Favorite Photographer and Why?

[mr_clean001]

OK, so I read the post about "the same things being repeated" and then I did a search to see if there had been any topics on people's favorite photographers. I did come across an intesting thread discussing the "art of photography" but nothing where members articulated who their favorite photographers are and why. So if this is a repeat, I apologize. (I also figure this should probably be in General Talk section, but posts here seem to get more response.)

So - who is your favorite photographer and why? If possible, provide a link to examples of their work.

Hope this counts as something new.....

[ron chappel]

Joe Macnally(spelling?)
I don't really know many famous photographers at all and in any case i would reject outright any that do extremely 'arty' stuff.
Joe is just a great general purpose photographer that could make anything look great.
I haven't any links just yet-try national geographic '100 years of flight'
He also has a page at 'nikon legends' i recall...?

[CoolToolGuy]

Okay, I'll bite, but I gotta give two names.

Ansel Adams - Although I would never go to the lengths that he did, I admire his work and all of the technique which he discovered. I don't think I need to post a link for Mr. Adams. :wink:

Jesse Alexander - Just about the time I was getting into photography and going to races, Jesse's book - At Speed came out and showed me what auto racing photography could be. It was a true inspiration, not only to my racing photography, but composition in general. :D

http://www.jessealexander.com/

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[iwatkins]

Another Joe, Joe Cornish.

Landscape photographer (mainly) and was a real inspiration to me when I first started. Actually, he still is.

See his work here: http://www.joecornish.com/

Cheers

Ian

[defordphoto]

All time: Ansel Adams. He's been my idol since I was a teenager.

MotorSports: Peter Burke (former partner from SpeedCenter.com/ChampCar.com), Mike Levitt, the late Art Flores and the rest of the gang over at LAT Photographic.

[slejhamer]

Editorial: Neil Turner
http://www.dg28.com/index.html
(Check out the great Techniques section)

Portraiture/Wedding: Monte Zucker
http://www.montezucker.com/index.html

Why? Well Zucker's a bit of a legend, but the reason I like both of them is how generous they are in sharing their knowledge and love of photography.

[drisley]

Don Ellis.
I am always amazed at what he can do with the Canon G1, G2 cameras.
www.kleptography.com

Plus I find his photo notes to be very entertaining!

Have a look at his latest "line galleries". The IR images are breathtaking, IMHO.

[DAMphyne]

David Hamilton
It's not about the camera or lenses or equiptment.
It's about the Light and the Mood.
His early stuff is like viewing a painting.
I realy haven't seen much of him lately.

[Ballen Photo]

It goes without saying that Ansel Adams is at the top of the list, but does anyone remember David Baily? To me, he was the cutting edge of his era, early 60's through 70's, for shooting Rock stars and personallities like Mick Jagger and more.
David was an inspiration.
........Bruce

[roanjohn]

Richard Avedon - old fashion.

Steven Meisel - new fashion.

Ro1

[Belmondo]

Of course Ansel Adams. I had the pleasure of being a 'fly on the wall' during one of his walking classrom sessions in Yosemite many, many years ago. He clearly loved his work, and his passion was contageous to all around him.

Another photographer whose work is remarkable taken in the context of the period in which he worked, was Matthew Brady. We are all familiar with his Civil War battlefield photos, but some of his studio work is even more amazing, especially considering how crude the equipment of the day was. It is impossible to imagine the conditions under which he had to work.

[Volatile]

Magellen. Around the world baby!

[maderito]

Don't have a "favorite" but I admire the work of Lewis Wickes Hine who documented Ellis Island immigration in the US, labor and worker conditions, and the construction of the Empire State Building in the early 1930's.

Shot from the Empire State Building series: http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/rope.html

EDIT: and the why?
He was a social activitist who used his photographic work to promote important legislation affecting labor conditions, especially for children. A biographical abstract: http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/spe/art/photo/hinex/empire/biography.html

[stopbath]

Ahh...

