Who is the best photographer. The most famous photographs of the 20th century

  • 13.10.2019

Sometimes one photo can replace 1000 words. Talented photographers know this and know how to get into our hearts through this amazing art form. The art of photography has been exciting us for many years.

Today we have access to technologies that can even make ordinary photographs beautiful pictures. We use photo editors, buy the latest digital cameras and cool photo paper, like this www.inksystem.kz/paper-dlya-plotter , for the plotter. We get good pictures on this matte paper and we can print them on a plotter. But to become a truly talented photographer, you need something more. List of the most popular photographers of all time and their most famous photographs.

12 PHOTOS

Jay Meisel is famous contemporary photographer made famous by their simple yet original images. Even though he doesn't use complex lighting, he manages to capture vibrant and gorgeous shots.


2. Red wall and rope - Jay Meisel.

Brian Duffy was a famous British fashion photographer from the 60s and 70s. At one time he lost interest in photography and burned most of his work, but then the love of photography returned to him.



Brassai is the pseudonym of Gyula Halas, a famous photographer who became famous for shooting ordinary people. His shots are an expression of pure feelings and emotions.



Annie Leibovitz specializes in portraits. The photographer is best known for her collaborations with Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazine. Her stunning celebrity photography makes her the world's most sought-after celebrity photographer.



Jerry Welsmann is famous for his collages. There is not an ounce of Photoshop in Jerry's work. All this is the result of a photo lab master.


Robert Capa is known for his war photographs. He has been to five wars: civil war in Spain, the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II, the Arab-Israeli War and the First Vietnam War.


In our age, there is only one way to get rich, become famous and go down in history as a photographer - by doing anything, but not photography. One hundred years ago, you could easily have become a great photo artist, since there were two key prerequisites:

a. photography was a complex, troublesome and little known craft;

b. Slowly, technologies arose and were introduced that made it possible to reproduce photographs in newspapers and (a little later) in color magazines.

That is, the glorious moment has come when, by pressing the shutter button, you already understood that millions will see this frame. But these millions did not yet know that they could do the same, since there were no digital soapboxes, full automation and photo dumps on the Internet. Well, talent, of course. You have no competition!

The golden era of photography, perhaps, should be recognized as the middle of the last century. However, many of the artists listed on our list belong to other distant and modern eras.


Helmut Newton, Germany, 1920–2004

A little more than a great and famous fashion photographer with a very, very independent understanding of what eroticism is. Was furiously demanded by almost all glossy magazines, Vogue, Elle and Playboy in the first place. Died at 84 after crashing into a car concrete wall at full speed.

Richard Avedon, USA, 1923-2004

The god of the black and white portrait, also interesting in that digging through his galleries, you will find anyone. There is absolutely everything in the pictures of this brilliant New York Jew. They say that Richard took his first picture at the age of nine, when the kid accidentally caught Sergei Rachmaninov in the lens.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, France, 1908–2004

An outstanding photorealist, one of the patriarchs of photo reportage and at the same time an invisible man: he had a filigree gift to be able to remain visible to those he shoots. At first he studied as an artist, where he earned a craving for light surrealism, which was then tangibly imprinted in his photographs.

Sebastian Salgado, Brazil, 1944

Creator of almost fantastic images taken from the real world. Salgado was a photojournalist who was particularly attracted to anomalies, misfortunes, poverty and environmental disasters- but even such his stories fascinate with beauty. In 2014, director Wim Wenders made a film about him called "Salt of the Earth" (special prize at the Cannes Film Festival).

William Eugene Smith, USA, 1918-1978

A photojournalist, perhaps famous for everything a photojournalist can become famous for - from canonical military photographs to expressive and touching portraits of the great and ordinary people. Below, as an example, are frames from a session with Charlie Chaplin for Life magazine.

Guy Bourdain, France, 1928-1991

One of the most copied, imitated photographers in the world. Erotic, surreal. Now - a quarter of a century after his death - more and more relevant and modern.

Vigi (Arthur Fellig), USA, 1899-1968

An immigrant from Eastern Europe, now a great classic of street and crime photography. A person managed to arrive at any incident in New York - be it a fire, a murder or a banal scuffle - faster than other paparazzi and, often, the police. However, in addition to all sorts of emergencies, almost all aspects of life in the poorest quarters of the metropolis are noted in his photographs. Based on his photo, the film noir Naked City (1945) was shot, Stanley Kubrick studied from his shots, and Weegee himself is mentioned at the beginning of the comic film Watchmen (2009).

