The best Portrait Photographer?

[Dick Roadnight]

Dick, I dare say if you gave Leonardo da Vinci the latestgreatestmultimegapixeldigitalcapturecamera he'd bang out masterpiece after masterpiece, but in most hands the only thing being banged out by the latestgreatestmultimegapixeldigitalcapturecameras is sharper and more detailed shite.

I agree with what you say... and 60Mpx (or even 40) can seem far too much for portraiture (even full length), unless you re-touch every pore... but, if someone wants a portrait to be the main focus in the main room of a £1M house, and they are paying you real money for it, they would expect quality (artistic and technical).

[Dustbak]

Thanks for Stephan van Fleteren, I did not know his work before, I like it a lot and just ordered his book Portret 1989-2009.
I love the darkness of his portraits - or should I say the dark parts of the portraits, so vivid.
You are a wise man, I tend to be pissed off by bad work. Perhaps because I care too much......

You will love that book. I have it here and the images are moving. I used to be the same way until I realized in this way it is very easy to get poisoned by the negativity you create while getting pissed off over bad work. It will always also have an impact on your own work. Better just not look at it, turn away and look at something else   I try to not get pissed off and succeed most of the time

[Dustbak]

I agree with what you say... and 60Mpx (or even 40) can seem far too much for portraiture (even full length), unless you re-touch every pore... but, if someone wants a portrait to be the main focus in the main room of a £1M house, and they are paying you real money for it, they would expect quality (artistic and technical).

My father in law is a fairly well known artist over here (painter, sculptur and diamond/gold smith). He made a whole series of paintings based on 0.3MP images from an ancient Sony blown up to 2m x 1.2m. Together with the handmade frame they were awesome.

Not always a need for lots of details or technical perfection, people too often forget their creativity. Admittedly, I am no different but I try to keep this in mind and try to put emotion into what I do. I hope I have mastered technique well enough to be able to forget about it..

[Dick Roadnight]

...I hope I have mastered technique well enough to be able to forget about it..

I look forward to being good enough to concentrate on the subject rather than the equipment!

[Morgan_Moore]

I look forward to being good enough to concentrate on the subject rather than the equipment!

....

Hasselblad H3D11-50 and 50-110mm zoom, CF adapter, 4 Metz flashes.
Sinar P3 monorail view camera, Schneider Apo-digitar lenses

Sling that lot out and get a nikon D3 - then you can concentrate on the subject

maybe dont bother with the D3 and get a compact camera

S

[KevinA]

Arnold Newman

Yup I would go with Newman too, Sally Mann  her family pictures and the Holywood studio guys.

Kevin.

[Abdulrahman Aljabri]

Thanks everybody for your feedback. I have finally finished going through all the names and links. I hope I did not miss anybody, but some photographers do not have online galleries so its hard to tell how good they are. The ones I liked the most are (in no specific order):

http://www.danman.com/
http://www.art-dept.com/artists/roy/
http://www.markseliger.com/
http://www.stephenkennedy.com/
http://www.rankin.co.uk/
http://www.marcogrob.com/

I also liked:

http://martinschoeller.com/
http://www.marktucker.com
http://www.artstreiber.com/


The ones I did not like are all the old photographers that have either celebrity or just boring and blank expression (so called soul diggers) portraits. Soooo many of them were mentioned here under the pretext of "art".


The one thing that I was surprised not to find is an amazing portrait photographer. Amazing portraits do exist and I see them every once and while (ex: Monte Zucker's two books covers portraits). They are usually made with beautiful or dramatic lighting, interesting environments/setup, and awesome expressions and poses.  I am curious why since those pictures exist why isn't there a photographer that specializes in making them.

[bernardo68]

i would ad here in europe:

http://www.nadavkander.com

or

http://www.niko-schmidburgk.de

[TMARK]

The ones I did not like are all the old photographers that have either celebrity or just boring and blank expression (so called soul diggers) portraits. Soooo many of them were mentioned here under the pretext of "art".

Thanks for the insult.  Next time I won't take the time to help you compile a list you could have come up with using Google.

[fredjeang]

Thanks for the insult.  Next time I won't take the time to help you compile a list you could have come up with using Google.

Agree TMARK! Found Abdul's list completly inadecuate WAMR. What's the point of pointing users list in a forum where everybody is giving their thoughts like: and the winners are...? well, it probably makes feel superior or what?

JZ, American gangster TV... coca-cola, double burger with cheese, museum.

One day, Salvador Dali voted the painters he liked and disliked but first: That was pure provocation, and second: that was Salvador Dali.

As often,  the celebrity of some disturbs the sleep of others in their averageness. IMHO.

[fredjeang]

I look forward to being good enough to concentrate on the subject rather than the equipment!

Interesting Dick.
In my understanding, there are 2 important factors into your post.

