Your Favourite Photographer

Anouilh

I have an admission to make. When introduced to Cartier-Bresson's work during my teens, I remained polite and reserved, up to now, on the subject of how his photos made me feel uneasy.

Let's just say I prefer Atget...

http://www.photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=351&Itemid=334

And now, let's see which are the photographers who rock for Boards.ies...

Fajitas!

I don't like a lot/the majority of the photographers that are up on pedestals.

I'm a fan of Newton, Arbus, Wall, The Bechers, Crewdson to a degree... few others of note, but I can't stand Cartier, Adams, etc.

Anouilh

Fajitas! wrote: »

I don't like a lot/the majority of the photographers that are up on pedestals.

I'm a fan of Newton, Arbus, Wall, The Bechers, Crewdson to a degree... few others of note, but I can't stand Cartier, Adams, etc.

I don't really mean this to be a canon of dead white males. However, it would be interesting to know why you dislike Adams, for instance. I would not find his eye congenial, as I tend to like smaller subjects and urban photography. However, I do admire his work.

domcq

I'm a big fan of Jonas Bendikson.

I have his Satalites book - it's a really interesting look at the lesser known Russia. The cover image of a dumped rocket fuel tank being salvaged is excellent.

http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.StaticPage_VPage&SP=photographers_list&l1=0&XXAPXX=SubPanel10

Ricky91t

Me

Fajitas!

Anouilh wrote: »

I don't really mean this to be a canon of dead white males. However, it would be interesting to know why you dislike Adams, for instance. I would not find his eye congenial, as I tend to like smaller subjects and urban photography. However, I do admire his work.

I find it incredibly boring, too much of an attempt at perfection and quite lacking in emotion.

"Oh wow. Another f*cking mountain, that's just what we need a photograph of. Jezz - Where's yer red filters?"

DotOrg

http://www.tomstoddart.com/iwitness.html

no other photographer i have ever seen has created work that tells a more emotive story than his

pikachucheeks

La Chappelle and Lili Forberg.

cian1500ww

Roy Dempster
Simply because to me he takes the best motorsport photos.

MagicMarker

Don't have one. I couldn't even name 5 photographers tbh, although I came across Marc Adamus the other day and there is some amazing stuff on his site.

http://www.marcadamus.com/

Other than that, I really like Elliott Erwitt.

http://www.elliotterwitt.com

I'd love to get a collection of links going in this thread though, so I can check out some other photographers, because I don't do it enough.

eas

Fajitas! wrote: »

I find it incredibly boring, too much of an attempt at perfection and quite lacking in emotion.

"Oh wow. Another f*cking mountain, that's just what we need a photograph of. Jezz - Where's yer red filters?"

I can see what you're saying about Adams - honestly I think the same myself. However - I can appreciate & respect the reasons why he is so highly regarded.

On Bresson lacking emotion - I'm really surprised that you think that. I see lots of emotion in his work from both sides of the camera.

Fajitas!

Ah, I should have stated, I wasn't refering to Cartier Bresson in that statement.

I find Bressons work just a bit uninspiring. I don't think all the titles of 'the godfather of candid photography' are best suited to him, there were plenty of others doing similar at the same time.

I also think he was too anal about being perfect for his own good. Looking down upon conceptualism and simple things like photographers cropping their images...

FX Meister

Always been Martin Parr for me.

gary82

Find Steve Bloom inspirational, love good nature photography. Need to get out and do more of it actually!

AnCatDubh

FX Meister wrote: »

Always been Martin Parr for me.

Oooh controversial, but a goodie.

I was just watching an episode of the genius of photography and he's a darn interesting guy - doesn't appear to take any criticism of himself or his art overly to heart.

Apparently he got into magnum by a single vote and they interviewed Philip Jones Griffiths who had the somewhat infamous open letter to all other magnum members asking for them not to vote him in.

Margaret Tatcher's favourite photographer too apparently.

Cartier Bresson was outraged at his application for inclusion in the agency.

