Who ARE the "old Masters" anyways?

[Andre Noble]

You here this term a lot about "old master" photographers. Even Man Ray in his documentary movie refers to them, and in the Ric Burns documentary on Ansel Adams there's references to them. Who are they? Should they be studied?

[Philippe Gauthier]

I suppose that Stieglitz qualifies as an old master worth studying.

[domenico Foschi]

If you don't study the old masters, how can you find out the enormous expressive potential of photography and ultimately your own voice? Every good photographer work is worth studying, not just the masters'. The masters are usually the ones that have broken grounds for other photographers to expend their vision. Now , go out and buy a bunch of those expensive books.... : - )

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

Was that the f/64 group or before them?

[adrian tyler]

domenico is right, but why limit yourself to photographers, all artists, old masters or otherwise. everything that you see is yours.

[Mark Sampson]

The "old masters"... Rembrandt, Titian, Hals, Caravaggio... they and many more artists *from before the invention of photography* are worth studying. I suppose in this limited context the phrase means Stieglitz, Strand, Weston, Adams, Evans, et al.

[Jay DeFehr]

Depends on who you ask. Contemporary photographers might cite Ansel Adams, or Edward Weston, while they themselves (if they were still alive) might refer to Stieglitz and Strand, who in turn might note Sanders or Atget, and so on back to Brady, O' sullivan, Julia Margaret Cameron, Nadar, etc., etc. Photography as a medium has a fairly short history, and one generation's Avant Garde are the next's old masters, so take your pick.

[Tony Galt]

And, indeed, the "old masters" for large format are different from the "old masters" of other forms of photography, like Henri Cartier Bresson or David Douglas Duncan for 35mm photojournalism or street photography. (Maybe Weegee is an "old master" for large format in that area.)

[Neal Shields]

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/

I like this site but there are some serious omissions.

[tim atherton]

"And, indeed, the "old masters" for large format are different from the "old masters" of other forms of photography, like Henri Cartier Bresson or David Douglas Duncan for 35mm photojournalism or street photography. (Maybe Weegee is an "old master" for large format in that area.)"

Got to disagree - trying to break down or categories them by format is generally pretty pointless. IMO if we are going to use the term "old master" it speaks to far more than mastery of equipment - much more abut mastery of the medium.

Atget is an influence on many "street" photographers working in 35mm. Evans used everything from 8x10 to 35mmto Polaroid SX-70 - so where would you put him? Cameron is drawn on by numerous fashion and portrait photographers whatever format they use - and so on. All of them might be classed "old masters" in terms of photography - it doesn't really matter what they used to make the photographs in the end.

The very best photography of any sort is rarely first and foremost about format or equipment (the Adams HC110 syndrome).

I'd also agree in terms of not limiting yourself to photographers. Other areas of art (and more) outside of photography have always had a big influence on the medium - even in the last 30 years - Hockney and Warhol are very obvious examples. But look to other artists - even just in terms of painting - the impressionists, Picasso, the Dutch landscape masters, Rembrandt, Carravagio etc etc. You will both see their influence on photographers and also broaden your own visual horizons as a photographer.