Photographers that taunt you

[fjrabon]

So, I just finished up re-reading/viewing Alex Webb: The Suffering of Light and man, that dude just taunts me. How he manages to get that much going on with his images, while keeping good composition, nearly perfect application of color and still maintain great tonal depth is just stunning. He tends to not worry about light as much as most, so that's one thing he's often willing to punt on, but man, still, it's so daunting to see images he managed to pull off, when I'm doing everything I can to get two people to work in a street frame (or even one for that matter).

Like there are times when I just think "if I tried to put any of these ideas into play in my own photography, disaster would only ensue, I just simply can't do this type of thing." That's what I mean by taunting. I love his work so much, but I don't even know what I can even learn from it.

So who is a photographer that taunts you?

 

[tirediron]

All of them.

 

[480sparky]

None of them. I follow my own path.

 

[fjrabon]

None of them. I follow my own path.

I'm not trying to copy anybody, I'm talking about photographers that you almost feel like you can't even learn from. Or do you not study any other photographers at all?

 

[480sparky]

........ Or do you not study any other photographers at all?

Nope.

 

[table1349]

Why study photographers when there is so much to study and learn about photography.

 

[fjrabon]

Why study photographers when there is so much to study and learn about photography.

because you can learn from them?

 

[SCraig]

because you can learn from them?

Only if you wish to emulate their style.

I'm with Sparky. While I may admire the efforts of other photographers I never actually "Study" them. I shoot things the way *I* want them to be and as long as I'm happy with the results that's all that matters to me.

 

[fjrabon]

because you can learn from them?

Only if you wish to emulate their style.

I think you can learn a lot from photographers without emulating their style. Artists of all types study their predecessors.

 

[480sparky]

I guess I'm not an artist.

 

[runnah]

Oh god I know! Not a day goes by where a famous photographer doesn't drive by my house shouting obscenities.

 

[tirediron]

Oh god I know! Not a day goes by where a famous photographer doesn't drive by my house shouting obscenities.

Nice of you to think of me as 'famous', but that's really a bit of an exaggeration!

 

[ruifo]

So who is a photographer that taunts you?

Sebastião Salgado. I respect him and his work so much. I feel myself taunted by his amazingly great work. Big fan!

 

[rexbobcat]

It depends on what you mean by taunt. Some photographers are so far removed from the norm that I don't really bother with envy. I'm talking about those photographers who take paid trips with 3-8 assistants, $50,000 of photo equipment, and models or subjects that they've had help finding/hiring.

Yeah, I'd love to have those resources, but at the same time, they're such outliers that I'm not holding my breath.

I'm more intrigued by those photographers who are a little less showboat-y such as Joe McNally. If I had half his skill, I'd be happy.

 

[Gary A.]

We called them 'Shooters'. I mentioned this in another thread. When on a big assignment, photogs from other organizations show up. Usually, there is a lot of wait time while shooting a story ... and all us photogs would hang. One of my 'taunting' photogs is Larry Burrows ... he taunted most everyone. When he walk by he always said hi ... and someone would say "You know who that was?". Someone else would say, "Larry Burrows ... he's a Shooter." Then we'd all get depressed and experience a collective taunt.

For me, there is nothing wrong in emulating. You learn a lot by doing so. If you do it right, if you really get your feet into ... say Alex Webb's shoes ... you can feel what Webb felt and sorta see how Webb sees ... it can be very illuminating and helpful. I would often ask myself "How would David Douglas Duncan shoot this or How would Burrows shoot that ...". It would help me see stuff in a different light and help me focus on particular elements of the image that I may overlook in the bustle of meeting a deadline. (In Duncan's case, I'd remember to give special attention to the eyes, as an example.)

I remember chatting with a reporter, she was good, Pulitzer Prize good. She told me when she found a particularly good story, one that really 'taunted' her, (my word not hers ... well actually it's fjrabon's word), she would type it. She'd type it all, the entire story. It helped her become a better writer. Emulation helped me become a better photographer.