When I look at Eggleston’s photographs, I understand what he was trying to do. The ordinary become extraordinary. He believed that photography was like chess. It was being at the right spot at the right time and taking the shot. We have an area of vision that we obviously see all the time, everyday. It is the part of that view that is picked out and captured that makes photography what it is. What the photographer decides to reproduce for himself or his audience is the unique vision that has never been seen or photographed that way before.
My work originally started out with a strong formal aspect. I believed that a “good” photograph consisted of perfect composition, light and contrast. I was taught the rule of thirds as a beginner and that thought process stuck with me throughout my early years photographing. I also started with the traditional black and white film medium. Switching to color and then digital has rejuvenated my motivation when going out to shoot for an assignment or a project. I think about color as opposed to the forms and shadows. This produces a whole different outcome with my work. It is definitely less formal and more about the context of the shot instead of the traditional aesthetics. My work is progressing to a different level because of the influence of William Eggleston. I find myself relaxing more when I work. It seems to come easier to me.
Although I have tried to abandon my formal training as much as possible, it still shows in my color work after all is said and done. I will still find engaging lines that lead the eye into the image, or repeating patterns that come from my unconscious choice of framing. What may look like a snapshot has now become much more that that. It has become a piece of art standing on its own.
As I continue my career as a photographer, I feel that my work is a staircase; one plateau after another. As I reach each goal I build on the whole body of work. This then takes me to another level.
This collection of photographs is my way of broadening my point of view. I photograph things that most people would not notice as they walked by; an attempt to make beautiful and interesting images of what is tossed aside.
