The four greatest photographers?

ongarine · Jul 31, 2006

It is too difficult to name four photographers to summarize my own personal taste, so I will give you my Fabs Four for the early days of photography:

- Charles Le Gray
- Eduard Baldus
- Carleton Watkins
- PH Emerson
and let me please add another
- Frederick Evans

I admit my soft spot for Pathfinders in photography............

catem · Jul 31, 2006

Oh yes - well, others have had more than four so let me -

As so many people choose Edward Weston, let's not forget

*Tina Modotti*

We were fortunate to have a major exhibition of Tina Modotti's and Edward Weston's work in London a couple of years ago (and yes, her name did come first in the title of the exhibition).

I was unfamiliar with Modotti's work, which was mostly still life and abstract work, with a little of the later more political stuff for which I think she is, perhaps unfortunately, better known. I have to say (heresy! heresy!) I found her work more exquisite that Weston's (with which I was very familiar).

To think she was only involved as an active photographer for something like six years of her life, she was truly exceptional.
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/M/modotti/modotti.html

GraemeMitchell · Jul 31, 2006

Has anyone mentioned Avedon? I'd think he could be included for his influence on portrait photography. He was a photographer I feel found a clear vision after many years of exploring how to incorporate a philosophy into a portrait, by no means an easy thing.

I like the idea of picking 4. For all those people giving the original question hell, lighten up: it's just an exercise. (Okay, I'm not even attempting to be barking orders here...I just felt bad about the original poster getting grief for an interesting question.)

Anyway, for me, far from my favorites but certainly greats:
A. Adams: don't love him, but well, he's a monster in the medium...
C. Bresson: Same reason as Adams
R. Avedon: already said why.
hmmmm, for the 4th I'd like to pick Weston, Steiglitz, or another historical one, but I also feel Leibovitz and Kenna and other contemporaries are deserving for more recent influences.

catem · Jul 31, 2006

GraemeMitchell said:
I like the idea of picking 4. For all those people giving the original question hell, lighten up: it's just an exercise.

Hey, lighten up too - we're only playing
Serious enough points, too though, behind the difficulty and rationale of making choices....
Cate

Tony Egan · Jul 31, 2006

All of the above plus:
4 Fine ladies:
Diane Arbus
Cindy Sherman
Tracey Moffat
Linda Connor

4 Fine Australians:
Max Dupain
David Moore
Murray Fredericks
Trent Parke

removed account4 · Jul 31, 2006

jnanian said:
atget

kertesz

karsh

garo

i have a handful of others to mention, but i don't now how many to stop at ...
this is the "greatest of all time list" ? or " my personal fan-list" ?

=========
=========

oh in case you are trying to figure out who garo is ...
garo (john garobedian) was karsh's mentor/teacher.
kind of the karsh before karsh.
photographed presidents, the who's who if his day in his boston studio.
was known to drink bootleg booze out of buckets labeled "fixer + develper" with arthur fiedler and his pals... was one of the people that kept doing pt/prints+gumovers after they went out of vogue.
was asked by charles eastman to be in charge of kodak's labs but turned it down saying he was an artist not a technician. by the late 30s died poor and in relative obscurity.

smieglitz · Jul 31, 2006

W. Eugene Smith
Edward Steichen
Edward Weston

Then a multitude of also-rans...

blansky · Jul 31, 2006

This reminds me of kids sitting on the porch debating who was the best baseball player. Everyone has to show off and rattle off stats to prove they are knowledgeable.

I've always thought it more productive to actually play baseball.

Michael

Wigwam Jones · Jul 31, 2006

blansky said:
This reminds me of kids sitting on the porch debating who was the best baseball player. Everyone has to show off and rattle off stats to prove they are knowledgeable.

I've always thought it more productive to actually play baseball.

Michael

It also can provoke people to look up an unfamiliar artist, especially when mentioned in conjunction with a name one already knows and likes. I've been doing a small amount of Googling on some of these names that I don't know, and I've enjoyed it.

Just my 2 cents.

catem · Jul 31, 2006

Wigwam Jones said:
It also can provoke people to look up an unfamiliar artist, especially when mentioned in conjunction with a name one already knows and likes. I've been doing a small amount of Googling on some of these names that I don't know, and I've enjoyed it.

Just my 2 cents.

Me too - I just wish there was more space for names, and less emphasis on "the greatest" so more of the unfamiliar ones would come up.

Surely it's no different from other threads where people offer preferences and/or and info on technical matters? Isn't sharing info what it's all about? I don't see that as showing off.
My 2p

Cate

Wigwam Jones · Jul 31, 2006

Stargazer said:
Me too - I just wish there was more space for names, and less emphasis on "the greatest" so more of the unfamiliar ones would come up.

I like it - it forces people to distill their thoughts into a list of four. It may only be the four that come most quickly to mind, the four they have most recently been influenced by or seen exhibits of, but in some ways - like the psychologist who asks you "What's the first thing you think of when I say..."

