What / Who influences your photography?

[helen.HH]

Hmmm, lots of People I swoon & croon over Visually
watching B&W films are often my Means of getting Drunk
Fritz Lang , Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa pretty much floor Me
I can watch some of these movies Countless Times
The Cinematography is Mind Blowing
Talk about Sublime Lighting and Rich inky Blacks

I recently rented from 'Netflix' a documentary about the photographer/ cinematographer Sven Nykvist
who worked on most Bergman Films... Sven was considered one of the Best innovators in The World of movie making in Hollywood & Europe and hailed as a Genius Working with Light.
Watch Bergman's 'Winter Light' ...Sven was the camera man and this Movie is Pure Magic.

Photographers
Lots of Women...Lisette Model, Eve Arnold, Jane Bown, Helen Levitt, Vivien Maier

As for Men: Elliot Erwitt, Bruce Davidson, Josef Koudelka

 

[lukitas]

1 Who's influence?

Like most of you, I am seeped in boo-zhwa culture. The photographers, music, film, literature, painters, architecture, anthropology, even politics are the ground in which I work, and you have all mentioned most of the names involved, but I get most of my inspiration from what I see and what I am using, 2 old leica's and Black and white 400 ISO film.

2 Why?

My first memory is of my dad letting me look through a mamiya C220. I must have been three or four years old. He then printed the camera on a t-shirt for me to wear, so it looked as if you were carrying one.
(I'm half-seriously thinking of getting me a mamiya TLR.)
My other first memory is the smell of oil paints and turpentine at the atelier where my parents were painting. Image making always was just one of those things one does, like cooking and gardening and making music.

3 Who are you looking at.

I try to avoid looking at other people's work. It becomes distracting. Too many trees, and I cannot see the wood anymore. I need to concentrate on making my own pictures better. I am entertained and surprised by people like Bruce Gilden and Daido Moriyama, but copying their technique would be just a gimmick. I need to find my own way of capturing human emotions.
But I cannot help but be seduced by the work of great photographers.

 

[charjohncarter]

John Sexton; but not necessarily his style. I have learned much from him about tones, development, and exposing film. So styles may differ, but establishing a tonal pattern that I like has made my style much more satisfying.

 

[MIkhail]

A lot of photographers, but the first 'eye-opener" for me was late Alexander Sliussarev. I was lucky enough to stay in touch with him thru internet for 3 years before he was gone... I consider him a genius photographer.
http://www.sliussarev.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Sliussarev

Of course, needless to mention Picasso, Klimt, Hopper, etc, etc... that's a usual sources of inspiration.

 

[MIkhail]

Man, lucky you to have seen that in person. 😱

Interestingly enough, I saw it too. When they brought the exhibition to Moscow, USSR.
At the time I thought nothing of it...

 

[redisburning]

watching B&W films are often my Means of getting Drunk
Fritz Lang , Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa pretty much floor Me
I can watch some of these movies Countless Times
The Cinematography is Mind Blowing
Talk about Sublime Lighting and Rich inky Blacks

all excellent choices. I think you would like Masaki Kobayashi, you should find The Human Condition or better yet Harakiri.

Harakiri is my favorite live action movie of all time and is not to be missed by a fan of black and white films. One of the best shot movies of all time, easily IMO. Skip Miike's remake though.

 

[helen.HH]

all excellent choices. I think you would like Masaki Kobayashi, you should find The Human Condition or better yet Harakiri.

Harakiri is my favorite live action movie of all time and is not to be missed by a fan of black and white films. One of the best shot movies of all time, easily IMO. Skip Miike's remake though.

Ok Cool, I will look for it now
Thanks ever soooo much !

 

[x-ray]

Many people helped shape my work.

First was my father who started me down the photo path. His best advice was "pick one film and one developer and learn how to get the best out of it. Don't switch around constantly. " also "Expose for the shadows and develop for the highlights."

Henry Peck who is unknown in the world of photography. Henry gave me my start as a professional photo journalist. He also got me into Leica.

Jack Corn was the chief photographer for the Tennessean news paper in Nashville and later the photo editor for the Chicago Tribune. While working as a PJ in college Jack noticed my work. Jack took me under his wing and gave me the encouragement I needed to blossom into a good PJ. Jacks excellent Appalachian documentary work influenced 40+ years of my documenting Appalachian culture. Jacks gorgeous prints inspired my style of printing. He taught me how to add drama to the print.

J. Eugene Smith for the courage and raw grit in his photos.

Joe Jernigan who is another unknown but was a master. He took me in for a year and a half as an apprentice and taught me commercial photography. I worked for a year 5-1/2 days a week without pay and the was paid as an assistant for the next six months until I went to another job with an ad agency. Joe refined my printing skills, taught me color theory, processing and printing. He taught me to work with art directors, layouts, work with the public and business. Thanks Joe for all you contributed to my career.

Ansel Adams was a major influence. I spent several weeks with him and worked in the field and darkroom. His suggestions and thoughts made me a much finer printer and photographer.

