Late in 1955 Winogrand made his first independent excursion across the country, because of a vague sense that there were pictures to take out there. When Winogrand’s friend found out about his adventure, he showed him Walker Evan’s book American Photography, someone who Winogrand was not familiar with. When he looked at Evan’s photos, he for the first time understood that photos had understanding and intelligence, other than just viewing pleasure.