I think his colorbalance is off...
Bart
The color balance is fine. The scene looks natural in a dusk like way. But the light is overexposed. He should have shot raw, exposed to the right, and then brought the shadows up. ;o)
Personally, while I find the compositions of many photographers of the type to be well made, then tend to be somewhat Laissez-faire attitude towards a refined and elegant look. Instead, while an engineering analysis of their work yields a non-rules based compositional scheme underlying their work which is consistently apparent in their
"styles"
Their compositional styles have a direct and tight correlation to the finer works coming out of Hollywood and its ilk. The difference is the refinement of the vision which often (perhaps intentionally) to unflattering if not quite unkind renditions of scenes. They choose to show the tawdry character of life rather than expounding the iconic beauty that Hollywood achieves at times (consider a film like
Gladiator).
But in the end, a
style is simply the elements of the craft which a photographer has mastered and uses by intuition. And I like their styles, but their choice of subject matter is often tawdry or just plain dull. They choose to emphasize things that make life feel dirty and unclean.
That said, their styles encompass an understanding of composition that is clean and simple and works with the eye (whether by engineering or just being in touch with the feelings their eyes generate). But they lack the refinement in their choice of subjects and in their technical abilities. Some of this technical lack may stem from the period and some from finances, but it is the lack of technical skill in their photos (crooked, blurry, poorly exposed) mixed with their compositional sensibility that uses no rules that marks their work.
In short, Eggleston is good for a glance, even a look, but would bore me to tears on a wall. I want to see something beautiful on the wall, not something that makes the day darker.
one person's taste, <smile>
Sean