Imogen Cunningham who I met while with Ansel. Imogen was a free spirit and never worried whether she could make a shot or not. Imogen just dove in and did it. She helped create a freer spirit in my photos.

Walker Evans, Lewis Hine, Dorothia Lang and Margaret Bourke White inspired my style. I especially admire these pioneers in documentary photography. They approached their subjects head on with an honest and unbiased execution.

 

[pete hogan]

My father started me 60 years ago on photography for fun.

National Geographic and Life magazines were steady influences. Also, the impressive 1969 Aperture book on W. Eugene Smith.

 

[tunalegs]

I don't really have any photographer idols - insofar as look or subject is concerned. I can definitely sympathize with some as far as motivation is concerned. Winogrand's desire to see what a scene looks like as a photograph is something I can identify with.

When I come across a scene I think about what it will look like as a photograph. I think it should be pretty obvious that the camera sees the world in a very different way than the human eye, and that is part of what makes photography interesting.

The biggest influence will always be the scene itself. How it makes me feel will determine how I want to look at it and photograph it.

Although funny story, when I was little we saw The Muppet Caper. In the movie, Gonzo is a photographer and he uses a classic press camera. I was impressed by the camera with its bellows and large flash gun - and I think that planted the seed for my interest in photography which didn't sprout until a few years later. Thanks Gonzo.

 

[biomed]

I started at about 8 or 9 years of age. I don't recall any influence except my mother who admonished me for taking photographs without anybody in them. I photographed what I saw. My compositional skills were pretty much nonexistent, but I liked my work. As the years went by my skills improved with the assistance of other photographers. I like to think I am using a little better equipment than the various Kodak Brownies I started with.

The reason I photograph has not changed since I first picked up a camera. A few posters stated that even without a camera they form an image of what they see. That is the way my vision seems to work too. Photography allows me to express my way of seeing reality. One of my favorite teachers taught college mathematics. At the beginning of his class he said that even if mathematics had no useful purpose he would still choose to be a mathematician because of the joy he found in it. That pretty much says it all for me and photography.

Currently I have been taking a series of classes at a local community college. The assignments are photographing at a specific location to capture the shape of light, contrast in color, light and shadow, etc. Each of us then select 3 or 4 images for projection in class. The experience of sharing the way others see the subjects is remarkable.


Mike

 

[noisycheese]

1) So, what or who influences your photography (past and present)?

Past (In no particular order): Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Art Wolfe, Jim Brandenburg, Rod Planck, Alison Shaw
Present (In no particular order): Constantine Manos, Steve McCurry, Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Tyagan Miller

2) Why do you do it?

To borrow from the title of one of Michael Jordan's books, "For the Love of the Game." I don't do it for the money - God knows that has never been an issue. I do it because I can't imagine life without photography. I can't imagine not doing it.

3) Who / what are you looking at photography wise right now (new or old)?

http://www.amazon.com/Sera-Tibetan-...d=1375847954&sr=1-1&keywords=Sheila+rock+Sera and
http://www.amazon.com/Path-Buddha-T...keywords=Steve+McCurry+the+path+to+the+Buddha and
http://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Afri...848167&sr=1-1&keywords=Covenant+tyagan+miller

 

[Morry Katz]

Brett Weston for his incredible "eye" and compositions.

 

[thirtyfivefifty]

1) So, what or who influences your photography (past and present)?
2) Why do you do it?
3) Who / what are you looking at photography wise right now (new or old)?

1. These are the individuals who have greatly influenced my photography and/or technique through their work and words in order from earliest to most recent.

Toshihiro Oshima - Opened my eyes to photography being an art form, concept of personal signature, concept of the camera as a tool to capture your vision, depth-of-field.
James Nachtwey - Being a witness, using light-meter, consistency, darkroom, attitude, composition.
Ansel Adams - Zone system, control, detail.
Henri Cartier-Bresson - Applying traditional art concepts into photography, patience.
Robert Frank - Commentary, and critique.
David Guttenfelder - Re-humanizing people, and making human connections.

2. In the beginning photography helped me better understand myself, but it has evolved into being a tool to help me connect more with my real interest, which is people, their stories, their environment, and better connect them with themselves, their environment, and each other.

3. The only thing I'm looking at photography-wise is looking to buy a new camera, but I do love interviews, listening to stores; anything that stirs up my imaginations, and in which I can draw wisdom, life lessons, and new insight from. That's more important than anything.

 

[shadowfox]

1) So, what or who influences your photography (past and present)?
2) Why do you do it?
3) Who / what are you looking at photography wise right now (new or old)?

