“Explore the dichotomies of the characteristics between the day and the night.” 

‘Photographs are perhaps the most mysterious of all the objects that make up, and thicken, the environment we recognize as modern. ‘(Sontag 1977:4) 

Introduction

During the day, the natural sunlight brings energy, clearness of the landscapes around and life to the world around us, however, at night the same landscapes/spaces give a sense of mysteriousness, loneliness and emptiness. These changes not only alter the location/setting itself but the emotional impact it has on those who experience it. The contrast between the day and night has a strong effect, with the light and shadow influencing our emotional reactions to the surroundings as well as the way we experience them.

My personal study`s main target is to explore the differences between day and night, particularly targeting how the change of time from day to night creates different moods and portrays different emotions. To explore this theme, the two photographers I have decided to do an in depth study of is: William Eggleston and Todd Hido, these two photographers capture photographs taking into account the use of light, colour and the setting in unique ways. Eggleston`s photography captures the ordinary in extraordinary ways, differently Hido`s style of photography spotlighting isolation and mystery.

In addition, I will include Pierre Putman, whose work compliments both artists by offering a different perspective on the play between light and shadow. Putman’s cinematic photographs focus on solitary dark urban settings, where artificial lighting and glowing lampposts create a dreamlike, interesting scenery, turning empty streets into powerful, emotional stories.

I will respond to their work by featuring both daytime and night-time images, influenced by the work of these three artists, in my final photobook.  

Historical /Theoretical context within art

Photography, starting off with being mainly monochromatic images, changed incredibly after The World War II (1939-1945). Initially, colour photography was only seen and linked with advertising, fashion photography and in photojournalism through publications like: Life, The Sunday Times Magazine and National Geographic. These publications made colour photography popular, by showing it to a wider audience; making colour photography more casual to view in the media. Although this type of photography was becoming popular, the world of fine art and documentary photography was slower to accept colour photography, sometimes being viewed as “vulgar” and “brash”. Black and white was always the ordinary, many artists said and believed that the importance and high detail of the monochrome photographs could not be replicated with colour photography, once again spotlighting the initial refusal to accept colour photography.

Although, colour photography at the beginning of its origin was resisted, the 1970s was a crucial period for it. In the 1970s photographers started to utilise and experiment with colour, rather than using colour photography as a tool strictly for representation, they instead focused on how it can create emotional, psychological and visceral depth in their work.  

The director of photography at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, John Szarkowski had a core feature in changing how people perceived colour photography in the art world. Szarkowski helped put together the first solo exhibition which was dedicated to colour, showing off Ernst Haas`s unique work in 1962, this had a huge influence on the acceptance of colour photography in fine art. Another huge influence on the acceptance of colour photography, was Szarkowski’s work with William Eggleston, the 1976 exhibition and the book William Eggleston’s Guide. Eggleston`s work consisted of the dye-transfer printing process which allowed him to one up the “snapshot aesthetic” and made colour photography a tool for reflection of society and an expression of creativity. 

  

Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore, and Joel Sternfeld were other American photographers who started to use colour to capture the small, little details of the American Landscape. Joel Meyerowitz published “cape light” in 1979, Stephen Shore published “uncommon places” in 1982 and Joel Sternfeld publishing “American prospects” in 1987, these three books show how the traditional camera, traditionally used with black and white film was also used to capture colour, these books became strongly influential for the development of colour photography. 

In conclusion, the late 1970s and early 1980s had a fundamental change in colour photography, this was mainly because of the hard-working photographers like Eggleston, Shore, Meyerowitz and Sternfeld. The work of these photographers is perfect in showing off how colour can be used to create emotional depth and can create an interesting story, setting up future artists to use colour photography as a powerful form of art. 

William Eggleston

William Eggleston, also known as the “father of color photography”, he has earned this title due to his inspirational work that raised colour from a basic advertisement tool to a serious form of fine art / art. Eggleston challenged the usual standard for art, black and white photography, he challenged this by making the most of dye transfer printing. Dye transfer printing is an expensive process which intensifies the saturation and colour balance of an image, although his images are quite normal and ordinary, they are turned into an incredible piece of work due to his use of colour and the dye transfer printing process aids him to get this lively feel, this is clearly shown in Eggleston`s work.

