Series of photographs by contemporary photographers. Photographers and their famous photographs

The sea is incomprehensible, mysterious and clean. It leaves no one indifferent... Breathtaking photographs by Josh Adamski

The sea is incomprehensible, mysterious and clean. It leaves no one indifferent... Breathtaking photographs by Josh Adamski

Josh Adamski is a famous British photographer, master of modern photography. He gained his fame thanks to the art of conceptual photography. Talented photographer Josh Adamski creates true masterpieces of photography, not only improving his work with digital processing, but also putting his soul into it, displaying the idea and meaning. Josh Adamski is of the opinion that there are no specific rules for taking good photography, but that there are good photographers who take good photographs. And he considers his main motto to be Ansel Adams’ statement: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it,” which translated means: “You shouldn’t take a photograph, you should make a photograph.”

They say that the sea is endless. From a geographical point of view this is, of course, not true. However, if you look at it even for a moment, all doubts immediately disappear. The endless horizon is so vast, so distant.

I love walks by the sea. I never get tired of them, because they are always different. The sea itself is never the same. It is changeable in nature. Today it is calm and quiet and as if there is nothing more gentle than its light waves. The water reflects the warm rays of the sun and blinds eyes that are not accustomed to bright light. The warm sand pleasantly warms my feet, and my skin turns golden tan. And tomorrow the sea will be stirred up by a strong wind and majestic waves are already beating against the shore with the force of a huge beast. The blue sky will turn gray and stormy. And that calm happiness of the quiet sea is no longer there. However, this also has its own charm. This is the beauty of rawness and strength. Even the color of sea water often changes - sometimes it is almost blue, sometimes dark blue, sometimes greenish. It’s impossible to even list all its shades.

How much beauty lies in the depths of the sea. Small fish swim in schools among green and yellowish algae. And the sandy bottom is covered with shells, like precious stones. I love collecting shells. I like to imagine that I am finding lost treasures from sunken ships. How many such jewels are still hidden in the depths of the sea?

There is nothing better than spending a day at sea. You can have fun and swim with your family and friends. And sometimes you just want to take a walk alone, feel the peace while listening to the sound of the waves.

The sea is incomprehensible, mysterious and clean. It leaves no one indifferent.

Today we will analyze photographs that were taken by recognized masters of photography. 10 great photographers. 10 famous photographs.

Philippe Halsman and his "Dali Atomicus", 1948

A brilliant artist must have a brilliant portrait. Perhaps Halsman was motivated by this. Perhaps he was inspired by that time by Dali’s unfinished work Leda Atomica, which can be seen in the photo, perhaps he wanted to transfer surrealism into photography... In any case, he needed a studio, additional sources of artificial light, several assistants who splashed water from buckets, calmed down cats between takes and held chairs in the air, 6 hours of work, 28 takes and, of course, Salvador Dali himself.

"Dali Atomicus", Philippe Halsman, 1948

Advice: Don't be afraid to do a large number of takes - one of them will definitely turn out to be successful.

Irving Penn and his "Girl in Bed", 1949

Despite the apparent simplicity of this photograph at first glance, it is mesmerizing. Is not it? Yes, perhaps, the entire work of this brilliant photographer can be described in his own words: “If I look at any object for some time, the spectacle fascinates me. This is the photographer’s curse.” And he knew how to convey this fascination with the subject of photography like no one else. Natural light from the window, a model, the contemplative position of the author - and, in this case, the masterpiece is ready.

"Girl in Bed", Irving Penn, 1949

Advice:: To photograph someone or something beautifully, you need to fall in love with the subject.

Richard Avedon and his "Judy", 1948

Almost all of Richard Avedon's photographs show bright but fleeting moments that we usually don't pay much attention to. But sometimes it’s moments like these that can open a person’s soul.

"Judy", Richard Avedon, 1963

Advice: If you want to become a good photographer, try yourself in different genres - this will help you find your niche in photography.

Ansel Adams and his Tetons and Snake River, 1942

When talking about great photographers and their works, we cannot ignore the creator of the zone exposure system and the famous author of books on photography, Ansel Adams. Let's take a look at one of his works: The Tetons and the Snake River.

In addition to the interesting composition, you can see how skillfully Adams uses his system for choosing the ideal exposure for a photo. If you look closely, you can see each of the 10 zones ranging from pitch black to white.