1)
- Ansel Adams, Clyde Butcher, Jose Miguel Ferreira, Albert Bierstadt paintings for landscape
- Christopher Broadbent's still-life compositions
- W. Eggleston, Sally Mann, Andrew Ross, George E. Todd, for travel/urban/rural
- Technically-minded photographers like Tim Rudman, Larry Bartlett and Wolfgang Moersch for techniques
- D. Moriyama, E. Atget, and countless other street photographers I see here on RFF
- And finally, my hopeless addiction to anything vintage/old

2) I always like drawing, I stopped that when I got a job, then my family came along, then I picked up photography. The process is a big part of why I kept doing it, being able to produce a print without using a computer is very satisfying to me. Another part is the time alone when photographing, where it's just me, my camera, and my mind working out its creative capacity

3) Anyone and everyone, that's the beauty of the internet age. There is a lot of talented photographers out there.

 

[Linkert]

Influences.

Masanobu Fukuoka and his writing has had a powerful influence on me.

Within music there's a lot of Swedish 'progg' (not to be confused with 'progressive music'). Lyrics and thoughts are provoking, simple suggestions and questioning, almost child-like sense of the world.
Fläsket Brinner, Arbete & Fritid, Harvester, Hoola Bandoola Band, NJA-Gruppen, et cetera..

Also there's the jazz-side of me, which somehow plugs in/fits the streets I walk on.
Goran Kajfes, Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Matana Roberts, et cetera..


Why I take photos, goals.

I spot a scene, start aiming. The whole process is often, unconsciously, done without breathing. When the shutter has gone off, I take a deep breath, maybe send out a rather perverse grunt of satisfaction. 😛

It's captivating, challenging. Gives a happy-tummy-feeling afterwards.

I've changed a lot the last 2–3 years. The world is very different for me these days.

Everything in larger cities seems so messed up, people seem to be happy by way of material fantasies, unhappy without it. Most people I talk to seems to be empty inside, rather uninteresting. They don't seem to be connected to the world itself. Not questioning why they do what they do, why they study what they study.

'Pointless acts and actors acting it out without knowing why.'

Men traveling by train to show other men PDF:s, then traveling back to tell the men back at the office if the other men liked it.

I have a goal of capturing this empty, weird and unchallenged behaviour of just living to earn money, on 35mm film. I want to translate the feeling I 'see' to film.

Hard to explain really. Not sure I succeeded with this snippet of text.


Photographers I like.

I just recently discovered the name William Klein and his work that I like very much. I love his attitude towards the world, living.

 

[sjones]

Although I'm nearing 50, I only became serious about photography roughly eight years ago, so some of the things that have influenced me likely developed in other mediums beforehand.

But visually, things that stuck around in the noggin since childhood include most prominently a movie still from "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari," which, with its expressionistic display of hard shapes and shadow, continues to drive my photographic interests. Surrealism in general has always been a fascination, so I like to incorporate elements of this.

Before photography, I was thoroughly consumed with music, playing, actually using, drums, in a number of garage bands. While I listened to a variety of stuff, I think one of the things that really carried over was the punk element, where it wasn't the equipment, difficulty of the technique, or immaculate perfection of the product but instead an outcome more reliant on the visceral and the honest than on notes-per-second virtuosity.

When I got into photography back in 2005, it entailed a crash course in history, with each newly learned figure or element serving as an influence if not a guide. I found myself drawn to 'street photography,' at least for what I like to shoot, though I enjoy looking at all genres of photography.

Influences and inspirations picked up along the way include Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliot Erwitt, Daido Moriyama, Garry Winogrand, Robert Frank, Ansel Adams, Lee Friedlander, Hin Chua, Joel Meyerowitz, Nick Brandt, pretty much the whole New Topographic movement, Edward Weston, Alex Webb, William Eggleston, Robert Capa, the UK-based Black +White Magazine (2005-2008), and the list goes on…

Goal: Still not sure; I suppose that's part of the problem in terms of cohesion. Right now, it's pretty much form and visual interests within the confines of my personal interests. Certainly, continual improvement---seeing what I failed to see the day before.

 

[Lauffray]

1) So, what or who influences your photography (past and present)?

Pretty much any other form of visual art, in big part, but not only.
Cinema: Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, Federico Fellini
Photography: Saul Leiter, Daido Moriyama, Alex Webb
Painting: Cubism, Impressionism, a lot of illustrative work and lately a lot of BW graphic novels
Music: Max Richter, Oscar Peterson, Bach, Radiohead
Literature: Calvino, Camus, Kafka, Dostoievski, Poe
(end of pretentious name dropping section 😀)

2) Why do you do it?

I've thought about this many times, I don't know why really, or rather, I don't have a simple answer. To best sum it up, as someone mentioned already, because I can't imagine not doing it. I feel weird and unwell when, for any reason, I'm not doing it.

3) Who / what are you looking at photography wise right now (new or old)?

Trying to change my usual routine, I'm looking at lots of portraiture lately, mostly through online channels for now. Also a lot of color work, Eggleston and Davidson's Subway to name a few.

 

[jsrockit]

1) imho if you need inspiration to be a better photographer it should not be photography that you research ... that would be like a dog eating it's own tail

Can you explain further?

 

[Mablo]

I became interested in photography only when I saw the works of Martin Parr. Before that I always treated photographs as plain images, nice or not nice, but without any sort of deeper message.