European photographers. The most famous photographs of the 20th century

In the modern world, photography is a popular and very widespread branch of art, which continues to actively develop and delight with new discoveries and creations. It seems like, why is there so much enthusiasm around ordinary photography? Can it be compared with a painting into which the artist invests a large amount of time, soul and effort?

But not everything is so simple, talented photographic works can hardly be called “simple”; in order for the frame to come out truly mesmerizing, the master must be a true connoisseur of the moment, be able to catch beauty where it remains invisible to an ordinary person, and then present it so that it becomes accessible to the general public. to the masses. Isn't this art?

Today we will talk about the most talented and famous fashion photographers who managed to turn the usual world of photography upside down, introduce something new, and also gain recognition from the whole world.

These people collaborate with the most famous glossy publications in the world, their hands created the most famous advertising campaigns leading companies of our time, the most famous and wealthy people on the planet strive to get to their shoots. Isn't this enough to arouse everyone's admiration?

1. Annie Leibnovitz

Our top 10 opens with one of the highest paid and sought-after professionals in her field, Annie Leibovitz. Each of her works is a recognized work of art that evokes admiration even among the most ignorant viewers.

Although Annie is a master of portrait photography, she excels in many other genres. Music stars have been in front of her lens, famous actors, models, as well as members of her family, and everyone who found themselves there became a part of something perfect and extraordinary.

Among them are Queen Elizabeth II, Michael Jackson, George Clooney, Uma Thurman, Natalia Vodianova, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and many others.

1. Patrick Demarchelier

One of the most famous and sought-after French photographers, who began shooting back in the 80s and quickly managed to achieve success. Very soon his photographs began to appear in Glamor, Elle, and a little later in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.

Being in his lens is the dream of any model, and iconic fashion houses from all over the world fought for the right to get a meter to shoot the next advertising campaign. At one time he was the personal photographer of Princess Diana, photographed the very young Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and more than once worked with Madonna, Scarlett Johansson and other stars of modern Hollywood.

1. Mario Testino

One of the most famous British photographers, winner of many prestigious awards. An interesting fact is that Mario became a photographer, basically, by accident, his family was far from the world of art, and the path that he had to go through to achieve success turned out to be very thorny. But it was worth it!

Today, Testino's work can be found in almost every glossy publication, he has worked with most of the most famous and popular models, became Kate Moss's favorite photographer, and is also known for his magnificent photographs of the royal family.

1. Peter Lindbergh

Another worldwide celebrity, winner of many awards and simply talented person. Peter, to a greater extent, became famous as a master of black and white photography, an opponent of the worldwide craze for Photoshop, and therefore prefers to look for perfection in the imperfect.

1. Steven Meisel

Considered one of the most popular fashion photographers, he is known for his unique photo shoots for Vogue magazine, as well as a series of very provocative photographs for Madonna’s book. His works cause a very wide resonance in the public world, however, most of his works continue to be published in fashion publications.

1. Ellen von Unwerth

A popular German photographer, known for her passion for erotic and staged subjects. Particular success came to Ellen after shooting Claudia Schiffer for Guess. After this, offers poured in, and her work constantly appears in such publications as Vanity Fair, The Face, Vogue and many others.

1. Paolo Roversi

In the fashion world he is known as one of the most mysterious and unattainable personalities. Few people know this photographer by sight, but many know his signature style, and his work is strikingly different from the typical magazine “stamping”.

His extraordinary works, captured using long exposures, are some of the most graceful and magnificent images to be created in the last century.

1. Tim Walker

A British photographer who gained his popularity thanks to the fabulous style in which most of his works were created: the directions of surrealism and rococo. As the author himself says, he is often inspired literary heroes And fairy-tale characters This is probably why every photograph of him is a whole story.

It is also noteworthy that Walker does not like Photoshop, and therefore to create his unique works tries to use real props and lighting games.

1. Mert and Marcus

One of the most famous and best photo duos, whose works are always recognizable and in demand no less than the works of their older colleagues. Known for their bright, shocking and often provocative photographs, all the most beautiful divas of our planet have appeared in their lenses: Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Natalia Vodianova and many others.

1. Inez and Vinoodh

Another talented photo duo, whose members have been collaborators and have been creating masterpieces for 30 years. Like most of the above colleagues, they collaborate with the most fashionable glossy publications, shoot advertising campaigns for Isabel Marant and YSL, and are also one of Lady Gaga’s favorite photographers.

David Barnett has been a photojournalist for 40 years. His camera doesn't hunt beautiful landscapes and cats - it is aimed at important events that become symbols of the era. David's photographs allow you to look at the world from the outside. His works are a living history textbook, which, instead of dry facts, demonstrates the bright events of our time.

I like David. While other pros are shopping, he's carrying around an ancient Speed ​​Graphic video camera that's 60 years old. Of course, he has expensive professional equipment. But, apparently, he understands perfectly well: an expensive camera is a pleasant bonus, and not mandatory conditions for a good photo. A real master can do good shot even a point-and-shoot for 30 bucks.

• A simple example: in 2000, David won the “Eyes of History” competition by taking a photo with a cheap plastic Holga camera for $30.

