Top image: Untitled, 1970 – 4 (Dennis Hopper) by William Eggleston, 1970–74 ©Eggleston Artistic Trust

William Eggleston bought his first camera in 1957, at the age of eighteen. But it wasn’t until 1965 when the Tennessee-hailing photographer switched from black and white to colour film, his first bold step in carving out a trailblazing artistic language. Today, a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery celebrates his enduring influence.

From the Memphis nightclub scene where he captured the movement of legendary musicians and artists, to unseen photographs of the Clash’s Joe Strummer and Easy Rider Dennis Hopper cruising the highways, the exhibition exposes us to Eggleston’s composition of contemporary 20th century America.

An inspirer of the likes of David Lynch and Juergen Teller (both Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Van Sant’s Elephant are both homages to the photographer) Eggleston gave colour a voice in the art photography world, utilising a vibrant palette and encouraging others to follow his trail. Known for setting his images in low-key places, such as diners, petrol stations, phone booths and super markets, he realised everyday scenes in an extraordinary visual aesthetic.

The most comprehensive display of his portrait photography ever, the one hundred works on show survey the iconic photographer’s full career from the 1960s to the present day. With London weather currently hitting mercury-boiling temperatures, it’s the perfect climate to explore Eggleston’s American dream.