A Gentle Madness

[kbg32]

I was in my first year of school and looking for an apartment. After a long day searching, I was a bit early for my train and decided to stop into a used book store to kill some time. While digging around, I came across a copy of Tony Ray-Jones' book "A Day Off". I was blown away. I had previously seen only one published image of his in Modern Photography about a year before in an article on surrealism in photography. Ray-Jones was more than that. I saw the definite surrealism, but also the sardonic humour. Needless to say he is one of my favorite photographers, whose work I revisit often, and whose work really sent me on my way. From Ray-Jones I discovered many more photographic influences - Charles Harbut, Nathan Lyons, Daido Moriyama, and many of the usual suspects - Frank, Klein, Friedlander, etc..

Whose photographic work do you come back to time and time again?

 

[JimG]

Edward Steichen, Alfred Stieglitz, Eugéne Atget and Berenice Abbott. Their work helps me to understand the potential of photography as a fine art.

 

[wlewisiii]

I'm afraid I'm mostly in the Usual Suspects realm. In order of going back to:
David Plowden
Robert Capa
Diane Arbus
Ansel Adams (Mostly his portraits).

William

 

[kbg32]

Atget has always been one of my favorites. I am searching for one more volume of the 4 volume set of his work published by MOMA.

 

[Pherdinand]

capa and doisneau are maybe my favourites. I also enjoyed an exhibition of antoine d'agata. But i don't know so many photographers. Just trying to catch up nowadays.

 

[pesphoto]

Harry Callahan and Kertesz. When I need a shot of inspiration these are my go to guys.

 

[gns]

Keith,

Atget, yes. I too am missing one of those (Modern Times, Vol 4). They are avaiable, but at a hefty price...

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Eugene+Atget&y=0&bsi=360&x=0&prevpage=11

Good luck with your search.

Gary

 

[kbg32]

Thanks for the link Gary. Needless to say, at those prices, I'll keep searching!

 

[oftheherd]

AA had many good photos that are rightfully classics. But not everything he did turns me on. W. Eugene Smith has always been a favorite of mine, as was Weston. For the surreal, Jerry Uhlsman can't be beat as far as I am concerned.

 

[kmack]

Arthur Fellig (Weegee) and William Mortensen The Anti Ansel Adams.

 

[payasam]

*The Family of Man* had fine work by many people. Relatively few produced what might be called a corpus, but certainly some did that.

 

[almontephoto]

Ralph Gibson, without a doubt.

my work had been compared to his since photo I, freshman year by just about every professor i had. i finally saw his work and was blown away. when i first started making pictures, all of my peers were documentary type photographers, street photographers. my work was very different than theirs. I had no frame of reference, so i thought i just wasnt making the right kind of pictures. But his work spoke to me like nothing else before or since.

Ralph Gibsons work continues to inspre and influence my work every time i look at his pictures.

 

[Jerevan]

Mary Ellen Mark and her series of portraits of members of Indian circuses was the first thing that really made me see the artistic potential in photography. One of the most inspiring books I know is Magnum * (can't find the sign for degrees on my keyboard). Jayne Hinds Bidaut does inspire me, although quite far from MEM and Magnum, I'd say. The list could be very long, but Kertesz and Koudelka comes to mind also.

 

[jan normandale]

I have photographers that I admire. Some of their work or almost all of their work.

My influences however come from artists, sculptors, painters, dancers. I am influenced more by the idea of what the art is about than the photograph. Some photographers are capable of both art and technical brilliance. Andreas Feininger stands out for me.

 

[Cooki]

Yousef Karsh, followed by Orville wright, and Paul Strand.

Orville,"If it flies, pull this string, the camera is ready to go."