Inspired by the ordinary
Photographers have been inspired by the ordinary since the dawn of photography. It’s easy to get drawn into the “bigger is better” race to find the most epic view or the most exotic destination but why not try staying close to home: can you either make the ordinary extraordinary or enjoy the banal and the overlooked?
Extraordinary
Find those corners of dirt, decaying brickwork, piles of leaves and everyday typography. How can you make them extraordinary?
Get close to lose context.
Find an unusual angle.
Pop the saturation in post-processing.
Treat your findings as if they are a still life.
Emma Davies, 2019
Emma Davies, 2021
Emma Davies, 2019
Emma Davies, 2019
Be inspired by Cig Harvey, a photographer who, in her own words, every day has”to go out into the world and find something that gives me pause or makes me gasp”.
Banal
Have a look at photographers Ed Ruscha, William Eggleston and Hilla & Bernd Becher. Have a go at making incredibly ordinary, or banal, images.
Edward Ruscha
Vacant Lot #1 (Anaheim) (1970, printed 2003)
Edward Ruscha
Vacant Lot #2 (Van Nuys) (1970, printed 2003)
William Eggleston, Untitled, c. 1983-86
Bernd Becher and Hilla Becher
Pitheads (1974)
Free beginner’s photography class
Join Emma’s class A Year With My Camera here: it’s free for a year by email.