I don't think I have a favourite, but I do enjoy this photographers images almost everytime I see one...

Annie Liebovitz

I like her photographs as they don't pander to what looks best for the subject, but as to how Annie sees them. Never know what to expect other than a well executed image.

I couldn't find a gallery of her shots on line, but there's books of her work, and almost any month will feature one or more shots of hers in the publication Vanity Fair.

[motophoto]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.

[excessnoise]

Motophoto, after looking at some of his work, I think I'd have to agree. This guy is incredible. I don't know how he can see some of the horrible things he does and still be able to click the shutter. His ability to simplify his pictures thru various methods is captivating.

He just got "Magazine Photographer of the Year" at Pictures of the Year International Competition , http://www.poyi.org/61/winnerslist.html

Some more of his pics from that website: http://www.poyi.org/61/mpoy/index.php

[Longwatcher]

My inspirations and all time favorite photogrphers have to be in order
1. Helmut Newton - When ever I think of the pictures I would like to take I think of his work.

2. My father who got me started in the first place, not the best in the world, but very good and like I said he got me started.

3. My current favorite is Barbara Nitke - a bit edgy and not for everyone but she coveys emotion in her work that I like a lot. Besides anybody fighting in court against the US government to shoot down stupid laws getting in the way of free speech has my vote.

4. and as a last note: Anybody that takes pictures is always on my friends list.

Just my opinion,

[motophoto]

Motophoto, after looking at some of his work, I think I'd have to agree. This guy is incredible. I don't know how he can see some of the horrible things he does and still be able to click the shutter. His ability to simplify his pictures thru various methods is captivating.

He just got "Magazine Photographer of the Year" at Pictures of the Year International Competition , http://www.poyi.org/61/winnerslist.html

Some more of his pics from that website: http://www.poyi.org/61/mpoy/index.php

They did a documentary on him called "War Photographer"

its an incrediable documentary, it follows him around and shows the circumstances that have made some of his most famous photos (he actually shoots exclusivly on canon equipment) his work is very disturbing and touching at the same time.

He is truly in incrediable person.

[defordphoto]

Motophoto, after looking at some of his work, I think I'd have to agree. This guy is incredible. I don't know how he can see some of the horrible things he does and still be able to click the shutter. His ability to simplify his pictures thru various methods is captivating.

He just got "Magazine Photographer of the Year" at Pictures of the Year International Competition , http://www.poyi.org/61/winnerslist.html

Some more of his pics from that website: http://www.poyi.org/61/mpoy/index.php

As gruesome as it may seem, when watching the events of 9|11 on TV I so wanted to be there to shoot it. The scenes on TV were compelling and I found myself composing shots while watching.

Anyone see Harrison's Flowers? Awesome flick.

[scotgasch]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.

I have actually met the guy at a Canon sponsored seminar where he spoke about his switch to Canon digital cameras. I would have to say he is more lucky than anything....his attitude about the world was very discouraging and I personally don't like being around those type of people. I understand he has seen alot of horrific things, but that should make him appreciate life even more, not condemn humanity and what HE thinks we have done to the world.

As far as his photography, I think it is ok, but now knowing the man a little more makes me see his photography differently. It definately reflects his views...which IMO disqualifies him as a true photojournalist.

NOW LET THE FLOOD GATES OPEN......... :lol:

[RichardtheSane]

Back to the question

My favourite is definitly Andy Rouse ( www.andyrouse.co.uk )

His wildlife images are stunning, but he hasn't let the fact that his images are some of the best in the world go to his head. I think that the attitude of the photographer is nearly as important as the images.

[robekert]

Editorial: Neil Turner
http://www.dg28.com/index.html
(Check out the great Techniques section)

Portraiture/Wedding: Monte Zucker
http://www.montezucker.com/index.html

Why? Well Zucker's a bit of a legend, but the reason I like both of them is how generous they are in sharing their knowledge and love of photography.

