William Eggleston: Los Alamos — Photobooks for scholars

Описание: William Eggleston: Los Alamos is a body of work comprising photographs made between 1965 and 1974 during roadtrips across the American South and West—set aside by the artist but later re-discovered and first published in 2003. This is part of my "photobooks for scholars" series of videos showcasing books from my personal library which hold invaluable information for students of the art of photography.

Analyze the following photographs to gain better understanding of the art. Compared to William Eggleston's "Guide", these photographs are taken much closer; there is more visual flair and a directed, singular focus on a specific subject or detail. Focusing on specific details creates an image with more percieved visual clarity and depth for any given subject. However, this comes with the drawback of creating pictures which have the same feel regardless of general location; it's easy to lose sense or even part of the connection to a particular place.

While all of these pictures are clearly 70's America, you wouldn't be able to tell which were shot in the south of Tennessee, the barren towns and deserts of New Mexico, glamorous Las Vegas, or near the western coast of California.

This is the key difference versus Eggleston's "Guide"—whose photographs are specifically connected to a particular place and lifestyle in the south.

Keep this in mind when out photographing, and decide how you would like to balance clarity of details and connection or relation to specific places—based on your artistic intent and what you want to achieve—what you wish to show in your photographs.

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