Alexander Rodchenko, USSR, 1891–1956

A pioneer of Soviet design and advertising, Rodchenko, for all that, is a pioneer of constructivism. He was expelled from the Union of Artists for departing from the ideals and style of socialist realism, but, fortunately, it did not come to the camps - he died a natural death at the dawn of the Khrushchev "thaw".

Irvin Penn, USA, 1917–2009

Master of portrait and fashion genre. He is famous for a whole abundance of his own crown chips - for example, to shoot people in the corner of a room or against all sorts of gray, ascetic backgrounds. Famous catchphrase: "Shooting a cake can also be art."

Anton Corbijn, Netherlands, 1955

The most prominent rock photographer in the world, whose ascent began with iconic photographs and videos for Depeche Mode and U2. His handwriting is easily recognizable - strong defocus and atmospheric noise. Corbijn also directed several films: Control (a biography of the Joy Division frontman), The American (with George Clooney) and The Most a dangerous person(Based on the novel by Le Carré). If you Google the famous photos of Nirvana, Metallica, or Tom Waits, there's almost a 100% chance that Corbijn's photos will come up first.

Steven Meisel, USA, 1954

One of the most successful fashion photographers in the world, whose name became especially popular in 1992 after the release of Madonna's photo book "Sex". Considered the discoverer of many catwalk superstars such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista or Amber Valletta.

Diana Arbus, USA, 1923-1971

Her real name is Diana Nemerova, and she found her niche in photography by working with the most unattractive nature - freaks, dwarfs, transvestites, feeble-minded ... At best, with nudists. In 2006, the biopic Fur was released, where the role of Diana was played by Nicole Kidman.

David LaChapelle, USA, 1963

Master of pop photography ("pop" in good sense words) LaChapelle, in particular, shot videos for Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera, so you will understand his style not only from the photo frames.

Marc Riboud, France, (1923-2016)

The author of at least a dozen “prints of the era”: you must have seen a hippie girl a million times bring a chamomile to the barrel of a rifle. Riboud has traveled the world and is most revered for his portfolio of filming in China and Vietnam, although you can also find his life scenes. Soviet Union. Died at the age of 93.

Elliott Erwitt, France, 1928

A Frenchman with Russian roots, famous for his ironic and absurd look at our troubled world, which is very moving in his still photographs. Not so long ago, he also began to exhibit in galleries under the name André S. Solidor, which is abbreviated as "ass".

Patrick Demarchelier, France/USA, 1943

It is still a living classic of fashion photography, which enriched this genre with a particularly sophisticated sophistication. And at the same time, he reduced the transcendental degree of glamorous overdress, which was the norm before him.

Annie Leibovitz, USA, 1949

A master of fairy-tale plots with a very powerful charge of wit, understandable even to simpletons, far from hyperglamour. Which is not surprising, since the lesbian Annie started out as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine.

Today we will analyze photographs that were taken by recognized masters of photography. 10 great photographers. 10 famous photographs.

Philipp Halsman and his Dali Atomicus, 1948

A brilliant artist must have a brilliant portrait. Perhaps Halsman was guided by this. Perhaps he was inspired by Dali's unfinished work Leda Atomica by that time, which can be seen in the photo, perhaps he wanted to transfer surrealism to photography ... In any case, he needed a studio, additional sources artificial light, several assistants who splashed water from buckets, calmed cats between takes and kept chairs in the air, 6 hours of work, 28 takes and, of course, Salvador Dali himself.

"Dali Atomicus", Philipp Halsman, 1948

Advice: Don't be afraid to do a large number of doubles - one of them will definitely be successful.

Irving Penn and his Girl in Bed, 1949

Despite the apparent simplicity of this picture at first glance, it fascinates. Is not it? Yes, perhaps, all the work of this brilliant photographer can be described in his own words: “If I look at any object for some time, then the sight fascinates me. This is the photographer's curse." And he was able to convey this fascination with the subject like no one else. Natural light from the window, model, contemplative position of the author - and, in this case, the masterpiece is ready.

