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.
Talk to me, Goose.