What Photographer(s) inspire you

[IOS]

Ansel Easton Adams

 

[Uhner]

Just to name a few:

Sally Mann
Christer Strömholm
Edward Weston
Robert Mapplethorpe
Ralph Gibson
Helmut Newton
Clemens Kalischer
Jiri Havran

And, of course, several on this site

 

[William Biderbost]

The Institute of Design group (1950-1980) Callahan, Siskind, Siegel, and my true inspiration and teacher, Art Sinsabaugh. After these I would have to
say Meatyard, Penn, and Arnold Newman. I note with interest and surprise an earlier entry by Helen B for Raymond Moore. I discovered his work 15 years
ago in London and along with it, his incredible and sensitive eye for landscape and quality black & white prints. Very nice to find such an obscure name
on the list.

 

[bruce terry]

In my late-fifty college days I took nothing seriously excepting certain regularly-appearing photographs in Newsweek magazine. Back then it was a big, fat wonderful weekly full of creative stuff, not the digitally-compromised, toilet-wipe-sized rag of today. It was also far more interesting than staid-ish Time.

The photographer was a young, talented guy from Lithuania name of Vitas Valaitis. His stuff was always a bit different and always – dramatically – on the money. His pictures won prize after prize through several publications over just a few short years, and I said to myself I said, 'This is the niche for me – floating like a butterfly through the business world without being part of it'.

By graduation my sensible side had me back in-hand: 'Vitas has done it all, it doesn't get any better. Forget it kid, get a real job'. And I did.

He was killed in a tragic 1965 accident at the ripe young age of 34, but he remains to this day my sentimental, all-time-favorite inspiration in the world of still photography.

I often wonder – had he lived – how he would have eventually fit-in with his peers, say the Erwitts of the world. We'll never know.

 

[dperez]

Here is my small list of influential photographers in no particular order:

Ansel Adams
Judy Dater
Dorothea Lange
Sam Abell
John Davies
Frans Lanting
Shelby Lee Adams
Jack Delano
Mary Ellen Mark
William Albert Allard
Nikos Economopoulos
Joel Meyerowitz
Manuel Alvarez Bravo
Elliot Erwitt
Cindy Sherman
Duan Michaels
Diane Arbus
Patrick Faigenbaum
Steve McCurry
Jane Evelyn Atwood
Donna Ferrato
Marion Post Walcott
John Baldessari
Larry Fink
Sebastião Salgado
Bruno Barbey
Stuart Franklin
Pentti Sammallahti
Bruce Barnbaum
Burt Glinn
Stephen Shore
John Humble
Richard Billingham
David Goldblatt
Frederick Sommer
Werner Bishof
Harry Gruyart
Chris Steele-Perkins
David Burnet
Philippe Halsman
Arthur Tress
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lewis Hine
Jerry Uelsmann
Raul Corrales
Teun Hocks
John Vink
Martin Chambi
Mitsuaki Iwago
Jeff Wall
William Christenberry
Ruchard Kalvar
Li Xiao-Ming

 

[Edwardv]

The photographers for National Geographic. The photographs they strive for and provide are outstanding

 

[Lori V]

Of course there are many...but my biggies are...

Sally Mann
Keith Carter

 

[Valerie]

Of course there are many...but my biggies are...

Sally Mann
Keith Carter

They make the top of my list as well. I'll add

Edward Weston
Julia Margaret Cameron
Josef Sudek
Sebastian Selgado

and so many more.......

 

[Shawn Rahman]

Of course there are many...but my biggies are...

Sally Mann
Keith Carter

Lori:

Same here! Glad to read on the other thread that you purchased the Sally Mann DVD. If you don't have the Keith Carter one, I think it is equally compelling:

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers..._bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1213368644&sr=8-2

It has over two hours of content, including Keith speaking about individual photographs as well as a 20 minute session on how he tones his photographs. Great stuff!

Enjoy.

 

[Lori V]

Shawn...thanks for the info...I got my sally mann dvd yesterday. I'll order this Keith Carter as well

great kick off to summer

 

[Shawn Rahman]

Of course there are many...but my biggies are...

Sally Mann
Keith Carter

Glad you loved the Sally Mann DVD; I'm sure you'll feel the same about the Keith Carter one!

I'll add Abelardo Morell to the list of contemporary photographers that are my current faves.

 

[bojanfurst]

There are books and photographers that I keep getting back to. Two that have not been mentioned (I think, It's a long thread, I might have missed it) are Jean Gaumy and his Pleine mer and Bruno Barbey's The Italians. There is a whole bunch of others, but they have been mentioned already.

B.

