Favorite photographers?

[danalec99]

Teru Kuwayama - He's shot for Life Magazine, National Geographic, and a bunch of others. I met him a few years ago, I have some of his prints, and we communicate every once in a while. I love his work.

I love his work which was published in "Outside". I think one could find it in the Corbis site.

 

[tmpadmin]

Witkin is one of my favourite photographers.
But so too are:
Les Krims
John Blakemore
Winston O. Link
Duane Michals
Jacob Riis
Angus McBean
Robert Mapplethorpe
Lee Friedlander
Walker Evans
and at least another 100.

Funny you should mention Les Krims, he was my teacher. Our styles are far from similar but his expertise and eye really helped. We often disagreed and sometimes argued subject matter but his teaching and guidance and style will always stay with me. I should see if he is still teaching would be nice to brush up.

Your teacher? Wow! My envy knows no bounds. I actually communicated by post with Krims for a while in the early 90's. I was introduced to his work in the late 70's and I fell in love with his humour and head games.

It's funny - I don't remember his as an outwardly humorous person. He was always wrapped up in his own world. He never showcased his work. I had to search for it myself. (I'm sure if I asked him he would have showed me) There was a rumor that one of his photos displayed at a NYC gallery caused someone to kidnap the son of someone until they took that photo down. It's the one with the nude half buried with leaves with a cat looking at her. Can't find it...

 

[Hertz van Rental]

He did quite a lot of contentious stuff - especially in the 70's. Some was branded pornographic. He had to publish all his books himself and once they were out of print that was it. He told me he was not interested in reprints - so his books are as rare as rocking horse poo.
His humour is all in his work - the titles of some crack me up, whilst others are like crossword puzzles.
He became infamous for a series of pictures called 'making chicken soup'. It showed a woman making chicken soup - but she was his mother and she was nude.
To quote Imogen Cunningham: 'Another aversion of mine is Les Krims - he's very popular now - the one who photographs his mother nude. I understand he even sprayed his wife with some sort of spray.'
Hardly surprising he wouldn't show his work. I put him in the same bracket as Duane Michals and, strangely, Witkin.
To quote Michals:
'Life is too short to be distracted by the pesky, mundane questions that plague most photographers: "How can I get this model to smile without showing her teeth?" or, "Does this house look better with or without the little red wagon in front?" So think hard, think deep and ask new questions. As a photographer, how can you present the nature of existence and the drama of the human condition? How will you define beauty and ugliness in visual terms? What is death and why is mankind fixated on rational explanations of the afterlife? In short, send the models home and start asking the BIG questions.'
I think this is what the three of them are trying to do in their own wonderful ways.

 

[cmptrdewd]

I don't want to search for some of these photographers and run into pornographic material!

Hertz: Please warn me of other "messed-up-in-the-head" "photographers" on your list!

I joined this forum in hopes learn more about photography!
Not to hear about "Porn-o-freaks" that came themselves photographers! :angry1:

O and yes hertz, it is pornographic!

 

[DIRT]

******LARRY "FLAME" MOORE *******

best surf photog ever! i also love the work of aron chang.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I don't want to search for some of these photographers and run into pornographic material!

Hertz: Please warn me of other "messed-up-in-the-head" "photographers" on your list!

I joined this forum in hopes learn more about photography!
Not to hear about "Porn-o-freaks" that came themselves photographers! :angry1:

O and yes hertz, it is pornographic!

Sorry you feel like that - it wasn't intended.
Personally, I find killing people in the name of Democracy or exploiting the vulnerable for profit to be obscene. But that is just me.
Don't look for Witkin then. Mapplethorpe was a gay and did a lot of male nudes. Duane Michals has done some nudes and so has Friedlander.
You should be OK with Winston O Link - he only photographed trains.
If you are getting involved with any Art form (and Photography is one) then you run the risk of coming up against artists who push the boundaries and you may well be offended. But I don't think it is reasonable to hold me personally responsible if you choose to track down photographers I mention and then get offended by them. I didn't ask you to do it.
All I would say is that every one of the photographers I mentioned has work in all the major Art galleries and Museums of the world. Make of that what you will.

