because I haven't focused on objects or people. The only element of my shoots I can relate to his work is my image of Big Ben with scaffolding around it. 

This image can be considered as documenting the ugly to express British Culture. The fact that Big Ben is covered in scaffolding links to the work ethic in London and the changes that are carried out on a day-to-day basis. I didn't necessarily go out and take this image to link to Eggleston's work but it just links well with his ideas. This is one of the only images within my work that links to his because it is clear that my main focus is Simon Roberts and landscapes.

Simon Roberts

Simon Roberts

Context

Simon Roberts (b.1974) is a British photographer whose work deals with our relationship to landscape and notions of identity and belonging.The way that he incorporates in with British culture is his book and exhibition called We English, he travelled throughout England in 2007 for a year using a large format camera capturing people at play, and exploring the relationship between people and the places they visit. Photographing ordinary people engaged in diverse pastimes, Roberts aims to show a populace with a profound attachment to its local environment and homeland. One element  of Roberts work that I have incorporated within my work is his idea of using the people within the landscapes as assets, he shows their belonging within the image. By looking at his shoot titled We English it relates to my project as he documents the British Culture in a landscape format.

This image was taken at Skegness Beach, Lincolnshire, 12th August 2007. In this photograph we can see people carrying out different activities at the beach, the sea and the sky have merged into one and it doesn’t seem as though the weather is particularly good. The weather gives the image more of a darker and duller atmosphere. From the image we can see that there is a mixture of older and younger people, this suggests that the environment brings different people from different backgrounds and ages together. Without the people in the image Roberts wouldn’t have been able to develop his ideas of identity and belonging. The people in the picture have been given the identity and belonging because they are the main features of the image. By photographing the people in this way it links to the theme of British Culture as it shows the love the British people have for the beach even in colder weather conditions. His images differ from Martin Parr because he doesn't use the saturated effect like he does. 

This image was taken Keynes Country Park Beach, Shornecote, Gloucestershire, 11th May 2008. In this image we can see different types of people sitting around on some grass. The way the people are dressed suggests to us that the weather was good. In the distance we can see smoke suggesting that someone is having a barbeque. All the activities taking place in this image are all stereotypical activities performed by British people in the summer. The notion of identity and belonging is visible within this image because the people are given an identity as British people and their belonging is associated with summer activities. There are various signifiers within this image that indicate to us that these people are British, there is a couple in the middle with a 20 pack bag of crisps which is ironic because there is only two of them, we associate British people with eating unhealthy foods. Also, we see that majority of the people are wearing no clothes but they still are wearing their socks, which is also ironic because they are on the grass. Overall, Simon Roberts relates to the topic of British Culture as he documents the lives of British people using landscape photography.   

This image was taken on Ladies' Day at Aintree Racecourse Merseyside, 4th April 2008. In this image we can see a group of smartly dressed people instantly symbolising that these people may be of a higher class because of the way they are dressed. We can also see lots more people in the background in the stands showing that this event is extremely popular. Living in England we already understand the popularity of the event as it is broadcasted on live TV. The rubbish along the floor also gives us the impression that this is a popular ever but that people also heavily drink there due to the beer bottles and plastic cups along the floor. This represents British Culture as drinking is often associated with British people. Within Roberts' images there are always certain people that we can focus on, in this image I am immediately drawn to the woman sitting down amongst all the other people that are standing. This could suggest to us that she doesn't care about the racing or she has had too much to drink. Also, I am also drawn to the two older woman in the left hand corner as they are smiling and laughing insinuating that they are enjoying their time unlike the other girl, this could show the difference between the younger and the older generation.

This image was taken at Sunderland v Liverpool, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, 16th August 2008. In this image we can see the football fans walking either towards or away from the stadium. The expressions on their faces and their body language shows they could be walking away from the stadium with a loss. From researching this game it is revealed that Sunderland lost to Liverpool which explains their body language. By looking at the body language of the people we can explain their emotion, all the fans are walking with their heads down. The man at the front has his hand on the child's head which could be seen as a comforting action. Without these fans in the image we wouldn't have come to this conclusion and the landscape would have had a completely different meaning relating to the fact that Roberts uses people with the image to show their belonging and use them as assets to the image.