Mitch,
Two outstanding photographers and two outstanding links. Both sites have a ton of content. Thanks again.
Rob

[robekert]

Don Ellis.
I am always amazed at what he can do with the Canon G1, G2 cameras.
www.kleptography.com

Plus I find his photo notes to be very entertaining!

Have a look at his latest "line galleries". The IR images are breathtaking, IMHO.

I totally agree. Don is a great guy and a great photographer.
Rob

[CoolToolGuy]

Don Ellis.
I am always amazed at what he can do with the Canon G1, G2 cameras.
www.kleptography.com

Plus I find his photo notes to be very entertaining!

Have a look at his latest "line galleries". The IR images are breathtaking, IMHO.

I totally agree. Don is a great guy and a great photographer.
Rob

Anybody who calls the G series 'toys' should check out his work. It shows what can be done when your lens options are fixed.

Have Fun
Rick 8)

[msvadi]

I came across a David Hamilton book in our local B&N today. It was the "Age of Innocence". I know that it is rather a controversial book and some declared it a "child pornography" (I did some reading about his work after that). Some photos are quite shocking indeed. By putting all that aside, his technique is fantastic. First of all, it is the soft focus he is famous for. Combined artistic use of light, it makes his photos stunningly beautiful, magic.

I'm not saying that he is my favorite photographer (do we really have to choose one and only #1? ;) ), but, just for today, it was quite an impression. Actually, I ordered that book from Amazon when I got home.

By the way, I don't understand how "real" bookstores manage to stay in business. Many people go there just to browse through the books, and buy books only online.

[BoySpot]

I don't want to sound too much like everyone else but here are four of mine (and some of the others already mentioned are really good too).

Ansel Adams was someone who really impressed me at an early age. Annie Liebovitz takes some outstanding images. Whenever one of her shoots is in Vanity Fair, you know it is her straight away. Something about them shows though every time.

Third is a guy called Chris Allen. He was a Lightning pilot in the RAF and shot a lot of pictures of aircraft that worked well. He improvised some equipment for air-to-air stuff that looked great. Lastly, I browsed a book of Terence Donovan's work. Really pretty good work.

PS: Though not a favourite, I saw a Lord Snowdon exhibition once and some of the portraits were quite striking

[pradeep1]

Galen Rowell. Was killed in a plane crash recently. I have been inspired by his work since I was a little kid. He makes it look too easy.

http://www.mountainlight.com/

[bethesda]

A brilliant satirist of contemporary life and a pioneer in social documentary photography: Martin Parr

http://www.martinparr.com

-----------
Horst Wackerbarth's originality: "Galerie der Menschheit"

http://www.horst-wackerbarth.com

----------
New-comer: Asya Schween (only 23!!)

Brilliant!, unique

http://www.myownself.com/

--------
and being Hungarian, all the world famous Hungarian, or Hungarian descended photographers:
André Kertész, Brassaï, Martin Munkácsi, Robert and Cornell Capa, György Kepes, László Moholy-Nagy, Éva Besnyõ, Sylvia Plachy,
Lee Friedländer, Lucien Hervé, Nicholas Muray, Stefan Lorant, Andor Kraszna Krausz, Francis Haár, Ergy Landau, Ylla, Ferenc Berko.


The history of photography of the twentieth century cannot be written without mentioning those names.

[slmcknight]

To chime in...I think Steve McCurry is so talented. I love looking at his work.

I initially became interested in his photographe of the Afgan Girl, but, after further review, I love all his work. I am so impressed.

Here is his site with some of his work.
www.stevemccurry.com

[pradeep1]

To chime in...I think Steve McCurry is so talented. I love looking at his work.

I initially became interested in his photographe of the Afgan Girl, but, after further review, I love all his work. I am so impressed.

Here is his site with some of his work.
www.stevemccurry.com

I third Steve McCurry. He's one of those photographers whose works carry some much emotional and thought weight, that I find I am more fixated on them rather than on the National Geographic article they are placed within. Wonderful work.

