Legendary Photographer Reveals A Hidden History

[@bradholbrooks]

I ran across William Christenberry several years ago, and I finally felt like I found someone I could relate to. I'd been taking pix around my hometown for 20 years. I also live in the southern U.S. We see all the great pix from famous photographers in famous places, but when we go out to make photographs, it's kudzu, abandoned buildings, and telephone poles with lines running through almost every shot. I decided, if this is what I have to work with, at least it will be unique. So, I continue to go out several times a year and photograph the same places. Most of them are gone now, so I'm glad I went out and had fun getting the last pix of them. It's not popular, I'm not going to make any money, and I'll probably never be invited to work on any great projects, but this is my great project of documenting my surroundings and it means something to me. Shifting my focus to documentary art has given me a reason to shoot, and it challenges me to find new ways to photograph not so photogenic subjects. I've found that I've learned how to be more creative with the skills that I've continued to acquire.

[@angloart8410]

I have just come upon your channel; it is so nice to find discussion of photography on youtube rather than the hours and weeks worth of garbage 'content' about camera models and lens reviews and other such dross. A very warm and appreciative discussion of Christenberry who I think is be less celebrated than he ought to be (certainly he is not much discussed here in the UK). I have a beautiful monograph on his work published by Aperture - I don't know if it is still in print.

[@williamcrawford7857]

I'm drawn to abandoned buildings like a moth to a flame, there is something romantic and magical about them.

[@boblee7844]

I am not from the South but now live here. I'm a mid-westerner. My wife was born and raised, until college, in a small rural/country town in rural Georgia. About 8-10 thousand people live there, at most. Having gone "home" with her many, many times since marriage, and being a fan of photography, I began to take pictures of rural African-American/Black South Georgia, always with some trepidation that even in 2023, a Black man with a camera could be viewed as a threat by White and Black rural Georgia residents. to date, I've had NO confrontations or threats which has allowed me the privilege of learning and appreciating the beauty of rural and storied communities and buildings in Rural/Country Georgia. Thank you for your pictorial guided tour through experiences I was already experiencing. I wish I could post some of my images of clapboard houses and abandoned buildings and dirt roads here so others could see the beauty that I have grown to appreciate and even love.

[@tedphillips2951]

I have never heard of William Christenberry but I was blown away by this video, from the photos to the reconstruction of the buildings. I can't quite put into words what I feel but there is a soul in the South that I have never felt anywhere else. Another winner video. Thanks

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@autokrohne]

There is a wonderfully understated elegance the Christenberry’s work. Easily overlooked, but worth the time to appreciate.

[@dangilmore9724]

Christenberry is very "wabi-sabi" in his approach and theme. Great work.

[@richardstockham4320]

I am an Alabaman, so when you covered Eggelston’s work the other day I wondered if you knew about his country cousin, the other William. Christenberry’s photos have always been for me like lone sentinels worn smooth with passing on the road to landscapes of memory otherwise vanished. But I have always believed the feelings they inspire, a little bit homely, familiar, awkward, slightly embarrassed, conflicted, was because these images, and the countless facsimiles they summon up, staked out the territory of my childhood and minded my comings and goings. Like so many southerners of that era, they fit into my local lexicon like y’all and aint. We know it’s not proper, but it’s ours. Imagine my utter amazement when you say they resonate with you and your South Aftican past! But perhaps it should not be that surprising. Hale County, Alabama lies just south of Tuscaloosa, and the University of Alabama. It lies between the University and Selma to the southeast. Much injustice, and the calling out of those injustices, roiled across that beautiful land in the 1960s, and even up til the present. But Christenberry’s photos speak nothing of these causes. They just record the effects. Unflinching. Thanks for giving me a broader perspective on this artist. This work you are doing is really inspiring. Please keep it up!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@ThePhotographicEye]

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[@spamllama]

Thanks for introducing me to another wonderful photographer and inspiration.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Anytime

[@fotoarttoo]