When Helmut was a teenager, the Gestapo arrested his father. Newton fled Germany and moved to Australia, where he served in the Australian Army until the end of World War II... This seems to be the way to write a description if you've been bitten by a Wikipedia moderator.

Biographies talented people often look too immaculate, like a VIP chamber in private clinic- just as sterilely clean and far from real life. German-Australian photographer, worked for Vogue magazine, sometimes shot in the nude genre... This short retelling does not give any idea of ​​who Newton Hellmuth was.

And he was a sincere snob without delusions of grandeur, who loved the glitz of high society. He preferred to photograph rich people and stay in luxury hotels. And he spoke honestly about this, considering himself a rather superficial, but truthful person.

Until he suffered a heart attack in 1971, Helmut smoked 50 cigarettes a day and could party for a week. But a heart attack revealed an incredible truth to the 50-year-old photographer: it turns out that a wild “youth” lifestyle can end very sadly with age.

Having been on the verge of death, Helmut quit smoking, began to lead a more measured life and promised himself to film only what was interesting to him.

Helmut Newton on the things he hates:

• I hate good taste. This is a boring phrase that suffocates all living things.
• I hate it when everything is inside out - it's cheap.
• I hate dishonesty in photography: pictures taken in the name of some artistic principles, fuzzy and grainy.

Yuri Arcurs is one of the most successful stock photographers in the world. Instead of photographing sunrises and fog in a city park, he photographs what is for sale: happy families and pills, money and students. And on special sites called photo stocks, all this is sold and bought. And in this area, Arcurs became a real guru, who showed by personal example how you can earn money, achieve heights and even have fun doing commercial stock photography.

Yuri was born and raised in Denmark. He started making money on photo stocks during his student years to pay for his studies. At the time, the only model he could shoot was his girlfriend. But soon additional income became the main one for Yuri: within a few years, in 2008, he was earning up to $90,000 a month from photo stocks.

Today this guy sells his work to large companies: MTV, Sony, Microsoft, Canon, Samsung and Hewlett Packard. His shooting day costs $6,000. And this whole story became a real Cinderella fairy tale for freelancers with a camera.

How realistic is it to repeat this path to success? Who knows. We can only state that today Yuri Arcurs is one of the most successful stock photographers.

Irving Penn loved photography, but did not attach much importance to this hobby. His main job was art design: Irwin designed magazine covers and even got a job as an assistant art editor at the popular Vogue magazine.

But cooperation with famous photographers of this publication did not work out. Penn was constantly dissatisfied with their work and could not explain to them what he needed. As a result, he waved his hand and took up the camera himself. And how he got it: the pictures were so successful that his superiors persuaded him to retrain as a photographer.

Irwin was the first to shoot models against a white or gray background - there was nothing superfluous in the frame. His incredible attention to every detail earned him a reputation as one of the best portrait photographers of his time. This allowed Penn to photograph various celebrities, including Al Pacino and Hitchcock, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso.

Gursky inherited his love for photography from his father: he was an advertising photographer and taught his son all the intricacies of his craft. Therefore, Andreas did not hesitate in choosing a profession: he graduated from the school of professional photographers and State Academy arts

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about this because my Wiki-moderator syndrome has flared up again. It’s just that Andreas is one of the few photographers from our rating who approached this activity thoroughly, and did not start shooting by chance.

After completing his studies, Gursky began traveling around the world. Experimenting and getting new experience, he found own style, which is now his business card: Andreas takes huge photographs, the dimensions of which are measured in meters. Looking at their smaller copies on a computer screen, it is difficult to appreciate the effect they produce in full size.

Regardless of whether Gursky was photographing a city panorama or a river landscape, people or factories, his photographs amaze with their scale and the peculiar monotony of the details in the photo.

Ansel Adams spent most of his life photographing nature in the western United States. He traveled extensively, photographing the wildest and most inaccessible corners of national parks. His love of nature was expressed not only in photography: Ansel was an active advocate for the conservation and protection of the environment.

But what Adams didn’t like was pictorialism, popular in the first half of the 20th century - a shooting method that made it possible to take photographs similar to painting. In contrast, Ansel and a friend founded the f/64 group, which professed the principles of so-called “direct photography”: shooting everything honestly and realistically, without any filters, post-processing or other bells and whistles.

Group f/64 was founded in 1932, at the very beginning of Ansel's career. But he was true to his convictions, so he retained his love for nature and documentary photography until the end of his life.

• You've probably seen this desktop screensaver depicting the Teton Range and the Snake River against the backdrop of the setting sun:

So, it was Adams who was the first to capture this landscape from this angle. His black-and-white photograph was included in 116 images that were recorded on the Voyager gold plate - this is a message from earthlings to unknown civilizations, sent into space 40 years ago. Now the aliens will think that we don’t have color cameras, but we do have good photographers.

I like Sebastian's biography. This natural evolution, which happens to any idealist throughout life.

This story was told by Salgado himself in an interview when he visited Moscow in February 2016. At the age of 25, he and his wife moved from Brazil to Europe. From there they planned to go to Soviet Union and enter the Peoples' Friendship University to build a society without social inequality. But in 1970, their dreams were destroyed by a friend from Prague - the Czechs tasted plenty of communism in 1968.