1) The equipment have to be mastered to forgot about it, but i found that there are equipments that help you to forget (or serve you), and others that are just an hassle, whatever level of technique you can get.

2) On the other hand, my humble experience is showing me that there is also a choice to make, exactly like you decide to drive your car at a particular time,
and this choice is just writen in your post's sentence. Just a matter of deciding it, because no doubt that you are probably good enough. So why looking forward something that is already there? So it's just doing what you are looking for now, in the present time, regardless of the technique you desire to acheive. IMHO.

[Abdulrahman Aljabri]

Thanks for the insult.  Next time I won't take the time to help you compile a list you could have come up with using Google.

lol, are you serious?

Agree TMARK! Found Abdul's list completly inadecuate WAMR. What's the point of pointing users list in a forum where everybody is giving their thoughts like: and the winners are...? well, it probably makes feel superior or what?

JZ, American gangster TV... coca-cola, double burger with cheese, museum.

One day, Salvador Dali voted the painters he liked and disliked but first: That was pure provocation, and second: that was Salvador Dali.

As often,  the celebrity of some disturbs the sleep of others in their averageness. IMHO.

are you also serious? where did you read winners? it was about what I liked

there was enough people here calling peoples work that I liked "average" "terrible" "poor" and yet you are so bothered that I expressed my opinion about work you like in simpler terms, so much so that you go on this rant?

[fredjeang]

lol, are you serious?




are you also serious? where did you read winners? it was about what I liked

there was enough people here calling peoples work that I liked "average" "terrible" "poor" and yet you are so bothered that I expressed my opinion about work you like in simpler terms, so much so that you go on this rant?

Abdul, of course you expressed your tastes, that's not what I disliked at all. In your post there is a kind of "classification", and that is where I disagree.
Not that I'm thinking that you are not free to write what you want to, but I'm also free to express a disagreement.

This is what I found discreminating as other member mentionned.

"The ones I did not like are all the old photographers that have either celebrity or just boring and blank expression (so called soul diggers) portraits. Soooo many of them were mentioned here under the pretext of "art".

Sounds you have superior knowledge, frankly.
Not big deal, not very important, just a remark.

[Rob C]

TMARK

Glad to find your site - added it to my 'fav' list. In particular, I liked very much the Jack Daniels collection and, in the advertising set, I was very taken with the mood/execution of Compaq Computer's (23/24) girl on the water.

You have what I would describe as a very American style of photography - a way of looking at photographic images that I do not feel common within the European school.

Good work.

Rob C

[fredjeang]

TMARK

Glad to find your site - added it to my 'fav' list. In particular, I liked very much the Jack Daniels collection and, in the advertising set, I was very taken with the mood/execution of Compaq Computer's (23/24) girl on the water.

You have what I would describe as a very American style of photography - a way of looking at photographic images that I do not feel common within the European school.

Good work.

Rob C

Agree,

the Jack Daniel's serie is brillant.

Also like the minimalist look of the website. Picture are the center, not the design. I always like this approach.

Generaly, I love the way he uses DOF. PP also is very high level.
Feel very close to this photographic approach.
Actually, I'm learning a lot from TMARK.

Yes, great work.

Edit: PS: Also there are lots of great pictures in his blog. Really enjoy!

[TMARK]

Hey thanks for the kind words but I'm not Mark Tucker!

T

TMARK

Glad to find your site - added it to my 'fav' list. In particular, I liked very much the Jack Daniels collection and, in the advertising set, I was very taken with the mood/execution of Compaq Computer's (23/24) girl on the water.

You have what I would describe as a very American style of photography - a way of looking at photographic images that I do not feel common within the European school.

Good work.

Rob C

[TMARK]

Fred,

I'd love to take credit it but alas I am not Mark Tucker.  I dig his work.

T

Agree,

the Jack Daniel's serie is brillant.

Also like the minimalist look of the website. Picture are the center, not the design. I always like this approach.

Generaly, I love the way he uses DOF. PP also is very high level.
Feel very close to this photographic approach.
Actually, I'm learning a lot from TMARK.

Yes, great work.

Edit: PS: Also there are lots of great pictures in his blog. Really enjoy!

[Nick-T]

Fred,

I'd love to take credit it but alas I am not Mark Tucker.  I dig his work.

T

I thought Dick was Mark?

[Rob C]

I thought Dick was Mark?

No - in the beginning there was Mathew, Mark, Luke and Johnnie B. Goode. The rest is confusion. Clearly.

Rob C

[fredjeang]

Fred,

I'd love to take credit it but alas I am not Mark Tucker.  I dig his work.

T

 What a confusion!! Sorry about that TMARK.
In fact one day I was looking for your website, and I was 90% sure you were Mark Tucker.

It's what we call in french: mettre les pieds dans le plat. (put the feet into the plate)