Set Of Images done with dye transfer process:

The primary moment where Eggleston started to become more known was in 1976 when he had his initial solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York where he showcased his first book, William Eggleston’s Guide. John Swarovski, the director of photography at the Museum Of Modern Art, was a key role in making Eggleston`s Guide acquire public attention. Swarovski helped Eggleston not only by choosing his excellent solo exhibition in 1976 but also helped by writing an introductory essay to the photobook. In this essay, Swarovski states that Eggleston`s work is “perfect”, and he also says that Eggleston`s work is “related in iconography and technique to the contemporary standard of vernacular camera work,” homing in on Eggleston`s focus on ordinary subjects. Many viewers initially criticized Eggleston, saying that his images lacked depth, however over time many recognized the perfect composition`s and his idea behind these photographs, opening a door for artists and photographers to use colour to express their ideas artistically. 

William Eggleston`s work was normally captured instinctually rather than conceptually, meaning he would never plan his photoshoots and would go with the flow. In an interview, Eggleston states “I never know beforehand Until I see it, it just happens all at once”. This quote shows the connection he has with his surroundings, having an impulsive and observational style of photography which still is executed successfully. Eggleston would waste no time with his photoshoots, taking one photograph per subject / focal point.

 

Similarly, when taking my photographs I took the same approach as Eggleston, finding the beauty in things we see every day. Like Eggleston, I did not plan the photograph above; by contrast I came across this setting whilst on a walk and created this response spontaneously. Eggleston`s work has a huge focus on the contrast of colour in everyday life, therefore I also did the same; the vibrant, colourful mural on the plain wall and the bright blue sky showcase the contrast in colours, I was able to capture in this image. 

Even though my photo is digital, and Eggleston often used the dye transfer printing technique to achieve the excellent use of colour and the strongly saturated tones shown in his work. My photo shows off the strong vibrant blue sky, the earthly colours of the landscape and the bold mural, almost looking like I have used the same technique as William Eggleston to capture this shot. This ties with Eggleston`s ideology that the colour on its own can form the overall mood and story of an image. 

Todd Hido

Todd Hido is a widely famous photographer. He thrives in photography by the way he uses light, colour and the overall location to create a sense of mystery and a mix of emotions. Hido`s work, especially the photographs of urban areas at night, has made him one of the biggest names in modern day photography. Similarly to William Eggleston,  Hido also takes photographs of the everyday scenery, however Eggleston mainly focuses on the beauty of the everyday life and Todd Hido does the opposite, capturing the feeling of loneliness, isolation and possible nostalgia. 

Todd Hido`s best known work is House Hunting, published in 2001. The book consists of long exposure shots taken at night of residential houses, with one single lit up window which is beaming out onto an isolated, dark road / street. The images are very mysterious and do not have a definite clear story behind them, grabbing the viewers’ attention as the viewer will pay more attention to every detail to see what is happening behind the window. Most of the photographs are taken from far away and often through car windshields, to add a blurry, dreamlike effect to his images.  Unlike William Eggleston, Todd Hido does not take his photos with precise clarity but does use distortion and softness to strengthen the mood of his work. 

Inner Pages From House Hunting (2001) – Todd Hido

The process which Todd Hido goes through during his photoshoots is very much instinctual, he drives around aimlessly looking for locations and areas which he can relate to emotionally. As discussed before this process is also done by William Eggleston where he takes a more spontaneous approach without planning his photographs and collections. Hido`s work is a lot more cinematic in comparison to Eggleston`s, Hido is inspired by filmmakers like David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock, this inspiration from filmmakers leads to an eerie, dreamlike feature which has a narrative unfolding just behind the frame of the images. 

Similarly to my project and what I investigated, Hido`s work explores the themes of solitude, emptiness and mystery. Some of his photographs are connected with his own personal memories of his own childhood and living the American suburban life.