So, this guy dissuaded the spouses, explaining that no one was building communism in the USSR anymore. Power does not belong to the people and if they want to fight for the happiness of ordinary people, they can stay and help immigrants. Salgado listened to his comrade and stayed in France.

He studied to be an economist, but quickly realized that it was not for him. His wife, Lelia Salgado, had more creative profession- she was a pianist... but also became disillusioned with her occupation and decided to become an architect. It was she who bought their first camera to photograph architecture. As soon as Sebastian looked at the world through the viewfinder, he immediately realized that he had found his true passion. And after 2 years he became a professional photographer.

According to Salgado himself, his economic education gave him knowledge of history and geography, sociology and anthropology. A huge amount of knowledge opened up opportunities for him that were inaccessible to other photographers: understanding human society in different parts of our planet. He visited more than 100 countries, taking an incredible amount of documentary photographs.

But don’t think that Sebastian photographed exotic beaches and funny animals while vacationing on tropical islands. His travels don't go that way at all. Initially, an idea is born: “Workers”, “Terra”, “Renaissance” - these are just some of the names of his albums. Afterwards, preparations for the trip begin and the trip itself, which can take several years.

Many of his works are dedicated to human suffering: he photographed refugees in African countries, victims of famine and genocide. Some critics even began to reproach Salgada for presenting poverty and suffering as something aesthetic. Sebastian himself is sure that the matter is different: according to him, he has never photographed those who look pathetic. Those he photographed were in distress, but they had dignity.

And it would be completely wrong to think that Salgado was “promoting himself” on someone else’s grief. On the contrary, he drew the attention of mankind to those troubles that many did not notice. The situation is indicative when Sebastian completed the work “Exodus” in the 1990s: he photographed people who escaped genocide. After the trip, he admitted that he was disappointed in people and no longer believed that humanity could survive. He returned to Brazil and took some time off to recover.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending: the old idealist regained his faith in beauty, and is now busy with another project, photographing the untouched corners of our planet.

If you start typing in a search engine , then Google will display a drop-down window with the option "Steve McCurry Afghan Girl". This is quite strange, because McCurry is too mustachioed for a girl, even an Afghan one.

In fact, the “Afghan Girl” is Steve’s most famous photograph, appearing on the cover of National Geographic magazine. Even the Wikipedia article about this guy starts with this story:

• “Steve is the mustachioed American photojournalist who photographed the Afghan girl.”. (Wikipedia)

Most articles about this photographer begin with a similar phrase, including our story about him. One gets the impression that he is an actor of one role, like Daniel Radcliffe or Macaulay Culkin. But it is not so.

Steve's career as a professional photographer began during the war in Afghanistan. He did not drive around the country in a Hummer, hiding behind the backs of the military, but stayed among ordinary people: he got local clothes, sewed rolls of film into them and traveled around the country like an ordinary Afghan. Or like an ordinary American spy disguised as an Afghan - someone could consider this option. So Steve took a risk, but thanks to him, the world saw the first photographs of that conflict.

Since then, McCurry has not changed his approach to work: he wandered around the world, filming different people. Steve has captured many military conflicts and has become a true master of street photography. Although in fact McCurry is a photojournalist, he managed to blur the line between documentary and artistic photography. His photographs are bright and attractive, like a postcard, but at the same time truthful. They do not require any explanations or comments - everything is clear without words. To create such photos, you need a rare flair.

Annie Leibovitz is a real specialist portrait shooting stars Her photographs graced the covers of the most popular magazines, causing strong emotions and discussions. Who else would have thought of photographing a grimacing Whoopi Goldberg in a milk bath? Or a naked John Lennon cuddling up to Yoko Ono in a fetal position? By the way, this was the last photograph in his life, taken a few hours before Chapman’s fatal shot.

Annie's biography looks quite smooth: after studying at the Art Institute in San Francisco, Leibovitz got a job at a magazine Rolling Stone. She collaborated with him for more than 10 years. During this time, Annie has earned a reputation as a person who is able to photograph any celebrity in an interesting and creative way. And this is quite enough to achieve success in modern show business.

Having gained some fame, Annie moves to New York, where she opens her own photography studio. In 1983, she began working with Vanity Fair magazine, which sponsored her subsequent shocking photographs of stars. Shoot Demi Moore naked on last stage pregnancy or covered with clay and exhibited in the middle of the desert by Sting - this is quite in the spirit of Leibovitz. Like forcing Cate Blanchett to ride a bike or forcing a goose to take pictures with DiCaprio. No wonder her work is popular!

Who else can boast that they photographed the Queen of England, Michael Jackson, Barack Obama and many, many other celebrities? And, mind you, he was not filming as a papparazi, hiding behind a bush, but was organizing a full-fledged photo shoot? This is why Annie Leibovitz is considered, if not the best, then the most successful contemporary photographer. Although somewhat pop.

1. Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri got his passion for art from his uncle: he was an artist and got his nephew interested in painting. This slippery slope eventually led him to a passion for photography. What did Henri do that distinguished him from hundreds and thousands of other photographers?

