Who is/are your favorite photographer (s), and why?

I am interested in finding inspiration and I've been doing a lot of research... I really seem to like Mario Testino's work.
Who is YOUR favorite photographer, or are your favorite photographers, and why? Include links, pictures!

For me, it would be Ansel Adams and more than a few on this forum...............

http://anseladams.org/

This evening, Bill Brandt and Ernst Haas. It'll probably change tomorrow.

Why? Because I enjoy looking at their images.

What a great idea for a thread!

It is really hard to pick just one as a favorite, but if I had to pick one above all of the others, it would probably be Ned Smith. Ironically, Ned was primarily known as a wildlife artist and as a naturalist. He was not even known as a photographer, although he spent thousands of hours afield photographing birds and mammals. He used his photos primarily as reference material for his writing and artwork.

About Ned Smith: http://www.nedsmithcen​ter.org/about-ned-smith/

As a wildlife photographer, I find that I have a special appreciation for those who spend a ton of time afield, and Ned was well known for spending most of his time out in nature studying the critters that he painted. Those who spend countless hours in nature observing their subjects show that they have a great passion for the animals they photograph. I find that such a great enthusiasm for a subject typically translates to more compelling imagery, regardless of the medium used.

jessiekins wrote in post #17406331
I am interested in finding inspiration and I've been doing a lot of research... I really seem to like Mario Testino's work.
Who is YOUR favorite photographer, or are your favorite photographers, and why? Include links, pictures!

Hi Jessica!

Mario Testino is excellent! I love his work.

My favorites for inspiration are many, but top ones are these folks:

Joe McNally http://portfolio.joemc​nally.com/#!/index
Jay Maisel http://www.jaymaisel.c​om
Gregory Heisler http://www.gregoryheis​ler.com
Annie Leibovitz Vogue link http://www.vogue.com …ographer/annie-leibovitz/
Lindsay Adler http://www.lindsayadle​rphotography.com/#!/in​dex

Joe is old time and new time. He's a generalist. He has shot for National Geographic over the years. He did photography a year or two ago hanging off the top of the Burj Khalifa. Check the YouTube video.




Jay Maisel is extraordinary, a master. He has a recent book, "Light Gesture Color". Go look at it. He shoots whatever looks interesting to him.

Gregory Heisler is primarily a portrait photographer. He has a video of how he shot the cover of Time for Person of the Year 2002, Rudy Giuliani.




Annie Leibovitz is probably the one whose work has moved me personally many times, almost never for the better at first. No matter, she's one of the best. You know Mario Testino, so I imagine you know Vogue. You probably also know Annie shoots a lot for Vogue.

Lindsay Adler is an up and coming fashion photographer. She takes the rules and breaks them. You're not supposed to shoot fashion at 12mm. She's done it.




There's my list. Enjoy!

i never have been much of a follower of famous photographers as i was influenced by local photographers on the club circuits back in the days of film

though sally mann and nick brandt spring to mind
http://sallymann.com …works/southern-landscapes
http://www.nickbrandt.​com/Text_page.cfm?pID=​2704

Bill brandt
Salgado

I just can't narrow it down to one...


Robert Doisneau
Steve McCurry
Rene Maltete
Alex Webb
William Albert Allard

Jeanloup Sieff. Helmut Newton. Jay Maisel.

Definitely gonna have to go with Ben Thouard! He takes amazing photos in the water if you're interested in surf, along with the occasional underwater model. He lives in Tahiti and owns a motorized glider, so he has many great aerial photographs as well.

Adams for the zone system and his idea of what Yosemite was to him.

Weston for his vision. His peppers looked like his shells that looked like his clouds that looked like his nudes that looked like his peppers.

Robert Frank for The Americans.

Dorothea Lange for the compassion in her photographs.

Bresson for the moment.

Ralph Gibson for the negative space.

Erwitt for his humor.

Sally Mann for a look inside her life and family.

Walker Evans for his look at America.

Bruce Davidson for East 100th Street

Francesca Woodman for sharing her pain.

Joel Peter-Witkin for showing us his nightmares.

Winogrand for showing us life on the streets.

Boogie for giving us a glimpse into the madness of gangs and drugs.

DeCarava for his look into Harlem.

These are all some of my favorite photographers and this list could go on...
My advice to those that don't know who they are look them all up and check out their work.

Allen,
I am surprised not to see Harold Feinstein on your list. What are your thoughts on his work?

This list had stop somewhere bro. Like his work though.

Should have added my favorite portrait photographer Arnold Newman to the list above..

So Newman for his real portraits and the clues he includes in the frame as to who is subjects really are.

I am a fan of Clyde Butcher for his images and work ethic. I stumbled into his Big Cypress Gallery last year and was impressed; especially when I saw the attached photo:

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