I began working on this body of work back in the fall of 2017.
I was living in Orange County where my children and I had landed after living in Hong Kong for 15 years. As the kids started college and moving on, I had more time to focus my attention on my passion and work. In doing so, I started to travel into Los Angeles to explore the city streets.
I had been studying other street photographers such as Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander at the time and decided to challenge myself and walk in their footsteps on Hollywood and Vine and the rest of the boulevard using the multiple in-camera mode. I walked the boulevard for over a year sometimes several times a month as I built a collection of photographs using the multiple in-camera setting.
This particular photograph ‘What Price Glory’ was taken a year after I had completed that series. I continue to walk Hollywood Boulevard to capture its essence making traditional street photographs, however on this particular walk back in March of 2019, I was captured by the beauty of the light and the graffiti on a side street.
I made the photograph but it was too simple to stand alone so it inspired me to attempt to add to my multiple in-camera Hollywood Boulevard series. I had to walk several blocks, checking the viewfinder constantly to see if I could add an exposure that would enhance and not destroy the initial capture.
I do not know what drew me to the tilted traffic sign (most likely it was the tilt) or that particular area of the street, but I made the next exposure and continued on my way. It wasn’t until I imported the days work onto my computer that I realized that I may have added to my series.
There seems to always be a few stand out photographs in any body of work and I think this photograph along with Curtain Call, the initial photograph that inspired this series, are two of my personal favorites. I am thrilled that ‘What Price Glory’ has resonated beyond my Lightroom Catalog.
What do you think are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
I was drawn to the overall color palette used by the artist and the powerful rendering of the portrait of Maria Candelaria. The portrait is striking, her gaze off to the side is wistful yet strong. The mural references director Emilio Fernández’s 1943 Mexican romantic film, which was the first Latin American film to win the top prize at the Cannes Film festival – the Palme d’Or.
The mural uses flora and symbolism evoking the beauty of Mexico, one of the major themes in the film. The formal elements of color and pattern paired perfectly with the simple street view of Hollywood Boulevard.
The second consecutive photograph works largely because the color palette was muted and the graphic juxtaposition of the traffic sign in the center of the frame enhances the impact of the portrait. I knew that the placement of the sign was paramount for the photograph to work as I took the second shot. When making multiple in-camera photographs there is an element of luck no matter how calculating one is, which I love.
If you would be able to make this photo once again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or different?
I am always reexamining my photographs and as my eye becomes more sophisticated, as well as my technical skills more advanced, I may re-process an image. And this photograph has seen many versions. However, street photography by its nature doesn’t allow for second chances. What I learn from being a street photographer is how fleeting the moment on the street really is and there are no re-dos.
Ellen Friedlander shared her photograph in the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Ellen Friedlander, U.S.
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Equipment and Settings
Canon 5D Mark III
1/100 sec., f/10, ISO 320, 40mm
2 exposures
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Susan Gans
May 21, 2020 at 18:00
Have tried your process but for making Black and White Photos. A fan of Lee Friedlander’s for a long time and think of him as a mentor. But the vibrancy of this color photo is so perfect for the scene. Shooting in LA and Hollywood with its saturated light and glitzy billboards seems to scream intense color. Thanks for sharing and for your story.