He realized a simple truth: everything must be done honestly and truly. That's why he refused staged photos and never asked anyone to act out a certain situation. Instead, he closely observed what was happening around him.

In order to remain invisible during the shooting, Henri covered the shiny metal parts on the camera with black electrical tape. He became a real “invisible man,” which allowed him to capture the most sincere feelings of people. And to do this, it’s not enough not to attract attention - you need to be able to determine the decisive moment for the photo. It was Henri who introduced this term, “the decisive moment,” and even wrote a book with that title.

To summarize: Cartier-Bresson's photographs are distinguished by living realism. For such work, some professional skills are not enough. It is necessary to sensitively understand human nature, to capture his emotions and mood. All this was inherent in Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was honest in his work.

Don't be a snob... Repost!

What makes a photographer famous? Decades spent in the profession, acquired or invaluable experience? No, it is only his photographs that make a photographer famous. The list of famous photographers in the world consists of people with a strong personality, attention to detail, and the highest professionalism. After all, it is not enough just to be in the right place in right time, you still need to be able to correctly display what is happening. Be good photographer not easy, not to mention professional level. We want to introduce you to the greatest classics of photography and examples of their work.

Ansel Adams

“What a photographer is able to see and say about what he saw has incomparable higher value than the quality of technical equipment..."(Ansel Adams)

Ansel Adams (Ansel Easton Adams, February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer best known for his black-and-white photographs of the American West. Ansel Adams, on the one hand, was gifted with a subtle artistic sense, and on the other, he had an impeccable command of photography techniques. His photographs have an almost epic power. They combine the features of symbolism and magical realism, giving the impression of the “first days of Creation.” During his life, he created more than 40,000 photographs and participated in more than 500 exhibitions around the world.

Yusuf Karsh

“If, by looking at my portraits, you learn something more significant about the people depicted in them, if they help you sort out your feelings about someone whose work has left an imprint on your brain - if you look at a photograph and say: “Yes, this is him” and at the same time you learn something new about the person - that means this is a really successful portrait" ( Yusuf Karsh)

Yusuf Karsh(Yousuf Karsh, December 23, 1908 - July 13, 2002) - Canadian photographer Armenian origin, one of the masters of portrait photography. During his life, he made portraits of 12 US presidents, 4 Popes, all British prime ministers, Soviet leaders - Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Gorbachev, as well as Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Bernard Shaw and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Robert Capa

“A photograph is a document, looking at which someone with eyes and a heart begins to feel that not all is well in the world” ( Robert Capa)

Robert Capa (Robert Capa, real name Endre Erno Friedman, October 22, 1913, Budapest - May 25, 1954, Tonkin, Indochina) - photojournalist Jewish origin, born in Hungary. Robert Capa had no intention of becoming a photographer; life circumstances pushed him towards this. And only courage, adventurism and bright visual talent made him one of the most famous war reporters of the twentieth century.

Henri Cartier-Bresson

«... With the help of photography you can capture infinity in one moment of time... "(Henri-Cartier Bresson)

Henri Cartier-Bresson (August 2, 1908 – August 3, 2004) was one of the main photographers of the 20th century. The father of photojournalism. One of the founders of the photo agency Magnum Photos. Born in France. He was interested in painting. He paid great attention to the role of time and the “decisive moment” in photography.

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange (Dorothea Margarette Nutzhorn, May 26, 1895 - October 11, 1965) - American photographer and photojournalist / Her photographs, bright, striking to the heart with their frankness, nakedness of pain and hopelessness, are silent evidence of what hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans, deprived of shelter and basic means of subsistence, had to endure and every hope.

For many years, this photo was literally the epitome of the Great Depression. Dorothea Lange took the photo while visiting a vegetable picker camp in California in February 1936, wanting to show the world the resilience of a proud nation in difficult times.

Brassaï

“There is always a chance - and each of us hopes for it. Only a bad photographer realizes one chance in a hundred, while a good one takes advantage of everything.”

"Everyone has it creative person there are two dates of birth. The second date is when he understands what it is true calling- much more important than the first one"

“The purpose of art is to raise people to a level to which they could not reach in any other way.”

"There are many photographs full of life, but incomprehensible and quickly forgotten. They lack strength - and this is the most important thing"(Brassai)

Brassai (Gyula Halas, 9 September 1899 – 8 July 1984) was a Hungarian and French photographer, painter and sculptor. In Brassaï's photographs we see the mysterious Paris in the light street lamps, squares and houses, foggy embankments, bridges and almost fabulous wrought iron grilles. One of his favorite techniques was reflected in a series of photographs taken in the light of the headlights of cars that were rare at that time.

Brian Duffy

“Every photograph created after 1972, I have seen before. Nothing new. After a while I realized that photography was dead...” Brian Duffy

Brian Duffy (15 June 1933 – 31 May 2010) was an English photographer. At one time, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier, David Bowie, Joanna Lumley and William Burroughs stood in front of his camera.