The Tetons and the Snake River, Ansel Easton Adams, 1942

Advice: Even when working with a digital camera, do not ignore traditional recommendations. You can't always rely on automatic exposure.

Henry Cartier-Bresson

Naturally, this post simply could not be complete without Henry Cartier-Bresson. The legendary photo reporter, creator of the Magnum Photos agency, said: “I don’t like organizing and managing events. It's horrible. We can't imitate real life. I adore the truth and shoot only the truth.” We can think about Bresson's photography endlessly, but it is even more useful to read his books "The Decisive moment" and "Imaginary reality" in English edition.

Advice: If you wait for the right moment, don’t miss it!

Alfred Eisenstadt and his "Victory Day in Times Square"

Alfred Eisenstadt became famous thanks to the photo of a sailor kissing his girlfriend. One photo taken at a turning point made him a real star. And it doesn’t matter that the photo is blurry. The photographer did a wonderful job of capturing the atmosphere.

"V-J Day in Times Square", Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945

Advice: Always carry your camera with you.

Ernst Haas

Ernst Haas is a pioneer of digital photography. His famous quotes:

• Photography is an expression of your ideas and feelings. If the high has no place in your soul, you will never notice them in the outside world.
• Beauty speaks for itself. When the process reaches its peak, I take a photo.
• I don't take pictures of new interesting objects. I try to find something new in familiar things.
• When photography appeared, a new language was born. Now we can talk about reality in the language of reality.
• The type of camera you have doesn't matter. Any camera can capture what you see. But you must see.
• It's just you and your camera. All rules and restrictions are in your head.
• Tell me what you see and I will tell you who you are.

Ernst Haas. Kyushu Island, Japan, 1981

Advice: beauty is everywhere. Find and feel it.

Yusuf Karsh and his portrait of Winston Churchill

Yusuf Karsh is a renowned Canadian photographer known for his portraits of prominent political figures. The history of this photo is unusual. After a speech in the lower house of parliament, the British prime minister entered the meeting room and saw the photo equipment. He allowed just one photo to be taken and lit a cigar. It is not known exactly why the photographer approached Churchill and took the cigar out of his mouth, but that is exactly what Karsh did. He returned to his camera and took a photo.

The photo shows all the skills of Yusuf Karsh. He was able to create the impression of depth and space with the help of light, perfect pose and gesture. The result is a dramatic, captivating portrait that vividly reveals the inner strength of the British prime minister.

Portrait of Winston Churchill, Yusuf Karsh, 1941

Advice: don't be afraid to provoke your models to show themselves. You can see what is hidden from everyone.

Guyon Mili

Guyon became a popular photographer thanks to his unique mixture of “algebra and harmony” in his photographs and the effect of a frozen moment. Perhaps light paintings gained popularity precisely because of Mili. Guyon practiced in different areas, constantly experimenting. However, one thing remained the same. His ability to capture the grace and drama of the moment.

"Pablo Picasso masters light painting." Guyon Mili, 1949

Advice: Don't forget that photography is more than just an attractive drawing. Experiment with focus, exposure and shutter speed.

William Smith

We decided to mention this press photographer at the end of the article for a reason. His words should become the slogan of anyone who wants to become a good photographer: “Photography has no end. Just as I reach the highest point of mastery, an even higher peak appears in the distance. And I'm on the road again."

William Smith "Doctor Ceriani with a wounded child", 1948

Advice: never stop achieving your goals. Shoot not with your camera, but with your soul.

Always analyze the works of famous world photographers in as much detail as possible. Absorb their experiences and notice what expressions they use. One day you will notice how this knowledge is absorbed into your own photographs and becomes the quality of your work.

I have long been planning to post life and success stories of the most famous photographers in the past in my feed. Actually, I wanted to start maintaining my Topics with this very topic.
Lately, I’ve often thought that everything we do (this means both our professional activities and our hobbies) is some kind of PSHIC, which is unlikely to ever change anything in the lives of current and future generations . Those. the question is WHAT after all is SELF-REALIZATION(including in photography?!)

Elliott Erwitt- a legend of world photography, became famous as the most talented author of black and white photographs. His works: lively, emotional, with a sense of humor and deep meaning, have captivated audiences in many countries. The uniqueness of the photographer’s technique lies in the ability to see irony in the world around him. He did not like staged shots, did not use retouching and worked only with film cameras. Everything that Ervit has ever filmed is genuine reality, through the eyes of an optimist.

