List Your Top Photographers of all Time

[crazyfly1]

Hi all,
I’m trying to improve my photography. I’m finding that the biggest part of that and in improving my retouching is being able to see what a good photo looks like.
To that end I would like to spend time looking at other peoples photos and trying to figure out what makes them great photos.

So, I looked here and did a search for "favorite photographers" and all I found was one thread started by cj swartz in 2007 and sadly, it went nowhere.
I found this
http://www.flickr.com/groups/central...7594132713204/
But I think we should have our own.

I would like to know who your top 5 photographers of all time are. A good format would be;

1. Name
" Link to work if available"
2.
And so on.

You all will really help me out if you participate in this. The type of photography does not matter. Can be anything from wedding to landscape.
I’m also curious to know if you all think there should be two lists, one for classic photographers using classic darkroom techniques and one for photographers of say, the last 15 years where they tend to rely heavily on digital retouching.

[crazyfly1]

Hmmm, I also wonder if there is a list of 5 that every one could agree would be the best of the best. Pioneers.
You know like in classical music; Haden, Bach, Chopin, Straus, Beetohven? Oops, 6, and Rachmaninov.


Hmmm, and do you think there sohould be one list for color and one for BW?

[crazyfly1]

K, so I'm being really active in my own thread.

I don't really know photographers hence, the thread, so what I did was go to the link above and drew a top list from there.
Of 37 posters with preferences this is how the list washed out;
Top 7 are;
cartier-bresson 5
capa 4
adams 3
henri lartigue 3
kenna 3
lange 3
newton 3

and ten get honorable mention- listed alphabetically;
brandt 2
burri 2
crewdson 2
erwitt 2
goldin 2
karsh 2
lorca dicorcia 2
nachtwey 2
smith 2
weston 2

All others were only in one persons list.

[JD Spears]

My list of favorite is always changing but Nick Vedros has been on my short list for about 25 years now.
Sorry but I couldn't cull it down to just 5.
Nick Vedros
http://www.vedros.com/

Jack Reznicki
http://www.reznicki.com/

Bill frymire
http://www.billfrymire.com/blog/

Marc Simon
http://www.marcsimonphoto.com

Glen Wexler
http://www.glenwexler.com/agree.html

Bill Simone
http://www.billsimonephotography.com/

Rod Evans
http://www.evanscreativity.com/

Doug Landreth
http://www.douglandreth.com/

Jim Divitale
http://divitalephotography.com/

John Fulton
http://www.johnfultonphotography.com
&
http://www.atticfirearchitecture.com

[crazyfly1]

Thanks JD, no need to hold it to 5. 11 is great!

BTW JD, How did you get the look on the girls face with the green hoody? It's so pained.

(First one in the gallery next to the police cars)

[Janet Petty]

Here are two threads that address your question. Rather than adding to what's already been written. I attached the urls.

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...nfluences.html

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...we-aspire.html

Below are two photographers that I'm acquainted with. They both have something I aspire to.

http://www.cloudland.net - This is Tim Ernst's site. I like Tim's style a lot. He lives just a short drive from where I live.

http://www.glennwheeler.com - This is Glenn's site. Glenn is a good friend and a great photographer.

Have fun.

Janet

[crazyfly1]

Thanks Janet.
That's why I started this thread and suggested the format. You and JD togather listed more Photographers than were mentioned in both those threads combined. I know we can do better.

[crazyfly1]

JD,
I really didn’t hit on anything until I got to Bill Simone, and I really liked that.
Evans is great, love the use of color, hate the flash site though. (And I thought the gallery title “girls locker room” was totally misleading. )

Evans mother child photography is stunning.

I think Landreth’s stuff flew right by photography and landed on art.
I enjoy Divitale’s tutorials more than his photography.
I’ll have to spend some time with Fulton. I can’t decide if I love it or hate it.
And Spears. I want to know how the attached image is done.

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by Janet Petty

http://www.cloudland.net - This is Tim Ernst's site. I like Tim's style a lot. He lives just a short drive from where I live.

[Have fun.

Janet

Wow, talk about painting with light!