Jerry Welsman

“I believe that man’s ability to convey things beyond the visible is enormous. This phenomenon can be observed in all genres of fine art, as we are constantly searching for new ways to explain the world, which sometimes reveals itself to us in moments of understanding that go beyond the boundaries of our usual experience.”(Jerry Welsman)

Jerry Welsman (1934) is an American photographic art theorist, teacher, one of the most interesting photographers of the second half of the twentieth century, a master of mysterious collages and visual interpretations. The surreal collages of the talented photographer conquered the world when Photoshop was not even in the project. However, even now the author of unusual works remains faithful to his own technique and believes that miracles can happen in a darkened darkroom.

Annie Liebovitz

“When I say I want to photograph someone, it means I want to get to know him. I photograph everyone I know" ( Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz)

Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz (Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz; genus. October 2, 1949, Waterbury, Connecticut) is a famous American photographer. Specializes in celebrity portraits. Today she is the most sought after among female photographers. Her work graces magazine covers Vogue, Vanity Fair, New Yorker and Rolling Stone, John Lennon and Bette Midler, Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore, Sting and Divine posed nude for her. Annie Leibovitz managed to break the stereotypes of beauty in fashion, introducing elderly faces, wrinkles, everyday cellulite and imperfect forms into the photo arena.

Jerry Gionis

“Take just five minutes a day to try to do the impossible and you will soon feel the difference” ( Jerry Gionis).

Jerry Gionis - A top wedding photographer from Australia is a true master of his genre! It is not for nothing that he is considered one of the most successful masters of this trend in the world.

Colbert Gregory

Gregory Colbert (1960, Canada) - a pause in our fast-paced world. Stopping while running. Absolute silence and concentration. The beauty is in silence and stillness. The feeling of delight from the feeling of belonging to a huge living being - planet Earth - these are the emotions that his works evoke. Over the course of 13 years, he made 33 (thirty-three) expeditions to the most remote and exotic corners of our vast and at the same time such a tiny planet: India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Dominica, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tonga, Namibia, Antarctica. He set himself one task - to reflect in his works the amazing relationship between man and nature, the animal world.

In fact, the list of the greatest photographers is quite long, and these are just a few of them.

When the moment comes for choosing a wedding photographer, each couple is looking for someone who can better than others capture and preserve all the events and emotions of themselves. important day. Only a true professional who knows and loves his job can feel the mood of lovers and their loved ones and not miss funny and touching moments. There are many, no, even very many good wedding photographers in Moscow, but how to find the right one? Especially for those who are looking, we have made a selection of the 20 best wedding photographers working in Moscow. You no longer need to scour the Internet and call agencies. Just choose.

Since the fall of 2016, the site, with the support of Sony, launched the portal of the best wedding photographers WeddingPro. Photographers with more than 3 years of experience and more than 15 wedding shoots are invited to participate. Portal participants are provided with special conditions testing and subsequent purchase of photographic equipment, PR on the site and in in social networks, live orders.

1. Artem Kondratenkov

Artem is included in the Top 15 wedding photographers in Russia according to MyWed, does on-site photography in other cities and abroad, and actively participates in competitions and associations of wedding photographers of various levels. For example, in 2010 he became the winner of a professional competition wedding photography“Bi May Bride 2010” in the “Album” category (Moscow), and in 2011 - winner of the BWPA wedding photography competition (professional competition of wedding photographers in Belarus) in the “Best Reportage Photo” category. In wedding photo shoots, Artem manages to create a relaxed atmosphere in the frame, allowing the newlyweds and guests to show their character and charisma.

2. Alexander Nozdrin

Alexander’s professional record includes more than 700 wedding photo sessions, in which he skillfully combines experience in reportage, staged and studio photography. In Alexander’s photographs, even the most staged scenes look natural and dynamic. In 2014, Alexander was awarded the title of master of wedding and family photography, and is the only Russian photographer received the Grand Prix at international competition WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International).

3. Galina Nabatnikova

Galina, who usually works in tandem with Gennady Granin, describes her work as “elegant photojournalism in the style of cinema.” And this is a very accurate description - her photographs really often look like screenshots of movie scenes, they have real movement and life. It is impossible not to note the portraits of brides that Galina makes with a special approach to each girl. Gennady and Galina are winners of the First National Award “Best Photographer of the Year” in 2009, numerous winners of competitions of the World Association of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP).

4. Rustam Khadzhibaev

Rustam has been a professional photographer for about 20 years, having worked in a variety of genres: advertising, fashion photography, reporting. For the last 9 years he has been working as a wedding photographer and in his photo sessions he combines artistry, energy, joy of moments and sincerity of emotions. According to Rustam, wedding photography is an excellent example of, first of all, portrait photography, because it is in a solemn and joyful atmosphere that each person shows himself at his best.

5. Katya Mukhina

Katya calls herself a wedding photographer without borders - since 2003 she has worked on more than 500 weddings in Russia and around the world. Katya loves to create unique and magical images, photographing couples with passion and a love of adventure. In 2011, she was recognized as the most creative wedding photographer at the MyWed photo conference (first place in the “Idea!” competition for the most creative love photo). In 2013, she was nominated by the editors of AMERICAN PHOTO magazine for the Top 10 Best Wedding Photographers in the World. Represents Canon in Europe and Russia as a wedding photographer.