But having said that the series suggested that it was Parr's admittance to magnum which heralded a new dawn at the agency. That can be the subject of an argument between other magnum photographers I think Parr was a series producer on the genius of photography so I wonder how impartial that assertion may have been.

So sorry I didn't get to see him last year when he was presenting one evening in rathfarnham (i think that was the venue). Anyone know if there is anything else coming up this year at that festival in rathfarnham (can't remember what it was called).

Arciphel

I am really getting into Joel Meyerowitz of late, his street stuff is amazing - other faves include Gursky, Crewdson, Hockney and Jeff Wall.

FX Meister

AnCatDubh wrote: »

Oooh controversial, but a goodie.

I was just watching an episode of the genius of photography and he's a darn interesting guy - doesn't appear to take any criticism of himself or his art overly to heart.

Apparently he got into magnum by a single vote and they interviewed Philip Jones Griffiths who had the somewhat infamous open letter to all other magnum members asking for them not to vote him in.

Margaret Tatcher's favourite photographer too apparently.

Cartier Bresson was outraged at his application for inclusion in the agency.

But having said that the series suggested that it was Parr's admittance to magnum which heralded a new dawn at the agency. That can be the subject of an argument between other magnum photographers I think Parr was a series producer on the genius of photography so I wonder how impartial that assertion may have been.

So sorry I didn't get to see him last year when he was presenting one evening in rathfarnham (i think that was the venue). Anyone know if there is anything else coming up this year at that festival in rathfarnham (can't remember what it was called).

It was myself that alerted the people here to the talk in Ranelagh and it was really good. I'm gutted I missed out on this though, http://www.theschooloflife.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.229/.f

AnimalRights

My favourite photographer I'd probably pick from here, I don't know or have studied famous photographers work.

Anouilh

AnimalRights wrote: »

My favourite photographer I'd probably pick from here, I don't know or have studied famous photographers work.

I don't think it's necessary for the photographer to be World renowned. Thanks to your post, I found this wonderful photographer whose work for the music scene is highly regarded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Pirate_Material

Posters for gigs in Dublin are often made by excellent photographers and it would be great to know more about who they are.

riiight!

I love Andre Kertesz! His composition can be ridiculously good at times

this collection doesn't have a few of my fave though... http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=andre+kertesz&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=-Zt6SuCdFsqksAa_hYTjAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1

SaturnV

One of my favourites is Arthur Fellig, also known as Weegee. There's an interesting brutal simplicity in his approach that I find appealing (see something like this or this). He had a good eye for the grotesque. Also, he was something of an interesting character...

pippatee

There are very few photographers whom I would dislike ... perhaps it would be fairer to say that I have my faves ... Steve McCurry and Annie Liebowitz ...

smelltheglove

I like Lilli Forberg's fashion shots but there is no photographer I actually follow, bar myself. There are a few on flickr that I often look at for inspioration, Lara Jade is amazing! Rob Funffinger is also a favourite, based in Wales, I enjoy checking out both of their pics but wouldnt be an avid followed.

I havent found a wedding or music photographer yet that I would be hugely into to be honest.



Edited, animal mentions he might pick someone from here, if I had to it would most likely be Arciphel, great processing that I want to know all about too!

melekalikimaka

David LaChapelle... i love his stuff

eas

smelltheglove wrote: »

I havent found a wedding or music photographer yet that I would be hugely into to be honest.

Is this because you haven't looked or because you have fickle tastes? I find it hard to imagine not having a list of wedding photographers to look at for inspiration when needed.

for example

http://www.altf.com/

http://kuperbergweddings.com/

http://www.benchrisman.com/

http://www.mikecolon.com/

DaireQuinlan

Loretta Lux


or Michael Kenna . Click through to his archives and look at the Japan sets. Sublime minimalism.

trishw78

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Loretta Lux

I don't like her website, but I like her work. Thank you

elven

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Loretta Lux

I read a blog post where someone had loretta lux do a portrait of their kid. imagine!