Isn't re-arranging furnature and pillows and calling it before and after kind of cheating?

[JD Spears]

Originally Posted by crazyfly1

Thanks JD, no need to hold it to 5. 11 is great!

BTW JD, How did you get the look on the girls face with the green hoody? It's so pained.

(First one in the gallery next to the police cars)

Actually, that was taken several years back and though over time she got to be very good at giving different expressions I think that one was because it was very cold and very windy.

[JD Spears]

Originally Posted by crazyfly1

JD,
I really didn’t hit on anything until I got to Bill Simone, and I really liked that.
Evans is great, love the use of color, hate the flash site though. (And I thought the gallery title “girls locker room” was totally misleading. )

Evans mother child photography is stunning.

I think Landreth’s stuff flew right by photography and landed on art.
I enjoy Divitale’s tutorials more than his photography.
I’ll have to spend some time with Fulton. I can’t decide if I love it or hate it.
And Spears. I want to know how the attached image is done.

Yeah! Bill Simone's work is interesting. Be sure and check out his blog if you haven't already. BTW He's also a member here.
I like Evans old site better. It was easer getting around. As for the girls locker room.. Don't you wish! Yeah, me too for that matter.
Also the Attic Fire website is Fulton's as well.
As for the attached image.. It's almost 3:00 AM here in Georgia so I'll look up the PSD and give you the details tomorrow.

[zganie]

There are so many great photographers but for me,one of the top photographers is most definately
ALBERT WATSON go take a look at his images

[JD Spears]

Originally Posted by crazyfly1

JD,
I really didn’t hit on anything until I got to Bill Simone, and I really liked that.
Evans is great, love the use of color, hate the flash site though. (And I thought the gallery title “girls locker room” was totally misleading. )

Evans mother child photography is stunning.

I think Landreth’s stuff flew right by photography and landed on art.
I enjoy Divitale’s tutorials more than his photography.
I’ll have to spend some time with Fulton. I can’t decide if I love it or hate it.
And Spears. I want to know how the attached image is done.

Carzyfly,
I took the attached images plus one of a clothesline (not shown) and composited together. I started building the rain in a typical way; Separate solid black or white layer;
Noise, motion blur, levels, more blur, experimenting around ,a few layers of rain with just slightly different angles and opacity. I used a plastic wrap on her to try and make her look wet. On an transparent layer I drew a few rain drops with black & white and used cut & paste onto her and used free transform. They look kind of milky. I thought I might do it over sometime by photographing some actual rain drops.
I was intending for it to look like she was coming in the door after getting caught in the rain but most people see it as looking at her through a window. Which mean I need to work on telling the story more clearly. Photographically that is.
If you want to know more about any of the details or have any suggestions for improvement, let me know.

[santajuana]

I have some..... not in order

1. Ansel Adams www.anseladams.com/
2. Jan Saudek http://www.saudek.com/
3. Patrick Demarchelier http://www.demarchelier.net/home.html
4. David Lachapelle www.davidlachapelle.com/
5. Settimio Benedusi www.benedusi.it/
6. Click Hamilton www.clickhamilton.com/
7. Markus Klinko www.markusklinko-indrani.com/

i could continue putting names lol !!!

[dkcoats]

I couldn't stop at 5.
Past (in no particular order):
Cartier-Bresson
T. Eugene Smith
Avedon
Ansel Adams
Robert Frank
Diane Arbus (has nobody mentioned her yet???)
Walker Evans

Current:
Sebastiao Salgado (!!)
James Nachtwey

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by JD Spears

Carzyfly,
I took the attached images plus one of a clothesline (not shown) and composited together. I started building the rain in a typical way; Separate solid black or white layer;
Noise, motion blur, levels, more blur, experimenting around ,a few layers of rain with just slightly different angles and opacity. I used a plastic wrap on her to try and make her look wet. On an transparent layer I drew a few rain drops with black & white and used cut & paste onto her and used free transform. They look kind of milky. I thought I might do it over sometime by photographing some actual rain drops.
I was intending for it to look like she was coming in the door after getting caught in the rain but most people see it as looking at her through a window. Which mean I need to work on telling the story more clearly. Photographically that is.
If you want to know more about any of the details or have any suggestions for improvement, let me know.