 

[2F/2F]

Pretty standard list of very famous people:

Lee Friedlander (is this really only the third mention of him?) - nobody makes me question reality like Friedlander. The master of using space, scale, depth and dimension, and all on the fly. A genius in the art of 3D to 2D conversion. To me, he is the King of modern photography.
Ernst Haas (second mention?) - perhaps my favorite for capturing pure found beauty and transforming it into photographic beauty - an absolute master of form, composition, and 3D to 2D, in black and white or in color. Excellent photographic philosopher/writer as well
Robert Capa - for just being there and getting the shot no matter what
Garry Winogrand - for showing what compulsivity in photography can show us that cannot otherwise be shown
William Albert Allard - for the access he is somehow allowed everywhere he goes

To me, these five above are the "masters" as far as what I look up to and how I want to shoot. However, I am also a big fan of:

August Sander - large project-oriented documentary work in which the work is allowed to guide the photographer just as much as the photographer guides the work
Stephen Shore - raw America, both highly technical and not
Robert Frank - same as above
Robert Mapplethorpe - Shows that anything can be made to look beautiful. No other studio/still life shooter has ever really interested me. He makes subject matter secondary; The photograph is art and object in and of itself.
Ansel Adams - the perfect blend of art and documentary, and the best photographic teacher/writer I have ever read.
David Hume Kennerly and Nicky Ut for their overall careers, not for any one outstanding series of images. These guys have shot everything under the sun for over 40 years, and are still working today.

Currently, I am inspired by anyone putting their life on the line to show us the news. Even more kudos to those who are doing it free of embedment.

and more

 

[white.elephant]

I haven't read the whole thread, so I don't know how many times she has been mentioned, but Diane Arbus.

As 2F said, Friedlander is a master, and for me Winogrand would rank right up there.

Dykinga for landscapes.

 

[kitaanat]

kitaanat

My favorite photographer is Henri Cartier Bresson and his works inspire me.

 

[ken472]

I'd have to say HCB is by far at the top of my list. There is a DVD called The Impassioned Eye that came out shortly before his death that is marvelous.

 

[jepoma]

Colin Prior (Scotland). Shoots mountain panoramas with a 6x17, either very early morning or late evening. Generates distinctive photographs. Check his work out at his web site.

This is the photographer that inspires me, in addition to the masters listed in previous posts.

Comments, anyone ?

Cheers.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Colin Prior (Scotland). Shoots mountain panoramas with a 6x17, either very early morning or late evening. Generates distinctive photographs. Check his work out at his web site.

This is the photographer that inspires me, in addition to the masters listed in previous posts.

Comments, anyone ?

Cheers.

Excellent photos, very impressive.

Jeff

 

[Toffle]

One of my most loved photographers is Willy Ronis. Since his death at the age of 99 a couple of years ago, I have immersed myself in his images. His work is similar to HCB and Kertész, and to a lesser extent, Atget. What really stands out for me is Ronis' apparent affection for his subject. He loved his Paris and its people. He inspires the very way I touch my cameras.

 

[jepoma]

One of my most loved photographers is Willy Ronis ... What really stands out for me is Ronis' apparent affection for his subject. He loved his Paris and its people. He inspires the very way I touch my cameras.

For very interesting insights into Ronis' art, check "Derrière l'objectif de Willy Ronis". In this very good book, Ronis explains how he took 120 of his best photographs: what problems he encountered, what he waited for (and did wait), what dilemmas he faced, and indeed how much he loved his subject ... A very good read too !

 

[Toffle]

For very interesting insights into Ronis' art, check "Derrière l'objectif de Willy Ronis". In this very good book, Ronis explains how he took 120 of his best photographs: what problems he encountered, what he waited for (and did wait), what dilemmas he faced, and indeed how much he loved his subject ... A very good read too !

Sounds like a great book. I have two Ronis books that I treasure. Sadly, though much of my family history is in French Canada, I am not fluent enough to capture the finer nuances of the language. (that doesn't stop me from trying... )

Cheers,

 

[CGW]

For a couple of planned projects, I've learned much from Lutz Dille:

http://www.bulgergallery.com/dynamic/fr_artwork_display.asp?ArtworkID=203

And Sam Haskins, especially his 60s work like Cowboy Kate:

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f71/sam-haskins-photographer-47243.html

 

[Cromlech]

Obviously besides Ansel Adams and Sally Mann...

Vivian Maier is amazing... Or should I also list contemporaries?

In which case, Rebecca Williams is near the top.

Richard

 

[jgcull]

Thank you for the name, Willy Ronis. I'd never heard that one, nor seen his work. *Beautiful*!