I first saw August Sander's work around 30 years ago at the Australian Centre for Photography. I found his work to be very formal and old fashioned and didn't think about him until about five years ago.
I was in a bookshop and I picked up a copy of his his book,
August Sander, 1876-1964. In thirty years of looking at photography books it was the first time that I had turned around to a complete stranger and said, "look at this photo". The photo was the "korps-student from Nure", and a copy can be seen here:
http://aibartincontext.blogspot.com/2010/01/august-sander-gallery-kayafas.htmlWhen I looked at the young student's face and the sword in his hand, the reality of his life hit me. What a powerful image.
I have returned to the book a number of times and have recently seen his work at the Art Gallery of NSW. I have changed my mind completely about him, what a great photographer.
Has a single image changed your mind about a photographer?
Cheers,