Well-known Photographers who worked in black and white using 35mm?

N

nk.

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So, I'm taking a basic darkroom course to fulfill an art requirement even though I've had a wee bit of experience. It has been interesting to see the difference between my view of photography and the artist's view of photography (class at an art college and I'm the only non-art major). I've come to appreciate how hard it must be to be an art major.

Anyway, I'm stuck in rut with our latest assignment which is supposed to be a style investigation of a "well-known fine art photographer". Essentially we are to pick a photographer who inspires us and a subject that photographer did and emulate their style. We are evaluated based on how well we emulated "the composition, lighting, print quality (or lack of), and how well we interpret the content and/or presentation." We are to stay with the same subject or body of work and end up with 6 final prints in the style of the photographer.

The instructor provided us with a list of the usual photographers (Brassai, Kertesz, Abbott, Arbus, etc.), but we are allowed to pick someone off the list as long as we can prove them to be a "fine art" photographer.
We are supposed to shoot and submit 6 35mm 36 frame rolls for the assignment.
About a week ago, I had decided on Cindy Sherman because I thought the idea of film stills was interesting and I've wanted to play with cinematic lighting. However, the more that I look at her prints, I realize that they suck. There is no way that I could print in her style and live with myself, especially since some of these prints are to be included in a show at the end of the semester. She failed to capture the cinematic look in my opinion. I've been looking (the thread on favorite photographer's here was very helpful), but I haven't found anyone who I like that I can emulate technically with the exception of Gabriel Figueroa, but I doubt that I could claim him as a fine art photographer.

Since we are supposed technically emulate photographers, I would really like to choose a photographer who used 35mm and worked in black and white Bonus points for those who did portraits or cinematic looking work, but at this point I'm open to any suggestions.

Any suggestions?

P.S.
I would like to stray away from street photography (HCB, Kertesz, etc.) for this assignment.
 
Did the instructor define what a "fine art" photographer is? I don't think I've ever seen that explained anywhere. But the ones I think of as "fine art" -- Weston, Stieglitz -- definitely used larger formats, and I think that is still the case with those who'd describe themselves as such today. Their stuff is intended to be enlarged significantly and 35mm is not the best choice for that.
 
Those four on the list - Brassai, Kertesz, Abbott, Arbus - were great photographers, but I would not have considered any of them as primarily "fine art" photographers, so I'd say you have a pretty loose brief on this.
 
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In my humble opinion and from the information you have given, I really think Duane Michals is perfect for your assignment.
This is an unofficial site on hime, http://www.temple.edu/photo/photographers/michals/duane.html
But it gives some great information on him.
Your instructor should know about him, if he or she doesn't you'll be able to justify him easily.
Good Luck!
Brian
 
David Douglas Duncan

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibitions/online/ddd/gallery/


Duncan, whose cameras and archive is at The University of Texas at Austin, is largely responsible for the early acceptance of the Nikon rangefinder camera and lenses...

He was working for Life Magazine during the Korean War and came across the camera during its very early history and, with a very few others, found it to be excellent. Life mentioned the Nikon soon afterward...

Life Magazine just announced that it was closing, for the third time, but at that time it was one of the most successful and widely read magazines in the world...
 
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Whisper said:
Ansel Adams used a Contax for some of his portrait work.
I figure he is well known. :)
Click to expand...

I studied with Ansel in 1975 and he did use a contax but very rarely. He also shot some color that he showed me but rarely shot color too. His main format in later years was his Hasselblad system. In the early years it was 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10.
 
Alexander Rodchenko might be a stimulating choice.

Adams would indeed be interesting, as Whisper says, especially as he lived up a mountain with that bear.

Ian
 
Why not someone obvious.

Why not someone obvious.

Winogrand for example. You are in Houston after all. His style would be pretty easy to emulate, succeeding at good photographs in that style would be difficult but in many ways its more difficult to make something worthwhile in someone elses style than your own.

Whether he's a "fine art photographer", without even discussing the quality of his photographs or whether they qualify as art, is hard to dispute considering the amount of mueums who have bought prints.

Lots of possibilities, Winogrand is just one that would fit your location well. Let us know who you choose.
 
I'm so glad I thought to ask here; all of your suggestions were very helpful and much appreciated. I ended up choosing Duane Michals because I've been wanting to play with multiple exposure for awhile and it seemed like the perfect time. I really liked a lot of his work and what is availible in print is much better than what is availible online. I urge those who haven't seen some of his work to check it out.

I had a great deal of fun playing around with it--I felt like a magician since nobody I showed--not even my professor--could figure out how I did what I did (it was a bit more advanced that most of Michals work though some of Michals photographs I cannot figure out).
 
Check out these two

Check out these two

You must definitely check out the work of Eugene Richards. He is a currently working photographer. Always shoots with a Leica and B&W film. Also, look at the work of W. Eugene Smith. Again, a Leica shooter with B&W film. One of he greatest photographers of all time.
 
The fun thing with Mr. Adams and miniature format is that many of his good atypical images from the 30's to the 50's were made with the afore mentioned Contax. Yeah, his primary ax was an LF view camera and later on his Hassy. But the single most important thing to remember when looking at his work is that he was happy to grab whatever tool was at hand to get the image he visualized. That is the single most important thing in his work to emulate.

The only camera that matters is the one that has a shutter you can trip with film in it. No other camera matters... :eek:

Every great photographer is a sterotype - and every one of them got to be a sterotype by having it be, essentially, true. Find out where and when for the shooters you like...

William
 
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