Studying famous photographers to better your own photography.

[jon_k]

Hi,

I'm interested in finding a website with a collection of many of the famous photographers work, so I can really start to consider why I like some photos and not others. The point is to get better at composition and understanding composition.

I've realized photography is about the art, not the science. I need to start learning about design elements, composition, etc. by studying great and successful photographers. I'd rather not buy a book right now, but rather online gallery's featuring famous photogs work.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

There was a thread about this a week or so back talking about photogs who inspire people. I bookmarked a couple:

Steve McCurry

Chema Madoz

Chances are if you do a search on the last one in TPF, you'll find the thread I'm on about

 

[ann]

there here

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/strand/strand_wall_street.html

there is a whole list of others besides Paul Strand.

 

[Alpha]

There is probably far more information to be found in books than on the internet.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

I've realized photography is about the art, not the science. I need to start learning about design elements, composition, etc. by studying great and successful photographers.

This is not something you can do with any real success on your own, I'm afraid. At least not to start with.
Design elements and composition - when viewed in isolation - appear quite simple. It's when you put them together that things get complex. And they are all bound up in the meaning of the image.
To make it even easier, the meaning is different depending on which angle you look at it from.
You should really try starting with a class. If you can't find one specifically about photography then find one about Art or Film*. They have a lot in common.
The right class will have someone who knows what they are talking about to guide you through the initial stages, and hold open discussions with the rest of the group. You will then begin to see the basics of how it works, be led on to further reading and finally be able to get more out of looking at pictures - which means you can put more in.


*Or one on the History of Photography.

 

[Iron Flatline]

Max is right. A really fabulous little collection of books is by one of the great publishing houses:

Aperture - Masters Of Photography

They're small books, but they collate the best images of the greatest photographers. They're $10 new, but you can pick them up used for around 5... which is one thing the internet is actually good for!

 

[bellavita64]

Don't you have a library card? Hint - YOU SHOULD!! I live in a fairly small city (about 30,000) and I have found tons of photography books at the local library. They are all free (as long as you get them back by the due date!). You'd be surprised what they have. I found huge thick books packed with images (fine art stuff) by all of the greats. Most of them even had some of the more avante-garde, edgy stuff too. Study them, pore over them, read all of the fine print beside them. You will learn a lot more than you will viewing them on any website. You will also be surprised how many books are available (at the library, for free) on composition and technique. And then if you find a book that truly has invaluable info in it, you can always buy a copy for reference. You might think some of the books are a little dated, but the basics of what makes a photography a great work of art are timeless.

 

[JIP]

Um..... How about

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=PHOTOGRAPHERS

for a start......

and mabye get that liberry card and go here......

http://nrhcat.library.nrhtx.com/search/d?SEARCH=photography

That should keep you busy for the rest of your life....

 

[jon_k]

Yeah. I'm looking for some inspiration from famous photographers, so I can attempt to acquire a vision of my own.

Many people struggle understanding the technical side of photography, but I struggle with creativity. I'm sure it'll take many years to develop a creative vision of my own. You don't learn to draw or paint overnight, and I assume nor do you create inspiring unique photographs.

and mabye get that liberry card and go here......

http://nrhcat.library.nrhtx.com/search/d?SEARCH=photography

That should keep you busy for the rest of your life....

Sly looking up my city's public library. ;-)

I suppose grabbing a library card is the answer to knowledge. I've usually purchased all the books I want to read. Something about tight spines and new smell. But, there's many books that are out of print that have great content about photography, and I could probably fill up a few bookshelves with books related on the subject.

I'll definitely drop by the library ASAP, get a card, and start checking books out. They're building a new library as well, so that should mean more books!

 

[JIP]

Sly looking up my city's public library. ;-)

I suppose grabbing a library card is the answer to knowledge. I've usually purchased all the books I want to read. Something about tight spines and new smell. But, there's many books that are out of print that have great content about photography, and I could probably fill up a few bookshelves with books related on the subject.

I'll definitely drop by the library ASAP, get a card, and start checking books out. They're building a new library as well, so that should mean more books!

Ya see I used to feel that way about books from the library but here's the thing, I am not sure about you but I personally cannot afford to just go out and buy all the books that I want to read on a particular subject so what i do is go and take out about a million of them from my local library go through all of them figure out what I want and if I really like something I will go out and buy it. Honestly it looks like your library has a system that is very similar to the one here in Pittsburgh except my library searches everone in the surrounding 50 miles as well and I just go online find what I want request it online and within a few days it is waiting at my local library down the street from my house in my name. There is really no shame in taking advantage of a great local asset in your community. The next time you have some trepidation on going to the library ask yourself this will Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble, etc..... let you take home any of there books let alone stacks of them at once without shelling out one red cent.

 

[jon_k]

Yes the library seems like a wealth of information for free. I'll definitely be going by to pick some books up.

Here's my list of things I'm trying to increase my creativity.

* Take more pictures, of something, even if I have a hunch. I've noticed in meetups other photographers will go with that flint of an idea, and shoot it, and decide later. Me, on the otherhand, will get an idea but pass it up and keep walking because I assume it won't come out good. That hinders creativity IMO. I need to fight the urge to 'move on'.

* Start participating in photo assignments. I believe this can encourage creativity.

* Take more time to study the greats. This is what my intentions are for reading books.

* Shoot with a single prime on a shoot, so I can learn the lens and learn how to work with the lens to get the composition I want. I feel people easily just camp and zoom in, and a prime forces you to think more and take your time.

 

[Snyder]

The best way I learned composition was through photography school.

 

[jon_k]

The best way I learned composition was through photography school.

This is possible too. You didn't go to college and major in photography, you just took a single course, correct?

What type of money did you pay?

 

[Hertz van Rental]

* Take more pictures, of something, even if I have a hunch. I've noticed in meetups other photographers will go with that flint of an idea, and shoot it, and decide later. Me, on the otherhand, will get an idea but pass it up and keep walking because I assume it won't come out good. That hinders creativity IMO. I need to fight the urge to 'move on'.

People take pictures for two main reasons (when not doing it for money):
They take the picture because it means something to them.
They take the picture because they think they should.

If you see something but leave it it could be that you are getting beyond the stage of taking just for the sake of it - and what you have said so far would indicate this to be the case - and you are making the decision to leave it because it does not have any personal meaning.

Shooting a lot of pictures is thought to be a good thing but it isn't always.
By taking lots of pictures and going through them later to see what you have got is just relinquishing responsibility for the moment of creation.
A picture should mean something personal to you at the time of it's taking so you put more of you into it. Sorting through hundreds of shots later is just a way of leaving it up to chance.
A good photographer is one who gets the shot he wants in five frames.
Anyone can get a good shot in 500 frames just by the law of averages.
Shoot less, think more.
When you see something that you think is worth photographing try to work out what it is about it that caught your attention and then try to capture that.
Taking pictures is actually a game of questions and answers. Not only do you question what you are taking pictures of but you also question yourself. The subject poses the question, if you like, and the picture you take is an attempt to answer it.

I'm sure there are others who will disagree totally with me on all of this. But then, I have no idea what I am talking about

 

[Iron Flatline]

But props given for growing out of the equipment stage. Photography is a lot more fun once you start thinking about it creatively, not technically.