Inspiring Famous Photographers

In one sense Ansel Adams's work is an extensive record of what is still left of the wilderness, the shrinking untouched part of the natural environment. Yet to see his work only as photographic images is to miss the main point that he tried to make: without a guiding vision, photography is not necessarily an important activity. The finished product, as Adams saw it, must be thought up before it can be executed. With nineteenth-century artists and philosophers (seekers of wisdom) he shared the belief that this vision must be inspired by life on earth. Photographs, he believed, were not taken from the environment but were made into something greater than themselves.

Ansel Adams died on April 22, 1984. During his life he was criticized for photographing rocks while the world was falling apart. He responded by suggesting that "the understanding of the world of nature will aid in holding the world of man together."
excerpt courtesy of NotableBiographies.com. Read more here: Ansel Adams Biography


Oak Tree, Sunset...

While with Rolling Stone, Leibovitz developed her trademark technique, which involved the use of bold primary colors and surprising poses. Wenner has credited her with making many Rolling Stone covers collector's items, most notably an issue that featured a nude John Lennon curled around his fully clothed wife, Yoko Ono. Taken on December 8, 1980, Leibovitz's photo of the former Beatle was shot just hours before his death.

In 1983, Leibovitz left Rolling Stone and began working for the entertainment magazine Vanity Fair. With a wider array of subjects, Leibovitz's photographs for Vanity Fair ranged from presidents to literary icons to teen heartthrobs. To date, a number of Vanity Fair covers have featured Leibovitz's stunning-and often controversial-portraits of celebrities. Demi Moore (very pregnant and very nude) and Whoopi Goldberg (half-submerged in a bathtub of milk) are among the most remembered actresses to grace the cover in recent years. Known for her ability to make her sitters become physically involved in her work, one of Leibovitz's most famous portraits is of the late artist Keith Haring, who painted himself like one of his canvases for the photo. excerpt courtesy Biography.com

photo of Bruce Springsteen © Annie Leibovitz

To say that Anne Geddes has a knack for capturing the essence of babies is like saying Michaelangelo had a knack for painting large scale.

"In 1988, Anne's image of Gemma, a little girl standing in a tutu, taken previously in her studio in Melbourne, became her first published photograph, appearing in a local magazine in Auckland. The magazine feature on Anne and her photography and this image of Gemma created an interest in what was at the time a very different style of portraiture. After a short ("harrowing" in her words) experience as a wedding photographer, Anne decided to specialize in children's portraiture, working out of her tiny new studio, Especially Kids, in Auckland." - excerpt courtesy of AnneGeddes.com




Sunflower Trio

Anne Geddes

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Born in New York in 1923, Richard Avedon dropped out of high school and joined the Merchant Marine's photographic section. Upon his return in 1944, he found a job as a photographer in a department store. Within two years he had been "found" by an art director at Harper's Bazaar and was producing work for them as well as Vogue, Look, and a number of other magazines. During the early years, Avedon made his living primarily through work in advertising. His real passion, however, was the portrait and its ability to express the essence of its subject.

As Avedon's notoriety grew, so did the opportunities to meet and photograph celebrities from a broad range of disciplines. Avedon's ability to present personal views of public figures, who were otherwise distant and inaccessible, was immediately recognized by the public and the celebrities themselves. Many sought out Avedon for their most public images. His artistic style brought a sense of sophistication and authority to the portraits. More than anything, it is Avedon's ability to set his subjects at ease that helps him create true, intimate, and lasting photographs.


excerpt from PBS American Masters. Read the full bio here





Dovima with...

Richard Avedon

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Inspired by Avedon? Check out this great series at Amazon:

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3