Many of the world's most famous photographers also relate to the history of photography. When photography was first shown to the world, many people had trouble and struggled to get the picture to come out right. Photography became more like science than it did art as people were trying to work out if the plates were too heavy or if the chemicals were too toxic, but we have definitely come a long way when it comes to photography. Since that time there many photographers that have stood out.
Here are just a few photographers that are well known in the photographic world. Roger Fenton was a pioneering British photographer, one of the first war photographers. Ansel Adams is probably the most easily recognized name of any photographer. He is a landscape photographer. His landscapes are stunning, and he achieves an unparalleled level of contrast using creative darkroom work. Yousuf Karsh is a portrait photographer. He has taken photographs that tell a story, and that are more easily understood than many others. Each of his portraits tells you all about the subject. He felt as though there was a secret hidden behind each woman and man. Whether he captures a gleaming eye or a gesture done totally unconsciously, these are times when humans temporarily lose their masks. Karsh’s portraits communicate with people. Robert Capa has taken many famous war-time photographs. He has covered five wars, even though the name “Robert Capa” was only the name placed to the photos that Endre Friedman took and that were marketed under the “Robert Capa” name. Friedman felt that if you were not close enough to the subject, then you wouldn’t get a good photograph. He was often in the trenches with soldiers when he took photographs, while most other war photographers took photographs from a safe distance. His adventure and lack of fear got him very far in his photographs. Henri Cartier-Bresson has a style that makes him a natural on any top ten photographer list. His style has undoubtedly influenced photography as much as anyone else’s. He usually takes black and white photos. We are not graced by more of his work since he gave up the craft about 30 years before he passed away. |