[JCLW]

Philip Plison

http://www.plisson.com/

[thomascanty]

Ansel Adams, of course. Also, Dorothea Lange, another classic. I'm not familiar with many modern photographers, but I do like a lot of Dan Heller's stuff (http://www.danheller.com/).

[Radtech1]

Ray Atkeson - at least for outdoors.

There is a fantastic book called "Ski and Snow Country: The Golden Years of Skiing in the West, 1930s - 1950s" featuring his ski photographs. Remember 30s to 50s - before lifts and before 35mm. (Don't yell, I KNOW they HAD 35mm then, but not as a professional quality medium.)

He hiked up mountians CARRYING his skis and 4x5 Speed Graphic Camera with tripod. That is a nearly square aspect ratio which makes composing very difficult. What he does with it is nothing short of amazing.

Rad

Take a look:

http://www.skiinghistory.org/Kruck1.html

[René Damkot]

Some good names...
A few of my favorites:
James Nachtwey for sure, and to bring in some europeans:Ellen von Unwehrt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_von_Unwerth), Carli Hermes (http://www.carlihermes.com/),Erwin Olaf (http://www.erwinolaf.com/).

[Steiglitz]

For me it is Henri Cartier-Bresson...his street B&W's are often amazing, and I loved this personality...a prickly dude, to be sure.

[mw_aurora]

New on this forum so a bit of context - nature photography is my thing, mainly avian. I am getting into more Landscape (my goal for 2007) and the most influential artist at the moment for me is Marc Adamus (one of the Timecatcher team http://www.timecatcher.com) - a very talented young man (although Ian Cameron is a very close second but that is because he presents some of my favourite places in Scotland so well!)

Birds, this changes regularly because there are so many good avian specialists out there...I guess Markus Varesvuo (http://www.birdphoto.fi) is my current favourite :)

[Zilly]

dave perry that man rocks my world read one of his books at least once a week

[EOSimages]

No question... it's Ansel Adams. I read an article once several years ago where he made the comment, "If you can take a photograph of something in B&W and leave nothing to the imagination, you have accomplished everything".

I love the man's work and tried many times to repeat what he did in Yosemite. As you can clearly see... no one has ever heard of me, lol. ;) :lol:

[blinktwice]

Im bad with names so I dont read the names of the photographers most of the time but I was reading all these things about this Ansel Adams guy and how he does nature photographs when all of a sudden I remember a photograph I have on my wall. Its a photograph of Yosemite with snow all over and I think the rock in it is El Capitan.This photograph inspired me to become a photographer. I had never given credit to the man behind the image

Now I can say Ansel Adams is one of my favorite Photographer

[Mike R]

My father, Although he was a amateur, His slides of Alaska, taken with an old Argus rangefinder during the Korean Conflict, Inspired me to pick up a camera many years ago,and is probably why I prefer landscape photography still to this day.
(I also inherited his poor portrait skills)

[vdao1972]

James Natchwey
Larry Burrows
Anton Corbijn

[Cybnew]

Dickie Chapelle

I saw a show on her, and had to admire her

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/topics/chapelle/

[Citizensmith]

Really I don't latch on to names that much but I can pick one person.

A guy called Chris Packham, a wildlife photographer and TV presenter. I got given a rangefinder when I was 12 (all manual, fixed 50mm lens, a few extras) and used it a bit but wasn't really motivated. There was a show on TV called The Really Wild Show with Packham as a spikey blond haired presenter who was in to photography. He later wrote a book and had a series on wildlife photography. He was what motivated my photography to go from just owning a camera to becoming a serious following that I now do semi pro.

[Lord_Malone]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.

I second that.

Oh yeah, and also that one guy who has that one camera.

[Citizensmith]

Oh yeah, and also that one guy who has that one camera.

Yeah that photo they took way back of was just amazing. Really memorable.

I forget what it was about though.