This image was taken on Westminster Bridge during the London Men's Marathon. In the image we can see lots of men running in a direction where they are all turing around to go the way they came. The people all merge into one in this image because there are so many runners and so many people in the crowd that it is hard to distinguish the difference. The fact that all these people merge into one show that maybe Simon Roberts was trying to portray that although there are people from all around the world in this picture all people are equal and they can all come together for this event. It can also represent the population within London and the amount of cultures there are. The main focus within this image can be considered as the Big Ben and parliament but because there are people within the image used as features they become the main focus. 

Influence and Summary

Simon Roberts documents British Culture in a landscape effect which is the same conceptual idea as mine. I also took the idea of his where he uses people as features rather than cutting them out of the image. Without the people in his images the idea of British Culture would not be expressed as his idea is to show how the views of a landscape bring people together. 

This image can be related to Simon Roberts images because it includes a landscape that has brought people together. The landscape shows the work ethic within London because we are faced with office buildings and building work. The people present in the foreground of the image show how people are brought together by this landscape because there are tourists taking pictures but also people just walking past to get to work. The people within this landscape all have their own story as to why they are there. Simon Roberts included people in his work as features which is what I have tried to do because they add a meaning to British Culture and show the types of people we can find in these areas.

I decided to follow Simon Roberts in my shoots because I believe he links more closely to my work than any other photographer that I have researched. The majority of my images link to Simon Roberts but in some of my images I have explored the landscape aspect further and haven't included people within them, just focused on the landscape itself.

In my shoot around St. James' Park and Buckingham Palace I explored the landscapes deeper and focused on them rather than trying to include features like Simon Roberts does. This image still relates to the landscapes that Roberts took because it expresses British culture to an extent. By incorporating these landscape images and images with people in them it expresses British Culture as it shows the landscapes and the people that are naturally found within these landscapes. Simon Roberts has been a significant influence on my work because I have taken his idea of expressing British Culture through landscapes. 

Central London St. James' Park; Shoot 6 Work Diary

Central London St. James' Park; Shoot 6 Work Diary

Shoot Ideas
In my previous shoots I have experimented with photographing in Central London, in this shoot I want to travel to London again because this is where my ideas are beginning to develop better. This time I am going to photograph around Buckingham Palace and the St. James' Park area. I want to express British Culture and life within this shoot by shooting some landscape photography images of Buckingham Palace which is a huge landmark within Britain and also I want to document people within these areas. I will also attempt to travel to Trafalgar Square and capture some shots in this area to contribute to this shoot.

Research
Similar to a few of my shoots previously I have used Google images to bring up images of the areas I am travelling to because it helps me understand what I am going to be faced with when I arrive at these locations. Also, it enables me to understand how other photographers compose their images so I can use their ideas within my shoots. When researching this area I have found a few images that will influence the image that I am going to be taking. 

This is an image taken in St. James' Park, in the image we can see the nature within the park and also we can see the Buckingham Palace in the background of the image which is what attracted me to this image. I like how within this image British identity is expressed vividly because it shows the beauty of London which isn't always associated with London and it also shows one of the most famous British landmarks. As well as using this image to influence my work I also want to use the influence of Simon Roberts because in this area there are various different types of people that may be present in my image. He uses the people present within his images as an asset which is what I want to use within this shoot.

AO1: You must ensure that several of the visual ideas/inspirations within the image bank are pursued

Contact Sheet

These contact sheets show the images that I have taken within this shoot. The images highlighted in red are the images that I need to improve on.

Best Images

This image is similar to the image that I researched within the research section of this post. I think this relates to British Culture well because it includes a very famous London landmark and also includes the nature and wildlife which I have included in some of my shoots. The nature and wildlife also open up more details of British identity because we associate these parks with the beauty of the nature they bring to London. I have composed this image well because we can see elements of the Palace as well as elements of the park I was stood in. I used a tripod to take this image which has helped me achieve this final photo, using a tripod helped me gain a steady landscape image.

I think this image relates strongly to Simon Roberts images because it contains people within a landscape image. The idea that Simon Roberts has to keep people in the image and use them as assets to the location is what I attempted to achieve here. The people show tourists and other people who enjoy coming to this park which adds to the story of the image. In the foreground of the image we have a tree with no leaves on it, although this can be considered ugly it adds an effect to the image as we can see elements of the image through the branches. I didn't use a tripod to take this image but used a wall to balance the camera from a higher point to achieve the image looking down on the people.

