Which photographers do you admire or are influenced by?

[sanj]

Paul thanks for starting this thread.

 

[captainkanji]

I've been a fan of Kevin Jairaj since the infamous 2012 Olympic photoshoot fiasco. Many of the photos were so rushed and terrible, but Kevin was up to the challenge and his images that day were fantastic. He's an amazing wedding photographer.

http://www.kjimages.com/

 

[Click]

Joe McNally

http://portfolio.joemcnally.com/

 

[paul13walnut5]

Paul thanks for starting this thread.

Hi Sanj, glad you are enjoying it, me too, and the thanks is more due to those contributing, I'm finding out lots of new photographers, particularly contemporary which I hadn't really followed before.

Keep em coming and as Tgara said:

I would ask that if people are going to "name names" of their favorite photos, please also post a website, if possible. I, for one, would be interested in seeing their work.

Thanks.

And thanks also from me.

 

[tolusina]

In today's San Francisco Chronicle on line, I learned about Peter Stackpole.

Here's the Chron article......
http://www.sfgate.com/art/article/A-bird-s-eye-view-of-the-building-the-Bay-Bridge-4666512.php

Google search......
https://www.google.com/search?q=Peter+Stackpole&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs

Google image search......
https://www.google.com/search?q=Peter+Stackpole&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&channel=rcs&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=850&sei=M4XmUbupD8nEyQHEkIGACg

---
Goes under the Admire heading, only time will tell if his work becomes an influence.
Which raises another question, doesn't every photograph, even snap shot, that a photographer views become an influence?
If a photog sees a photograph with a technique worthy of emulation, that's a positive influence.
If a photog is unmoved, or reacts negatively to a photo, there's a technique to avoid, another influence.
Or are there just too many bleh photos to be generally ignored that they become little but background clutter.






.

 

[OmarSV11]

For portraiture:

- Anton Corbijn is a must for contemporary portraiture
- Erwin Olaf for his different way of seeing what's normal
- Editta Sherman for classic/hollywood portraits

For fashion:

- Richard Avedon as a mastermind of light and being futuristic with his work
- Helmut Newton for pushing erotic into fashion
- Steven Meisel because he's Steven Meisel
- Bill Cunningham for being the original sartorialist and his always happy aproach to his work

For nudes:

- Bruno Bisang because he's a master of molding more beauty of already beautiful women
- Simon Bolz, contemporary nude photog with a great aesthetics of nudes (www.simonbolz.com)

Street:

- Vivian Maier hands down (I get goosebumps when I see her pictures)
- Joel Meyerowitz I love this guy a lot, amazing color work

Reportage:

- Don McCullin because he has and incredible sensitivity on human life and an incredible eye
- James Nachtway because he's crazy as hell

I can keep adding more, but maybe tomorrow I'll learn of 10 more photographers that I'd love... In my head this list constantly grows and amazes me how many incredible people are in this world of capturing images.

 

[zim]

Don McCullin

 

[shutterwideshut]

Infrared: Deborah Sandidge
B&W Landscape: Ansel Adams
Landscape: Darwin Wigett

 

[dryanparker]

Rodney Smith (rodneysmith.com) is one of my personal favorites. I love his style. Compelling, simple compositions.

 

[atrocious]

Surprised that it's not yet mentioned here but one of the olden-goldens and a huge inspiration is Garry Winogrand.

 

[TeenTog]

B&W- Ansel Adams
Adventure- Galen Rowell
Photojournalist- James Nachtwey
All around favorite- Scott Kelby

 

[aprotosimaki]

Stanko Abadzic for one. I also admire some of my instructors and fellow students. But Abadzic is my favorite living pro.

I love Stanko Abadzic too.

 

[dgbarar]

I was surprised to not see Ed Weston or David Muench mentioned. They are the one that have influenced me the most. I began my photography experience in the 1980s with my Linhof Technica IV 4 x 5 attempting to emulate their style.

Today, I find myself using my Canon 5D Mark II as a mini view camera without the movements. Gotta love the ability to be able to take several images focused at various points to result in a depth of focus I was never able to get by tilting the front standard. However, I do miss the field compression that long focal length lenses provided with 4x5 and a "normal" field of view.

Don

 

[aprotosimaki]

I was surprised to not see Ed Weston or David Muench mentioned. They are the one that have influenced me the most. I began my photography experience in the 1980s with my Linhof Technica IV 4 x 5 attempting to emulate their style.

Today, I find myself using my Canon 5D Mark II as a mini view camera without the movements. Gotta love the ability to be able to take several images focused at various points to result in a depth of focus I was never able to get by tilting the front standard. However, I do miss the field compression that long focal length lenses provided with 4x5 and a "normal" field of view.

Don

Don,

I just checked out David Muench's photography since I had never heard of him before. Thanks for the lead.

I know of Ed Weston's work already and I too really like his photography.

Out of interest which software do you use for stacking images taken at different focus points?

Thanks

Si

 

[northbyten]

most of my favourite photographers are on dA or Flickr.

I haven't heard of most of the photographers that have been mentioned.

 

[mb66energy]

I picked up a camera because I was interested in the power of photography. I became interested in gear, but really a great image interests me more than a great new innovation.
...

Great intro! Gear is tool, nothing more, nothing less ...

Now to the main theme:
I really enjoyed to read Bruce Barnbaums "The Art of Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression"
- the book title is "program". He tries to open all the dogmas of photography like "there has to be black and white in an image" or "you have to compose after the rule xyz".

Before I read the book I have defined photography as "pure photography" - results out of camera are real photography. But these photographs have NOT shown what I have seen, they have been without "personal expression".

Another important perspective of Bruce Barnbaum: It is nothing wrong with a photograph which shows a lot of detail/things - but it is not easy to create great photographs with a lot of stuff in it.

Here a link to Bruce Barnbaum's web site: http://www.barnbaum.com/barnbaum/Portfolios/Portfolios.html

... and a shot that I haven't liked in full color but after converting to B/W and manipulating the contrast curve (after reading Barnbaum's book) I really like it (Lake Garda, Italy, late spring):