[thekid24]

I really dont know that many photographers except one. Peter Read Miller, Sports Illustrated. Im into sports and would love to photograph them for a living. Hes the only one that comes to mind
http://www.peterreadmiller.com/

[Titus213]

Yousuf Karsh - just love those portraits and the lighting he accomplished with them.

http://www.geh.org/ne/mismi3/karsh_sld00001.html

[coreypolis]

Richard Avedon

[Lord_Malone]

Yeah that photo they took way back of was just amazing. Really memorable.

I forget what it was about though.

And Flip Wilson too.

[René Damkot]

I'll throw in another Dutch guy: Frans Lanting. (http://www.franslanting.com/)

[JBillings]

Okay, I'm going to throw out a name not yet mentioned.

Tom Mangelson, a very talented wildlife photographer.

http://www.mangelsen.com/

Got to meet him in Alaska last year. Was a great trip.

[MagicallyDelicious]

Cant think of an ultimate favourite -

Mario testino - Love how he captures beauty.

Martin Parr - The stories he tells within his pictures.

Imogen Cunningham - Everything she did is inspiring to me.

[tzalman]

I have so many favorites, but one man stands out in my mind as a giant - Eugene Smith. At Life magazine in the '50s he was one of the primary creators - and the greatest master - of a new journalistic genre, the photo-essay, a series of photographs that told the story, no words needed. Technically, his understanding and use of light and dramatic composition were superb. Studying his work should be required for any photographer. This is probably his most famous photo:
http://photos.imageevent.com/elied/linkto/wsmith2.jpg
But most important was his identification with and love for his subjects. In the late '60s he went to live in a Japanese fishing village, Minamata, whose residents were being poisoned by industrial waste. His photos of their suffering and his campaigning on their behalf led to his being severely beaten up. He was left temporarily blinded and suffered permanent sight impairment and there is little doubt that his injuries were a major cause of his death a few years later.

[tjrenegade]

Ansel Adams is definatly a favorite, however there is one photograph that I really like by Talbot.

Called "in the wake of Evolution" saw it in a print store one day and fell in love with it...

[tlc]

diane arbus. because she broke a lot of rules. and because she just didnt give a damn what people thought. she had a very dark side and wasnt afraid to show it. she had brains. she had guts and because she was not afraid to be herself.

the movie 'fur' with nicole kidman is about her life. but i am afraid it will be a total hollywood hack job. :evil:

[elTwitcho]

I have two photographers who rank as my favorites,

The first is David LaChapelle because his work had a profound impact on me when I first got into portraiture. Basically I was feeling out the waters and wasn't enjoying it so much, but when I came across his work it finally hit home that there really are no limits to how creative you can chose to be in portraiture. I've loved photographing people ever since, and I still spend hours flipping through "Hotel LaChapelle" from time to time.
http://www.davidlachapelle.com/

Another is Jill Greenberg. She made a stir here awhile back with her series of crying children but a common theme throughout her work is absolute perfect attention to detail in her lighting and processing. While I don't aspire to get the same look with my shots, I certainly aspire to have the same work ethic where no single tiny detail goes unnoticed and every possible aspect of an image is deliberate. I'm particularly fond of her "monkey portraiture" or ape portraiture or whatever it's called.
http://www.manipulator.com/

[gemini6474]

dont have one yet, but this is a great thread, ill have to check up on all the photogs mentioned in here, maybe ill come up with one. Although i am reading Understanding Exposure by Robert Peterson (due to advice of many people on this form) its helping me a lot, i am little puzzled not to see his name a lot on here, maybe i just missed it, so i guess for now my Favorite would be Robert Peterson.

[ShootingStars]

In No Particular Order (but they all have influenced me):
Annie Leibovitz
EJ Camp
Mark Seliger
DeWitt Jones
Norman Seefe
Gary Bernstein (The Godfather of "simple light")
Jim Marshall (just The Godfather)

Look um up!

[BrandonSi]

E.O. Hoppe

I just love his portraits for some reason..

http://www.eohoppe.com/portraits/dignitaries.html

[eesparx]

Ansel Adams, Dorthea Lange, and Edward Weston.