Cool, thanks JD. It was the rain I was currious about. I'll have to try that. I wouldn't have thought you could draw raindrops and make it look realistic.

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by zganie

There are so many great photographers but for me,one of the top photographers is most definately
ALBERT WATSON go take a look at his images

I took a look at his page. This is why I wanted this thread. I look at the pictures on his site and I don't see anything spectacular. Sure, nice sharp images, but I don't see anything that looks like I couldn't co it with point and shoot and on camera flash.
Ya, I know that's my inexperiance talking, I can tell by the people he shoots that there is something there I'm not seeing.

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by santajuana

I have some..... not in order

1. Ansel Adams www.anseladams.com/
2. Jan Saudek http://www.saudek.com/
3. Patrick Demarchelier http://www.demarchelier.net/home.html
4. David Lachapelle www.davidlachapelle.com/
5. Settimio Benedusi www.benedusi.it/
6. Click Hamilton www.clickhamilton.com/
7. Markus Klinko www.markusklinko-indrani.com/

i could continue putting names lol !!!

I liked the Jan Saudek stuff a lot until the 70’s. She (he?) lost me when she started doing porn uh, I mean fine art nudes. BTW it’s funny to me that Saudek was cultivating the “dave hill look” before dave hill was born.
Demarcheliers website will take me forever to go through but wow, good stuff!
Lachapelle, heres another one I totally do not get. And Jimminy Christmas, you could UPS me the photos quicker than your website works!
Benedusi has some nice shots.
Hamilton-Yay! I get this one. (Except basket buddies?)

[zganie]

Crazyfly1 This guy Watson is one of the top photographers around and to say you could do his photos with a point and shoot ?
Thats pretty insulting to him
or Your one Fantastic photographer and if thats the case that you are,then you really do not need any input on here
zganie

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by zganie

Crazyfly1 This guy Watson is one of the top photographers around and to say you could do his photos with a point and shoot ?
Thats pretty insulting to him
or Your one Fantastic photographer and if thats the case that you are,then you really do not need any input on here
zganie

Settle down Zganie,
I'm not here to insult anyone, and if you read past the first 4 lines of my post you saw me say I know it is my own inexperience talking and that anyone who shoots Q Tarantino and Uma Thurman and the like must be good and I'm just not seeing it.

This is the whole reason for the thread, so that I can look closely and examine these great photographers and try to recognize what it is that makes thier work great.

At the same time, surely you will realize that not everyone will like all of the same photos, and everyone is entitled to thier own opinion-and to express it.

If there is some usefull information that you have to share about what, inparticular makes Watson a top photographer, what elements in his photos set them apart from all the rest, I would truley love to hear it.
Thank you for participating.

[Ant]

Craig McDean
Solve Sundsbo
Steven Meisel
Philip-Loca diCorsia
Guy Bourdin
Greg Kadel
Platon
Henri Cartier Bresson
Raymond Meier
Nadav Kander
OLAF MARTENS
Erwin Olaf
Mark Tucker
Bruce Webber
Sara Silver
Javier Vallhonrat
robert doisneau
Elliot Erwitt
Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Richard Avedon
Irving Penn
Paulo Roversi

[crazyfly1]

dkcoats,

Cartier-Bresson, Man, some of these photographers are not only going to have me looking but reading. I wonder if there is a biography on this man. I like his work and I want to know, is it a matter of accidently being in the right place at the right time or did he travel the world with a camera around his neck looking for these shots? The shot down the stairs with the bicyclist whizzing by… did you plan that or did the bike just get in the way as you snapped? The sleeping couple on the train… posed or candid? I’m also curious about the different styles which don’t seem to be chronological. The grain seems to stay fairly constant but the contrast varies greatly.

Smith and Avedon, impressive photos both, however for the most part I don’t care for the subject matter.
*Note to self, make all your pictures happy and fun, no pain or dis-ease.*

Robert Frank, Nice shots, not I think, as good as Smith or Avedon. And again, if I traveled across Switzerland I’m quite sure I would paint a happier picture.

