Recommendations for portrait photographers to inspire me!

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Tom
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I’m sort of, sniffing around the edges of portrait photography at the moment. I learnt lots about landscape photography by looking at the work of accomplished landscape photographers. Can anyone recommend any portrait photographers that are worth looking into? Or books that have curated the work of lots of photographers?

Thanks
Tom
 
To start with
Arnold Newman
W. Eugene Smith
Steve McCurry


Joe McNally
 
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Steve McCurry
Jane Bown

Bailey Donovan O’Neill

Arnold Newman Eve Arnold

The ‘photography’ bit is simple; like all genres, success is down to your relationship with your subject.
 
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To add to the already excellent list...

Cecil Beaton
Yousuf Karsh

And more modern...
Andy Gotts (The book "Degrees" is brilliant)
Daniel Meadows ("Now & Then")

Also, there's "209 Women" which is a modern take on the portrait of 209 female politicians by 209 female photographers. It's just rammed with different ideas from different points of view and well worth a flip through.
 
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Have I upset someone? responded to this with my suggestions but the post appears to have vanished. I'll go again:

Richard Avedon
Annie Leibovitz
Tim Walker, my personal favourite

Reading other threads I gather Annie Leibovitz is fairly divisive - maybe a mod was in the anti-Annie camp.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Reading other threads I gather Annie Leibovitz is fairly divisive - maybe a mod was in the anti-Annie camp.

Hah... I have to admit I found a new respect for her work as soon as I tried to use an RB67 for portraits.
 
I’m sort of, sniffing around the edges of portrait photography at the moment. I learnt lots about landscape photography by looking at the work of accomplished landscape photographers. Can anyone recommend any portrait photographers that are worth looking into? Or books that have curated the work of lots of photographers?

Thanks
Tom

Have a listen to https://jefferysaddoris.com/everything/processdriven-27/

Also, Vivien Maier and Diane Arbus
 
I suggest you visit some current photographic exhibitions rather than just looking at historical work.

Dave
 
wasn't aware of his work either, excellent images on there, I like the quirky moving stuff too

I got his Money Power Politics book well tome really this festive period and it's all exceptional work.
 
To add to the already excellent list...

Cecil Beaton
Yousuf Karsh

And more modern...
Andy Gotts (The book "Degrees" is brilliant)
Daniel Meadows ("Now & Then")

Also, there's "209 Women" which is a modern take on the portrait of 209 female politicians by 209 female photographers. It's just rammed with different ideas from different points of view and well worth a flip through.


I've just looked through Andy Gotts' website, and can't believe how many of those shots I recognised, and how much I like them too..... Great work from him.
 
Sorry but...

hmmm, really?

Don't want to turn this into "another pointless Friday argument" but a couple of glasses has got me beyond biting my tongue :)

Well I'd be happy if I could turn out stuff like that...
 
A few excellent studio photographers who post on my group on Flickr

Him https://www.flickr.com/photos/blandices-room/
Him https://www.flickr.com/photos/platesmasher/
Him https://www.flickr.com/photos/reneprins/
Her https://www.flickr.com/photos/rjpoole/
Him https://www.flickr.com/photos/141129746@N02/

Many more on Studio 21
 
Thanks to those who posted recommendations, I personally am hoping to add portraits to my shooting experience at some point soon
 
Peter Hurley
 
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