[siejones]

Colin Prior

Mainly cause his work inpired me to take my landscape photography more seriously and because he does mountain photography is exacltly the kind of photography I like to do best and can understand his passion.

[Mitonner]

Lee Friedlander-I love how he caught everyday life as it happened. He also did cool reflections...
http://www.masters-of-photography.com/F/friedlander/friedlander.html
Mit

[kharakim]

My favorites change on a fairly regular basis.

At the moment it's Travis Ruse (http://www.travisruse.com/) for what his pictures reveal about people and NY life (of which I am NOT a part).

[Mark_Cohran]

I enjoy Steve McCurry's works.

Mark

[sierra_nova]

Aleksandr Rodchenko.
http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/1998/rodchenko/

Why? His work is at the birth of photography as an art form. It is all so fresh, and real. It is an extension of his artwork and his artwork extends the humble photograph. It never ceases to awe and inspire me. A single image can hold my attention for hours and leave me filled with emotion and yet speechless.

Naomi

[saravrose]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.

ditto on that.. I just saw a movie about him... War Photographer.. absolutely incredible and his interviews are amazing...

http://www.war-photographer.com/

[samnz]

Rachael Hale. (The Anne Geddes of Animals)

[Michael1116]

Baron Wolman (Rolling Stone)

Given the technology of the equipment and the lighting of his subjects on stage, he is SPECTACULAR

[geoawelch]

Paul Caponigro and John Sexton. Their approach and his technique inspired me to leave 35mm for the large format world for about 10 years in the 90's.

George

[René Damkot]

For those who haven't seen it: Here (http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-8738-8921) a link to a QT movie with James Nachtwey.

[breal101]

Margaret Burke White for her pluck and determination and Jay Maisel because he took corporate photography to a new level.

[Kadath]

Rene, think this is the link you meant to add:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/84

I love looking at both pros and amateurs alike. One Pro I love a lot of shots from is Vincent LaForet:
http://www.laforetvisuals.com/main.php

[Chrisedge]

Anton Corbijn
http://www.teknemedia.net/esposizioni/new_406c3b80c0b36.jpg

http://www.jaynagyphoto.com/u2_b.jpg

Love his B&W work as well as his composition
Changed to links - Photos must either be yours or with written consent of copyright holder and links to source must be included. POTN Rules #1.5, 1.6 and 2.5

Jon

[Citizensmith]

Anton Corbijn
Love his B&W work as well as his composition

Oh yeah, definitely. He does some killer stuff.

[dancad]

Yousuf Karsh - just love those portraits and the lighting he accomplished with them.

http://www.geh.org/ne/mismi3/karsh_sld00001.html

I had the pleasure of meeting his brother, Malak Karsh, on a couple of occasions before he passed away. Great photgrapher and even better gentleman. He lived in Ottawa and photographed it and its surroundings for a living. For you fellow Canadians (and some others who might remember) one of his photographs was depicted on the reverse of the last one dollar bills before the Loonie came out - the raft of lumber floating by Parliament Hill.

[Aquaman]

Mathew Brady. Ironically, Brady once said that no one would ever appreciate what he went through to take the pictures he captured of the American Civl War. He died a penniless bankrupt.

[S.Horton]

Another Joe, Joe Cornish.

Landscape photographer (mainly) and was a real inspiration to me when I first started. Actually, he still is.

See his work here: http://www.joecornish.com/

Cheers

Ian

.......wow thx for posting that!

[saravrose]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.

absolutely..

[Titus213]

I had the pleasure of meeting his brother, Malak Karsh, on a couple of occasions before he passed away. Great photgrapher and even better gentleman. He lived in Ottawa and photographed it and its surroundings for a living. For you fellow Canadians (and some others who might remember) one of his photographs was depicted on the reverse of the last one dollar bills before the Loonie came out - the raft of lumber floating by Parliameny Hill.

That's pretty neat...I'll have to look up some of his work.

