LUAG Street Photography – Garry Winograd

“New York City, 1967”, 1978, Gelatin Silver Print, 71/100 By Garry Winograd

This photograph shows four women, where one has her back to the camera while conversing with the two in front of her, and the fourth treads on the sidewalk separately. There is a very strong dynamic range shown within the photo, where even the highlights of a woman’s reflection on the right appear very clearly. The picture has a long depth of range, shown by all four figures being in focus, even though the woman with her back to the camera is much closer to it.

I chose this piece because as soon as I saw it, I felt like the fifth person in the situation. When looking over the closest woman’s shoulder, I, as an audience member, felt as if I were part of the conversation. It allowed me to step right into the piece and interpret what is going on much more heavily. The women’s faces came across seriously, but could also possibly be showing boredom and indifference to the conversation. It seems as though Winograd had to get very up close and personal with these woman, and although it is unclear what clearance he had before the shot, it makes me excited for the opportunities that street photography allows. A picture can say a thousand words, and to be able to capture these private moments from such a small distance seems to be a very special opportunity and one that photographers do not take for granted.