Pretty cool stuff on here - both Bill Cunningham and Steve McCurry, the man who shot the famous 'Afghan Girl' photo for National Geographic, use/d a Nikon FM 2. Which I am now adding to the wishlist. :)
There's a quote from Bob Monkhouse (successful, but now dead british comedian) which went: "They laughed when I said I was going to be a comedian. They're not laughing now."
Nikki Sixx IS an awesome photographer!! Dark and gritty....love it! Thanks for posting!
Bryan Adams is pretty good too http://www.bryanadamsphotography.com/#
I'm fairly new to photography, but i've been burying myself in a lot of photography books both about technique and various photog's work (and found a lot of really inspiring stuff). But i just can't see the merit of Bill Cunningham's photos from a purely photography point of view, they just seem like centre framed candid/surveillance shots of fashionistas. Could someone explain why he's regarded as such a respected figure (enough so to have a film made about him)? It seems to me that he is more important to fashion than he is to photography.
@scatochef He's well over the age of 80 and continues to work constantly. He lives, breathes, and eats photography. He is held in extremely high regard by both the fashion and photography community. He's got a great spirit and an absolute joy for his work, and if I am ever half the photographer he is, well, I will feel pretty damn proud of it.
Whether or not we enjoy someone's photography is pretty subjective. There are many famous photographers (and photographers on this site) whose work I absolutely do not care for. There are people whose work I love that others would hate. I adore Joel-Peter Witkin, and he definitely raises some eyebrows. I hate Anne Geddes, but her work seems to do quite well. It's all subjective.
I'd encourage you to watch the Bill Cunningham movie, if you haven't already. You don't have to like his work to learn something from it. And, hey, maybe you'll think it's all hogwash at the end of the movie - you're totally entitled to that opinion. :) This is just my $.02.
@beautifulthing yes i'm definitely still going to see the movie, films on photographers have been great source of learning (as i've found with James Nachtwey and Annie Leibovitz's films).
You make a fair point about Cunningham, i never thought to consider him as just a person with a deep passion for photography. I guess i had the expectation that any photography that high profile would produce jaw dropping photographs.
@scatochef Very true - and, to be honest, Cunningham's photos don't necessarily make my jaws drop. My admiration for him is probably more for his passion than anything - I would love nothing more than a life that involved walking the streets of Manhattan every day, snapping pictures. :)
I also really admire the fact that he still shoots on film - something I am very fond of. Although I did see a photo of him not too long ago with a digital camera - he may be changing his tune.
But, yeah, in the end, it comes down to this...we like what we like. All that matters is, when you look at a photo, do you like it? Does it resonate with you, make you think of something, feel something, whether it's disgust or awe or inspiration? You absolutely don't have to like someone just because they are famous or deeply passionate or what-have-you. Someone could come tell me volumes about how famous and deeply passionate Anne Geddes is, and I'd still rather poke my eyes out then see one more of her pictures of a baby stuffed in a flower pot. :)
If you have Netflix, the Bill Cunningham movie is on that. I'd also recommend the Art:21 series, also on Netflix. That features several photographers, including Sally Mann, who I also really like.
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Bryan Adams is pretty good too http://www.bryanadamsphotography.com/#
Whether or not we enjoy someone's photography is pretty subjective. There are many famous photographers (and photographers on this site) whose work I absolutely do not care for. There are people whose work I love that others would hate. I adore Joel-Peter Witkin, and he definitely raises some eyebrows. I hate Anne Geddes, but her work seems to do quite well. It's all subjective.
I'd encourage you to watch the Bill Cunningham movie, if you haven't already. You don't have to like his work to learn something from it. And, hey, maybe you'll think it's all hogwash at the end of the movie - you're totally entitled to that opinion. :) This is just my $.02.
You make a fair point about Cunningham, i never thought to consider him as just a person with a deep passion for photography. I guess i had the expectation that any photography that high profile would produce jaw dropping photographs.
I also really admire the fact that he still shoots on film - something I am very fond of. Although I did see a photo of him not too long ago with a digital camera - he may be changing his tune.
But, yeah, in the end, it comes down to this...we like what we like. All that matters is, when you look at a photo, do you like it? Does it resonate with you, make you think of something, feel something, whether it's disgust or awe or inspiration? You absolutely don't have to like someone just because they are famous or deeply passionate or what-have-you. Someone could come tell me volumes about how famous and deeply passionate Anne Geddes is, and I'd still rather poke my eyes out then see one more of her pictures of a baby stuffed in a flower pot. :)
If you have Netflix, the Bill Cunningham movie is on that. I'd also recommend the Art:21 series, also on Netflix. That features several photographers, including Sally Mann, who I also really like.