The most inspiring of the 'great' photographers..

[fld]

<p>OK, I'll post: W. Eugene Smith, and Erich Salomon are the two photographers who most inspire me.</p>

[BernardMiller]

<p>Several of my favourites have been mentioned above. One who hasn't is Seydou Keïta. I love his portraits...they're amazing.</p>

[BernardMiller]

<p>And Lee Miller...no, we're in no wise related. But the exhibition of her work at London's V&A a while back was brilliant.</p>

[fred_haeseker]

<p>For me, Walker Evans, Robert Frank and Joel Sternfeld.</p>

[philipward]

<p>Dianne Arbus,Sally Mann,Man Ray,Edward Weston,Minor White,Edward Meatyard,Frank Capa,Bruce Gilden,Jeff Wall and many others......I could go on all night.</p>

[Ray House]

<p>Don't forget...Weegee AKA Usher Felling. I too would add Galen Rowell.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Karsh, Pete Turner, Irving Penn, Avedon, Ansel Adams, Arnold Newman... so many, so little time. These are my early influences, but many newer ones are impacting me now.</p>

[tonmestrom]

<p>Rob,<br>

Diane Arbus was listed in the link of Thomas. I have her in my collection too.</p>

[fullmetalphotograper]

<p>Here are few of my favorites<br>

Nobuyoshi ARAKI www.arakinobuyoshi.com/index.html<br />Arny Fretag www.arnyfreytagstudios.com/<br />Herb Ritts www.herbritts.com/<br />Stephen Wayda www.waydaphoto.com/main.html</p>

[dave_s]

<p>'Nuther vote for Minor White.</p>

[romuald.janik]

<p>For me (apart from others like HCB) a real favourite is Ralph Gibson (there was a good collection of his photographs by Taschen `Deus Ex Machina' - out of print now I guess..). He seems to be mostly absent from such polls - I admire his style of photography very much..<br>

Another one (who has absolutely nothing in common photgraphically) is Martin Parr.</p>

[philippe_carly]

<p>Ansel Adams, Helmut Newton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Jean-Loup Sieff</p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<p>Duane Michals, for so deliberately combining photography with philosophy and philosophy with photography.</p>

<p>"I believe in the imagination. What I cannot see is infinitely more important than what I can see." Duane Michals</p>

[david_volkmann]

<p>Herb Ritz, Great portrait photographer!</p>

[robwilson]

<p>Martin Parr's stuff makes me laugh. He is extremely witty.<br>

I think I should have put Robert Capa on my list as well. The photo of the dying man in the Spanish civil war still blows me away. <br>

He doesn't really inspire me as such (because I have no desire to emulate him), but Rankin's work blows me away as well.</p>

 

[tomscott]

<p>Edward S. Curtis is one of my favorites, although 19th and 20th centuries. He brought to light an entire civilization that most of the world knew very little about.</p>

[andrew_brown3]

<p>Eugene Atget, Irving Penn, , Weegee, Alvin Langdon Coburn, Frederick Evans and all the other Pictorialists, the FSA photographers, especially Walker Evans. Masters of their craft along with thousands of others, but not, I have to say, Robert Capa.<br>

This could easily become an endless journey<br>

Andy</p>

[fischerphotos]

<p>Well I enjoy viewing Marina Cano's portfolio here on photo.net. She just came out with a book so I bet its really good. I also just got a book called the National Geographic Image Collection. It's really cool!</p>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>Ah, where to begin... or where to stop.<br /> As a long-time Kodachrome user, I'll have to add Alex Webb. David Cavagnaro's beautiful book <em>This Living Earth</em> inspired many including me to explore macro at a time when it was uncommon. It also opened my eyes to color photography (and Kodachrome).<br /> Josef Meunch; Alfred Eisenstadt.</p>

[sd_woods]

<p>and Miroslav Tichy</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>W. Eugene Smith for his documentary work. He knew how to tell a story with pictures.</p>

<p>Bresson for his simplicity (right word?) of composition, his capture of slices of life that others would never notice, and his idea of decisive moment.</p>

<p>Alice Austen (who?). Alice Austen was a turn of the century (last one) amateur photographer who photographed her community (Staten Island). She documented its everyday life, it's upper middle class society which she belonged to, and just about everything else. Even though she was a ferry ride from Manhattan, she found the richness of her own community. She inspired me to do the same.</p>

[adam_griffith]

<p>Here's another vote for Ansel Adam's. There are many other photographers I have admired for their funny and stylized images, but nothing has ever made me say "I want to be able to make <em>that</em>" quite like an Adams classic.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>I prefer color.</p>

<p>Galen Rowell</p>

<p>David Muench (every Muench image is a master class)</p>

<p>Art Wolfe</p>

<p>Dave Black (sports photography)</p>

<p>Lots of folks whose images I appreciate but whose names I don't know.</p>

<p>P.S. And Ernst Haas. He's in a class by himself.</p>

[luke_kaven]

<p>Please add Larry Fink</p>

[savitri_wilder]

<p>We just watched videos on the history of photography and American photographers. I've always loved Adam's photos but the person who inspires me is Dorothea Lange. I want to capture images like her!</p>