[Thornfield]

Robert Mapplethorpe and Herb Ritts would have to be my favourites.

[René Damkot]

Don't know if I posted him yet, but I absolutely love the work of Sebastiao Salgado (http://www.terra.com.br/sebastiaosalgado/).

[SeattleJerry]

I would have to say my favorite is Kim Taylor Reece. His work is almost always in black and white or sepia.
http://www.kimtaylorreece.com/
My wife is Hawaiian and she showed me his work years ago.

SeattleJerry

[sqjaw]

[quote=slejhamer;163577]Editorial: Neil Turner
http://www.dg28.com/index.html
(Check out the great Techniques section)

Portraiture/Wedding: Monte Zucker
http://www.montezucker.com/index.html

Why? Well Zucker's a bit of a legend, but the reason I like both of them is how generous they are in sharing their knowledge and love of photography.[/quote

The Late And darn good fotografer:

[René Damkot]

Another great photojournalist: Jan Grarup (http://www.shadowland-book.com/).

[Steve Parr]

My favorite photographer is my brother. He's three years my senior, and is the reason I got into photography when I was a kid.

I think the cool thing about it is that he makes his living in a different, but somewhat related, field, but still produces some of the most magnificent images I've ever seen...

[NickSimcheck]

James Nachtwey for his ability to show the world, in the raw.

Annie Leibovitz for her imagination.

And Steve McCurry for those lingering images, that you can close your eyes and always see...like Afgan Girl.

[ACDCROCKS]

anyone who photographs for Playboys....Us guys know why haha.

[iamskew]

Larry Clark -- because his photos show real life.

[PhotoJourno]

History - Classroom Classics:

Henri Cartier Bresson. His photography style, the man's soul can be seen through his pictures.

Contemporaneous:

Flip Schulke. A true photographer, friend of peoples, friend of cameras, and no stranger to good luck. And definitely great skill. He used to do a lot for NPPA, seminars, guest speaker, I should look into it better and try to catch one of his lectures, I am pretty sure he is still alive.

[GilesGuthrie]

Darren Heath (http://www.darrenheath.com/index.htm) was a real inspiration to me when I was shooting motorsports, but now I don't get to do that so much. Another motorsport photographer who creates stunning images is Reinhard Klein. He shoots rally cars, and whilst a lot of his images (and those of his agency McKlein) are typical - if perfect - rally shots, some of Klein's work in particular is just beautiful. Stunning landscapes that just happen to have a rally car in them.

[MikePixer]

It's probably already been posted....but:

David Alan Harvey. If one were to leaf through one of the Nat'l Geo books they would find a picture of him shooting some street festival in Spain (I believe). Nothing but a couple of old Leicas around his neck, the dust from the sandy road, and the crowd swirling around him.

His photo style is just so appealing to me. He pushes the film (remember C-H-R-O-M-E?)to the edge; it's very grainy and done in such a manner that makes you stop and actually look at the images. It's for me to put into words, but his photos are so personal and visceral.

I bet you would never find him pixel peeping, either. He's too busy making snaps!

http://www.davidalanharvey.com/index.html

[René Damkot]

Just digging up an old thread, to bring some attention to Philip Jones Griffiths (http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R149GCO&nm=Philip%20Jones%20Griffiths), who died on March 18th.

[BenJammin]

James Nachtwey

http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/

in my opinion, he is the greatest photojournalist of our time.


I completely agree! This guy is amazing!

[SeattleJerry]

Kim Taylor Reece is a very talented man. Does mainly black and white of Hawaiian dancers.

SeatteJerry

[Bas]

I'm a nature photography guy, so I like:

Marsel van Oosten (http://www.squiver.com)
Nick Brandt, these black/white pictures are amazing! All made with analog camera's, but with quite some photoshop/burning added i think. http://www.nickbrandt.com

[galjoe]

david norton great landscape photographer,well worth getting his book & dvd waiting for the light.

[Radtech1]

What about "The Animal"?