 

[cmptrdewd]

I don't want to search for some of these photographers and run into pornographic material!

Hertz: Please warn me of other "messed-up-in-the-head" "photographers" on your list!

I joined this forum in hopes learn more about photography!
Not to hear about "Porn-o-freaks" that came themselves photographers! :angry1:

O and yes hertz, it is pornographic!

Sorry you feel like that - it wasn't intended.
Personally, I find killing people in the name of Democracy or exploiting the vulnerable for profit to be obscene. But that is just me.
Don't look for Witkin then. Mapplethorpe was a gay and did a lot of male nudes. Duane Michals has done some nudes and so has Friedlander.
You should be OK with Winston O Link - he only photographed trains.
If you are getting involved with any Art form (and Photography is one) then you run the risk of coming up against artists who push the boundaries and you may well be offended. But I don't think it is reasonable to hold me personally responsible if you choose to track down photographers I mention and then get offended by them. I didn't ask you to do it.
All I would say is that every one of the photographers I mentioned has work in all the major Art galleries and Museums of the world. Make of that what you will.

You should ALWAYS warn people when you post links!

 

[tmpadmin]

I find that my perception of the art in photography differs from that of Krims and (those like him) and cmptrdewd. I find that finding the human condition will never be fully found in a staged photo. You need to get out into the world and mingle with those who make up life. However, I do see the art in their work.

Seldom has a photographer - a true artist - portrayed a nude in their photo in a pornographic way. It is only on the surface do you see pornography. Looking deeper into the story told by the photo do you truly come to an understanding of what the photographer is trying to reveal to you. Some think NG's photos of tribal women are pornographic. You cannot look at a photo in this way (okay some exceptions!) I'm not trying to get into a "What is Art" battle but just want to point out that just because a nude in photographed that doesn't make it pornography. It is the mind of the viewer that makes it pornography - within reason. But going further if you view a photo and are disturbed by it that your perception and it is truth and what you feel is within your realm of reality and what you choose to enjoy.

This thread is labeled “Favorite Photographers” and photography being what it is you really should expect to find some photos that WILL offend you. It is expected or should be when dealing with an art form that renders life so perfectly. However, this is a friendly forum and maybe a little warning could help those who do not want to experience what some have to offer. Did I ramble?

 

[cmptrdewd]

...However, this is a friendly forum and maybe a little warning could help those who do not want to experience what some have to offer.

That is all I want! A warning about any kind of nude photography.
It's like walking in on someone while they are on the toilet!
You know, it's uncomfortable.

 

[Xmetal]

Man Ray is a fave of mine because of his avant garde photography style.

Modern day Shooters:

Easton Chang, Click here for my main inspiration to Automotive photography.

Cristian Brunelli
Mark Bean
Guy Bowden

 

[Hertz van Rental]

...However, this is a friendly forum and maybe a little warning could help those who do not want to experience what some have to offer.

That is all I want! A warning about any kind of nude photography.
It's like walking in on someone while they are on the toilet!
You know, it's uncomfortable.

Point taken and sincere apologies.
Because I am not bothered by such things I just didn't think - got carried away with the conversation... Silly of me.
If nudity offends you then you really must be careful looking at the work of other photographers. I know of only one or two important ones who haven't done a few nudes during their career - the human form is considered one of the three main subjects for Art.
Tmp? If we want to carry on conversations like this then I guess we should use our PM boxes...

 

[curiouslyadrift]

You should be OK with Winston O Link - he only photographed trains.

HAHAHAHAHAHAH...

HAHAHAH

Hahahah.

Sorry.

cmptrdewd, please stop posting. You are wasting our time and muddying this thread. Don't get involved with an art if you plan on practicing censorship in the process.