Some of my favourite photographers (part 1)

Because this stupid wordpress theme insist i put a picture on top, here’s a photo taken way back in 2008 with a Canon 40D and EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L.

Lately I feel very uninspired, so much that i started looking at some of my favorite photographers’ work to re-connect myself with photography. Since I’m at it, i might as well present you my list of photographers who, in one way or another, inspired my approach to photography.

• Richard Avedon

One of the best portrait photographers. His series ‘In the American West’ made me rethink my approach to portraiture. I’ve heard a famous story about how Avedon could spend an hour inside a studio with his subject in complete silence. All he did was to stare blankly at the subject and let he/she slowly unfold herself in front of the camera.

Avedon did not even touch his camera, apparently. He had his assistants focus the camera at the subject, then got them to leave the studio while he simply held on to the cable release.

All these, with a simple white backdrop.

Juan Patricio Lobato, 1980

Here’s another two of his photos. All images are copyrighted to Richard Avedon Foundation:

Dovima, 1955

Maya Mikhailovna Plietskaya, 1966

• Dan Winters

One of best portrait photographers in the US right now. A magazine editor once described Winters’ style as ‘letting the emotion wear his subject and not the clothes’. Indeed, Winters’ portraits place a lot of emphasis on the subject’s expression and never once does he allow the clothes to take the attention away. And all these time, you, the viewer, is locked down by the subject’s eyes or expression.

All images copyrighted to Dan Winters

Helen Mirren

Gwyneth Paltrow

Nevermind if there ain’t anything special about the lighting. Winters did a fantastic job in making the subject do the talking. And let’s not forget that most of the photos you see on his website are still taken with a film camera (6×4.5 I presume).

That’s all for now. I will share more about my favorite photographers in my future entries… yes i have more than two fav photographers. Nothing wrong about that huh huh.

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