Hello all,

Below you will see some photographs of people I aspire to be similar to. Each of them has made some impact on my world of photography. I will go through who each photographer is, a snapshot of how they impacted me, and an example of their work. Let us begin. 

Ansel Adams


Starting off we have Ansel Adams. He was famous for his landscape photography and more specifically his black and white images of U.S. National Parks. Below is a photograph of Glacier National Park that he took. I fell in love with this photograph because it almost appears painted, and it reminds me that photography is art, not just a service to sell. 

Dorthea Lange

Second, on the roster is Dorothea Lange. She was an American photojournalist during the Great Depression. She is famous for her portraits and candids of people during a very difficult era. The portrait below is called, "Migrant Mother." Taken in 1936 in California. For only working with film, the clarity of this image is astounding. The news and video news today have strongly impacted our day-to-day lives. Images like this today, are telling stories about the Black Lives Matter movement and Mexican immigration. Photographs like Dorothea's remind me that our purpose is to tell a story as well. An honest story, one with integrity. 

Annie Leibovitz


The third and extremely experienced icon is Annie Leibovitz. She is a famous portrait photographer. So famous that you have probably seen her work and had no idea it was hers. Her images are typically of other famous people from Maya Angelou to Leonardo DiCaprio. She shoots for Vanity Fair, Vogue, and more. She even photographed Queen Elizabeth II. Annie is one of the greatest inspirations to me because she has photographed relationships that tell stories and images that captivate readers. 

Below is an image of John Lennon and his love Yoko Ono for Rolling Stones magazine. Capturing the essence of a person or relationship in a portrait is by far one of the most amazing abilities. 

Sarah Petty


One of my TikTok idols is Sarah Petty. Her studio is in Illinois. She primarily photographs senior portraits and family portraits. She is also an author she wrote, " Worth Every Penny." I haven't read her book yet but I am sure it will be as inspiring as she is. Sarah is a mentor for other photographers. aside from that let me tell you from my experience getting a good portrait of children can be very challenging, but she does it and very well.

Below is a portrait of one of her clients she has served multiple times. This portrait tells me a story of a young girl growing up. It also tells me that Sarah Petty has clients who keep coming back to her. In the boutique photography business, I've learned that clients come back to you not only because of your work but because they connected with you. I aspire to connect the way she does. 

Check out her book:

Worth Every Penny

Peter McKinnon


My favorite Youtube Creator is Peter McKinnon. I don't even know where to start with Peter. He is rooted in Canada and specializes in product photography. He is the very definition of the creator. He has a hand in the coffee business, making jewelry, knives, leather items, videography, and photography. I don't aspire to be a product photographer however Peter McKinnon inspired me to do things I love with my work. Tell a great story if you're going to tell a story.

Below is his infamous "The Bucket Shot" landscape photograph. This photograph was taken at Lake Moraine. To learn more about this photograph I highly encourage you to watch these videos. 

Cassidy Lynne


Last but absolutely not least is Cassidy Lynne. She is a wedding photographer out of Michigan. She also has a podcast called Oh Shoot! where she talks about photography and business. She works closely with her husband as well. Which I relate to, as I work with my fiancé. Cassidy is an inspiration to me because she pushes the standards in wedding/couples photography. What I mean is she can take a blurry image and give it purpose and meaning. She uses flash during weddings and creates a story with a more vintage '90s film look. That is innovative and in my opinion game-changing. 

Resources


Adams, A. (2022). Ansel Adams Home. Retrieved from Ansel Adams: ​https://www.anseladams.com/

Annie Leibovitz. (2022). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Leibovitz

Dupêcher, N. (2018). Dorothea Lange. Retrieved from MoMA: https://www.moma.org/artists/3373

Foundation, N. P. (2021). The Photographic Legacy of Ansel Adams. Retrieved from National Parks.org: https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/photographic-legacy-ansel-adams

Lynne, C. (2022).Cassidy Lynne Education. Retrieved from Cassidy Lynne Education: https://cassidylynneeducation.com/

Lynne,C.(2022).Galleries.Retrieved from Cassidy Lynne Photo: ​https://cassidylynnephoto.com/galleries/

Lynne,C.(2022).Podcast.RetrievedfromCassidyLynneEducation: https://cassidylynneeducation.com/podcast

MasterClass. (2022). Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography. Retrieved from MasterClass: https://www.masterclass.com/classes/annie-leibovitz-teaches-photography

McKinnon, P. (2022). Home. Retrieved from Peter McKinnon: ​https://www.petermckinnon.com/

NYTIMES. (2021, November 4). Annie Leibovitz, the Un-Fashion Photographer. Retrieved from NYTIMES: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/04/arts/design/annie-leibovitz-wonderland.html

Petty, S. (2017, June 15). Professional Photographers Deliver 104 Smiles to Children Affected with Cleft Palate Syndrome. Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/professional-photographers-deliver-104-smiles-children-sarah-petty?trk=public_profile_article_view

Petty, S. (2022). Blog. Retrieved from Sarah Petty: http://blog.sarahpetty.com/

Petty, S. (2022). Sarah Petty. Retrieved from Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-petty-02735014

Petty, S. (2022). Sarah Petty Home. Retrieved from Sarah Petty: https://www.sarahpetty.com/

Rawlings, N. (2012, February 28). John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Rolling Stone. Retrieved from TIME: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2107768_2107767_2107761,00.html

DISCLAIMER: None of this is sponsored material. Purely my honest opinions. 

​Thank you for reading.

​-Shelby