I met Tony (along with a bunch of other photographers) in North Beach. He asked how long I had been shooting. I actually never know how to answer this question, but I said I’ve been taking pictures for a long time, but took a more meaningful approach only this past academic year. He asked if I had any favorite photographers. I said I didn’t know enough to answer — I’m such a noob. Then the question was turned on him and he proceeded to name a few photographers who have really inspired him. I took out my notebook and asked him to write their names down for me. He ended up giving me 12 names of photographers/influences and a book title.
Here’s his list:
- Edward Weston
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- W. Eugene Smith
- Josef Koudelka
- Garry Winogrand
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Manuel Ãlvarez Bravo
- Group f/64
- Farm Security Administration (FSA)
- Edward Steichen and “The Family of Man”
Some Japanese photographers:
- DaidÅ Moriyama
- Nobuyoshi Araki
Book: On Photography by Susan Sontag
I’ve got some homeworking to do.
*Note: I’m not sure why I took the picture above at 1/30 sec, which is probably why his hands are blurry. But maybe that’s not a bad thing as it captures the “writing” in action.
One Comment
Seeing Edward Weston's name at the top of the list really makes my day… I'll have to find out who Mary Elen Mark and Manuel Alvarez Bravo are, but it's a great list, indeed.