Photography through the Lens of Garry Winogrand

Garry Winogrand (American, 1928–1984). New York Aquarium, Coney Island, 1967. Gelatin silver print. The Garry Winogrand Archive, Center for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona

«Growing up in the midst of the digital age, where technology is constantly advancing, my conception of the past is ever-changing. For example, my initial interest in digital photography led me to look further into film photography, but after discovering the visually stunning work of Garry Winogrand currently on view at the Met, my views on film photography have already been altered.»

When I decided to undertake film photography, I realized that I needed to do some research in order to understand the processes and concepts. I read books, articles, and blogs about film photography, and soon I began to notice an important recurring theme: all of these pieces of writing emphasized how crucial timing was. I had previously thought that, as a photographer, I could only take as many photos as I had room on the roll of film; each photo was a moment and you had to pick and choose which moments were worth capturing. Personally it was a lot of pressure, and I began to question the value of certain moments altogether.

However, my perspective on film photography became more refined when I saw Garry Winogrand's photography. I admired his artistic style and use of light, and soon became inspired by his work. After watching interviews of Winogrand, I realized he had a completely different outlook on film photography—and photography in general—than any other photographers I had come across. Winogrand once said, "No one moment is most important. Any moment can be something." This definitely contradicted what I had read while researching film photography. I found out that Winogrand shot a lot and, most of the time, he didn't think about what he was shooting as long as it interested him. He was concerned more with how things looked when photographed, rather than what was actually being photographed.

Now as I take photos, I keep in mind the ideals of Winogrand and shoot as much as possible until I get the best results. Every moment is important, but it is up to me to capture that moment within a frame—one which makes the photograph just as special as the moment itself.