Ten Photographers Who Have Inspired Me

A question I get asked a lot in the photography world, and by people I meet, is “who are your favourite photographers?” or “who are your inspirations?”. I always struggle to come up with a short answer as there’s so many people who influenced my in different ways. So here we go with a look into the people I admire and the people who have inspired me throughout the last twenty years. My top ten people who have had a serious effect on what I do.

1: Sebastiao Salgado

I have been a fan of the Brazilian photographer Salgado for a number of years as well, and recently went to see his film “Salt Of The Earth”, which was really breathtaking, and I immediately bought the DVD. His work speaks for itself. His humanitarian work around the world, documenting some of the biggest crises. From Ethiopia to his homeland of Brazil, he has an incfredible skill for capturing moments in time. Telling stories with the most powerful, emotion stirring images. https://www.amazonasimages.com/

2: Andy Earl

I fell in love with Andy’s music work way back in the early days, and long before the days of YouTube, I set out to try to recreate his style, with underexposed backgrounds, and beautifully lit people. I was lucky enough to meet Andy at an awards event a few years ago, which just happened to be the most successful night ever, and I presented with a number of awards. A proud moment. He has the most amazing stories about his time spent with such amazing people as Johnny Cash, Prince, and the likes. https://www.andyearl.com/

3: Bob Carlos Clarke

Another sad loss to the photographic word, when he tragically took his own life, this is a guy who’s fashion work totally inspired me from the first time I saw it. His images seem to empower women, and always caught the eye, sometimes because they were controversial, sometimes just because they were jaw-droppingly awesome. Everyone will recognise some of his images, as there’s some iconic people in there and images which have featured in many publications.  http://www.bobcarlosclarke.co.uk/

4: Helmut Newton

Another very famous photographer, who’s work has adorned the covers of just about every fashion magazine in the world. Newton is another who has a way of photographing models to give them strength and power. Some of his work is edgy, and pushes the boundaries, but that is what makes a great photographer great. Not being afraid to shock. http://www.helmutnewton.com/

5: Don McCullin

Another guy who has shot some incredibly powerful images around the world, most famously in war zones. He has risked his life to produce some very iconic images from some of the most infamous conflicts around the world in the 20th century. In my opinion, the UK’s best ever photographer. His books are well worth reading, as is the DVD. https://donmccullin.com/

6: Martin Schembri

The late, great Australian, Martin Schembri totally changed my approach to wedding photography, way back in 2005. I attended a seminar by Martin, and he eventually became a friend. I shot with him in London a couple of years later, and I found him to be one of the most humble, funny, and incredibly talented people I have ever met. Hee was the first person I saw using video lights on wedding shoots, something which has almost become the norm now. Such a sad loss to the photography world, but his artisticwork and his talent lives on in his son Ryan. http://ryanschembri.com/

7: Jerry Ghionis

Another ground-breaking photographer and awesome businessman. Jerry is from Australia, and has an incredible eye and imagination for the unusual, but powerful image. His work is recognisable and he is always changing, and surprising me with his talent. He is another one I am lucky enough to know personally, and has had a massive effect on my work over the years. https://www.jerryghionis.com/

8: Joe Buissink

Another photographer I was lucky enough to meet on more than one occasion, and an inspiration as my work morphed into a more documentary style over the last few years. Based in the USA, Joe shoots some real high end weddings, of some of the most famous people around. His stories alone are worth listening to, before you even look at his amazing images. I remember him saying he was like a ninja at a wedding, trying to capture the atmosphere and natural moments, something which really influenced my thinking.  http://www.joebuissink.com/

9: David Beckstead

Another guy I met and became friends with, and was lucky enough to shoot alongside on more than one occasion.  His eye for the unusual composition has always impressed me. He sees in a different way to most other photographers I know, and is one of those photographers you could send to the same place as 100 others, and he would find something nobody else saw. The skill of a true artist.  davidbeckstead.com/

10: Keith Thompson

When I first started shooting weddings, way back in the late 1990’s Keith was the one who inspired me, because his style was different to what others were doing, and was ahead of his time. Capturing stories and natural looking but creative images, his work stood out and gave me a direction away from the boring, formal photography which people had become used to at the time I started out.  http://studiorouge.co/

To be honest once I started this, it became clear the list could go on for page after page, but I have tried to keep it to people who have genuinely impacted on my own work and career, rather than just people who’s work I admire. That may feature in future blogs.