Who is the most influential photographer of our time?
Who is the most influential photographer of our time?
David Cary
www.milfordguide.nz
Simply from the number of calendars, prints and books sold, and his influence over several US Presidents, Ansel gets my vote. His work has had far more market penetration than any other photographer, and his influence over the outcome of environmental events in the US is without comparison.
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Any Rolling Stone poll isn't worth the bandwidth I used to look at it for free.
More interesting again might be a photographic March Madness. Seed position and let opinion fight out photographer against photographer.
Last edited by Robbie Shymanski; 13-Dec-2011 at 20:06. Reason: Had more to say
The reality about Ansel Adams is that very few people outside the U.S. know who he is or care. Even within the U.S., I think that time has passed him by. I guess it's a matter of taste, but if someone told me that one of my photographs reminded them of Ansel Adams, I would not be flattered.
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I agree, although I wonder whether National Geographic, on the magazine side, has the clout that it once had. That said, I think that it is hard to underestimate the influence that Bruce Weber has had on cultural imagery and on creating cultural icons. I think that it is arguable that his work has actually influenced, as distinct from capturing, cultural attitudes. And his influence on fashion photography has been enormous. Calvin Klein, and for that matter Mark Wahlberg, owe him plenty. Ever seen an Abercrombie & Fitch billboard? Or maybe the film, available on the Internet for free viewing, that Weber made about Chet Baker?
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I agree. Pat Metheny should definitely be in the top 100! As for Avedon's top 100, I think most of us would all agree with his list over this one.
Cindy Sherman? What? Frank Petronio is a way better photographer than her plus Frank is smart enough not to do self portraits!
Don't confuse influential with what you like. It seems to me that the list is from the perspective of influence on culture as well as other photographers. I can't stand Richardson for example but I can't deny he influences others even if I don't like their work. To think that Avedon doesn't deserve to be number one is a little bizarre to me. You could shake up the order and change out a few people depending on your preferences, but all in all the list seems reasonable to me.
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