Diane Arbus, certainly fun to browse. Interesting subject matter. Please someone tell me what separates these from the black and white family vacation snapshots my dad took? They are wonderful pictures but they look like something you find in a shoebox in your aunts attic. (I know I have to be wrong, that’s why I’m after your help, don’t string me up.)
For instance the shot titled “Xmas Tree in a Living Room in Levittown” I’ve attached it along with one I call “Blake Family Xmas”. Sure my Dad could’ve stood back and got the whole tree. Other than that, someone please tell me why one is worth ten grand and one isn’t? I’m serious, if you know, please help me see it.

Walker Evans, yes that’s it, happy people! Smiling people! Children with big watermelons! Love it!

Sebastiao Salgado, man, your bringin’ me down again.

James Nachtwey, OK, OK, there’s pain and suffering in the world, I get it already. Can I see a still-life of a basket of fruit now?

Anyway, just my silly thoughts as I look through. I’m going through rather quickly as you can imagine. I’m bookmarking everything so I can go back through. I’m really hoping for some feedback. I am serious with the questions I ask. I don’t have the time or money or patience for an art class. I would love to hear all of your opinions, to help me learn.

[CJ Swartz]

crazyfly,

If you haven't gotten these links on Cartier-Bresson yet --

an internet copy of his book The Decisive Moment

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=1318621

"...Cartier-Bresson's wife, photographer Martine Franck, says her husband always knew just where to be. "I think Henri had an innate intuition of what was going on in the world and what was important. I mean, you were in India when Gandhi was assassinated. You were in China when the communists arrived... You were in Russia at the right time."

http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/nov1999/c-b-n05.shtml
"...He (Cartier-Bresson) saw a picture by the Hungarian photographer Munkacsi, entitled, “Three Boys at Lake Tanganyika.” Cartier-Bresson describes the impact this made on him: “The only thing which completely was an amazement to me and brought me to photography was the work of Munkacsi. When I saw the photograph of Munkacsi of the black kids running in a wave I couldn't believe such a thing could be caught with the camera. I said damn it, I took my camera and went out into the street...”


"Masters of Photography" - YouTube video of Cartier-Bresson's images
Munkacsi's images -- video

[Martin K]

Just about all my favorites on previous lists. I will add 2 more though
http://www.masters-of-photography.co.../koudelka.html
Joseph Koudelka, an amazing photographer. His book on gypsies is unbelievable.

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

Ed Burtynsky is one of my favorite currently working

[bathsheba]

Can someone help me. I've been hunting for the last few months for a photographer who is world class. He does a lot of celeb portaits (from memory he did one with jon Heder sliding down a slide) and everything is super super clear and defined from the background to the foreground. It almost looks like a painting. He has a bit of a porno-esque name like Jesse James. Could anyone help me out here.

[crazyfly1]

Originally Posted by bathsheba

Can someone help me. I've been hunting for the last few months for a photographer who is world class. He does a lot of celeb portaits (from memory he did one with jon Heder sliding down a slide) and everything is super super clear and defined from the background to the foreground. It almost looks like a painting. He has a bit of a porno-esque name like Jesse James. Could anyone help me out here.

UGHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
LOL I feel like Charlie Brown.

dave hill

[bathsheba]

Hey - thanks sooo much! You have just received so much good karma it's unbelievable.

[pixel_monkey]

Galen Rowell

There's nothing I like more in photography than outdoor photography. Aside from the works by Ansel Adams, I like the images created by Galen Rowell very much. One thing that distinguishes his images from the images of other outdoor photographers is that his images don't seem that you can drive your car somewhere and pull off the road, walk 200 yards from it and get your shot. His images look like they require miles or even days of trekking deep into the wilderness in order to capture those unique kinds of sceneries that can only be enjoyed through the eyes of the true adventurers.

[Jussslic]

To the person who mentioned Koudelka... THANK YOU. I know this thread is ridiculously old, but I came across Koudelka's work years ago and his Gypsies book is absolutely stunning.

Anyway, something made me think of his work today, but I couldn't remember his name, so I've been searching far and wide and finally found it here. Made my day.