I get most inspired by other wedding photographers, and you can't talk about wedding/engagement stuff without mentioning max wanger. I also very much liked a few i saw by josh goleman - he had a photo booth with a polaroid at one wedding, fantastic stuff. Then there's tec petaja too. I like the stuff that's whimsical and light but not too sickly sweet and not overly posed. If you want to find a ton of great wedding photographers, this gallery is a good place tos tart because they feature the weddings that have the creative details, and the couples who have the creative details usually get creative photographers.

I don't really do the whole famous photographer thing, except maybe for michael kenna and crewdson as al mentioned - i like the movie set type thing. I prefer to be inspired by normal photographers that show up on my radar through other people linking. For example, this morning someone sent on this link and i was rather taken with it.

I think the whole democratisation of photography thing is where we benefit from being able to see outstanding stuff taken by ordinary people just like us. i don't think there's any need to limit our tastes to people who got published and shown in galleries - i see fantastic stuff every day from people i socialise with.

Morrisseeee

Its a tough question, simply because there's so much talent out there, even on boards.ie or pix.ie or flickr. For instance, you could see a link today (even in this thread) or read an article in a magazine & then this photographer would be your inspiration for the next while.
My first love is landscape and capturing that 'natural light', so Adams (and all great landscape photographers, even Calaido http://calaido.zenfolio.com/ (she posted on boards a while ago)) would be an inspiration to me, not just because of their photographs & processing techniques, but because they go to great lengths to capture mother nature. My hat goes off to anyone who gets up early for a sunrise, or trecks up a mountain or thru a forrest, or walks for miles thru the country, etc.....just to get 'that' photo.
Another photographer who inspires me is Coleman Doyle, because he was someone who captured the 'moment', that elusive moment, which he had an uncanny knack of. Also every photo told a story. The kind of photo that when you see it, it grabs & holds your attention for a while.

humberklog

I like individual photos far more the collected works. As I'm sure most do too. One individual will always let you down occasionally or a lot.
I like ones that had a rich character, meat to the bones of their make up rather than what than what their body of work eventually represented as a collection of images.
William E. Smith, WeeGee and Bresson pretty much tick my boxes much more for their slightly nutty and individual personality. But sometimes, just sometimes you get a glimpse of what their like from their work.
My favourite photographer has to entertain me in how they went about their life rather than document others. But when those two things come together...then it's brilliant. W. E. Smith ("stick that 120mm up you're god damn ass!!")if I had to choose just one from those three. That's because he knew how to spend it too!:pac:

duffarama

There are a few photographers whose photos I enjoy rather than taking inspiration from I think!

Cartier Bresson would be one but so would a guy called Louis Dobson http://www.flickr.com/photos/acam/ who I know from the Olympus forum at dpreview.

Others would be the magnum photographer Alex Majoli who still uses a P&S for a lot of his shooting.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R13S3S3&nm=Alex%20Majoli

The photographer whose work I most enjoy looking at though, is former MTV VJ Toby Amies, I loved his show when I was younger and now I love his work as a photographer!
http://tobyamies.com/

smash

melekalikimaka wrote: »

David LaChapelle... i love his stuff

Deffo... great work!

I also like Joel Grimes' work.

smelltheglove

eas wrote: »

Is this because you haven't looked or because you have fickle tastes? I find it hard to imagine not having a list of wedding photographers to look at for inspiration when needed.

for example

http://www.altf.com/

http://kuperbergweddings.com/

http://www.benchrisman.com/

http://www.mikecolon.com/

Well I've looked at various and I might find one or two from different photographers that I like but there is no specific one that I would follow. As you know though I love your work too in weddings.

outspann

James Nachtwey for when you want to see how crusading photography can also be achingly beautiful.

And Stephen Shore for any time that life is getting me down.

houseoffun14

Michael Kenna

Jim Brandenburgh

Josef Hoflehner

Schlemm

probably a cliche, but I love Mario Testino's stuff. And Cecil Beaton's portraits.

I read this blog quite a bit.. http://smut-to-go.tumblr.com/ just a rake of pictures from all over the place rather than a single photographer, click on the picture to find out where it's from

that loretta lux stuff scared the crap out of me btw! it's way too creepy...i just can't see its appeal

oshead

I have to say, Joe McNally without a doubt. For his versatility and the amount he gives back to the community in general. Second to none.

