Finding the Extraordinary in the Everyday

There’s something refreshingly democratic about photographing the ordinary. You don’t need access to celebrities, stage-managed moments or exotic locations, just a curious eye and a willingness to notice the things others often walk past.

For me, there’s deep satisfaction in capturing everyday life: street corners, cafe interiors and liminal spaces. It’s in the small stuff that stories really start to unfold. And I’m not alone in thinking that.

Three photographers often come up when we talk about turning the mundane into something meaningful: Martin Parr, William Eggleston and Diane Arbus. Though they each approached it differently, they all made a point of showing us the world as it really is - without the polish.

But while their work is celebrated in galleries and photo books, it hasn’t always been embraced by everyone. Their images invite admiration, but they can also make people uncomfortable. And maybe that’s the point.

Martin Parr: Satire or Sneer?

Martin Parr’s photos are instantly recognisable - bold colours, sharp detail, and a sense of Britishness that’s both familiar and ridiculous. Think melting ice creams, greasy chip shops, crowded beaches, tacky souvenirs. His work captures the rituals of everyday life with a mix of humour and deadpan observation.

As a photographer, I have to respect Parr for his consistency and how he finds richness in the seemingly unremarkable. He’s got a great eye for timing and for spotting those little ironies in daily life.

But he’s not without his critics. Many people feel Parr’s images, especially of working-class life, come from the outside looking in. Coming from a middle-class background himself, he’s been accused of poking fun at people rather than photographing them with empathy. The big question is: is he holding up a mirror, or is he laughing behind the camera?

Some see his work as a social commentary; others find it patronising or even exploitative, and if I’m honest I’m undecided on his work. That tension, between satire and documentation, is something Parr has never really resolved, and maybe that’s what keeps the conversation around his work alive.

William Eggleston: Colour and Calm

William Eggleston is often credited with making colour photography “serious.” Before his work came along, colour was mostly seen as something for advertising or family snaps. But his 1976 exhibition at MoMA changed the game.

His images - a child’s tricycle in an empty driveway, a light bulb hanging from a cracked ceiling, a supermarket aisle - are incredibly ordinary on the surface. But the way he uses colour and composition turns them into something quietly powerful.

I’ve always liked how Eggleston doesn’t chase drama. He lets everyday things speak for themselves. There’s often a stillness in his photos that pulls you in. He is one photographer whose work I admire.

That said, some people find his work a bit cold. There’s not much in the way of human connection or emotion, it can feel like he’s keeping a distance. The beauty is often in the surface, not necessarily in the story behind it. For some, that’s enough. For others, it leaves them wanting more.

Henri Cartier Bresson once told Eggleston “William, colour is bullshit” reflecting the low regard colour photography had at the time.

Diane Arbus: Uncomfortable Truths

Diane Arbus is probably the most intense of the three. Her portraits of people living on the edges - drag artists, circus performers, people with disabilities - are raw, stark and deeply human. She wasn’t interested in glamour or flattery. She wanted truth, even if it made people uneasy.

But Arbus’s work raises questions that still get asked today. Was she empathetic, or just curious? Was she giving her subjects a voice, or framing them in a way that emphasised their difference? The power dynamic between photographer and subject is always there, but it feels more exposed in her work.

What I find compelling about Arbus is that she didn’t flinch. She let her subjects look straight at the camera, often with a kind of quiet defiance. Whether you see that as respectful or intrusive depends on your take. Either way, her work sticks with you, I know it has with me.

Seeing the World with Fresh Eyes

Despite the criticism they’ve each faced, Parr, Eggleston and Arbus all remind us that the everyday world is full of meaning, if we choose to look at it that way. The corner shop, the bus stop, the worn-out shoe, the checkered cafe floor. These aren’t just background details - they are the story.

As someone who spends a lot of time out on the street with a camera, I try to hold on to that idea. It’s not about romanticising the ordinary, but noticing its patterns, moods, and those everyday moments that otherwise would go unnoticed - that’s something thar resonates with me.

But how we see matters. So does who we are when we take the photo. Our backgrounds, assumptions and intentions all come into play. We don’t shoot in a vacuum.

Photographing the everyday isn’t just about showing what’s there, it’s about being honest, respectful and aware of the space we’re taking up. That’s where the real skill lies.