Photography seems to be a dying art in the digital age. I have never been a photographer of any skill, but I've always appreciated the art of composing shots, and of course, the occasional accidental shot that becomes sublime. I used to love going to photography-oriented exhibits at art museums when I lived in Los Angeles.
So I thought I would start a thread dedicated to the art of photography, and invite you all to share some of your favorite images. I'll start with one from Annie Leibowitz, who made a name for herself photographing celebrities. Here is one of David Lynch and Isabella Rosellini from the 80's.
(http://rogallery.com/_RG-Images/Leibovitz/w-478/Leibovitz-Lynch_Rossellini.jpg)
A few I found on the internet:
(http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/dan/psfreaks2/trash.jpg)
(http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/dan/cantbelieve3/boat.jpg)
(http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/dan/cantbelieve5/excitebike.jpg)
(http://i-beta.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/5/6/9/19569.jpg?v=1)
(http://i-beta.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/1/8/0/36180.jpg?v=1)
(http://i-beta.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/1/8/1/36181.jpg?v=1)
I've always appreciated Phillipe Halsman's Jumpology series. In the early 50's and early 60's, he photographed a lot of celebrities and politicians in the act of jumping. His assertion was that "when you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears." That is fascinating to me, as if to say that jumping is the real window to the soul. Here are some examples.
Marilyn Monroe:
(http://linnilabelled.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/halsman_yv_monroe.jpg)
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor:
(http://linnilabelled.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/windsors.jpg)
Richard Nixon:
(http://thephotographypost.com/wordpress/rachel/files/2010/04/tpp-3-indelible_nixon.jpg)
Audrey Hepburn:
(http://thephotographypost.com/wordpress/rachel/files/2010/04/tpp-8-halsman_AHepburn.jpg)
Dick Clark:
(http://thephotographypost.com/wordpress/rachel/files/2010/04/tpp-9-halsman_DClark.jpg)
This isn't pure photography, since the artist does use Photoshop, but all of the elements are built from photographs.
Joshua Hoffine Horror Photography (http://www.joshuahoffine.com/index.php#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=0&a=0&at=0)
Some examples:
(http://edge.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/752339/81410032.jpg)
(http://edge.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/752339/81410040.jpg)
(http://www.masey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/halloween-special-the-photography-of-joshua-hoffine.jpg)
And a link to his blog (http://joshuahoffine.wordpress.com/) where he details the making of each picture (set construction, make-up, etc.).
MAN RAY
(http://www.manray-photo.com/catalog/images/photos/new_photos/M1081_lg.jpg)
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Photo_cartierbresson_europe.jpg)
ALFRED STIEGLITZ
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Stieglitz-SpringShowers.jpg)
I studied photography and collect photographs, but not as good as the examples above.
(http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/151932/350wm/C0089246-Water_bear,_SEM-SPL.jpg)
330X magnified water bear in it's natural habitat, which is moss. they are the only known animals that can survive unprotected in space. obviously this isn't an 'artistic' photo but the title says interesting and I think it is,just because it looks so weird. it's mouth almost looks man-made
I really like Bruce Davidsons work. This series in particular
(http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images/89028/303867.jpg)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_x7kfxLnr2E4/Sdx72UZoXnI/AAAAAAAAAAs/2kTS2JOfsw8/s400/NYC15392.jpg)
Yusouf Karsch
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Humphrey_Bogart_by_Karsh_(Library_and_Archives_Canada).jpg/220px-Humphrey_Bogart_by_Karsh_(Library_and_Archives_Canada).jpg)
Robert Capa
(http://www.pbs.org/weta/reportingamericaatwar/reporters/capa/images/photo2.jpg)
he was mostly a war photog. But if you can find John Steinbeck's "A russian journal" he did some amazing images of Soviet life in the 1940's. Its a good read too!
-Ed
(http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/363341/large/V3300013-Shackleton_s_ship_trapped_in_Antarctic_ice,_1915-SPL.jpg)
(http://blog.crowdspring.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/42110-004-a97e85e81.jpg)