Girl in Bed, Irving Penn, 1949

Advice:: To take a beautiful picture of someone or something, you have to fall in love with the subject.

Richard Avedon and his Judy, 1948

Almost all of Richard Avedon's photos show bright, but fleeting moments that we usually don't pay much attention to. But sometimes it is moments like these that can open a person's soul.

Judy, Richard Avedon, 1963

Advice: If you want to become a good photographer, try different genres to help you find your niche in photography.

Ansel Adams and his Tetons and the Serpent River, 1942

Talking about the great photographers and their work, we can not ignore the creator of the zone exposure system and the famous author of books about photography, Ansel Adams. Let's take a look at one of his works: The Tetons and the Serpent River.

In addition to interesting composition, you can see how skillfully Adams uses his system for choosing the ideal exposure of a shot. If you look closely, you can see each of the 10 zones from absolute black to white.

The Tetons and the Serpent River, Ansel Easton Adams, 1942

Advice: even when working with a digital camera, do not ignore the traditional recommendations. You can't always rely on automatic exposure.

Henry Cartier Bresson

Naturally, this post simply could not be complete without Henry Cartier-Bresson. The legendary photo reporter, creator of the Magnum Photos agency, said: “I don't like organizing and managing events. It's horrible. We cannot imitate real life. I adore the truth and shoot only the truth.” We can think about Bresson's photography endlessly, but it's even more useful to read his books The Decisive Moment and Imaginary Reality in the English edition.

Advice: Waiting for a good moment, do not miss it!

Alfred Eisenstadt and his Times Square Victory Day

Alfred Eisenstadt became famous thanks to a photo of a sailor kissing his girlfriend. One photo taken at a turning point made him a real star. And it doesn't matter if the photo is blurry. The photographer did a great job capturing the atmosphere.

"V-J Day in Times Square", Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1945

Advice: Always carry your camera with you.

Ernst Haas

Ernst Haas is a pioneer of digital photography. His famous quotes:

  • Photography is an expression of your ideas and feelings. If the high has no place in your soul, you will never notice them in the outside world.
  • Beauty speaks for itself. When the process reaches its peak, I take a picture.
  • I don't take pictures of new interesting objects. I try to find something new in familiar things.
  • When the photograph appeared, was born new language. Now we can talk about reality in the language of reality.
  • Your camera type doesn't mean anything. Any camera can capture what you see. But you must see.
  • There is only you and your camera. All rules and restrictions are in your head.
  • Tell me what you see and I'll tell you who you are.

Ernst Haas. Kyushu Island, Japan, 1981

Advice: beauty is everywhere. Find and feel it.

Yusuf Karsh and his portrait of Winston Churchill

Yusuf Karsh is a famous Canadian photographer known for portraits of prominent political figures. The history of this photo is unusual. After a speech in the lower house of parliament, the British prime minister entered the meeting room and saw the photo equipment. He allowed me to take just one photo and lit a cigar. It is not known exactly why the photographer approached Churchill and removed the cigar from his mouth, but that is exactly what Karsh did. He returned to his camera and took a picture.

The photo shows all the skills of Yusuf Karsh. He managed to create an impression of depth and space with the help of light, perfect pose and gesture. The result is a dramatic, enchanting portrait that vividly shows the British Prime Minister's inner strength.

Portrait of Winston Churchill, Yusuf Karsh, 1941

Advice: don't be afraid to provoke your models to show themselves. You can see what is hidden from everyone.

Guyon Miley

Guyon became a popular photographer thanks to the unique mixture of "algebra and harmony" in his photographs and the effect of the moment stopped. Perhaps the light drawings gained popularity precisely because of Mili. Guyon practiced in different areas constantly experimenting. However, one thing remained unchanged. His ability to capture the grace and drama of the current moment.

Pablo Picasso masters light painting. Guyon Mily, 1949

Advice: do not forget that photography is not only an attractive drawing. Experiment with focus, exposure and shutter speed.

William Smith

We chose to mention this press photographer at the end of the article for a reason. His words should become the slogan of anyone who wants to become a good photographer: “Photography has no end. As soon as I reach highest point skill, an even higher peak is shown in the distance. And I'm on the road again."

William Smith, Dr. Tseriani with a Wounded Child, 1948

Advice: never stop reaching your goals. Shoot not with a camera, but with your soul.

