A photographer who doesn't know who Ansel Adams is... still.

Wayne · Oct 27, 2015

ah yes the Man Ray is also an interesting fellow for sure, but again not the name I would introduce people to first. But that's just me, and I like Man ray. I even have his films, though I can't watch them because they maketh me dizzy.

But I can see both sides. I'm not so much defending AA as the first one that should be taught, mostly just explaining why he is. He was certainly one of the early ones I was exposed to and I followed that to EW and Man Ray and many others and actually came to think of AA as rather dull for many years. But more recently I've come to appreciate him again, for what he is. I don't think there is one name in photography that should be revered or remembered above all others. I could pick my favorite photographer, but I couldn't pick one as "most important"

jnanian said:
hey wayne

not necessarily "interested" in him
but i think it is important for any student.beginner &c
to know there is more to film making than michael moore and robert gardener
just as there is more to photography than aa, hcb, siskind or weegee.
that is why i suggested early in the thread someone from the 20s/30s like
man ray, who pushed photography beyond what people thought was possible.
too many people, old, young, students, professionals / whatever forget
the world exists beyond the blinders they put on themselves
( or someone else/their peers, online friends, work, limited experience/knowledge has them wear ).

but that's my take and i'm often wrong

john

RobC · Oct 27, 2015

I really think someone new photography should be looking at what is happening today in photography and not so much at what us dinosaurs are looking at. To that end I would suggest those in the UK (and elsewhere) should look at sites such as:

http://www.bjp-online.com/

the Guardian newpaper is known for for its photography/photojournalism from leading proponents

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/photography
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/don-mccullin

leading photography galleries / exhibition spaces

http://www.vam.ac.uk/contentapi/sea...bmit+Query#?q=photography&Search=Submit+Query

http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/a...otographers-represented-in-the-collection.php

http://www.beetlesandhuxley.com/

And for a history of early photographers...

http://www.mpritchard.com/photohistory/index.html

removed account4 · Oct 28, 2015

Wayne said:
ah yes the Man Ray is also an interesting fellow for sure, but again not the name I would introduce people to first. But that's just me, and I like Man ray. I even have his films, though I can't watch them because they maketh me dizzy.

But I can see both sides. I'm not so much defending AA as the first one that should be taught, mostly just explaining why he is. He was certainly one of the early ones I was exposed to and I followed that to EW and Man Ray and many others and actually came to think of AA as rather dull for many years. But more recently I've come to appreciate him again, for what he is. I don't think there is one name in photography that should be revered or remembered above all others. I could pick my favorite photographer, but I couldn't pick one as "most important"

couldn't agree more with what you said

jovo · Oct 28, 2015

ambaker;1953805882... I would recommend looking at the work of as many different photographers as possible; in order to learn what is possible. Then decide what speaks to him said:
Recommending one or two photographers is like introducing French cuisine with a menu of one or two items. There are a myriad of on-line galleries to consider, particularly the web sites of prominent photography dealers who list their artists often with thumbnails of their work when mousing over their names. These galleries represent historical, contemporary, and emerging photographers often at the same time. You have a wonderful opportunity to teach here.

MattKing · Oct 28, 2015

There is a difference between not knowing about the contribution of Ansel Adams to photography and not being inspired by his work.

gzhuang · Oct 28, 2015

Vivien Maier?

RobC · Oct 28, 2015

Since we're still throwing in the deceased, I trump your Vivian Maier with Dead Link Removed

And to trump allcomers for importance to "photography" http://www.mpritchard.com/photohistory/history/herschel.htm without whom the word "photography" would/may not exist

ignatiu5 · Oct 28, 2015

Bill Burk said:
Who should it be?

In contrast to the many previous replies, why should it be anyone at all?

You're a photographer; I'd wager that you, like many of us, have photography books in your home. Your son knows where they are. Your son likely can find the library. He knows how to navigate the internet. Why not let him find his own influences organically? Since I doubt that this

Bill Burk said:
I often cringe to find Ansel Adams is the first photographer that comes to "most" people's minds.

is the only bias that you have regarding photography or photographers, why color his experience with your (or my, or anyone else's) strong feelings?

Ian Grant · Oct 28, 2015

It's all about perception. I remember visiting North Wales around 1976/7 in an area where some locals only spoke Welsh and their perception of a well know photographer was Lord Snowdon, the Queen's then Brother in law.

There's also re-interpretation, I saw a superb exhibition of Kertesz's contemporary prints (made around the time je first shot them) at the Barbican quite a few years ago, it was in a second gallery alongside either the big Art of Photography 1989 Exhibition or the Ansel Adam Exhibition there. The prints were small and jewel like on warm tone papers. Quite a few years later I went to another exhibition of his work and the much larger modern prints (off the same negatives) just lacked the quality of the older prints and were frankly quite disappointing.

With Ansel Adam's it's the other way around his later re-interpretations of his images were usually significantly better than the early contemporary prints. No-one seeing the major Exhibition of his work around 1988-90 (it toured US/UK and elsewhere) with the Catalogue "Classic Images" could doubt his importance. You do need to see actual prints not jsut books.

So I'd say to Bill give your son the Ansel Adams Trilogy but add some Weston and Minor white

Ian

Sirius Glass · Oct 28, 2015

RobC said:
Since we're still throwing in the deceased, I trump your Vivian Maier with Dead Link Removed

And to trump allcomers for importance to "photography" http://www.mpritchard.com/photohistory/history/herschel.htm without whom the word "photography" would/may not exist

The Dead Photographers Club.

