Which pro photographers do you admire?
 

I was very saddened to hear of the death of Bob Carlos-Clarke a few weeks ago. Though his subject matter was very different to the stuff I take pictures of (not surprisingly), I always found his work to be thought provoking and inspiring.

So, who do you rate as an inspirational pro photographer? Who lights/lit your fire?

My list in no particular order, and I have probably forgotten to mention one or two.

Ansel Adams
Cecil Beaton
Bob Carlos Clarke
Terry O'Neill
Terance Donovan
Sam Haskins
Litchfield
David Bailey
Heather Angel


Don

Being fairly new to photographer I have looked at a few books of photographers and some I like and dont like.

Favourites are

David Bailey
Litchfield
Bob Carlos Clarke
Ansel Adams

I don't know if he was a pro photographer but I do remember the suberb birds of prey photographs of Eric Hoskins.

Don

Whilst these are are just a few great photographers, some of them specialise in fields of photography I feel many here don't really relate to. I mean Bailey for example was basically a fashion photographer who came to the fore in the sixties with his work for vogue etc. Come on Don when was the last time you looked at such publications ;) Beaton, and Litchfield were another two essentially photographers of fashion and it has to be said beautiful women. I see no one has mentioned that other old master HCB, the man who coined the phrase 'the decisive moment' You try and emulate his work today and you would be hard pushed.

But why limit ourselves to 'Old Pros' here, I prefer these days to look at the work of more modern photographers, who produce some truly inspirational stuff. I have been watching on a daily basis for some time now the work of a couple of guys from the NW. David Nightingale, and John Washington. Both run there own Blogs and add a new photo everyday. Nightingale can be found at Chromasia and Washington HERE

What I find most interesting apart from some stunning images, are the commentry each gives on their images, which often put what they are trying to achieve into perspective. If you fancy a look click on the links and then by clicking on the images it moves back one image. If you do check out the comments page too, but be prepared to lose a few hours :)

Another photographer I have come back to only recently is a Polish guy called Andrzej Dragan his site is HERE His photos are truly amazing, though not to everyones taste it has to be said.

There are lots of these sorts of people who are quietly producing work of note yet they never hit the headlines like Bailey and Litchfield etc did.

When I am in Smiths I quite often peruse Vogue. Stevie usually buys a couple of copies a year when they have a special edition. I have to admit the quality is not quite what it was but there you go. While I freely admit that my list specialised in fields of photography that members here may not relate to but their work appeals to me.

Probably an age thing Stephen, child of the sixties. :D

Looked at Andrzej Dragan but it does not appeal at all.

HCB, I went to a couple of exhibitions of his work in the late 60's. Great images but he appears lower down my list. That does not mean I don't appreciate his work.

I agree that there are lots of great modern photographers out there but my response was, those that came to the top of my head, and I expect others to have a different view.

Don

I note a couple of mentions of Ansel Adams here, not surprisingly. I went to see a major exhibition of his work in Boston last September and came away feeling that he was more of a great printer than a great photographer. Blasphemy perhaps but that's the impression I got.

I also came away feeling that he wouldn't have got the exposure (bad pun, not originally intended) he has if it wasn't for some appropriate patronage.

Duncan

Well, I'll put in a mention of Henri Cartier-Bresson
Alfred Eisenstaedt
Sebastio Salgado
Martin Parr
Karsh of Ottawa

Karsh was a superb portrait-photographer who seemed to get the character of his subject time and time again

Parr and Salgado are excellent at long-term projects

'H C-B' and 'Eisie' were working at a time when pro-photographers generally were seen as using large cameras so they had the freedom of working with 'miniature' Leicas which people probably didn't take too seriously and, of course, the general public were far less 'precious' about having a camera pointed at them than they are nowadays! Nevertheless, they managed to capture some of the best-known photos of the 20th century

I think that Tim FitzHarris deserves a mention as a super nature photographer and author.
Seeing Cecil Beaton' s name brings back memories of London in the early '50's when my mother worked for him. Occcasionally I would have to go to work with her and hung out in the kitchen of his house.

I've always admired Ansel Adams. In fact I have a large print of one of his pictures on my study wall at home. It's an old oak in the foreground, covered in snow and half dome is in the background. I think it's very striking.