“I want the images to be emotional. There is little else that interests me in photography."Elliott Erwitt

Arnold Newman (Arnold Newman) devoted nearly seventy years of his life to photography, not stopping working almost until his death: “August and I (Newman speaks of his wife - A.V.) are busier and more active than ever,” the photographer said in 2002, “Today I’m working again on new ideas, books, travel - it will never end and thank God.” He was wrong about this - on June 6, 2006 he died - sudden cardiac arrest. As if anticipating this diagnosis, he once said: “We don’t take photographs with cameras. We make them with our hearts."

« I think today's generation has one problem. It is so carried away by objectivity that it forgets about photography itself. Forgets to create images like Cartier-Bresson or Salgado - two of the greatest 35mm photographers who ever lived. They can use any theme to create a photograph, no matter what it is. They truly create photography that you enjoy, a lot of pleasure from. And now, every time it's the same thing: two people in bed, someone with a needle in their arm or something like that, Lifestyles or nightclubs. You look at these and after a week you begin to forget, after two weeks you can’t remember a single one. But a photograph can then be considered interesting when it sinks into our consciousness» Arnold Newman

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Alfred Stieglitz (Alfred Stieglitz) "almost single-handedly pushed his country into the world of 20th-century art." It was Stieglitz who became the first photographer whose works were awarded museum status. From the very beginning of his career as a photographer, Stieglitz faced disdain for photography from the artistic elite: “The artists to whom I showed my early photographs said they were jealous of me; that my photographs are better than their paintings, but, unfortunately, photography is not art. “I couldn’t understand how you can simultaneously admire a work and reject it as not made by hands, how you can put your own works higher only on the basis that they are made by hand,” Stieglitz was indignant. He could not come to terms with this state of affairs: “Then I began to fight... for the recognition of photography as a new means of self-expression, so that it would have equal rights with any other forms of artistic creativity.”

« I would like to draw your attention to the most popular misconception about photography - the term “professional” is used for photos that are generally considered successful, and the term “amateur” is used for unsuccessful ones. But almost all great photographs are made - and always have been taken - by those who pursue photography in the name of love - and certainly not in the name of profit. The term “amateur” precisely implies a person working in the name of love, so the fallacy of the generally accepted classification is obvious.”Alfred Stieglitz

It is perhaps difficult to find in the history of world photography a personality more controversial, tragic, and so unlike anyone else than Diane Arbus. She is idolized and cursed, some imitate her, others try with all their might to avoid it. Some can spend hours looking at her photographs, others try to quickly close the album. One thing is obvious - the work of Diane Arbus leaves few people indifferent. There was nothing insignificant or trivial about her life, her photographs, her death.

Extraordinary talent Yousuf Karsh As a portrait photographer, he did his job: he was - and remains - one of the most famous photographers of all times. His books sell in huge numbers, exhibitions of his photographs are held all over the world, and his works are included in the permanent collections of leading museums. Karsh had a great influence on many portrait photographers, especially in the 1940s and 1950s. Some critics argue that he often idealizes the character, imposes his philosophy on the model, and talks more about himself than about the person being portrayed. However, no one denies that his portraits are made with extraordinary skill and the inner world - of the model or the photographer - has a captivating attention on the viewer. He received many awards, prizes, honorary titles, and in 2000 the Guinness Book of Records named Yusuf Karsha the most outstanding master of portrait photography.

« 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 the photograph and say: “ Yes, that’s him” and at the same time you learn something new about the person - that means this is a really successful portrait» Yusuf Karsh

Man Ray Since the beginning of his photography career, he has constantly experimented with new technical techniques. In 1922, he rediscovered the method of creating photographic images without a camera. Another discovery of the photographer, also known long before him, but practically not used, was solarization - an interesting effect that is obtained by re-exposing a negative. He turned solarization into an artistic technique, as a result of which ordinary objects, faces, and body parts were transformed into fantastic and mysterious images.

“There will always be people who look only at the technique of execution - their main question is “how”, while others, more inquisitive, are interested in “why”. For me personally, an inspiring idea has always meant more than other information."Man Ray

Steve McCurry (Steve McCurry) has the amazing ability to always (at least, much more often than follows from the theory of probability) be in the right place at the right time. He is surprisingly lucky - although it should be remembered that luck for a photojournalist usually comes from the misfortunes of other people or even entire nations. A more than prestigious education did little to help Steve in the profession of a photojournalist - he worked his way to the heights of his craft through trial and error, trying to learn as much as possible from his predecessors.

