Must-see photographers

[j_sevigny]

In Mexico, where I live and teach, most photographic education focuses on

camera operation, not on pictures themselves. I'm trying to put a photo-

history element into my classes but I don't want to go so far back that the

kids (and young adults) get bored.

 

Who do you fine folks think are the photographers with whom a young shooter

should be familiar?

 

I'm thinking of keeping things pretty contemporary, starting with say, HCB.

Keep in mind that I need to keep this list relatively small -- say 10 legends.

 

Any thoughts appreciated.

[al_kaplan1]

David Douglas Duncan, W. Eugene Smith, Bruce Davidson, and Ansel Adams would be four reasonably contemporary influential photographers I'd include in that list. Perhaps include Jerry Uelsmann for his beautiful and imaginative composite images done "the hard way" before photoshop.

[leicaglow]

There are too many to get this list right, but here are some of my random, favorite picks. I would mix it up as much as possible (male/female, street vs. process, landscape vs. commercial and fashion, etc.):

 

Ansel Adams (as a classical, procedural expert)

Edward Weston

Annie Leibovitz

Herb Ritts

Arnold Newman

Yosuf Karsch (sp?)

Man Ray

Gordon Parks

Richard Avedon

Andreas Fieninger

[beepy]

Argh! One of my favorites:

<a href="http://www.florgarduno.com/">Flor Garduno</a>. She is by far one of my

favorite comtemporary photographers. Strong roots in Mexico and their indigenous

culture. Imagery and icons. Great stuff.

<p>

I would also consider <a href="http://www.masters-of-photography.com/A/

alvarez_bravo/alvarez_bravo.html">Manuel Alvarez Bravo</a>. I spent some time at the

<a href="http://www.go-oaxaca.com/newsletter/

alvarezbravophotographiccenter.html">Bravo Center for Photography<a/> in Oaxaca

photographing and working in 2005 when it relocated.

[aeaster]

It is sad indeed when most kids (and young adults) get bored with learning about anything older than they are. And you are trying to teach them history? Bueno suerte. That constraint makes your task especially difficult.

 

However, I would take it back a little further than HCB. I would begin with Edward Weston for several reasons. First, he was perhaps the greatest photographer in history; a genius who mastered all of the genres of the art. Second, Weston was the bridge between the old and the new; between 19th Century Pictorialism and 20th Century Modernism. And lastly, as an expatriate gringo, Weston was for several years an essential player in the history of Mexican photography.

[bosshogg]

Edward Weston, Mary Ellen Mark and Diane Arbus

[joe hauser]

few more ... Ken Josephson, Robert Cumming, Eggleston, Shelia Metzner, Emmet Gowen, Bill Owens, Judy Dater, ...........

[michaelging]

sebastian salgado

[huntrbll]

Galen Rowell - his photography AND writing.

[pico]

And Pico diGoliardi. Fer shure! :)

[john falkenstine]

I would think that with Mexico's turbulence, and its wild press, that more than likely there are scores of excellent photographers that deserve more familiarity south of the border. While all of the recommendations above are good to excellent, they also reflect a fairly conservative and convential outlook on photographic education, and would work quite well, it it was 1980 or earlier. We now have newer generations of photographers that are quite interesting RIGHT NOW, and I feel that we should make an effort to push them to the front for educational purposes as well.

[pico]

Mexican and South American literature is making it into the mainstream. They have this

special thing - they are not hardware whores, and they write and photograph from a place

called calll Duende.

[thomas_sullivan]

Miguel Rio Branco, Philip-Lorca diCorcia, Robert Frank, Eliot Erwitt, Daido Moriyama, Shomei Tomatsu, Weegee, William Eggleston, Richard Avedon, William Gedney, Mary Ellen Marks, Harry Callahan

[don_e]

Young photographers should know their HCB, Adams, Smith, and Weston. The other six would be a matter of personal opinion and it may be more interesting for the class, and for you, if you would include some of your personal choices, but those four most certainly.

 

 

--

 

Don E

[pablito_pistola]

I'd take a different approach. Teach them about the great photographic tradition of

Mexico. This will get their interest and then you can go beyond to the work of other

masters from the US, Europe and the rest of the world. Start with Romualdo Garcia. Then

Guillermo Kahlo, Alvarez Bravo, Graciela Itrubide, Pedro Meyer. There are a lot of resources

out there including Centro de la Imagen in Mexico DF and a whole network of fototecas

(photo archives) which are online.