I have had the great good fortune to know and exhibit with the two "Williams". And you are correct, their personalities, and ways of seeing are quite different. Christenberry was an incredible, kind, gracious and generous human. And even though I was much younger , he treated me as a peer. A very special and talented human being for sure. We miss he much. And thank you for bring he and his work to a new audience. Cheers

[@5000Helme]

Fantastic. Haven't known his work. I'm in the same lane he was photographically

[@trishf29]

Thanks Alex, for this video and for introducing me to William Christenberry. I couldn’t help but think of all the similar buildings I’ve seen in my life in Australia that were similar to his photographs. So it took me on a nostalgic trip, wishing at the same time that I had taken photos of those places in my childhood, now long gone. I only began to photograph some of them in my home town from the 1960s, and even more during the 1970s onwards, so at least I have retained some memory of now demolished buildings. But there’s a heck of a lot that’s now disappeared from the landscape, replaced by uninteresting concrete buildings.

[@douggoodhill]

When I was a freshman art student, my main instructor took a few of us aside to see some of his photographs. They were sill in the drug store envelope, and the images were of southern America. My father was an architctural photographer so I had a strong background in photography, and the world of snapshot cameras and drug store processing were a long way from my photographic experience. Over the years, this took place in January 1971, Bill Christenberry's images and teaching in general still influence my work. I did not know the Egelston story - wow - fascinating. Egelston's work was important to me when I transitioned from large format B&W photography to digital color. When Bill showed us his photographs, his conversation was mostly about Walker Evans. Thank you for making others aware of this important photographer.

[@scottfrenchart]

Great Job as always, Alex! Thanks for introducing me to William Christenberry and his work. There's real poetry to his images. Like many of my favorite photographers who shoot similar subjects, there's a lot more going on here than just pictures of buildings.

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Thank you Alex. When I see where we are today with photography and see this authentic work, I wish we could turn the clock back.

[@jamielonghurst6373]

I recently came upon your channel and must say I truly enjoy your videos. In this day and age of instant gratification - Instagram and TikTok, and KZbin Shorts, it's absolutely refreshing to come upon a thoughtful and well-presented story of William Christenberry and his friend William Eggleston. So important to remember and admire these important figures in photography. Thank you for this!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

That’s awesome, thank you for watching

[@johnpollock6996]

This video really struck home to me Alex. I thank you enormously for producing it. I felt like I was riding around in the back seat of our 1958 Plymouth station wagon in North Carolina. It was like much of my youth encapsulated in one video. Wow, what a great production. Having no art world in my history and having never heard of William Christenberry, I will definitely delve deeper into his works. Thanks again.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

That’s awesome, thanks for watching

[@lescar2582]

I am obsessed with your videos. So influential and inspiring. I believe.... no, I know, your videos are the best on KZbin. Thank you so much.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Awesome, thank you for watching

[@garypeck1559]

This was gorgeous. I think a lot of photography deals with the idea of impermanence. As soon as we make a picture it becomes a moment history. And as I get older, the most mundane image can start to "haunt" me because of the significance I assign to it.

[@timothybirt3540]

Dear Alex, such a smart, generous and open assessment of someone who made a real contribution to the purpose and style of the photographic image. Through this channel’s growing body of videos you are quickly building a considerable body of work , to go alongside your professional portfolio, generously sharing your experience, love and knowledge of your chosen art - its craft and history. I ,for one, am very grateful.

[@LensForgotten]

My current project is similar to Christenberry’s but in black and white. Thanks for this video. Great job

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@toine1915]

Stunning video, Alex. With amazing pictures. Especially the subjects in this picture are awesome. Greetings from the Netherlands, Antoine.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Hi, thanks for watching

[@stevenmccaughan2752]

This is my William Chistenberry moment I was driving thru rural Virginia and glanced out the window and there was the red shack back in the woods and thought to myself that is a William Christenberry photograph and of course I turned around and took the picture as Picasso says steal from the best as he rips of Matisse

[@richardrizzo_photography]

Well done Alex, living and photographing in the rural south most of my life I fell in love with Christenberry's work when I first learned of him a decade ago. Eggleston and Evans photography grew on me too soon after that.

