Gallery visit - William Klein
William Klein was born in 1926 and died in
2022. He was a remarkable street
photographer with an amazing body of work.
I attended his “All the Worlds a Stage”
exhibition and was very impressed by his
documentary style and use of techniques
such as high-contrast, wide angle lenses and
motion blur. I hope to take inspiration from his candid monochromatic photography throughout my project.
Klein is exploring the cultural themes of immigration and work within New York’s Chinese community. He has captured the group in a natural, unscripted, documentary style. He has used the shape of the building to help exaggerate the depth of field. This combined with the high-contrast give the image a highly detailed finish. From this image I plan to explore having an political undertone to some of my images. As well as exploring monochromatic, candid, in the moment photography to convey the narrative to the image
In this image, Klein captures the interaction
and movement of everyday people
performing the mundane task of supermarket
shopping. The shopping trollies act as
leadlines, drawing the viewer deeper into the
picture. This is further accentuated by the use
of blur and focus. From this image I plan to utilise leading lines to draw attention to the subject in the image. I also plan to capture the mundane in life.
This is another candid shot showing Klein’s
ability to capture people behaving naturally
and informally. The high-contrast and black
and white production places emphasis detail. The shot
emphasis youthful exuberance, innocence
and joy - set against a backdrop of poor conditions and poverty. From this image I plan to explore the innocence of children in comparison to the harsh realities of our world.
This image a modern, colour
photo from Klein's exhibition. The use of colour is brilliant - from the graffiti to the earbuds. The scene exudes urban grit and shows the two people “bustling” along with their busy lives. I love the way Klein has used the central green pole
to dissect the image creating a more interesting narrative.
This acts to emphasis the fragmented and isolated lives people
often lead in busy cities. From this image I would like to explore isolation in busy settings as well as using colour to explore emotions.
This exhibition has inspired me to want to further explore candid photography. From this visit I want to explore both monochromatic photography, as well as delving into how colour can represent emotions. I would like capture class differences and the innocence of children in order to present the negative effects the world can have on people. I would like to explore the use of leading lines to guide the viewer through the image and bring focus to different aspects, in turn controlling the narrative.