Masters who capture moments
The first photograph that caught my young attention was by Irving Penn. It originally served as the cover for Vogue Magazine in 1950. I saw it much later, while in my teens… and for me, it was a turning point in “seeing”. Since then, I have studied and collected books on various Photographers who captured an image that left me with a lasting memory. Below are just a few of the greatest legends…
W. EUGENE SMITH (1918-1978)
Tomoko in her bath, 1967
DOROTHEA LANGE (1895-1965)
At the Cotton Wagon, Migrant Agricultural Worker, Eloy, Arizona, 1940
RICHARD AVEDON (1923-2004)
Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent, June 14, 1981
DIANE ARBUS (1923-1971)
Child with Toy Hand Grenade, Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962
HARRY CALLAHAN (1912-1999)
Eleanor, 1947
EDWARD S. CURTIS (1868-1952)
The Vanishing Race, 1904
HORST P. HORST (1906-1999)
Mainbocher Corset, Paris, 1939
IRVING PENN (B. 1917)
Black and White Vogue Cover, 1950
ALMA LAVENSON (1897-1989)
Eucalyptus Leaves, 1933
ALFRED EISENSTAEDT (1898-1995) 37,000
V.J. Day, Times Square, 1945
TINA MODOTTI (1896-1942)
Mexico, c. 1926
EDWARD WESTON (1886-1958)
Fiftieth Anniversary Porfolio, 1902-1952
JULIA MARGARET CAMERON (1815-1879)
Study of a Magdalen, July 1874
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON (1908-2004)
Siphnos, 1961
ALFRED STIEGLITZ (1864-1946)
The Steerage, 1907
ANSEL ADAMS (1902-1984)
Vernal Fall, Yosemite Valley, 1948
LISETTE MODEL (1899-1983)
Reflections, NYC, Rockefeller Center, 1939-45
Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971)
Fort Peck Dam, Montana 1936
Paul Strand (1890 – 1976)
Blind woman, New York, 1917
Imogen Cunningham (1883 – 1976)
Marsh, 1901
Fan Ho (B. 1932)
Approaching Shadow 1952
Anuvue Studio 
April 19, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Wow! This is a great compilation. Thanks for sharing 🙂 I love black and white photography (and sepia too!).
April 20, 2008 at 1:12 am
Glad you enjoyed M.Y. 😉
April 20, 2008 at 1:59 am
Favorite is Henri Cartier-Bresson…Siphnos
April 23, 2008 at 4:20 pm
The Irving Penn photo stands out because it looks like an illustration.
These are all wonderful. I love them all, and if I could take one home, I’d pick ALMA LAVENSON’s Eucalyptus Leaves, or the one by Alfred Stieglitz. They’re very different from one another yet they both appeal to me for different reasons.
April 24, 2008 at 6:36 am
yb, I’m with you on Alma’s shot. I absolutely love it!
May 9, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Hubs of Masters who capture moments…
hubs about to Since then, I have studied and collected books on various Photographers who captured an image that left me with a lasting memory. Below are just a few of the greatest living legends… W. EUGENE SMITH (1918-197 Spanish Spinner, 1951 ……
October 12, 2009 at 12:32 am
You certainly have captured some of the great ones. I take issue with the inclusion of Avedon’s Kinksi image, and I think Imogen Cunningham’s best work was as a member of the f.64 group, but I’m quibbling. I’m about to start teaching a class called the Art of Seeing and the trio of Steiglitz, Weston and Minor White loom large. The latter as much for his teaching as for his body of work.
March 9, 2010 at 3:27 am
I am sure that you will have plenty to teach just going about the works and thoughts of that trio that you’ve chosen. In the art of Seeing I will definitely add a Maestro of Seeing and thinking photography like Paul Strand whose vision, in my personal opinion based on feel from their respective photographs is far more developped than Edward Weston’s, more acute.
October 12, 2009 at 2:45 am
A class I would surely love myself Barry. A wonderful grouping…and how lucky those students are.
And I do agree with you on the Avedon selected. I actually like his flowing portrait of Cyd Charisse much better…but the Natasha one is a favorite of someone dear to me so I tossed it in at the last 😉
As far as Imogen, I chose a lesser known work. Most Photographers (as I’m guessing you are) are more familiar with her work during f.64 so I thought to use something a bit different.
You should check out the work of Fan Ho. His black and whites of China are magnificent if you’re not familiar. I believe…Even Mr Stieglitz would approve!
http://www.modernbook.com/fanho.htm
January 19, 2010 at 5:01 pm
I am so blown away at how terrific the information is on this web site. I have bookmarked this web site and I really plan on visiting the site in the next few days. Keep up the great work!
April 21, 2010 at 8:08 pm
great post, thanks! stumbled…
January 16, 2011 at 3:20 pm
It stirs within me hope that I can have just a touch of the talent these great photographers, artists had/have. They make me look at the world differently, with what my Mother aways called ‘the artist’s eye’. Thank you for bringing this all together for us all.
January 16, 2011 at 4:32 pm
A wise woman, your Mother, Cait. Artists definitely see through different eyes. Thank goodness for it or the world would be so ordinary! I’m so glad you find inspiration here. Makes me think I should do a collection of some of the greats out there now. Many are not as well known as these but no less talented. Thanks for stopping by. Your name is unique and wonderful!