Admire Great Photographers, But Also Learn from Them.

The history of photography includes many greats. One listing of great photographers has ninety biographies. One common thread running through these biographies is that the photographers admired and learned from other photographers.

Among the greats are Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand and Lewis Wickes Hines. Ansel Adams was shy and had problems fitting in at school. In later life he said of himself that might have been diagnosed as hyperactive. He may even have suffered from dyslexia. His lonely childhood gave him a joy in nature. The Sierra Club was vital to his early success as a photographer. His contacts with other photographers led to some adjustments in his style. In 1927 he met photographer Edward Weston. Together they were very important in the group f/64. This group brought the new West Coast vision of straight photography to national attention and influence. In 1930 Adams met photographer Paul Stand. Stand had been a student of Lewis Wickes Hines. Hines is credited with being the founder of documentary photography. Stand early in his career made some superb abstract close-up pictures. But then he moved to what is known as "straight photography." This type of photography relied totally upon subject, viewpoint and choice of lighting. It did not include manipulating the negative or the printing stage. Adams visited New York in 1933 to meet Alred Stieglitz. Stieglitz studied the history of photography and became a leading authority on the subject. He was also a pioneer in overcoming some technical problems. Ansel Adams is said to have most admired the work and philosophy of Stieglitz.

This brief sketch shows how photographers admired and learned from one another. It is an important lesson for those who wish to be good photographers.