6. Daria Bulavina

Daria is a Member of the Creative Union of Artists of Russia, a participant international exhibitions and author of books on photography. Today she is known as one of the best photographers in Moscow. Daria has an established photographic style, thanks to which she creates elegant photographs filled with the solemnity of the moment. She has her own photography school and several personal photo exhibitions.

7. Denis Kalinichenko

Denis Kalinichenko already got into the list in 2013, and again he was rightfully on the list of the best. His main focus is wedding and family photography, in which he has truly excelled. During wedding filming, Denis manages to pay attention to absolutely everything: the details of the formal atmosphere, the guests, the feast, the festive atmosphere and, of course, the newlyweds.

8. Yulia Buruleva

Yulia is a professional photographer, educated in the field of photography, specializing in photography. Perhaps this is what largely determines how strong Yulia is in her field: professional work with composition, light and color, with people in the frame - all this is in her photographs. Julia has been photographing weddings for more than eight years, and has more than once become a nominee and winner in specialized competitions at various levels. In 2010, Yulia became the winner Annual competition Association of Wedding Photographers in the category “Best Wedding Photographer”.

9. Alexander Vasilev

Alexander Vasilev did not come to wedding photography right away; it was preceded by a long creative path. For a long time he lived in the USA, absorbing the best aspects of American culture. Alexander believes that this is what largely influenced the style of his photographs: his works became bright, emotional, with elements of stock photography and a touch of “journalism.” In wedding photography, Alexander focuses on staging, but at the same time, the staging itself is of a reportage nature, the so-called “staged reportage.” The photographer believes that every wedding is unique and inimitable; it itself dictates the mood and genre of future photographs.

10. Liliya Gorlanova

Lilia came to photography from the world of fashion, in which she has a higher art education. That is why Lilia considers the creative component to be the most important thing in her photographic works. Specializes in portrait photography. What Lilia loves most about wedding photography is feeling like she’s part of what’s happening - emotions happy people and she conveys the surrounding beauty through photography. Lilia is a full member and prize-winner of international associations of wedding photographers. In 2011, she won the MyWed Award and the title “Photographer of the Year”.

11. Alexey Kinyapin

Finalist of the MyWed Award 2012, organizer of his own master classes, Alexey Kinyapin is considered one of the most successful wedding photographers in Russia. Alexey loves to photograph happy people, preserving these moments for their family history. From April to November, Alexey photographs weddings, and in winter he travels and does travel photography.

12. Sergey Zaporozhets

As Sergei said in one interview, if he were not a photographer, he would be an inventor. The desire for invention is also visible in his works - atypical angles could be called Sergei’s calling card. As Sergei himself says, Good photo is born where light, perspective and mood converge. His style is a combination of creative staging and wedding photojournalism. Noticing details, showing the ordinary in an unusual light - this is what Sergei does best.

13. Konstantin Gribov

Konstantin discovered photography as a child; he then took his first steps in photography under the guidance of his grandfather. He calls one of the most vivid childhood impressions the moment when an image began to appear on a white sheet of paper... Today, all of Konstantin’s photographs turn out so alive that you just want to reach out and touch the streams of water, jump up with the audience of the concert, or give another cookie to the charming little boy . Konstantin loves to shoot individual photo stories. In such a situation, the shot is not made for the sake of the shot, but is used as a means of expressing some thought. In essence, this is a story written in photographic language.

14. Sergei Khvatynets

A graduate of Sergei Novozhilov's School of Wedding Photography, Sergei Khvatynets is one of the most interesting and successful wedding photographers in Russia. As Sergei himself says about his work, he photographs dreams of love and romance, and through the camera lens catches the most beautiful state of a person - the state of falling in love, which reigns at weddings.

15. Anastasia Beloglazova

In each new shoot of the newlyweds, Anastasia sees an opportunity to take a fresh look at the process of creating photography, find new colors and place accents differently. In her photographs, she tries not only to convey the emotions of the newlyweds at the happiest moment of their lives, but also to introduce a piece of her own mood. This is what makes photographs unique.

16. Alexey Malyshev

Alexey Malyshev considers the most important thing in wedding photography to be the opportunity to relive a happy day. He never tires of looking for new angles and ideas for photographs, uses chance and hunts for real emotions. Alexey is a member and multiple winner of the famous world association of wedding photographers, FearlessPhotographers.

The profession of photographer today is one of the most widespread. Perhaps it would be easier here to become the best of the best at the beginning or middle of the 20th century. Today, when every second or third photographer, well, at least considers himself one, the criteria for good photography, at first glance, are blurred. But this is only at first, superficial glance. Quality standards and focus on talent have not gone away. You always need to keep before your eyes a kind of standard, an example that you can follow. We have prepared for you a list of the 20 best photographers in the world, which will become an excellent tuning fork...

Alexander Rodchenko

Revolutionary photographer. Rodchenko means as much to photography as Eisenstein does to cinema. He worked at the intersection of avant-garde, propaganda, design and advertising.

All these hypostases formed an inextricable unity in his work.

By rethinking all the genres that existed before him, he made a kind of great turning point in the art of photography and set the course for everything new and progressive. The famous photographs of Lily Brik and Mayakovsky belong to his lens.

