Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Famous photographers of the past century

By Alex Smith


If you want to take truly memorable and moving pictures, you can learn something by studying the photographs of famous photographers. Some of the most popular artists are deceased, but some are still delighting us with their pictures. The following list includes some of the most famous photographers that still affect our lives today.

1. Ansel Adams is probably the most easily recognized name of any photographer. His landscapes are stunning, and he achieves an unprecedented level of contrast using creative darkroom work. You can enhance your own photos by reading Adams' own thoughts as he got older, when he wanted that he had kept himself strong enough physically to continue his work.

2. Yousef Karsh has taken photos that tell a story, and that are more easily understood than many others. Each of his portraits tells you everything about the subject. He felt as though there was a secret hidden behind every woman and man. Whether he captures a brilliant eye or a gesture done quite unconsciously, these are times when people temporarily lose their masks. Karsh's portraits communicate with people.

3. Robert Capa has taken many famous war-time photo. He has covered 5 wars, even though the name "Robert Capa" was just the name placed to the pictures that Endre Friedman took and that were marketed under the "Robert Capa" name. Friedman believed that if you were not close enough to the subject, then you wouldn't get a good photo. He was often in the trenches with soldiers when he took photos, while most other war photographers took photographs from a safe distance.

4. Henri Cartier-Bresson has a style that makes him a natural on any top 10 photographer list. His style has clearly influenced photography as much as anyone else's. He was one of the first to use 35mm film, and he usually shot in black and white. We are not decorate by more of his work since he gave up the court about 30 years before he passed away. It's sad that there are fewer photographs by Cartier-Bresson to enjoy.

5. Dorothea Lange took photographs during the Great Depression. She took one photo of a migrant mother that is also titled by that name, and is considered one of the most famous photographs in history. In the 1940's, she also photographed the Japanese internment camps, and these photographs show sad moments in American history.

6. Jerry Uelsman created unique images with composite photographs. Being very talented in the darkroom, he used this skill in his composites. He never used digital cameras, as he felt that his creative process was more suited to the lab.

7. Annie Liebovitz does fine photographic portraits and is best known for her work with Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazine. Her photographs are intimate, and describe the subject. She was not afraid to fall in love with the people she photographed.

8. Brassai is the alias for Gyula Halasz, and he was well known for his photographs of ordinary people. He was proof that you don't have to travel far to find interesting items. He used ordinary people for his subjects, and his photos are still fascinating.

9. Brian Duffy was a British photographer who shot vogue in the 60's and 70's. He lost his photographic interest at one time, and burned a lot of negatives, but then started taking pictures again a year before he died.

10. Jay Maisel is a well-known contemporary photographer. His photos are simple, and he doesn't use complex lighting or fancy cameras. He often only takes one lens on photo outings, and he loves taking pictures of shapes and lights that he finds interesting.Of course there are other famous photographers that may be a part of your top 10 list. There is much to be learned in the art and craft of photography and from those who inspire us most.




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