Famous Photographers of the 20th Century Introduction The 20th Century saw the world of photography undergo a virtual

Renaissance. It produced countless famous photographers, who left, and are still leaving, an indelible mark through their preferred mode of artistic expression. Producing a definitive list detailing all the famous photographers of the 20th Century might turn out to be an exercise in futility due to the impossibly large numbers involved. One can however make a bold attempt at a shorter tally of their choice of that centurys most inspirational photographers without courting too much controversy. The list below is thus in no way comprehensive and some might feel it leaves out someone or includes some questionable choices. There can nonetheless be no denial that all the 20th Century photographers highlighted in it produced unique works of art that continue to withstand the test of time. Photographers List Ansel Adams (1902-1984): Ansel Adams was an American photographer who is most famous for being the author of several photography instructional texts, as well as for the remarkable images he shot depicting the Yosemite Valley and other American National Parks. He also collaborated with Fred Archer in the development of the Zone System, which is basically a systematic technique for enhancing optimum film development and exposure via the translation of the tonalities of a photographed scene into precise densities on both negatives and paper. Annie Leibovitz (b. 1949): Arguably the most famous living female shutterbug, Annie Leibovitz is a noted American portrait photographer, acclaimed for her style which attempts a collaboration of the photographer and her subjects. She started off in commercial photography shooting for the newly launched Rolling Stone Magazine where she honed her skills capturing various musicians and celebrities with her camera. She started working for Vanity Fair magazine in 1983. Howard Schatz (b. 1940): Howard Schatz is a qualified American ophthalmologist and photographer. This unique foundation has seen the fine-art, fashion, and underwater photographer become famous for his off-beat shooting styles and techniques and shooting styles in creating works that are a visionary celebration of form and movement. Richard Avedon (1923-2004): Richard Avedon is an American photographer famed for leading the then outdated field of fashion photography into the unimaginable realm of20th Century fine art. He also served as The New Yorkers first staff photographer and captured for eternity many famous images of the celebrities from the early to mid-20th Century. Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004): Henri Cartier-Bresson was a Frenchman who is accredited for pioneering the field of photojournalism. He only produced un-cropped, black and white photographs, a majority of which he shot using a Leica. Henri Cartier-Bresson is also one of the fathers of The Decisive Movement, which celebrates a street and life reportage photography style. Elliott Erwitt (b.1928): Elliot Erwitt is another Frenchman who is perhaps Henri Cartier-Bressons most famous adherent. He specializes in documentary and advertising photography and is also well known for his candid black and white shots depicting ironic and absurd situations in everyday life. Early meetings with the famous photographers, Roy Stryker, Edward Steichen, and Robert Capa greatly influenced a young Erwitt. Walker Evans (1903-1975): Walker Evans was an American who excellently chronicled daily life in his country during The Great Depression, through photographs that draw-in even the most

detached observers eyes. He primarily accomplished this by using his film to create beauty and order where none previously existed as a photographer commissioned by the Farm Security Administration to document the depressions devastating effects. Diane Arbus (1923-1971): Diane Arbus was a female American photographer famous for using like freaks, outcasts, loners and other individuals existing on the edge of normal society. Arbuss simple and direct approach to shooting portraits and other subject matter have been a source of great admiration and inspiration ever since. She gained infamy for committing suicide in 1972, and her photographs became the first by an American to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale Erwin Olaf (b. 1959): Erwin Olaf is a famous Dutch photographer dabbling in both personal and commercial personal work. He has on numerous occasions been commissioned to capture on film memorable advertising campaigns for large multinationals like Nokia, Levis, and Microsoft. Erwin Olaf's artworks typically visualize things that are implicitly overlooked, unspoken, and that generally cant be easily documented. His trademark subjects attempt to address contemporary social issues, bourgeois conventions, and taboos in a uniquely individualized style of photo shooting. He has exhibited his work in numerous countries worldwide and received many distinguished awards for his photography and advertisements. Yousef Karsh (1908 2002): Yousef Karsh was an Armenian-born Canadian photographer who won praise as one historys most accomplished and famous portrait photographers. In 1941, he shot one of the most recognized photographs of Winston Churchill during the British Prime ministers visit to Ottawa, the Canadian capital. When he originally moved to Canada, Karsh established a studio on Ottawas Sparks Street, which is a stones throw away from the Canadian seat of government. From there, he was eventually discovered by Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister, who introduced Karsh to visiting dignitaries and arranged for portrait sittings, thus establishing his career. Yann Arthus-Bertrand (b. 1946): Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a famous French photojournalist specializing in shooting sports, adventure, and nature photographs. His best known images consist of aerial shots snapped from the confines of a hot air balloon. Besides all this, Yann Arthus-Bertrand is also highly regarded for his environmental awareness and conversation efforts. Michael Kenna (b. 1953): Michael Kenna is a well-known English photographer renowned for shooting dreamy and minimalistic photographs, as well as for his landscapes in black and white. Although he worked commercially in his early career, he still found time to carry on with his own research, focusing mostly on the landscape.. Kenna's widely-exhibited photography concentrates mostly on ethereally lit unusual landscapes which he pulls off by shooting either at night or dawn with exposures of about 10 hours. Jan Saudek (b. 1935): Jan Saudek is a Czech citizen whos both a painter and art photographer. Saudek is most famous hand-tinted representation of dream worlds in paint-like photographs, a good blend of both his specialties. Nude and semi-nude images often inhibit his works, usually surrounded by painted backdrops or bare plaster walls, and frequently recycling similar elements. Such recurring themes saw his work subjected to numerous attempts at censorship by several Western authorities, particularly during the 1990s. http://www.fireflyphotography.co.uk/