• And he's also an author famous phrase“Work for life, not for palaces, temples, cemeteries and museums.”

Henri-Cartier Bresson

A classic of street photography. Native of Chanteloupe, Seine-et-Marne department in France. He started out as an artist painting in the “surrealism” genre, but his achievements did not end there. In the early 30s, when the famous Leica fell into his hands, he fell in love with photography forever.

Already in 1933, an exhibition of his works was held at Julien Levy, a gallery in New York. He worked with director Jean Renoir. Bresson's street reports are especially appreciated.

Contemporaries especially noted his talent for remaining invisible to the person being photographed.

Therefore, the unstaged, authentic nature of his photographs is striking. How a real genius, he left a galaxy of talented followers.

Anton Corbijn

Perhaps, for fans of Western rock music, this name is not an empty phrase. In general, one of the most famous photographers in the world.

The most original and extraordinary photographs of such groups as: Depeche Mode, U2, Nirvana, Joy Division and others were made by Anton. He is also the designer of U2 albums. Plus he shot videos for a number of teams and performers, including: Coldplay, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, country legend Johnny Cash, thrash metal mastodons Metallica, and singers Roxette.

Critics note the originality of Corbijn's style, which, however, has countless imitators.

Mick Rock

There are paparazzi photographers who intrude into the personal lives of stars without permission and are mercilessly thrown out of there. And then there are people like Mick Rock.

What does it mean? Well, how can I tell you? Remember David Bowie? Here is Mick - the only person with a lens at the ready who was able to enter the personal space of the discoverer of new musical horizons, a trickster and a Martian from rock music. Mick Rock's photographs are a kind of cardiogram of Bowie's creative period from 1972 to 1973, when Ziggy Stardust had not yet returned back to his planet.

During that period and earlier, David and his associates worked hard on the image real star, which eventually became a reality. In terms of budget, Mick's work is inexpensive, but impressive. “Everything was created on a very small scale with smoke and mirrors,” Mick recalled.

Georgy Pinkhasov

An original photographer of his generation, a member of the Magnum agency, a graduate of VGIKA. It was Georgy who was invited by Andrei Tarkovsky to the set of the film “Stalker” as a reporter.

During the years of Perestroika, when the nude genre was a priority among advanced photographers, Georgy was one of the first to draw attention to the importance of a reportage photograph. They say that he did this at the suggestion of Tarkovsky and Tonino Guerra.

As a result, today his photographs of that everyday life are not only masterpieces containing authenticity, but also the most important evidence of that era. One of known cycles Georgy Pinkhasov are “Tbilisi Baths”. Georgy notes the important role of chance in art.

Annie Leibovitz

An essential name for our list of the best photographers. Annie made immersion into the life of a model her main creative principle.

One of the most famous portraits John Lennon was made by her, and quite spontaneously.

“Back then I didn’t yet know how to control models, ask them to do what I needed. I was just metering the exposure and asked John to look into the lens for a second. And clicked...”

The result immediately made it onto the cover of Rolling Stone. The last photo shoot in Lennon's life was also carried out by her. The same photo of a naked John curled up around Yoko Ono, dressed all in black. Who hasn't been captured by Annie Leibovitz's camera: pregnant Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg bathing in milk, Jack Nicholson playing golf in a dressing gown, Michelle Obama, Natalia Vodianova, Meryl Streep. It’s impossible to list them all.

Sarah Moon

Real name is Mariel Hadang. Born in Paris 1941, during the Vichy regime her family moved to England. Mariel started out as a model, posing for various publications, then she tried herself on the other side of the lens and got a taste for it.

One can note her sensitive work with models, since Sarah knew firsthand about their profession. Her works are distinguished by their particular sensuality; Sarah is noted for her talent for especially sensitively conveying the femininity of her models.

In the 70s, Sarah left the modeling field and turned to black and white art photography. In 1979 he made experimental films. Subsequently, she worked as a cameraman on the set of the film “Lulu,” which received an award at the Venice Film Festival in 1987.

Sally Man

Another female photographer. Native of Lexington, Virginia. She almost never left her native place. Since the 70s, it has essentially worked only in the South of the United States.

He shoots only in the summer; all other seasons he develops photographs. Favorite genres: portrait, landscape, still life, architectural photography. Favorite color scheme: black and white. Sally became famous for her photographs depicting members of her family - her husband and children.

The main thing that distinguishes her work is the simplicity of the subjects and interest in Everyday life. Sally and her husband belong to the hippie generation, which has become corporate style their lives: life away from the city, gardening, independence from social conventions.

Sebastian Salgado

Magic realist from photography. All yours wonderful images he draws from reality. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

So, Sebastian is able to discern it in anomalies, misfortunes and environmental disasters.

Wim Wenders, outstanding director of “Deutsche new wave”, spent a quarter of a century exploring Salgado’s work, resulting in the film “The Salt of the Earth,” which received a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Weegee (Arthur Fellig)

Considered a classic of the crime genre in photography. During the period of his active work, not a single urban incident - from a fight to a murder - went unnoticed by Weegee.