“The most important thing is to be extremely attentive to the person, serious and consistent in your intentions, then the picture will be the most sincere. I really like watching people. It seems to me that a person's face can sometimes tell a lot. Each of my photographs is not just an episode from life, it is its quintessence, its whole story.”Steve McCurry

“A Mixture of Algebra with Harmony” made Gjon Mili one of the most famous photographers in America. He showed the world the beauty of frozen motion or a series of moments frozen in one frame. It is unknown when and where he became interested in photography, but in the late 1930s his photographs began to appear in the illustrated magazine Life - in those years both the magazine and the photographer were just beginning their path to fame. In addition to photography, Mili was interested in cinema: in 1945, his film “Jammin’ the Blues” about famous musicians of the 1930-1940s was nominated for an Academy Award.

“Time really can be stopped”Gyen Miles

Andre Kertész known as the founder of surrealism in photography. His unconventional angles, for that time, and his unwillingness to reconsider the position in the style of his works greatly prevented him from achieving wide recognition at the beginning of his career. But he was recognized during his lifetime and is still considered one of the outstanding photographers who stood at the origins of photojournalism, if not photography in general. " We all owe him a lot» - Cartier-Bresson about Andre Kertésche.

« I don't adjust or calculate, I watch a scene and know that it is perfection, even if I have to step back to get the right light. My work is dominated by the moment. I shoot the way I feel. Everyone can look, but not everyone can see. » Andre Kertész

It's hard to find a celebrity who hasn't posed Richard Avedon. Among his models are the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, Nastassja Kinski, Audrey Hepburn and many other stars. Very often, Avedon manages to capture a celebrity in an unusual form or mood, thereby revealing a different side of her and forcing her to look at a person’s life differently. Avedon's style is easily recognizable by its black and white colors, blinding white backgrounds, and large portraits. In portraits, he manages to turn people into “symbols of themselves.”

Peter Lindbergh- one of the most respected and copied photographers. He can be called a "poet of glamor." Since 1978, when Stern Magazine published his first fashion photographs, no international fashion publication has been without his photographs. Lindbergh's first book, Ten Women, a black-and-white portfolio of the ten best models of the time, was published in 1996 and sold more than 100,000 copies. The second, Peter Lindbergh: Images of Women, a collection of the photographer's work from the mid-80s until the mid-90s, published in 1997.

Since ancient times, the Czech Republic has been a country of mysticism and magic, the home of alchemists and artists; they weaved spells and were creators of fantastic worlds of imagination. World famous Czech photographer Jan Saudek not an exception. Over the course of four decades, Saudek created a parallel Universe - the Magic Theater of Dreams.

David Barnett has been a photojournalist for 40 years. His camera does not 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 a prerequisite for a good shot. A real master can take a good shot even with a point-and-shoot camera 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.

The biographies of talented people often look too impeccable, like a VIP room in a 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 principle are 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 sells: 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 the State Academy of 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. By experimenting and gaining new experience, he found his own style, which is now his calling 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 is a natural evolution that happens to any idealist throughout life.

Salgado himself told this story 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 the Soviet Union and enter the Peoples' Friendship University in order 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 a more creative profession - she was a pianist... but she was also disappointed in 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 store of knowledge opened up opportunities for him that were inaccessible to other photographers: understanding human society in various 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, photographing 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 expert when it comes to photographing 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 Rolling Stone magazine. 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. Shooting Demi Moore naked in the last stages of pregnancy or covering her with clay and putting Sting in the middle of the desert - 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 coined 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!

A collection of iconic photographs from the last 100 years that demonstrate
the grief of loss and the triumph of the human spirit...

An Australian man kisses his Canadian girlfriend. Canadians rioted after the Vancouver Canucks lost the Stanley Cup.

Three sisters, three “segments” of time, three photos.

Two legendary captains Pele and Bobby Moore exchange jerseys as a sign of mutual respect. FIFA World Cup, 1970.

1945: Petty Officer Graham Jackson plays "Goin' Home" at President Roosevelt's funeral on April 12, 1945.

1952. 63-year-old Charlie Chaplin.

Eight-year-old Christian accepts the flag during a memorial service for his father. Who was killed in Iraq just weeks before he was due to return home.

