Influential Photographers Who Deserve Your Attention

Photography is the kind of art that has attracted people for a long time.

Immediately after the invention of the first cameras, photographers began to strive to show everyone their vision of the world through the lens. Today we will talk about famous photographers who have significantly contributed to the development of photography worldwide. If you are a beginner photographer or want to dive deeper into this field, you should check out our article.

What distinguishes professional photographers is that they are very responsible in the process of clicking pictures. They take into account every nuance and detail. Already in the draft version, they get masterpieces, which is enough just a little crop image and correct some indicators without a significant change in the picture.

Andreas Gursky

The photographer strives to capture everyday life and the world around him unusually and intriguingly. This is one of the most famous modern photographers, who constantly demonstrates records in art photography. Recently, the popularity of Gursky’s work has grown significantly, which allowed the photographer to increase sales and his income.

How did the photographer manage to achieve such popularity? In his work, he uses the technique of digital manipulation. He avoids familiar places, trying to give a personal aesthetic to each shot. In an interview, he admitted that some public areas bother him and even scare him.

Gursky’s photographs are characterized by a large format and a high point of view on everything that happens in the picture. It is his particular cultural style that sets him apart from other photographers. It is worth noting that sometimes it is tough to find meaning in Gursky’s photographs. It is not entirely clear what the photographer wanted to portray in the picture. But this does not deprive the photo of a certain magic that fascinates. The photographs of the author can be viewed for hours.

Annie Leibovitz

Another essential author in the world of contemporary photography is Annie Leibovitz. The photographer works in a portrait style, and her photographs have become a real asset of modern art. Annie excels in every shot she takes, from commissioned commercial work to the most intimate images.

Annie Leibovitz started at Rolling Stone magazine, where she joined as a staff photographer in 1970. We can safely say that without Annie, Rolling Stone would never have become what it is today. After just three years at Rolling Stone, Annie has already landed the position of chief photographer thanks to her amazing shots.

In total, Annie Leibovitz worked for Rolling Stone for 13 years. During this time, she learned that working in a magazine can be combined with creating personal work. During her career, Annie had several significant projects. In particular, she collaborated with Disney.

Chris McCaw

The American photographer offers viewers a completely different type of photography. Due to his non-standard approach to the process, he attracts the attention of fans from all over the world. What makes Chris’ photographs unique is that he prints the final results of his work using a platinum-palladium process. This unique technology produces mesmerizing skyscapes with long exposures.

One of Chris’ most famous works is Sunburn. This is a combination of rudeness and elegance in one shot. Critics insist that this shot limits analog photography to the maximum.

McCaw has another feature – he uses homemade massive wide-angle cameras for filming. You can set the shutter speed on some of them for 24 hours.

Each photograph by the photographer is a unique work that is reproduced only once. No negatives and digital files allow you to repeat the existing picture.

Cindy Sherman

American photographer who creates portraits in an abstract style. One of her most famous series of works is Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills. It consists of 69 pictures, each of which depicts different people. The mysterious staging of the frame makes it possible to assume that this is a frame from a film that no one has seen yet.

Each Sherman shot allows the viewer to turn on the image and create a conceptual story connected to the final print. Sherman’s photographs often win high awards. Thus, Untitled Film Still #21 was named one of the 100 most influential shots worldwide in the entire history of photography.

Didier Massart

The photographer releases only a few images a year. All this is because he pays a lot of attention to working on each new shot. Magnificent images in Didier Massard are obtained through the successful use of optical manipulations. Massar’s photographs are sometimes considered more of a painting than a photograph in the classical sense. Illusions created in the pictures, unusual lighting, and a romantic feeling will not leave you indifferent.

Francesca Woodman

She made her first self-portrait at the age of 13. Until her death at 22, she managed to create more than 800 images in which she sought to acquaint viewers with her personality. Photos of the girl have received wide recognition in contemporary art. They are distinguished by a unique vision of the world, as well as the use of innovative methods in the shooting process.

Currently, Woodman’s parents are engaged in work. Of the 800 photographs, more than 120 are exhibited or published.