Shooting the banal.

[darry85]

Hey all,

I've recently picked up photography again after a 6 year hiatus a few months ago. I started out doing street photography, but shortly after realized the stress of potentially fighting with people on the street for unwanted photographs was too much. I sat down and thought about what draws me to different photos and what kind-of photos I wanted to shoot. I saw the work of Stephen Shore and William Eggleston and realized I wanted to shoot "boring" photographs. I was drawn to the everyday and the obvious and wanted to take photographs of things that were everyday, but still interesting. I wanted to put my own "stamp" on it and not directly copy Shore or Eggleston exactly.

The thing is, I feel so self conscious about my work and don't know if I'm doing anything worth while. I need help and want to know if my photos are interesting or just snap-shot crap. I'm going to post 3 photos and I'll add what I like about them and what I was thinking when shooting them.

"door"

door by

I like this photo because of the angles, the colors and the vibrancy of the room. I like the contrast of the white door and the green ceiling and yellow walls.

"bed"
Bed by

I like the shapes and the folds in the sheets and blankets. I think it creates patterns that draw the eye.

"Wet".
Wet by

I like that the towel isn't center in the frame and the pink is a contrast to the wooded area around it.

I'm not saying my work is "good". I'm just saying why I like the photos. Any help on how to improve would be greatly appreciated!

-Darrin

 

[waday]

Hey Darrin,

I'm liking #1! Very nice! I like the angles and colors. Kinda wishing the bottom of the door wasn't cut off, but it adds some tension to the photo.

The other two are lacking a defined (and interesting) subject, in my opinion. The third one is somewhat interesting, though!

There is a photo theme going on here, if you're interested in seeing what others post. Also, feel free to join in and add your own!

Photographing the Banal