100 most influential of all time

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 20, 2012

Maybe APUG database Meister can take a web poll and make our own 100 list of most influential photographers? Or maybe we could make it positive and name our top 5?

Pioneer · Sep 20, 2012

Let's try Dorothea Lange, Sally Mann, Margaret White, Matthew Brady.

What about Daguerre?

And for goodness sake, how could you forget George Eastmann, even if you are a Brit? Just the guy who put photography into the hands of every man, woman and child, no matter their position in life.

brian d · Sep 20, 2012

Another one that I would suggest possibly should be on the list is Edward S. Curtis for his photo's of native Americans

removed account4 · Sep 20, 2012

atget, nadar
everyone else is just fluff

fastw · Sep 20, 2012

My great favourite, Franco Fontana, Where is he???

And who is Richard Billingham, for example?

cepwin · Sep 20, 2012

Having watched/listened to stuff on photo history the ordering didn't make sense. I mean the photosecessionists way in the 70's? And I agree With voceumada about the folks left out

lxdude · Sep 20, 2012

A good reminder of of why I hate these types of lists.
Avedon was famous and influential, but #1? Bullshit.
I think it's folly to try to rank them at all.

And the omissions- my god, the omissions. I do not think the UK can possibly be that provincial.
I think the name of that publication should be "Professing to be a Photographer"

semi-ambivalent · Sep 20, 2012

batwister said:
Surprised Bill Brandt was mentioned and Michael Kenna wasn't. Admittedly, Kenna only has an influence on amateurs.

I've seen Mr. Kenna's work at the Smith Gallery in Santa Fe. It's beautiful; if only I could afford a print. That being said, I also view his work as a sort of emulation phase that a lot of photographers go through on the way to finding their own voice, much like Ansel Adams and Ralph Gibson are emulated. I can live with that, but why doesn't anyone emulate Les Krims?

s-a

Curt · Sep 21, 2012

The list is a rediculus construction.

LAB BLACK · Sep 21, 2012

In my opinion, I have never reelly been a huge fan of Cindy Sherman's photograph's of train's so in that category, O Winston Link would get my vote and in addition, some of her tonalities leave me wanting for more, so for intimate landscape work, my hat's off to Paul Caponigro. I spent some time with Harry Callahan and I asked him, "Oh great one, what is the secret, what F-stop should I use?" and he replied, "The secret is to not read anything about photography and to study history..." Certainly, that seems to apply to this list.

rcam72 · Sep 21, 2012

Does having a park named after you count as influential? If so then I'd add Jacob Riis. And a +1 to Gordon Parks.

Ian David · Sep 21, 2012

lxdude said:
... Bullshit. I think it's folly to try to rank them at all.

Agreed. These sorts of lists are always crap, without exception. Just a way to fill a few empty pages and get people arguing pointlessly over a question with no answer.

MDR · Sep 21, 2012

Riis certainly is important and influential without him no concerned photography. The list is also missing the most important photographer of the 19th century the first photographer who made millions with his work, and the first photographer who brought photographs to the masses André Adolphe Eugene Disdéri the inventor of the cartes de visite.

Dominik

Benoît99 · Sep 21, 2012

fastw said:
Who compiled this list?
Maybe there really aren't any non English speaking, non Jewish photographers.

Would you like to defend your mean-spirited comment?

There are a significant number of photographers on the list whose first language is NOT English, and the majority of those listed are NOT Jewish.

fastw · Sep 21, 2012

Benoît99 said:
Would you like to defend your mean-spirited comment?

There are a significant number of photographers on the list whose first language is NOT English, and the majority of those listed are NOT Jewish.

Non English speaking and non Jewish members might disagree with you, and why do you think it's mean spirited?

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 21, 2012

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the the first one on the list, Richard Avendon is Jewish. Let's add Francesa Woodman to the list.

MDR · Sep 21, 2012

And many were not. Ansel Adam, Edward Weston, etc....

batwister · Sep 21, 2012

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Let's add Francesa Woodman to the list.

Please no. Cindy Sherman will do for the narcissists. Plus, Woodman has been known for about five minutes and she's only influenced publishers.

Curt · Sep 21, 2012

Some will see a butterfly, some will see a blood stain.

removed account4 · Sep 21, 2012

fastw said:
Non English speaking and non Jewish members might disagree with you, and why do you think it's mean spirited?

who cares what their ethnic extraction or religious background might be
they used a camera, and influenced people ( well, at least the person who wrote the article ) ..

i'd rather see other people on most of the list but does it really matter, nope, not even to me, cause i couldn't care less about lists ...

especially a list made up of main stream corporate sell outs LOL

100 most influential of all time

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