A veteran near the T34-85 tank, in which he fought during the Great Patriotic War.

A Romanian child hands a balloon to a police officer during protests in Bucharest.

Police Captain Ray Lewis was arrested for his involvement in the 2011 Wall Street protests.

A monk stands next to an elderly man who died suddenly while waiting for a train in Shanxi Taiyuan, China.

A dog named "Leao" sits for two days at the grave of his owner, who died in terrible landslides.
Rio de Janeiro, January 15, 2011.

African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their black-gloved fists in a gesture of solidarity. Olympic Games, 1968.

Jewish prisoners at the moment of their release from the camp. 1945

The funeral of President John F. Kennedy took place on November 25, 1963, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s birthday.
Footage of John Kennedy Jr. saluting his father's coffin was broadcast around the world.

Christians protect Muslims during prayer. Egypt, 2011.

A North Korean man (right) waves from a bus to a tearful South Korean after a family reunion near Mount Kumgang, October 31, 2010. They were separated by the 1950-53 war.

A dog met its owner after the tsunami in Japan. 2011.

"Wait for Me, Dad" is a photograph of the British Columbia Regiment marching. Five-year-old Warren "Whitey" Bernard ran from his mother to his father, Private Jack Bernard, shouting "Wait for me, Daddy." The photograph became widely known, was published in Life, hung in every school in British Columbia during the war, and was used in war bond issues.

Priest Luis Padillo and a soldier wounded by a sniper during the uprising in Venezuela.

A mother and son in Concord, Alabama, near their home, which was completely destroyed by a tornado. April, 2011.

A guy looks at a family album he found in the rubble of his old house after the Sichuan earthquake.

4-month-old girl after the Japanese tsunami.

French citizens as the Nazis enter Paris during World War II.

Soldier Horace Greasley confronts Heinrich Himmler while inspecting the camp in which he was imprisoned. Surprisingly, Greasley left the camp many times to meet a German girl with whom he was in love.

A fireman gives water to a koala during forest fires. Australia 2009.

Father of his deceased son, at the 9/11 memorial. During the tenth annual ceremonies, on the site of the World Trade Center.

Jacqueline Kennedy swearing in Lyndon Johnson as President of the United States. Immediately after the death of her husband.

Tanisha Blevin, 5, holds the hand of Hurricane Katrina survivor Nita Lagarde, 105.

A girl, in temporary isolation to identify and clean up radiation, looks at her dog through the glass. Japan, 2011.

Journalists Yuna Lee and Laura Ling, who were arrested in North Korea and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor, have been reunited with their families in California. After successful diplomatic intervention by the US.

A mother meeting with her daughter after serving in Iraq.

Young pacifist Jane Rose Kasmir, with a flower on the bayonets of guards at the Pentagon.
During a protest against the Vietnam War. 1967

"The Man Who Stopped the Tanks"...
An iconic photograph of an unknown rebel who stood in front of a column of Chinese tanks. Tiananmen 1989

Harold Vittles hears for the first time in his life - the doctor has just installed a hearing aid for him.

Helen Fisher kisses the hearse carrying the body of her 20-year-old cousin, Private Douglas Halliday.

US Army troops land ashore during D-Day. Normandy, June 6, 1944.

A World War II prisoner freed by the Soviet Union met his daughter.
The girl sees her father for the first time.

A Sudanese People's Liberation Army soldier at a rehearsal for the Independence Day parade.

Greg Cook hugs his lost dog after he was found. Alabama, after the March 2012 tornado.

Photo taken by astronaut William Anders during the Apollo 8 mission. 1968

Take a closer look at this photo. This is one of the most remarkable photographs ever taken. The baby's tiny hand reached out of the mother's womb to squeeze the surgeon's finger. By the way, the child is 21 weeks from conception, the age when he can still be legally aborted. The tiny hand in the photo belongs to a baby who was due on December 28 last year. The photo was taken during an operation in America.

The first reaction is to recoil in horror. It looks like a close-up of some terrible incident. And then you notice, in the very center of the photo, a tiny hand grasping the surgeon's finger.
The child is literally grasping for life. It is therefore one of the most remarkable photographs in medicine and a record of one of the most extraordinary operations in the world. It shows a 21-week-old fetus in the womb, just before the spinal surgery needed to save the baby from severe brain damage. The operation was performed through a tiny incision in the mother's wall and this is the youngest patient. At this stage the mother may choose to have an abortion.

