Monday, January 31, 2011

Photographic influences.

Photography kinda snuck up on me. I started as a drawer and painter and photography soon became another medium to express myself. but even before I did photos I was heavily influence by photography. Commercial and fashion photography were always sources of inspiration for me. I never really knew names of photographer then and did not think of me as ever doing photography even though my drawings tended to have commercial/editorial feels to them. Well much later as I started to figured out that photography is something I was going to be doing for the rest of my life I started studying some of those photographs that I enjoyed so much from magazines and the photographers that took them. Soon I realized that many of the images I so admired belonged to pretty much the same two photographers, Richard Avedon and Annie Leibovitz. I found that a lot of the images I was doing had similarities to these two, I am not at all comparing my work to them, just simply pointing out that clearly they had an influence on my way of seeing things. I would like to think that all great photographers share a common link in the way they look at the world. From the beginning of my photography career I strive to be different and approach photography in my own unique way and vision, but I cannot deny that I was influence by some of the great photographers of our lifetime. One day I saw a video about Richard Avedon and it changed my attitude towards my work. it re affirmed what I am doing and why I do it. This video gave me an inside look at Avedons approach and thought process behind each photograph, it also showed how even the photos that we view as amazing he still looks at and thinks it could have been better. The process on which he gets his subjects to give him what he needs for his vision is a lot of how I do mine.
There are many Great legendary photographers out there and they will all influence someone in different ways. for me it was Avedon and Leibovitz. I hope that one day I can do for someone what they have done to me.
If there are any aspiring commercial and portrait photographers out there I recommend you view the video "American Masters - Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light (1996)" and "Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (2008)".
I recommend these only as an inspiration for one to become their own artist, not to imitate. The rebirth of new ways of seeing the world is what makes life interesting. These are just two photographers that have influenced and helped me continue being who I am as an artist, but there are many and will be many more that will continue to influence me in my life as I hope to move people in their lives.





American Masters - Richard Avedon: Darkness and Light
^link^











Not to mention the bunch of books you can find on these two also.

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