I've not made it as a photographer - so I'm not gonna say who I think its overrated, there's stuff I'm not keen on but that's like everything. I'm sure plenty of people can look at my stuff and think 'what a load of pap' - where I might be thinking
damn that's a really starting to dig into what I'm about!
So instead I'll make reference to a humorous incident a year or two ago which changed my opinion.
I was out with friends doing a day's shooting in the South Downs which was really nice and all, their doing their thing I'm doing mine which is usually lock onto something snap, then the next thing snap, and I'm done in the location before they've got their tripods set up
🙂 So we started nattering about photography as you do and it came up who we liked, didn't, felt over rated etc.
Up to this point my exposure to Eggleston was not through the Guide, but I had seen some stuff at some point and was left a bit unimpressed. Just as I was about to say Eggleston left me unimpressed, a friend said my some of photos reminded her of Eggleston's work. Of course I wasn't feeling over joyed about the prospect of being compared to someone who I didn't think much of.
🙂 It turns out she had some involvement in curating and exhibition of his work some years ago so she has had some first hand contact with the work.
Since then with a bee in my bonnet I bought Eggleston's Guide and I have to say she was probably right. And while he is still not my favourite photographer, he is one where I have come around to understanding his work a little bit more; and in some cases really like some of his photos (red ceiling I think is great.)
So, some humble pie perhaps. I still don't think I'm in the same boat but I could at least see where she was coming from, and it was part of my ongoing education shall we say!
🙂
Vicky