Spiffy Bike a la Eggleston

[cgw]

KIngston, Ontario
Old Downtown
View attachment 283846

 

[jeffashman]

Spiffy photo!

 

[smoke665]

Well done, but truthfully I've never understood the fascination with Eggleston.

 

[Jeff15]

Nice bike ...

 

[cgw]

Well done, but truthfully I've never understood the fascination with Eggleston.

Boiled down to the early use of color. Lesser known(a personal fave and inspiration) is Fred Herzog who shot Vancouver on Kodachrome when gritty b&w was in fashion for urban/street photography.
A sample:

 

[smoke665]

@cgw I've read up and studied both a little, but it still amazes me at why others find them inspirational. I'd be willing to bet if you duplicated their image identically and posted as your own, you'd get little response today. Eggleston's work like the self taught primitive art of the Black Belt grew in popularity during the 70s, 80s. Inflation was rampant, money was tight and the inexpensive nature of the art coupled with it's bright colors and whimsical, almost childish appeal found favor.

I prefer to shoot what I see, tend to find most of my inspiration (lighting, color, shadow, etc.) from old masters, and the occasional idea from modern photographers, like Joey L. - NYC-based Photographer and Director.

Not knocking them, to each their own, it just seems that in today's digital world, their work holds much less relevance, and the name exceeds quality of the work.

 

[Golem]

Boiled down to the early use of color. Lesser known(a personal fave and inspiration) is Fred Herzog who shot Vancouver on Kodachrome when gritty b&w was in fashion for urban/street photography.
A sample:

Found it hugely easy to identify with Herzogs vision, judging from that video slide show.
Heres a few pix to explain myself:

 

[cgw]

Guess I prefer found-vs-posed. I like studio but think the process sometimes overwhelms the photography. Joey L's work is initially impressive until you realize his privileged access combines
with a sameness in his "look." Sure, Avedon shot b&w but his subjects' character always struck you first. That I don't see in Joey L's approach. It's more a showcase for his post work than involvement with his subjects.

 

[smoke665]

Joey L's work is initially impressive until you realize his privileged access combines
with a sameness in his "look."

That "privileged access " pays the bills, and the one paying the bills dictates the "look". However he does a lot of, on location work for himself. Check out his "Special Projects", for character studies.

He hasn't been on here for awhile, but check out this TPF member Black Square and his street work, here's a sample Bad Santa . In the case of Joey and Black Square they both do a lot of post editing. Back in my film days editing was done post in the darkroom, but the options were limited. Nowadays it's a whole new world, which is partly why I don't find as much relevance in the SOOC street photographers of yesterday.

Just for fun I did some AI creations in Adobe of Eggleston's tricycle. Amazing how fast and good it did it. The sad fact I've come to realize is that the 1000s of images (not family) stored on hard drives that I thought were good, will likely be as irrelevant as the boxes of same type photos my father took over his lifetime. So regardless of our individual preferences the best thing we can do is shoot and/or edit to our hearts content, because in the end, it won't matter.

Going back on thread, I noted earlier, your image is well done. It's important to note that I would have thought it was well done without reference to Eggleston. I'd be willing to bet a significant numbers of those here didn't have a clue who he even is or the significance of the bike. Also once you state you're emulating something or someone, critique shifts to that rather than the merits of the image.

 

[cgw]

That "privileged access " pays the bills, and the one paying the bills dictates the "look". However he does a lot of, on location work for himself. Check out his "Special Projects", for character studies.

He hasn't been on here for awhile, but check out this TPF member Black Square and his street work, here's a sample Bad Santa . In the case of Joey and Black Square they both do a lot of post editing. Back in my film days editing was done post in the darkroom, but the options were limited. Nowadays it's a whole new world, which is partly why I don't find as much relevance in the SOOC street photographers of yesterday.

Just for fun I did some AI creations in Adobe of Eggleston's tricycle. Amazing how fast and good it did it. The sad fact I've come to realize is that the 1000s of images (not family) stored on hard drives that I thought were good, will likely be as irrelevant as the boxes of same type photos my father took over his lifetime. So regardless of our individual preferences the best thing we can do is shoot and/or edit to our hearts content, because in the end, it won't matter.

Going back on thread, I noted earlier, your image is well done. It's important to note that I would have thought it was well done without reference to Eggleston. I'd be willing to bet a significant numbers of those here didn't have a clue who he even is or the significance of the bike. Also once you state you're emulating something or someone, critique shifts to that rather than the merits of the image.

Joey L's work is plainly several(ok, many) cuts above the usual spew. That painterly look, though, is done so often, so widely and often so badly now that it's hard to like. Frankly feel the same about
any homage style whether it's Eggleston, Avedon, or Leibovitz. I do enjoy this wilder style for its random weirdness HAMBURGER EYES – Photo Magazine Friends work in editorial fashion photography which, at bottom, is product photography. They're so damn good at selling affluence and wealth signifying merch.

 

[smoke665]

That painterly look, though, is done so often, so widely and often so badly

In the case of Joey L and some others like him it's a case of Realism on Steroids, and not something possible from a SOOC shot. Realism gained traction in the first half of the 1800's with its depiction of what the eye sees, rather than idealized representation. I believe the methods and techniques used post today are one of several progressions of the principles of the movement. Street photography in general is based on the realism movement with its depiction of everyday life. Even Eggleston chose color as a way to better show the real world around him. Remember the "Shock" Street photography where photog's would run up and shove a camera in someone's face to get their reaction?

Digital has given the photographer the ability to unleash artistic avenues not possible in the past.

 

[cgw]

In the case of Joey L and some others like him it's a case of Realism on Steroids, and not something possible from a SOOC shot. Realism gained traction in the first half of the 1800's with its depiction of what the eye sees, rather than idealized representation. I believe the methods and techniques used post today are one of several progressions of the principles of the movement. Street photography in general is based on the realism movement with its depiction of everyday life. Even Eggleston chose color as a way to better show the real world around him. Remember the "Shock" Street photography where photog's would run up and shove a camera in someone's face to get their reaction?

Digital has given the photographer the ability to unleash artistic avenues not possible in the past.

Then there's the infamous("I have no ethics" Bruce Gilden:

 

[smoke665]

there's the infamous("I have no ethics" Bruce Gilden:

As our state is a right to carry, and the threshold for using deadly force, is only a belief of danger, there's no way I'd fire a flash in someone's face!

 

[cgw]

As our state is a right to carry, and the threshold for using deadly force, is only a belief of danger, there's no way I'd fire a flash in someone's face!

Always surprised he wasn't strangled with his own synch cord.

 

[jeffashman]

As our state is a right to carry, and the threshold for using deadly force, is only a belief of danger, there's no way I'd fire a flash in someone's face!

Same here. Going up to someone and sticking a camera in their face like that it going to result in a broken camera, possible broken bones, or in a worst-case scenario, death, and in most cases, prosecutors will not press charges and the photographer trying to sue will go nowhere.