[@philmartin5689]

A rather wonderful video of a wonderful photographer. I knew of his images but never knew he made miniature replicas of them. I must admit I have a major soft spot for models, as a child I wanted to be the guy who made the dioramas in the museum and his are remarkable.

[@jonathanm9436]

Those models are both charming and surprising dimensions for a photographer to explore.

[@DI-cm5xc]

Thank you Alex. Well presented and enjoyable as always.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@Rich_Warne]

Thank you for the intro to William Christenberry

[@gregkiserphotography]

Thank you for introducing Christenberry's work. I love his subject matter, and I now have a significant photographer to look at who shoots those things that I do.

[@ChrisW.Fuji_Canon]

Thank you so much 🙏😍👋

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@jeffstephens5266]

That’s given me a good reason to continue my recently started project. I’ve been taken shots of dilapidated buildings on the small island where I live. Dilapidated due to weather, time or more recently abandoned because of collapsed businesses due to Covid.

[@seaeagles6025]

Hi Alex, Thank you very much for this great video, what a great photographer William Christenberry was. We should love where we live and document the area in which we live. Because things change, i had so many memories in the place where l lived and i regret not photographing my High School and the Ice Skating rink where i used to skate. But watching your video it made me think that i will now photograph things in my area. I also liked the photos of Walker Evans.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching

[@seaeagles6025]

@@ThePhotographicEye Your welcome

[@natasakapetan1713]

I love all this and your channel so so much

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you

[@ashstubbings2603]

Hi Alex! I had a bit of 'lightbulb moment' whilst watching your video. Having looked at the work of Willian Christenberry, and listening to you talking about him, it made me want to photography ordinary mundane things that people have never given a second thought to!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Wonderful!

[@bvista58]

that was a very interesting video Alex.......first Williams lived in the same time frame as my mum 1936 -2016 and we have an old guy in our Australian rural town that does exactly what he did...he creates miniature models of historic buildings in the shire....I assume he would have made them based on photographs that he takes beforehand. It will be invaluable in years to come to preserve history for the next generations.....thank you for bringing William to my attention

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank for watching

[@BlackHawkVirtualMediaSparks]

Thank you for all your great videos, your insight, and your knowledge of art and photography. I've been shooting since 1970 and had short lapses where I did very little with my camera. Listening to you has inspired me to review my work as I have different styles of work. I always go back to my original love of photographing people. I've never asked anyone to review my work, I guess I don't trust that I would get an honest opinion so I don't ask. Again thank you for such great work and for opening my eyes to other photographers that I've never known about.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thank you for watching

[@johnclay7644]

informative video

[@heinzhagenbucher4714]

Hello Alex. Since I watch, almost from the beginning, your great, and thoughtful channel, there is something burning in me. I've hardly missed any of your videos about artists, about thoughts on photography, struggles on your (our) journey in this topic. And I really appreciate your work, and friendly communication. And this last video gave me the last push, to try and write down, what troubles me about myself, my photography, and ART. I'm a technician since many years, and never had an art school or any kind of that sort. But I'm always intrigue to learn and understand it. I love taking appealing images, sometimes beautiful ones, but they are far of from art. And when I look at the works from the great artists, the ones you present, or the books that I read, I very often don't see that art. Like now, it might be the story behind all these houses, and churches, but if I look at the images as individuals, I just don't get the art. Or if I look at the images of Peter Lindbergh, or any other well known photographer, the images are most often ordinary. Is it the lack of my vision, my sensibility to "see" the art, the story? So what runs in my head in circles, if I don't see this art in the great ones, how can I ever find "art" in my images? Sorry write a bit so positive thought underneath your video, but this is a real blocker for me. Wish you a lovely Monday

[@BWOOHAHAHAAA]

Was it a small name photographer who made you want to make photo art?

