Today we are going to look at how artists use color to...

• evoke specific emotions, 

• create mood and atmosphere, 

• enhances communication and design,

• guide the viewer's eye to important elements,

• contributes to personal and brand identity

• convey certain meanings or ideas.

Exploring the Everyday — Inspired by William Eggleston

Objective: To capture the beauty and significance of everyday scenes and ordinary objects using color, composition, and perspective, echoing William Eggleston’s pioneering style in color photography.

Directions:

1. Subject Matter: Choose everyday scenes or objects around you—think of things you might normally overlook. This could be:

• A corner of your kitchen or living room.

• Street signs, parking lots, or gas stations.

• Colorful signage or peeling paint on walls.

• Shadows and reflections in urban or suburban environments.

2. Focus on Color: Use color intentionally. Pay attention to how colors interact in the frame—contrasts, harmonies, and saturation. Capture vibrant or unexpected colors in your surroundings.

3. Composition: Frame your shots with care. Use unconventional angles, tight crops, or negative space to highlight your subject. Try to create a sense of narrative or mood in the image.

4. Capture the Ordinary as Extraordinary: Your goal is to make the viewer see an everyday object or scene in a new way, showing its beauty or strangeness.

Technical Notes:

• Shoot in color

• Avoid heavy PS editing; aim for natural, honest colors.

• Experiment with natural light.

• Take multiple shots to explore different perspectives.

5. Turn in your series of 5-7 digital images on one long PS doc: 30 x 10, 300ppi

6. Write a short artist statement (100-200 words) explaining your choice of subjects and how you approached the assignment in the spirit of William Eggleston.

Optional Challenge: Try to find a recurring motif or color in your photos, similar to how Eggleston often revisits themes (like red objects, or certain textures) to create cohesion.