I think the format is not likely to produce a list of the four 'best' photographers, if there could even be such a thing. But read between the lines, there is genius here.

Surely it's no different from other threads where people offer preferences and/or and info on technical matters? Isn't sharing info what it's all about? I don't see that as showing off.
My 2p

I think Blansky has a point - some may feel the need to trot out their list of the obscure to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge, and that's fine.

However, while those worthies get out the rulers and measure their, uh, equipment, I'll take a look at the obscure names they provide and see if there is anything there for me. In other words, I don't care what their true motivation is - I'm enjoying what I can take from this thread.

catem · Jul 31, 2006

Wigwam Jones said:
I think Blansky has a point - some may feel the need to trot out their list of the obscure to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge, and that's fine.

There haven't been that many 'obscure' photographers have there?

Unless maybe it's that the U.S. contingent thinks any photographer outside the U.S. of A. must be pretty obscure

df cardwell · Jul 31, 2006

blansky said:
This reminds me of kids sitting on the porch debating who was the best baseball player. Everyone has to show off and rattle off stats to prove they are knowledgeable.

I've always thought it more productive to actually play baseball.

Michael

Blansky

It's 90 degrees with 60% humidity, and nobody on the street WANTS to play baseball.

Besides, Karsh couldn't hit a curveball.

But more to the point, Howe was better than Gretzky.

.

df cardwell · Jul 31, 2006

Stargazer said:
There haven't been that many 'obscure' photographers have there?

Unless maybe it's that the U.S. contingent thinks any photographer outside the U.S. of A. must be pretty obscure

But it's true

Wigwam Jones · Jul 31, 2006

Stargazer said:
There haven't been that many 'obscure' photographers have there?

???

I'd say far more obscure than not.

Thousands. Tens of thousands. More, even. For every photographer who got famous, a thousand got a book that didn't sell. For every photographer who got a book that didn't sell, a thousand got a local gallery exhibition that no one went to. For every photographer who got a local gallery exhibition that no one went to, a thousand kept their photos to themselves because "I only take photographs for myself." Any of these could have photographs I'd like to see. I can't see them all, or even be aware of them all, so I read what I can and try to track down what I'm capable of finding.

Unless maybe it's that the U.S. contingent thinks any photographer outside the U.S. of A. must be pretty obscure

No, we ignore our own as well as we ignore others. Good to see taking random potshots at other countries for no particular reason is also not strictly a US trait.

blansky · Jul 31, 2006

df cardwell said:
But more to the point, Howe was better than Gretzky.

.

Apples and oranges. Hatchet and scalpel?

Michael

roteague · Jul 31, 2006

Stargazer said:
Unless maybe it's that the U.S. contingent thinks any photographer outside the U.S. of A. must be pretty obscure

Oh, I know who Joe Cornish, David Ward, (I used to know who Colin Prior was until he went digital) and a host of other great UK photographers are.

df cardwell · Jul 31, 2006

blansky said:
Apples and oranges. Hatchet and scalpel?

Michael

Must be a nice comfy morning out your way !

catem · Jul 31, 2006

Wigwam Jones said:
???

I'd say far more obscure than not.

Thousands. Tens of thousands. More, even. For every photographer who got famous, a thousand got a book that didn't sell. ....etc

I meant on this thread, because you said

Wigwam Jones said:
I think Blansky has a point - some may feel the need to trot out their list of the obscure to demonstrate the depth of their knowledge, and that's fine.

Wigwam Jones said:
Good to see taking random potshots at other countries for no particular reason is also not strictly a US trait.

As if I'd dare

catem · Jul 31, 2006

roteague said:
Oh, I know who Joe Cornish, David Ward, (I used to know who Colin Prior was until he went digital) and a host of other great UK photographers are.

Please tell me you also know the work of Fay Godwin - she is one of our very best-loved and most influencial landscape photographers, (sadly died a year or so ago) - even considered so by photographers who are not women

roteague · Jul 31, 2006

Stargazer said:
Please tell me you also know the work of Fay Godwin - she is one of our very best-loved and most influencial landscape photographers, (sadly died a year or so ago) - even considered so by photographers who are not women

I've heard of her, and her work is very good. I remember reading of her death in one of the UK photography magazines. You make a good point, there are so few women landscape photographers, anywhere.

blansky · Jul 31, 2006

df cardwell said:
Must be a nice comfy morning out your way !

Paradise.

Poured a little Pinot on the corn flakes this morning and out in the yard enjoying the day. The heat wave is over.

Michael

df cardwell · Jul 31, 2006

blansky said:
Paradise.

Poured a little Pinot on the corn flakes this morning and out in the yard enjoying the day. The heat wave is over.

Michael

Pull your socks up, I'll be right over.

blansky · Jul 31, 2006

df cardwell said:
Pull your socks up, I'll be right over.

I'll be waiting down by the picket fence.

Michael

donbga · Jul 31, 2006

roteague said:
(I used to know who Colin Prior was until he went digital)

So did Colin change his name after going digital?

The four greatest photographers?

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