I warn you now this is not for the arty speak allergic as there are lots of times I get all poncy throughout this blog!
I thought before I got any ideas about a photo shoot I’d see what photographers I like and why. I kind of keep a list – it’s HUGE!
Charlize Theron
I like his images as they aren’t posey, the women look strong and the images have fun in them.
Tyra Banks
He likes to shoot in black and white and his pictures have are really intimate and have a nice graphic quality.
January Jones
I first came across him through the Versace Accesories Spring 2011 campaign. I like the defined images. He doesn’t always use black and white but his images are always interesting to look at.
Jeans Shrimpton New York 1962 – it would be rude not to
Who doesn’t love David Bailey’s stuff? He takes photo’s most photographers would lose a limb to take.
Annie Leibovitz
Shoot for Disney Parks, celebrities as Disney characters 2011
She may not be very good with her finances but man, can she take a photo. There’s always something a bit dark in her work and I like a subtle twist.
David Bowie
I don’t love everything he does but every now and then he produces and image that stops me in my tracks like the one above. It is ugly beautiful.
Steven Meisel
Madonna for the Like a Virgin cover shoot
His photo’s always look like they captured something that was only there for a moment and have a fragile quality to them.
Models shot for Vogue
Somehow he always brings a dance feel to all his subjects.
Heather Marks in La Repubblica Velvet
He’s got a young edgy feel to his work without ever letting the models look like victims.
Faye Dinsmore
There is always such a sense of joy about her pictures.
Shoot for the January 1990 cover of Vogue, the supermodels
I have actually tried to find pictures that aren’t black and white but I can’t! I love his work he captures the zeitgeist of the time in each frame.
Vogue shoot sometime in the 60’s
You may have noticed the only recurring themes are the women don’t look weak and the photography is mostly black and white. I love Helmut Newton, his women (unlike Guy Bourdin) look like active participants and it’s up to the viewer to put them in a dominant or submissive role.
Erwin Blumenfeld
Vogue cover
He did things with film that people find difficult with digital techniques today – watch Rankin trying to recreate this photo with Heidi Klum! A technical and creative genius.
Herb Ritts
Madonna, Tokyo, 1987
Always fun and quirky images.
Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior, Cirque d’Hiver, August 1955
Innovative captivating pictures that bring surreal into reality.
Robert Capa
Omaha Beach D-Day Landing
He captures the torture that Omaha and Utah beach must have been for the landings perfectly.
Water Drop
Most famous for his pictures of water drops, they are beautiful.
Dorothea Lange
1936, Migrant Mother, Florence Owens Thompson
Most famous for her pictures of migrant workers, she manages to capture something in each person that is unique to them.
Famous for his humanitarian and war photo journalism, his pictures have often made me cry.
Agatha A Nitecka
Courtney Johansson
She always brings an ethereal and feminine element to the photo whilst showing women as being strong.
Unknown
Edgy, raw, strong photographs
Cecil Beaton
Twiggy
Innovative ways of taking pictures of fashion.
Unknown
Always rock and roll, sometimes naked.
Helen Mirren for Esquire magazine.
Possibly my favourite photographer ever, not afraid to take risks, only ever retouches skin tone, takes women and makes them look more beautiful than ever. Also, thoroughly nice chap.
Nothing really stands out as a theme, I think I’m too old to be stuck on one particular style and it’s no secret that my favourite photographer is Perou. His shots are clean and well thought out, so I thought I’d email him with my concept to find out what I should do. Emails here – isn’t he fantastic! He answered on a Saturday evening himself! I may swoon!
Guys, if any of you know the origins of the unknown shots – or I got any wrong – please let me know in the comments.
Mwah mwah!
dxx