He was ahead of his competitors, and sometimes got to the crime scene even earlier than the police. In addition to crime topics, he specialized in reporting on the everyday life of the slums of the metropolis.

His photographs formed the basis of Jules Dassin's noir Naked City, and Weegee is also mentioned in Zack Snyder's Watchmen. And the famous director Stanley Kubrick studied the art of photography from him in his youth. Check out the genius's early films, they're definitely influenced by Weegee's aesthetic.

Irving Penn

Master in the portrait genre. One can note a number of his favorite techniques: from shooting models in the corner of a room to using a plain white or gray background.

Irwin also liked to photograph representatives of various working professions in their uniforms and with tools at the ready. Brother of New Hollywood director Arthur Penn, famous for his Bonnie and Clyde.

Diane Arbus

Her name at birth was Diana Nemerova. Her family emigrated from Soviet Russia in 1923 and settled in a New York neighborhood.

Diana was distinguished by a desire to violate generally accepted norms and to commit extravagant acts. At the age of 13, against the wishes of her parents, she married Alan Arbus, an aspiring actor, and took his last name. After some time, Alan left the stage and took up photography, involving his wife in the business. They opened a photography studio and shared responsibilities. Creative differences led to a break in the 60s. Having defended her creative principles, Diana became a cult photographer.

As an artist, she was distinguished by her interest in freaks, dwarfs, transvestites, and the weak-minded. And also to nudity. You can learn more about Diana’s personality by watching the film “Fur,” where she was played perfectly by Nicole Kidman.

Evgeny Khaldey

A very important photographer for our list. Thanks to him, key events of the first half of the 20th century were captured. While still a teenager, he chose the path of a photojournalist.

Already at the age of 22, he was an employee of TASS Photo Chronicles. He made reports about Stakhanov, photographed the construction of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station. Worked as a war correspondent throughout the Great Patriotic War. Walking from Murmansk to Berlin with his trusty Leica camera, he took a series of photographs, thanks to which today we can at least imagine everyday life in war.

The Potsdam Conference, the hoisting of the red banner over the Reichstag, the act of surrender fell into the eye of his lens fascist Germany and others major events. In 1995, two years before his death, Evgeniy Khaldei received the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Mark Riboud

Master of the reporting genre. His first famous photograph, published in Life - “Painter on Eiffel Tower" Recognized as a photographic genius, Riboud had a modest personality.

He tried to remain invisible both to those photographed and to his admirers.

The most famous photograph is of a hippie girl holding out a flower to soldiers standing with machine guns at the ready. He also has a series of photographs from the everyday life of the USSR in the 60s and a lot of other interesting things.

Richard Kern

And a little more rock and roll, especially since this is the main theme of this photographer, along with violence and sex. Considered one of the most important photographers for the New York underground.

Captured many famous, one might say extremely famous, musicians. Among them is the absolute monster and transgressor punk musician GG Allin. Kern also collaborates with men's magazines, where he submits his erotic works.

But his approach is far from the generally glossy one. In his spare time from photography, he shoots music videos. Among the groups with which Kern collaborated are Sonic Youth and Marilyn Manson.

Thomas Morkes

Do you want peace, silence, or maybe even solitude? Then this is one of the most suitable candidates. Thomas Morkes from the Czech Republic - Landscape photographer who chose charm as his theme autumn nature. These photographs have it all: romance, sadness, the triumph of fading.

One of the effects of Thomas’s photographs is the desire to get away from the city noise into some such jungle and reflect on the Eternal.

Yuri Artyukhin

Considered the best wildlife photographer. He is a researcher at the laboratory of ornithology at the Pacific Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Yuri passionately loves birds.

It was for his photographs of birds that he received (more than once) a variety of awards not only in Russia, but throughout the world.

Helmut Newton

What about the nude genre? An excellent, very subtle and delicate genre that has its own masters.

Helmut became famous throughout the world for his works. His unspoken motto was the expression “Sex sells,” which means “sex helps sell.”

Winner of the most prestigious competitions, including the French “Order of Arts and Letters”.

Ron Galella

Having covered various areas of photography, it is impossible not to say about the pioneer of such a dubious and at the same time important for understanding modern world genre, like paparazzi.

You probably know that this phrase comes from Federico Fellini’s film “La Dolce Vita.” Ron Garella is one of those photographers who will not ask permission to shoot, but on the contrary, will catch stars when they are not generally ready for this.

Julia Roberts, Woody Allen, Al Pacino, Sophia Loren - that's far from full list those whom Ron had willfully caught. One day, Marlon Brando got so angry with Ron that he knocked out several of his teeth on the spot.

Guy Bourdin

One of the most important photographers needed for a correct understanding of the world of fashion, its origins and aesthetics. He combines eroticism and surrealism in his works. One of the most copied and imitated photographers in the world. Erotic, surreal. Now - a quarter of a century after his death - it is increasingly relevant and modern.

He published his first photographs in the mid-50s. The photo was, to put it mildly, provocative. A girl in an elegant hat against the backdrop of calf heads looking out of the window of a butcher shop. Over the next 32 years, Bourdain regularly contributed entertaining photographs to Vogue magazine. What set him apart from many of his colleagues was that Bourdain was given complete creative freedom.