The most famous photograph that no one has seen is what Associated Press photographer Richard Drew calls his photograph of one of the World Trade Center victims who jumped from a window to his death on September 11
“On that day, which, more than any other day in history, was captured on camera and film,” Tom Junod later wrote in Esquire, “the only taboo, by common consent, was the pictures of people jumping from windows.” Five years later, Richard Drew's Falling Man remains a terrible artifact of the day that should have changed everything, but didn't.

Photographer Nick Yut took a photo of a Vietnamese girl running away from an exploding napalm bomb. It was this photo that made the whole world think about the Vietnam War.
The photo of 9-year-old girl Kim Phuc on June 8, 1972 has gone down in history forever. Kim first saw this photo 14 months later in a hospital in Saigon, where she was being treated for terrible burns. Kim still remembers running from her siblings on the day of the bombing and cannot forget the sound of the bombs falling. A soldier tried to help and doused her with water, not realizing that this would make the burns even worse. Photographer Nick Ut helped the girl and took her to the hospital. At first, the photographer doubted whether to publish a photo of a naked girl, but then decided that the world should see this photo.

The photograph was later named the best photo of the 20th century. Nick Yut tried to protect Kim from becoming too popular, but in 1982, when the girl was studying at medical university, the Vietnamese government found her, and since then Kim's image has been used for propaganda purposes. “I was under constant control. I wanted to die, this photo haunted me,” says Kim. She later managed to escape to Cuba to continue her education. There she met her future husband. Together they moved to Canada. Many years later, she finally realized that she could not escape from this photograph, and decided to use it and her fame to fight for peace.

Malcolm Brown, a 30-year-old Associated Press photographer from New York, received a telephone call and was asked to be at a certain intersection in Saigon the next morning because... something very important is about to happen. He came there with a reporter from the New York Times. Soon a car pulled up and several Buddhist monks got out. Among them is Thich Quang Duc, who sat in the lotus position with a box of matches in his hands, while others began to pour gasoline on him. Thich Quang Duc struck a match and turned into a living torch. Unlike the crying crowd that saw him burn, he did not make a sound or move. Thich Quang Duc wrote a letter to the then head of the Vietnamese government asking him to stop the repression of Buddhists, stop the detention of monks and give them the right to practice and spread their religion, but received no response

On December 3, 1984, the Indian city of Bhopal suffered from the largest man-made disaster in human history. A giant toxic cloud released into the atmosphere by an American pesticide plant covered the city, killing three thousand people that same night, and another 15 thousand in the next month. In total, more than 150,000 people were affected by the release of toxic waste, and this does not include children born after 1984

Surgeon Jay Vacanti of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is working with microengineer Jeffrey Borenstein to develop a technique for growing an artificial liver. In 1997, he managed to grow a human ear on the back of a mouse using cartilage cells.

The development of technology that allows culturing the liver is extremely important. In the UK alone, there are 100 people on the transplant waiting list, and according to the British Liver Trust, the majority of patients die before receiving a transplant.

A photo taken by reporter Alberto Korda at a rally in 1960, in which Che Guevara is also visible between a palm tree and someone's nose, claims to be the most circulated photo in the history of photography.

The most famous photograph of Stephen McCurry, taken by him in a refugee camp on the Afghan-Pakistan border. Soviet helicopters destroyed the village of a young refugee, her entire family was killed, and the girl traveled for two weeks in the mountains before getting to the camp. After its publication in June 1985, this photograph became a National Geographic icon. Since then, this image has been used everywhere - from tattoos to rugs, which turned the photograph into one of the most replicated photos in the world

At the end of April 2004, the CBS program 60 Minutes II aired a story about the torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison by a group of American soldiers. The story featured photographs that were published in The New Yorker magazine a few days later. This became the biggest scandal surrounding the American presence in Iraq.
In early May 2004, the leadership of the US Armed Forces admitted that some of its torture methods did not comply with the Geneva Convention and announced its readiness to publicly apologize.

According to the testimony of a number of prisoners, American soldiers raped them, rode them on horseback, and forced them to fish food out of prison toilets. In particular, the prisoners said: “They forced us to walk on all fours, like dogs, and yelp. We had to bark like dogs, and if you didn’t bark, you were hit in the face without any mercy. After that, they threw us in cells, took away our mattresses, spilled water on the floor and forced us to sleep in this liquid without removing the hoods from our heads. And they were constantly photographing it all,” “One American said he would rape me. He drew a woman on my back and forced me to stand in a shameful position, holding my own scrotum in my hands.”