James Page · Oct 28, 2015

Robert Frank. And, yes, I cringe too when people mention AA as their favorite photographer. Its the equivilent, in my mind, of mentioning Thomas Kincaide as your favorite artist.

But hell, who am I to judge other's taste? all aesthetics is subjective. I was just in some galleries in the East Village this weekend and saw some hideous abstract stuff, big bright splashes of color on huge canvasses. The kind of thing that was beaten to death back in the 50's and is essentially on the kevel of home decoration at this point. All selling for upper five figures, by some woman with a hyphenated french name, in some gallery where, if you're in jenas and leather jacket, they look at you suspiciously. The pretension of "Art" is silly from whatever perspective you look, down your nose or up at the stupidities of the moneyed classes.

K-G · Oct 29, 2015

Ian Grant said:
So I'd say to Bill give your son the Ansel Adams Trilogy but add some Weston and Minor white
Ian

I definitely agree and will also add the German photographer Robert Haeusser ( sadly also deceased ) .

Karl-Gustaf

Alan Klein · Oct 29, 2015

One thing I noticed. Everyone's work looks better the larger it is. When I go to a museum or gallery, which is infrequent unfortunately, I'm always impressed with photos that are BIG. Minor complaints seem to drown in the print's size.

Bill Burk · Oct 30, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
Helmut Newton

And two votes for Helmut Newton.

But my son, he's 19, is not likely to find himself comfortable in fashion.

That's not hard for me to accept (he's like me in that regard), the part that's hard for me to accept is he's also not likely to find himself comfortable in landscape photography.

But to get him started for his first assignment I can show him Man Ray, Moholy Nagy, Minor White... Joel-Peter Witkin, Francesca Woodman, Bill Brandt, Diane Arbus (he has an assignment for mystery)

ambaker · Nov 5, 2015

I'd add John Free. He is a west coast street photographer, and has just been interviewed on art of Photography on you tube. A search should bring him up.

Was a very interesting 8 minutes, and I thought his points were very valid. Even better yet he still uses film.

Episode was very watchable, and informative as he explained what he was after, and what he wanted new photographers to learn from him.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Steve Roberts · Nov 5, 2015

Ansel who?

(Apologies if that's already been said - I've not read all the posts!)

Steve

CropDusterMan · Nov 5, 2015

I work in Vegas these days, and the company has a bunch of Peter Lik prints hanging about...the way people view his work,
or talk about it, you'd swear the guy invented photography. Perhaps HDR. Although his prints are impressive on initial glance, it's quite clear of their long time spent cooking in the oven.

The original works of Cartier-Bresson, Salgado, Adams, and James Nachtwey to name a few blow my mind when I see them. They are alive to me. Captured on film, nurtured to life in development and then printed masterfully by skilled hands.

LAB BLACK · Nov 5, 2015

Harry Callahan, Max Yavno and August Sander

Bill Burk · Nov 5, 2015

LAB BLACK said:
Harry Callahan, Max Yavno and August Sander

Max Yavno book is on his bed... I'll see if he gets the hint.

removed account4 · Nov 5, 2015

Bill Burk said:
Max Yavno book is on his bed... I'll see if he gets the hint.

LOL

you crack me up bill burk.

RSalles · Jan 2, 2016

We are surprised by the fact that few knows the work of Man Ray, but there are few, very few auto-nominated professional photographers who have heard the name of Alfred Stieglitz.
99% of the photographers living here in Brazil never heard the name of Sebastiao Salgado, even in the period he worked at Magnum Agency.

Cheers,

Renato

fdonadio · Jan 2, 2016

Renato, I am taking photographs for over 20 years. I am not a professional photographer anymore, but used to be for a short time.

I am Brazilian, live in Brazil and always heard about Salgado. When I finally came to see his work (which sure is beautiful, by the way), I came to the conclusion that he is overrated. As is Ansel.

I have heard quotes attributed to Salgado that, if true, is a sign that he's better at taking photographs than talking about it.

So, my conclusion: one could be a great photographer without even knowing other photographers' works. In the end, the work of these so-called "gods", "monsters" and "masters" may not even appeal to one's taste or style.

Flavio

P.S.: Just to be clear, I believe I am better at talking about it!

cliveh · Jan 2, 2016

Bill Burk said:
I often cringe to find Ansel Adams is the first photographer that comes to "most" people's minds.

Isn't this more to do with the popularity of landscape photography, as compared to other genres.

Richard S. (rich815) · Jan 2, 2016

fdonadio said:
Renato, I am taking photographs for over 20 years. I am not a professional photographer anymore, but used to be for a short time.

I am Brazilian, live in Brazil and always heard about Salgado. When I finally came to see his work (which sure is beautiful, by the way), I came to the conclusion that he is overrated. As is Ansel.

I have heard quotes attributed to Salgado that, if true, is a sign that he's better at taking photographs than talking about it.

So, my conclusion: one could be a great photographer without even knowing other photographers' works. In the end, the work of these so-called "gods", "monsters" and "masters" may not even appeal to one's taste or style.

Flavio

P.S.: Just to be clear, I believe I am better at talking about it!

Adams and Salgado overrated, eh? So show me who you think is not. Their popularity might be over the top like many celebrities and while I find some other photographers more to my liking both of them are/were geniuses and top of their game.

Sirius Glass · Jan 2, 2016

I think that Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Sebastião Salgado et al earned their reputations and that should be respected. You may or may not like some of their work but their reputations are still deserved.

A photographer who doesn't know who Ansel Adams is... still.

Wayne

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