[@heinzhagenbucher4714]

@@BWOOHAHAHAAA Hello No, just that I want to make more, then just images, I see in my daily live. Hard to explain, but for me, I struggle get the grasp of ART.

[@angelamaloney4871]

I love your videos. You often help me further appreciate photographers whose work I know or bring entirely new photographers to my attention, like William Christenberry. But when you bring someone new to my attention, I really wish you’d supply somewhere to go see more of their work. Maybe via an affiliate link to some of their photo books? It could help you earn a little more cash from the channel too.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for watching. Often there isn't an offical site for a photographer - especially one who has passed away. Such is the case here with William Christenberry.

[@tedbrown7908]

OMG, I just made a connection of Eggleston and David Yarrow. Yarrow's mainstay is to get eye level or ground level with the subject. Did David Yarrow learn this technic from Eggleston? That's pretty cool that Christenberry had the foresight to construct in miniature the buildings he photographed.

[@melody3741]

After your earlier video on eggleston I actually started looking around me and I found out that there were indeed a lot of opportunities that I had missed but the problem is that they're all horrific. It's not like they're just not classically pretty or something it's like retail and industrial spaces that are full of absolutely horrible awful feelings. Like if I actually took pictures of these I would feel dirty just to have them near the rest of my photos. So I'm kind of conflicted as to whether I should share that feeling with someone else or just let it die

[@DRGBTL23]

I guess one could feel nostalgia for times and places they didn’t live or experience…

[@genernator]

A CHALLENGE FOR ALEX: Content. Grist for the mill. Accept an anonymous photo from viewers. No promises. At your own discretion choose one from time to time for examination and discussion. Would be very interesting and give an unknown person some unaccredited satisfaction.

[@tomamyx3980]

This is kinda scary... this morning I pulled William Christenberry's photo book off the shelf and leafed through it for maybe the 100th time, then took a short walk, photographed a few churches in my neighborhood, then turned on KZbin, and this is on! Maybe we had the same thought?! Anyway, I enjoy your channel.

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Serendipity at work! Thanks so much - great to have you here :D

[@andrewgallup3890]

Although I believe I may be in-tune to what you presented, once again you give me something to think about, thank you. This summer I will be traveling around New Mexico which provides a wide-range of opportunity from prehistoric dwellings, 17th Century ruins, and Anglo and Spanish architecture. One thought invades very often when I look at a building, "Life happened in that place." I believe that has some sort of "vibrance," perhaps very slight, in my photo.

[@TheNitebinder]

Interesting #video documentary.

[@royhobbs785]

There is an art in seeing what's in front of you, if you don't slow down you will miss it!

[@paputnam1]

This video has given me an epiphany. Now I need to do some research.

[@Rob.1340]

Thank you. All the best. 👍📷😎

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks, you too!

[@janvanheerden265]

Wonderful 🎉

[@dingo3718]

I've done that ,taken image's and struggle why I've taken it, I've just forgotten what it meant at that moment in time .

[@chrisloomis1489]

Beautiful gondola SOUTHERN rail car .... NO UGLY GRAFFITI !! Ah; the World , before hoodlum graffiti " Eye Aid's " ....Beautiful. 🙏🏻

[@tahaceen]

I am surprised that nobody pointed it out and at the risk of being called grammar nazi or whatever but "Legendary" is spelled wrong in your title!

[@ThePhotographicEye]

Thanks for the correction :D

[@NoahStephens]

This is straightforward documentation of dilapidated places. There is nothing fine art about this.

[@roboldx9171]

It would be good if you had a look at another hero of photography. Harold Edgerton

[@ThePhotographicEye]

One of those people whom everyone knows the image, but not the name..

[@jackdarren9210]

Roll tide.

[@genernator]

It is a sad commentary on the state of the art of photography when a guy like Eggleston attains any level of acclaim. It is trash. The instamatic guy. Ray Charles photo album. Please! If you are desperate for content allow me to share my street photographs of NYC I have taken over the past 10 years and give some fresh blood some well deserved attention.