[pablito_pistola]

Graciela Iturbide...sorry for the typo above

[pico]

I agree with Pablito. Mexico has a very special culture that is so different from the European

and American photographers. It deserves a great deal of attention.

[j.kivekas]

- Luis Daguerre<br>

- William Fox Talbot<br>

- George Eastman<br>

- Lumiere brothers<br>

- Lartigue, Brassai<br>

- Nadar, Brassai<br>

- Edward Weston, Man Ray, Irvin Penn, Avedon, Newton .....<br>

- Ansel Adams<br>

- Bill Brandt, Dorothea Lange,...<br>

- HCB, Capa, Nachtwey....<br>

.... many genres and even more photogs

[mkhan]

why nobody mentioned, <A HREF=http://www.jamesnachtwey.com">James Nachtwey</A> ? <BR><BR>

 

Mohammad

[maris_rusis]

Lots of good sugestions so far but be very careful of HCB. He is almost universally credited as a great photographer but when you seriously research what he actually did you begin to wonder why.

 

HCB had a positive distaste for the photographic medium and limited his contact with it to loading a Leica and marking up contact sheets. His genius was in being a omnivorous, relentless, implacable cameraman who could get through some dozens of rolls of film a day but had everything else done by others.

 

He is a problematic role model for photography students because no one, not even a well-heeled and determined professional, can work that way today. The huge commercial photographic laboratories that would work through the night to put a hundred contact sheets on HCB's desk in the morning don't exist any more. The picture magazines that demanded thousands of "candid" photographs every week, that sustained HCB's prolific output, don't exist any more either.

 

HCB was a genius very much limited to his era. His connection with the photographic medium was a historic accident. In an earlier era he would have stuck to his true love of drawing. If working now I reckon he would be famous for video documentary work.

[don_e]

"...a problematic role model for photography students..."

 

The OP did not ask for such a thing as a list of "role models" or "great photographers" even, but the photographers a "young shooter should be familiar with".

 

Perhaps some will become as familiar with HCB as you are and form an opinion of his photographs. Wouldn't that be educational?

 

--

 

Don E

[john falkenstine]

If I taught photography I would NOT use any of the established photographers that are so commonly represented as "examples" of how to tighten lug nuts. I would insist the students find their own favorites. Perhaps there are a some within the group of students that are better or as good as the examples noted above. I would not do the photo-history bit at all. Do it for the now in the now. Most students detest history lessons.

[j.kivekas]

Contrary to Maris' observation the more I have studied HCB the more I like his work. It's true he was born a golden spoon in his mouth but it does not prohibit one developing to, and being, good. It just means life is easier in many ways, more possibilites are available.<p>

In my opinion HCB was very good shooting people in their surroundigs. He was very much the pioneer of documentary editorial and documentary portrait. He worked very much with 40 mm focal length to emphasize the eye view. Maris says he left everything else but photography to others. Yet, he did form a system to produce and distribute photos efficiently - The Magnum photo agency. It pretty much set the benchmark to others. So contrary to Maris I do think HCB had a wholistic view of photography.<p>

Of course, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There are many genres and even more photogs. People want to have forebilds, faces and names to them - stars, and it's not always quite fair. There is a funny snowball effect with stardom. Suddenly, everything a star does is magnificient and all the lemmings and back slappers run in queues swearing to the name of the new god. The history of art and sport know many who have been good in what was essentially their futile hobby.

[j.kivekas]

Further more:<br>

It's quite easy to pick up names from the early era of photography since it was pretty much a small number of people who all contributed to the business. But after the medium had become routine and establisheed itself the door was open to genres and every genre has its masters. The "names" tend to be related most often to human photgraphy. Yet, there are other genres which require no less skil. The jumper sets the bar himself to a certain level. Product, sports, birds or macro photography can be difficult as what Yet, only genre freaks may know the work of the masters of the art. I don't know who was the father of commercial advertisement photography, but he sure did have a huge impact on our lives.

[machts gut]

As you live in Mexico, Tina Modotti is a must, IMO. Even if she is not contemporary.

Another legend/ photographer who created a style: Robert Frank.

 

Stefan