Always analyze the work of famous world photographers in as much detail as possible. Soak up their experiences and notice what expressions they use. One day you will notice how this knowledge is absorbed into your own photographs and becomes the quality of your work.

What can make a world famous photographer even more visible? Is it really the number of years that he / she has devoted to the profession of a photographer, the experience that has accumulated, or a certain chosen direction of photography? Nothing like this; The most important reason for this may be hidden in any photo frame that the photographer managed to capture.

Most of the most famous photographers most often try to remain silent on this topic. It is quite enough for them to have copyright signatures on their works so that these works become recognizable. Some famous photographers prefer to remain unrecognizable by not revealing their face for personal reasons. These reasons may remain a mystery to a growing audience of admirers, or maybe it all lies in the excessive modesty of these people. The most famous photographers are honored, as a rule, for a certain shot of an incredible, amazing moment that can literally last some milliseconds. People are fascinated by the fact that such an amazing event or incident can be captured in such a short time.

As the saying goes, "One photograph can express a thousand words." And so, each of the world's most famous photographers, once or twice in his career, managed to capture such a frame that can elevate him to the rank of greatness. In this article, some of the most famous photographers in the world who have succeeded in their profession are presented, as well as the very works that made them famous. These photographers managed to touch the hearts of many people in the world with their amazing, sometimes stunning photographs. Most Famous Photographers Peace.

Murray Becker, photographer for the Associated Press, became famous for his photograph of the Hindenburg airship on fire. He died of cancer at the age of 77.


(1961-1994) - South African Pultzer Prize-winning fine art photographer Kevin Carter spent several months of his life photographing famine in Sudan. As a freelance photographer for Reuter and Sygma Photo NY, and a former magazine illustration editor for the Mail and Gaurdian, Kevin has dedicated his career to reporting on conflicts in his native South Africa. He was highly acclaimed at the prestigious Ilford Photo Press Awards for Best News Photograph of the Year in 1993.


One of the most important figures in contemporary photography is Helen Levitt. For 60 years, her calm, poetic photographs, taken on the streets of the city in which she lived most of her life, have inspired and amazed generations of photographers, students, collectors, curators and art lovers. Throughout her long career, Helen Levitt has captured her poetic vision, humor and ingenuity in her most sincere portraits of the men, women and children who live on the streets of New York.
She was born in 1945-46. She made the film "On the Streets" with Janis Loeb and James Azhi, the peculiarity of this film was that in it she presented a moving portrait of herself. Levitt's most important exhibition was held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1943, and a solo exhibition of only color works was held there in 1974. Major retrospectives of her work have been held at several museums: the first in 1991, in association with the San Francisco Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and at the International Center for Photography in New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; and 2001 at the Center for National Photography in Paris.


Philipp Halsman (1906-1979) was born in Riga Latvia Riga, Latvia. He studied engineering in Dresden before moving to Paris, where he established his photography studio in 1932. Thanks to his spontaneous style, Halsman has earned the attention of many of his admirers. His portraits of actors and authors have appeared on the covers of books and magazines; he worked in fashion (especially hat design) and also had a large number of private clients. By 1936, Halsman had become known as one of the finest portrait photographers in France.
From 1940 to 1970, Philippe Halsman made brilliant portraits of celebrities, intellectuals and politicians who appeared on the covers of magazines: Look, Esquire, the Saturday Evening Post, Paris Match, and especially Life. His work has also appeared in advertisements for Elizabeth Arden cosmetics, NBC, Simon & Schuster, and Ford.


Charles O'Rear (born 1941) American photographer is widely known for his photograph of Bliss which has been used as standard wallpaper for Windows XP.
For 70 years he participated in the project of the Defense Agency Environment DOCUMERICA and photographed for National Geographic magazine for over 25 years. He began his career as a photographer in the wine industry and took photographs for the Napa Valley winegrowers organization. He then went on to photograph wine products around the world. To date, he has submitted his photographs for seven books dedicated to winemaking.


Roger Fenton (28 March 1819 – 8 August 1869) was a pioneer of photography in Britain, and one of the first war photographers to cover events during the war. Crimean War, which of course is somewhat regrettable, as it only allowed him to display his talent for landscape photography to a small extent. In addition, he played a large role in the overall development of photography.

