William eggleston photos

Photography Gear

Cameras

• Leica M6: Known for its precision and reliability, the Leica M6 was a favored camera for its compact size and exceptional lens quality, ideal for Eggleston’s street and documentary photography.

• Canon AE-1: This SLR camera provided versatility and ease of use, making it a staple in Eggleston’s gear for capturing spontaneous moments.

Lenses

• 50mm f/1.4: Often used for its ability to capture images in low light with a shallow depth of field, perfect for Eggleston’s intimate and detailed shots.

• 28mm f/2.8: A wide-angle lens that allowed Eggleston to include more context and environment in his compositions, enhancing the storytelling aspect of his photographs.

Film

• Kodachrome 64: Known for its rich color saturation and fine grain, this film was crucial in achieving the vivid hues that Eggleston’s work is celebrated for.

Photography Books

William Eggleston’s Guide was the first one-man show of color photographs ever presented at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, significantly altering the art world’s perception of color photography. This book, featuring 48 carefully curated images from over 375 taken between 1969 and 1971, showcases Eggleston’s mastery of color as a crucial compositional element. The guide’s textured cover, inset with a photograph of a tricycle and stamped with yearbook-style gold lettering, adds to its charm. The images, portraying everyday scenes in and around Memphis, exemplify Eggleston’s ability to find beauty in the mundane, offering practicing photographers invaluable lessons in composition, color usage, and the art of capturing everyday life with a refined, yet deceptively casual look.

William Eggleston: Chromes is a three-volume set that delves into over 5,000 Kodachromes and Ektachromes taken by Eggleston, chronicling his early experiments with color and composition. This collection, drawn from binders found in the Eggleston Artistic Trust, offers a rare glimpse into the evolution of Eggleston’s photographic style. The images capture early Memphis scenes and highlight Eggleston’s developing technique of creating balanced compositions from seemingly random objects. The “Chromes” provides a comprehensive view of how Eggleston’s eye for color and composition matured, demonstrating the process of refining one’s craft and the importance of exploring and experimenting with new techniques.

William Eggleston: The Outlandspresents nearly one hundred previously unseen images from the 1960s and 1970s. This series captures the evolving American South through vibrant colors and nostalgic themes, establishing visual motifs that Eggleston would continue to develop throughout his career. The book includes a variety of memorable images, such as a wood-paneled station wagon in a rural setting and intimate portraits of Eggleston’s family. Accompanied by a fictional narrative from Rachel Kushner and scholarly insights from Robert Slifkin, this book offers photographers an in-depth look at Eggleston’s dynamic and experimental practice, emphasizing the importance of revisiting and reinterpreting familiar landscapes and subjects.

William Eggleston Portraits showcases a collection of Eggleston’s masterful portraits, highlighting his ability to elevate the commonplace to art through his unique compositions and use of color. The book features a range of subjects, from anonymous individuals in his hometown of Memphis to celebrities like Dennis Hopper and Eudora Welty. It also includes an essay, a chronology, and interviews with Eggleston and his family, providing new insights into his artistic process. For photographers, this collection emphasizes the significance of capturing candid moments and the narrative potential of portrait photography, offering inspiration for creating compelling and evocative images of everyday life.

Quotes

“I am at war with the obvious.”

“I’ve never taken the same picture twice.”

“I don’t know of any totally red pictures, except in advertising. The photograph is still powerful. It shocks you every time.” - Eggleston on the iconic “The Red Ceiling”.

“The world is so visually complicated, I don’t want it simplified.”

“I am afraid that there is nobody else in the world exactly like me, and I am afraid that there is nobody else in the world exactly like you either.”

Legacy and Influence

William Eggleston’s influence on photography is profound and far-reaching. By elevating color photography to an art form, he paved the way for future generations of photographers. His work has been compared to that of Saul Leiter, who also utilized color to transform street photography into a vibrant, expressive medium even thought Leiter is often more abstract. Similarly, Stephen Shore shares Eggleston’s fascination with everyday scenes and color, contributing to the evolution of contemporary photographic art.

Eggleston continues to inspire and challenge photographers to look beyond the surface, finding beauty and meaning in the overlooked corners of the world. His legacy is preserved through institutions like the Eggleston Artistic Trust and the Eggleston Art Foundation, ensuring that his contributions to photography will be appreciated for generations to come .

In conclusion, William Eggleston’s pioneering work in color photography has left an indelible mark on the art world, encouraging photographers to embrace color and the everyday with a fresh perspective.