Photographers we aspire to??

[bapp]

Far to easy to fall into the trap of imitation..

No more looking at photographs for inspiration. Much more looking at the world with an open mind.

Personally I agree with your point on looking at the world for inspiration however as Herzt says why deny yourself the experiences of great photographers that have gone before us.

Also the chances are that we are actually quite likely to imitate something in the past that we have not seen. Now I know that may sound strange but almost every "general" idea as been done before (not talking about cliches) and done at a very high standard. So as honest photographers there is a chance that we think an idea is original when in fact it is not.

To find inspiration we should not discard any form of creativity, past or present. This idea runs from Art to literature to almost anything.

 

[bapp]

Hey guys just a quick note...

I am overjoyed with the response this thread has received and I am going to attempt to change the use of this category as it was originally intended.

I will be starting a thread to state my ideas for change so any support would be much appreciated!!

Much Love.x

edit: Thread started:

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Any thread that wants to stay true to it's intentions has to be 'policed'.
There was once a Mod who did that in here but no more.
Best of luck.

 

[bapp]

There were also Ten·8 and Camerawork which discussed other non-technical aspects of photography. The kind of forum that those magazines provided is also missing here.

Are you familiar with the Portfolio Magazine? It is a journal for up and coming British Photographers. It has some fantastic articles on non technical photography.

LINK

 

[Joves]

Well I grew up in the era of LOOK and, LIFE magazines which gave me the photobug. Atleast that is what inspired me to start with, the idea of capturing moments. I started when I was 9 shooting with a hand me down Kodak Brownie type camera. Ive pretty much been at it since for 40 years now. Now what keeps me shooting is trying to log the vanishing wilderness. Especially here in Arizona it is all being built up.

 

[itsanaddiction]

THANKS EVERYONE! I'm so glad y'all posted links. i was googling every name I came across.

I often type in master photographer or something to see what comes up. This was an amazing post!

 

[abraxas]

...the vanishing wilderness. Especially here in Arizona it is all being built up.

I'd like to see some of your shots- I try to do what I can with the shrinking California area. I can see it becoming smaller everyday. It used to be so pretty where I live. Now it has become what I moved away from 20 years ago.

There's not too many landscape photographers I study. Josef and David Muench, Galen Rowell and Ansel of course. Other than that I browse, but never really pay attention to who is doing what.

 

[elsaspet]

I shoot mostly bands, portraits and sometimes fashion. I'm not really into any kind of artistic photography at all. But I always try to pull off cool and unique ideas when taking photos. There is more to band shots than just let them stand on a line leaning against a wall or something. You have to stay creative or you'll probably never get anywhere. I guess I am very influenced and inspired by photographers like Joey Lawrence who use Photoshop as a big part of the image creation. Maybe we should call us the new generation of photographers or something. I learned Photoshop before I learned how to use a camera so it comes very natural for me. I never see Photoshop as "cheating" but more like a form of art itself.

Another huge Joey Lawrence fan here!!!!!!!!!

 

[molsen]

i get my ideas from all over the place, but i don't aspire to any particular photographer or photographers. i want to craft my own style and the last thing i want is to copy others. i don't pay much attention to the photographer's name when i see a photo i like...i'm more interested in the elements of the photo itself. i aspire to be the best and most creative i can be

 

[Big Bully]

I find what inspires me is to see the progressive work of the masters such as Ansel Adams. He wasn't always good, and in fact when he started he was quite average. So it helps me to feel better about my abilities as a photographer.
Some of the other photographers that I really enjoy are Michael Kenna, and Georgia O'Keef.
While I was in my photography class I found a picture from Michael Kenna that made me want to become a photographer. And since then I have yet to find it again. It was a set of swings taken at night in the fog. I think it was done in NY. But it was that picture that made me want to be a photographer.
But reading all that you guys have written, I feel inadiquate with my associates degree in photography, because it seems as if I know a tenth of what you guys know.