The most obvious similarities between my images and his is the use of light in a space. In this image above by Todd Hido, light is diffused from the sun by the mist, which gives off this dreamlike, misty appearance. The approach makes it difficult to understand background from background, resulting in a sense of depth in a picture. Similarly, in my image shown above, the lights on the road turn into a yellow glowing beam because of the thick fog surrounding it, giving the same dreamlike theme / style which Hido has. The light is directly next to the darkness that is surrounding it, making solitude, loneliness and abandonment more apparent within my image. 

Compositionally, both mine and his photograph guide the viewers eyes, this is done using the obvious leading lines. In this image specifically Hido captures the sky as well as trees, however in my work I am using continuous lines created by the lamp posts and roads to add depth in my image. In both the photos, the lack of people and human presence adds to the sense of isolation, allowing the viewer to add their own emotions relating with my picture.

Conclusion

Throughout my project, I have understood how both Todd Hidos and William Egglestons photography has affected me as a photographer in terms of composition, mood and setting. At first, my assumption was that Hidos cinematic approach to light and Egglestons open approach to colour were two extremes of how to approach photography. However, once I had commenced my project, I realized that both photographers make the mood, narrative and the setting a key aspect of their work, which has really influenced my work despite their differences.

In this project, I’ve been inspired to take photos instinctively by Eggleston’s ability to find beauty within the ordinary. I also learn from his work and from his guide (William Eggleston’s Guide) that form can portray feelings and emotion just as powerfully as colour can. In contrast, Hido’s eerie, dreamlike images, like those in Bright Black World, influenced me in regards of light and loneliness, inspiring me to experiment with mood and story in my nighttime photography. Thanks to these photographers, I now have a greater understanding of how light, composition and instinct work together to create effective imagery.

As my perspective developed, I began to realise that the way I work is in between Eggleston`s spontaneous approach and Hido`s careful storytelling style. I originally believed that in order to be excellent in photography, photoshoots had to be carefully planned and conceptualized but after diving deeper into Todd Hido`s and William Eggleston`s work, I now have a better appreciation of instinctual reaction to capture photos.

In future projects or work, I will continue to take inspiration from Eggleston and Hido whenever possible whilst also taking inspiration from other photographers / artists, to create a more advanced style which suits me uniquely.

Bibliography

Websites:

Sontag, S. (1977). In Plato’s Cave. [online] Available at: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/chengphotoarth1100f2019/files/2018/02/Susan-Sontag-In-Platos-Cave.pdf. [Accessed 24 Jan. 2025]

Burroughs, A. (2016). William Eggleston, the Pioneer of Color Photography. The New York Times. [online] 17 Oct. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/t-magazine/william-eggleston-photographer-interview-augusten-burroughs.html.[Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]

REBEKAH JACOB GALLERY. (n.d.). William Eggleston. [online] Available at: https://www.rebekahjacobgallery.com/william-eggleston. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]

Film Still Photography. (2025). William Eggleston’s Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.filmstillphotography.com/william-egglestons-guide.html [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]

Atlas Gallery | Fine Art Photography. (n.d.). ERNST HAAS: NEW YORK IN COLOUR, 1952-1962. [online] Available at: https://www.atlasgallery.com/exhibition/ernst-haas-new-york-in-colour-1952-1962. [Accessed 26 Jan. 2025]

Farache, E. (2013). It Was Too Strong: An Interview with Todd Hido. [online] The Paris Review. Available at: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2013/11/19/it-was-too-strong-an-interview-with-todd-hido/. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2025]

Hido, T. (2017). Todd Hido On ‘Homes at Night’ and Illustrating Memories in Photography – Interview by Coralie Kraft | LensCulture. [online] LensCulture. Available at: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography. [Accessed 28 Jan. 2025]

Grieve, M. (n.d.). Todd Hido’s Bright Black World – 1854 Photography. [online] www.1854.photography. Available at: https://www.1854.photography/2019/01/todd-hido-black/. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025]

Hido, T. (n.d.). House Hunting. [online] www.toddhido.com. Available at: http://www.toddhido.com/househunting. [Accessed 29 Jan. 2025]

Books:

Jaeger, A.-C. (2008). Image makers, image takers : the essential guide to photography by those in the know. London Thames & Hudson.

Lowe, P. (2019). A chronology of photography : a cultural timeline from camera obscura to Instagram. New York: Thames & Hudson.