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (often referred to simply as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States of America. According to the official version, responsibility for these attacks lies with the Islamist terrorist organization Al-Qaeda.
On the morning of that day, nineteen terrorists allegedly associated with al-Qaeda, divided into four groups, hijacked four scheduled passenger airliners. Each group had at least one member who had completed basic flight training. The hijackers flew two of these airliners into the World Trade Center towers, American Airlines Flight 11 into WTC 1, and United Airlines Flight 175 into WTC 2, causing both towers to collapse, causing severe damage to adjacent structures.

White and colored
Photograph by Elliott Erwitt 1950

The photograph of an officer shooting a handcuffed prisoner in the head not only won a Pulitzer Prize in 1969, but also changed the way Americans think about what happened in Vietnam. Despite the obviousness of the image, in fact the photograph is not as clear as it seemed to ordinary Americans, filled with sympathy for the executed man. The fact is that the man in handcuffs is the captain of the Viet Cong "revenge warriors", and on this day he and his henchmen shot and killed many unarmed civilians. General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, pictured left, was haunted his whole life by his past: he was refused treatment at an Australian military hospital, after moving to the US he faced a massive campaign calling for his immediate deportation, the restaurant he opened in Virginia every day was attacked by vandals. "We know who you are!" - this inscription haunted the army general all his life

Republican soldier Federico Borel García is depicted facing death. The photo caused a huge shock in society. The situation is absolutely unique. During the entire attack, the photographer took only one photo, and he took it at random, without looking through the viewfinder, he did not look at all in the direction of the “model.” And this is one of the best, one of his most famous photographs. It was thanks to this photograph that already in 1938 newspapers called 25-year-old Robert Capa “The Greatest War Photographer in the World.”

The photograph showing the hoisting of the Victory Banner over the Reichstag spread throughout the world. Evgeny Khaldey, 1945

By the early summer of 1994, Kevin Carter (1960-1994) was at the height of his fame. He had just won the Pulitzer Prize, and job offers from famous magazines were pouring in one after another. “Everyone congratulates me,” he wrote to his parents, “I can’t wait to meet you and show you my trophy. This is the highest recognition of my work, which I did not dare even dream of.”

Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for his photograph "Famine in Sudan," taken in the early spring of 1993. On this day, Carter specially flew to Sudan to film scenes of famine in a small village. Tired of photographing people who had died of hunger, he left the village into a field overgrown with small bushes and suddenly heard a quiet cry. Looking around, he saw a little girl lying on the ground, apparently dying of hunger. He wanted to take a photo of her, but suddenly a vulture landed a few steps away. Very carefully, trying not to spook the bird, Kevin chose the best position and took the photo. After that, he waited another twenty minutes, hoping that the bird would spread its wings and give him the opportunity to get a better shot. But the damned bird did not move and, in the end, he spat and drove it away. Meanwhile, the girl apparently gained strength and walked - or rather crawled - further. And Kevin sat down near the tree and cried. He suddenly had a terrible desire to hug his daughter...

November 13, 1985. Nevado del Ruiz volcano erupts in Colombia. The mountain snow melts, and a 50-meter-thick mass of mud, earth and water literally wipes out everything in its path. The death toll exceeded 23,000 people. The disaster received a huge response around the world, thanks in part to a photo of a little girl named Omaira Sanchez. She found herself trapped, neck-deep in the slush, her legs caught in the concrete structure of the house. Rescuers tried to pump out the mud and free the child, but in vain. The girl survived for three days, after which she became infected with several viruses at once. As journalist Cristina Echandia, who was nearby all this time, recalls, Omaira sang and communicated with others. She was scared and constantly thirsty, but she behaved very courageously. On the third night she began to hallucinate.

Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995), a photographer working for Life magazine, walked around the square photographing people kissing. He later recalled that he noticed a sailor who “rushed around the square and kissed indiscriminately all the women in a row: young and old, fat and thin. I watched, but there was no desire to take a photo. Suddenly he grabbed something white. I barely had time to raise the camera and take a photo of him kissing the nurse.”
For millions of Americans, this photograph, which Eisenstadt called “Unconditional Surrender,” became a symbol of the end of World War II...