I took this image of Buckingham Palace to draw attention to the famous landmark. Although the Palace is not cantorial and is quite dark it is still the main aspect of the image. I wanted to include the grounds around the image to show how the grounds are treated and how well-kept they are. The conditions of this area shows us how important it is within London, there is not rubbish around unlike certain parts of London. The mood within the image is contributed by the bright colours within the image i.e, the grass and the sky. We can also see people in the middle ground, there appears to be small crowds which shows us how popular this area is with the tourists.

This image was taken in Trafalgar Square, I chose to take the image in this war to show the hustle and bustle of London which I believe I have achieved. This image is similar to Simon Roberts too because I have adapted to the fact that people will be involved in my image but I can use them to my advantage. British Culture/identity is adapted well within this image because we see the London hustle and bustle but we also see the red buses which also contribute to symbols of London. I also didn't take this image on a tripod because I wanted to capture the rush of people quickly.

Images That Require Improvement

Although this image does fit in with this shoot I think it does need improvements because it wasn't taking using a tripod which becomes obvious as it is not a straight image. I think a better image would've been achieved if I was taking it from the path underneath the bridge I was on. Also, if I was central the image may have been slightly better. There are not many improvements for this image because it does show British identity with the people  nature and the building in the background however I will not use it in my final images.

I think this image turned out really well and it is exactly what I wanted to capture, but the mark in the corner of the image makes it unusable. I didn't realise this until I brought the pictures up on the computer. There was a lot of sun around at the time which has caused the glare within the lens. When shooting this again I may take the image from a different angle or at a different time where the sun is behind me so that this would not happen again. However, I believe the image was good and did explore British Identity in the way I wanted to.

AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.

Within this shoot I have explored British Culture and identity in the way that I was hoping to. I have explored this area and taken images that not only relate to my project proposal but can also link to my previous shoots. Simon Roberts has influenced me within this shoot because like my last shoot I have embraced the fact that I am not always going to photograph landscapes with no people in them, thinking of the people as assets has made it easier for me to photograph in these areas. Martin Parr also influenced my shoot too because I used his ideas of using symbolism within the images i.e with the red bus and the famous landmarks. The Google Image research I carried out has also influenced my images because it has helped me understand what looks aesthetically pleasing and what expresses my ideas more. In my next shoot I am either going to explore more parts of Central London or return to Waltham Abbey and document more parts around there. 

With reference to my best images...

I believe that I have created a set of images that link to the British culture/identity. I have concentrated mainly on the landmarks and famous parts of this area but unlike my last shoot I have explore more of the areas rather than just documenting the landmark and that's it. To improve this even further I could split it into more than one shoot i.e Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square.

AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.

I used a Nikon D3300 to document these images. To capture these images I used a high aperture setting of f.22/f.18. In the shoot before I used a low aperture setting which proved to work but a higher f stop works slightly better as it is the main setting landscape photographers use. I also used a quick shutter speed of 1/60 seconds to capture the image quickly. The ISO was also set at 200, by setting it at the lowest it reduces the noise within the image and creates a sharp image, if I was shooting at night I may consider to change this setting to a higher option. I think these settings I have used were perfect when capturing the shots I needed.

Next I took some of my images into Photoshop...

  

To edit this image I used the levels and curves settings to lighten the image and bring in more detail from the Buckingham Palace. Also, I used the hue and saturation setting to brighten the colours with the image. Finally, I used one of the mask layers to burn the sky to bring more detail into the sky. 

  

Similar to the image before I used the levels and curves settings to brighten some areas of the image and darken other areas. The people have become bolder within the image which has added more importance to them. Also, I used the hue and saturation setting to brighten the colours within the image which has become obvious as the sky has become brighter. Finally, I used the paintbrush to burn the sky to bring more detail into the clouds. 

  

To edit this image I also used the levels and curves settings to darken and lighten the image. I also used the hue and saturation tool to increase the saturation of the colours within the image, the trees have become brights and bolder. I used the paintbrush tool to darken the outside of the image which becomes obvious as the shadows on the lake have become darker. As well as darkening the image using the paintbrush tool I also lightened the middle of the image to create the effect that someones eyes are drawn to the middle. 

AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

I have chosen these images as my final response because they are my best edited image and relate to my project proposal well. I have used landscape images of the view as my final images because they relate to British Culture as we can see the famous landmarks and the nature within the landscape. I have also included an image of the Buckingham Palace as this is an extremely famous landmark within London. Finally, I have used a image of Trafalgar Square to show the hustle and bustle of London.