The list of photographers who have influenced me is endless. Below are just a few of the ones that have inspired and influenced me on my journey.
Annie Leibovitz ~ American.
She may seem like an obvious choice to those that know me since I have a deeply rooted and strong connection to portraiture photography. What I appreciate most is her visual sensibility, her photographs are memorable, her style is distinct, and her work ranges from very simplistic to outrageously stylish. Her imagery is captivating, beautiful, glamorous and iconic.
She started out as the staff photographer at Rolling Stone and is now at Vanity Fair. She’s shot everyone and her portraits define our times. She has produced some of the most memorable and iconic images of the last 30 years.
Nick Knight ~ British.
Hugely inspiring to me, I absolutely love the style, sensibility, aesthetic that Nick Knight captures. His design, fashion and photography fuse together to create cutting edge imagery that pushes boundaries technically and creatively. I am a huge fan of his work and he definitely inspires me to want to explore photography in new ways. I love love love his use of tone and style.
The most influential fashion photographer in the world and one of the most sought-after. Knight’s openness to new forms, techniques and processes keeps on the cutting edge.
www.nickknight.com /www.showstudio.com
Jill Greenberg ~ Canadian Born.
I’ve been heavily influenced and inspired by the works of Jill Greenberg. She has pioneered a unique style of photography that has also encouraged me to push boundaries and continue to evolve and define my own style.
I became a bigger fan after the John McCain controversy. She reminds me that our job as an artist is to show the world through our own eyes.
Photographer and artist . Greenberg was born in Montreal, Quebec, and grew up in a suburb of Detroit. She graduated with honors in 1989 from the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Photography and moved to New York City to pursue a career in photography. Greenberg moved to Los Angeles in 2000 where she met her husband Robert. She is known for her portraits, and fine art work. Stylized fashion, celebrity and advertising images.
© Jill Greenberg
Nadav Kander ~ London.
I was instantly drawn to his style. He depicts an intense layer of loneliness, particularly in the colour and feelings of disconnection and displacement within his imagery. He plays with framing that seems counter intuitive at times, he isolates his subjects in front of the camera and creates powerful moments that draw you in. He creates beautiful poetry with his photographs. His style is distinct and original, he is definitely an inspiration.
Photographer, artist and director, internationally renowned for his portraiture and landscapes. His work forms part of the public collection at the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Kander's work is also exhibited in numerous international gallerys and museums.
© Nadav Kandar
Rankin ~ British.
He doesn’t need much of an introduction, he is an obvious choice. He has influenced the fashion industry for decades with his high fashion photographs. I love how he plays with public perception and isn’t afraid to make social commentaries within his work. He has a intimate portraiture style which I love.
Controversial he may be, but with his media persona to the fore, his influence on young photographers, and public recognition, make him an inspirational leader in the field.
Richard Avedon ~ American ~ 1923-2004.
Avedon was one of the first photographers that inspired me and captured my attention. His subjects always seemed open and comfortable in front of his lens and I am drawn towards and love his minimalistic approach.
Avedon was the epitome of the modern photographer – a charming, sophisticated man-about-town and a photographer who was able to cross photographic genres. It did not matter where he was, which format he chose to work with or who his subject was, the image would be an Avedon image.
Terry Richardson ~ American.
I have to admit, it took me awhile to like his style, I had a bit of a love/ hate relationship going on. I do truly respect his raw, quirky, close up and personal sensibilities. He definitely inspires me to want to get a little ‘dirtier’ in my work. No pun intended.
Richardson’s fashion and portrait images push sexual boundaries and challenge conservative taste with an American trash aesthetic.
© Terry Richardson
Anton Corbijn ~ Dutch.
I've always enjoyed his work, his images epitomize the spirit of rock and roll. His subjects seem often solemn and distracted, his imagery stark and memorable. His striking images and avant garde style speak to me personally and I am truly inspired by his moody, dirty breathtaking photography
Corbijn’s images of Joy Division and U2 have influenced the approach of rock photographers for over 20 years with his cross-process colours and atmospheric black & whites.
© ANTON CORBIJN
Helmut Newton ~ German 1920-2004.
I love the provocative nature of his work. He has revolutionized photography with his erotic, dramatic and beautiful imagery.
Newton created erotically charged and powerful images of women, and developed the use of ring flash in fashion images.
© Helmut Newton >> https://www.artsy.net/artist/helmut-newton
Peter Lindbergh ~ German.
It seems he invented the word “beauty”. The models are gorgeous in every photo. It’s a mixture of vulnerability and melancholic you can observe in every single work.
Lindbergh has helped create the concept of the supermodel with his fashion images for Harper’s Bazaar and Italian Vogue.
© Peter Lindbergh
Gordon Parks ~ American 1912-2006.
Inspired by both his photo-documentary style and by his spirit and determination. He was an activist and his weapon of choice was the media. Amazing and inspiring photo journalist. There is an honesty and purity to his photos that speak to my soul.
Photographer, filmmaker, writer and composer who used his prodigious, largely self-taught talents to chronicle the African-American experience and to retell his own personal history, died in 2006 at his home in Manhattan.
© Gordon Parks
David Lachapelle ~ American.
I love how quirky and imaginative his photographs are. Full of creativity and wonder, definitely engaging and unique.
Surrealist and photographer, LaChapelle attended North Carolina School of the Arts and School of Visual Arts in New York City. Andy Warhol offered him his first professional job as a photographer for an Interview after meeting him at Studio 54.
Kwaku Alston ~ American.
You can see in his photographs that he has a love and passion for his craft. He creates beautiful imagery and captures fresh and honest moments in his portraiture. His style is clean, crisp and you can't help but be drawn in. His work ranges from personal documentary to celebrity. He has definitely been hugely influential and inspiring to me.
His editorial work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Time, Men’s Health, Essence, and Men’s Journal, among many others. He has photographed ads for a wide range of clients, including Coca-Cola, BlackBerry,Target, and Verizon. He has also photographed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on several occasions, including for Essence. Alston is based in Venice, California, and is represented by Stockland Martel.
In Toronto, many wonderful and talented Photographers have helped me along my way, as mentors, friends, influences and sources of inspiration. I owe them all a great deal of thanks and respect.
Alan Marsh ~ www.alanmarsh.com
Patrick Nichols ~ www.patricknichols.ca
Lorella Zanetti ~ www.zanettiphotography.com
Garth Grosjean ~ www.garthgrosjean.com
Per Kristiansen ~ www.perkristiansen.com
Matthew Barnes ~ www.matthewbarnesphotography.com
Michael Chambers ~ www.michaelchambers.ca
Nathaniel Anderson ~ www.nathanielinc.com
and this list will continue to grow...