V modern world photography is a popular and very widespread branch of art, which continues to develop actively and delight with new discoveries and creations. It seems that why so much enthusiasm around ordinary photography, can it be compared with a picture in which the artist invests a lot of time, soul and effort?

But not everything is so simple, talented photographs can hardly be called “simple”, in order for the frame to come out really bewitching, the master must be a true connoisseur of the moment, be able to catch beauty where ordinary person it remains invisible, and then present it so that it becomes available to the masses. Is this not art?

Today we will talk about the most talented and famous fashion photographers who have managed to turn the familiar world of photography, bring something new, and also gain recognition from the whole world.

These people cooperate with the most famous glossy publications in the world, the most famous advertising campaigns of the leading companies of our time have been created by their hands, the most famous and wealthy people of the planet strive to get to shoot with them. Isn't that enough to cause everyone's admiration?

  1. Annie Leibnovitz

Our top 10 is opened by one of the highest paid and most sought after craftsmen, Annie Leibovitz. Each of her works is a recognized work of art, which is admired by even the most ignorant viewers.

While Annie is a master of portraiture, she excels in many other genres. Music stars, famous actors, models, as well as members of her family visited her lens, while everyone who was there became a part of something perfect and extraordinary.

Among them are Queen Elizabeth II, Michael Jackson, George Clooney, Uma Thurman, Natalia Vodianova, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp and many others.

  1. Patrick Demarchelier

One of the most famous and sought-after French photographers, who started shooting back in the distant 80s and quickly managed to achieve success. Very soon, his pictures began to appear in Glamour, Elle, and a little later - Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.

To get into his lens is the dream of any model, and cult fashion houses from all over the world fought for the right to get a meter to shoot the next advertising campaign. At one time he was the personal photographer of Princess Diana, he photographed a very young Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and more than once worked with Madonna, Scarlett Johansson and other stars of modern Hollywood.

  1. Mario Testino

One of the most famous British photographers, is the winner of many prestigious awards. An interesting fact is that Mario became a photographer, in principle, by accident, his family was far from the world of art, and the path that he had to go through to achieve success turned out to be very thorny. But it was worth it!

Today, Testino's work can be found in almost every glossy publication, he has worked with most of the most famous and popular models, became the favorite photographer of Kate Moss, and is also known for his magnificent photographs of the royal family.

  1. Peter Lindberg

Another world celebrity, winner of many awards and just a talented person. Peter, to a greater extent, became famous as a master black and white photo, an opponent of the worldwide passion for Photoshop, and therefore prefers to look for perfection in the imperfect.

  1. Stephen Meisel

Considered one of the most popular fashion photographers, he is known for his unique photo shoots for Vogue magazine, as well as a series of very provocative shots for Madonna's book. His works cause a very wide resonance in the public world, however, most of his works continue to be published in fashion publications.

  1. Ellen von Unwerth

A popular German photographer known for her passion for erotic and staged subjects. Particular success came to Ellen after shooting Claudia Schiffer for Guess. After that, offers poured in, and her work constantly appears in publications such as Vanity Fair, The Face, Vogue and many others.

  1. Paolo Roversi

In the fashion world, he is known as one of the most mysterious and inaccessible personalities. Few people know this photographer by sight, but many know his signature style, and his work is strikingly different from the typical magazine “stamping”.

His extraordinary long-exposure works are some of the finest and most magnificent images produced in the last century.

  1. Tim Walker

British photographer who gained his popularity thanks to fabulous style, in which most of his works were created: the directions of surrealism and rococo. As the author himself says, he is often inspired by literary heroes and fairy-tale characters, which is probably why each of his photographs is a whole story.

It is also noteworthy that Walker does not like photoshop, and therefore tries to use real props and lighting to create his unique works.

  1. Mert and Marcus

One of the most famous and best photo duets, whose work is always recognizable and in demand no less than the work of their older colleagues. Known for their bright, shocking and often provocative photographs, all the most beautiful divas of our planet lit up in their lenses: Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez, Gisele Bundchen, Natalia Vodianova and many others.

  1. Inez and Vinood

Another talented photo duet, whose members are employees and have been creating masterpieces for over 30 years. Like most of the above colleagues, they collaborate with the most fashionable glossy publications, shoot advertising campaigns for Isabel Marant and YSL, and are also one of Lady Gaga's favorite photographers.