David OS

SaturnV

trishw78 wrote: »

I don't like her website, but I like her work. Thank you

Funnily enough, I do like that website design; I hate when photographers have overcomplicated websites. That's the difficulty in website design. You can't please all the people all the time... especially awkward feckers like myself!

Back on topic, I love her photos, although they do creep me out...


...a lot actually.

CraggyIslander

One of my personal favourites is Frans Lanting

Simply stunning wildlife photography

Placebo

http://lyndonwade.com/

Anouilh

Yves Arthus-Bertrand.


http://www.thailand.com/travel/festival/earth-from-above.htm

Sleepy

I've not had the time to investigate many photographers work outside of the regulars from here and a handful of others and at the risk of appearing like a suck up I'm going to be honest and say my favourite photographer to date is thebaz...

Paddy@CIRL

I don't really follow that many photographers either TBH, only look into those that come highly recommended by others. With a motorsport based background, those I would regularly be keeping an eye on would be ..


Linhbergh Nguyen
Only started seeing his work when he began to work on the Speedhunters project, but what makes him stand out is the fact that he's not a traditional motorsports photographer, he uses a 5D MKII and a Rolliecord ! Also his non-motorsport work is breathtaking. IMO, the best there is around at the moment.


Scott Dukes
One of my biggest influences in static auto-photography, he is quite simply the benchmark which must be followed.


Ross I'Anson
Ross is a great friend of mine, but before I ever met him he was one of the friendliest and most welcoming motorsports photographers I have ever met. Anyone involved in motorsports will tell you that 99% of those you meet at the circuit are about as ignorant people you can meet. Ross changed that perception for me and is also the best drift photographer on the planet, bar none.



Dino Dalle Carbonare
Another one of my earliest influences, probably my favourite all-rounder auto-photographer, has the ability to easily switch from action to statics to documentary photos that tell great stories. I've never been to Japan but somehow I have experienced the country through his work.

sineadw

Capa Capa Capa.. I get goosebumps every time...

I went to an Ansel Adams exhibition in Edinburgh last year, and although the images (and the prints) were stunning, I felt such a sense of 'so what' that I know I'll never be a landscape photographer. TBH I find portrait shots from here much more interesting. I guess I'm a person photographer.

thebaz

thanks Sleepy -

for me, its something that is ever changing , love something original , but the one constant is Cartier-Bresson, who has inspired so many greats

Anouilh

thebaz wrote: »

... the one constant is Cartier-Bresson, who has inspired so many greats

For you, thebaz:

http://art.newcity.com/2008/10/18/review-henri-cartier-bresson-and-the-art-and-photography-of-parisart-institute-of-chicago/


Also, the unforgettable Brassai:

http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=85097&apnum=377560&LinkTypeID=1&PosterTypeID=1&DestType=7&Referrer%20=http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/brassai.html

greeneyedspirit

Probably not the favourite, but definitely very good:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/poliza/sets/72157600852479903/ Michael Poliza

Otherwise, ones that were mentioned here already, like Marc Adamus and Yann-Arthus Bertrand.

.Longshanks.

I now nothing about any photographers, but the one that always sticks in my mind is dean belcher from some CD's i used to buy
Years ago i collected the global underground mix CD's, and these were also available as limited edition "long" version with a photgraphic booklet inside. I would go out of my way to but these version - solely for the photos inside. I guess this is what got my interest in photography (even though it took ~10 years to act on it:o)

I distinctly remember this image being the very first picture that stopped me in my tracks and i make me think


Robbed via a screen shot from www.deanbelcherphotographer.com

dudara

I think David Lachapelle was one of the first photographers I saw who blew me away. His colour and construction amaze me every time.

oshead

One of my favourites. An excellent photographer..... Sam Hassas.

Anouilh

Marville...

http://www.leegallery.com/marville.html

An interesting detail.
He chose to photograph streets after rain, which
added a magical aura.