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Joseph Niepce
Joseph was a French inventor and he was the first to make a permanent photographic image. He used a technique called heliography (sun writing) to capture the view from his workroom window using light-sensitive chemicals on a piece of metal. In 1826, he used a professionally made camera obscura and used it to create a permanently fixed image of nature. -
Louis Daguerre
Louis Daguerre was a French artist and photographer who was known as the "inventor of photography. He invented the daguerreotype which was the first practical process of photography. This helped him succeed in producing an image in less than thirty seconds and also that didn't fade. -
Mathew Brady
He was referred to as the "father of photojournalism" and was known for his photographs of the Civil War. He did many portraits for many famous people of his time and even opened his own studio in 1844. The picture above shows President Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan after the Battle of Antietam. -
Eadweard Muybridge
Eadweard was an English photographer and also known as the "father of motion picture". This is because of his work in motion picture projection and in photographic studies of motion. He proved that a horse's hooves were all off the ground at a certain point of action when running. He was the inventor of the zoopraxiscope which displays moving images -
Lewis Hine
An American socialist and photographer who used his art to bring social ills to public attention. He photographed the tenements and sweatshops where immigrants were forced to live and work, and also the construction of the empire state building. He took on the job as the National Child Labor Committee's official photographer and later worked for the Red Cross. -
Edward Weston
Edward Weston was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He is known for his thoroughly detailed and distinctly composed black and white photos of semi-abstract nudes, landscapes and organic forms. He had a pictorialism style which imitated paintings. -
Dorothea Lange
Dorothea was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist known for her techniques of dramatic angles and dynamic compositions. She created portraits of migrant workers and displaced farmers during the time of the Great Depression. She also worked for some leading magazines being Fortune and Life. -
Ansel Adams
Ansel was an American landscape photographer and most of his photos were of America's wilderness. He is very much known for his black and white photos of Yosemite National Park. He published his first photographs in the Sierra Club Bulletin in 1922. -
Margaret Bourke-White
She was an industrial photographer and a documentary photographer who worked with the U.S. armed forces. She was hired as the first staff photographer for Fortune and the first female photojournalist for LIFE Magazine. Many of her photos were a dramatic style. -
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri was a french photographer and filmmaker, he was also a pioneer of candid and street photography. He filmed the documentary "Le Retour" and also did portraits for many important people. The phrase "the decisive moment" is a way to sum up his photography. -
Yousuf Karsh
Yousuf Karsh is a Armenian Canadian photographer who is known for his portraits of important and famous men and woman in politics. He opened a portrait studio in Ottawa and became known for his remarkable work with portraits. His image of Winston Churchill became a symbol of the spirit of Britain and was later published into LIFE magazine. He also did portraits for leaders and celebrities. -
Arnold Newman
One of the most important American photographers who was known for his portraits of famous cultural public figures. He pioneered and made environmental portraiture popular and this influenced portrait photography in the 20th century. In his images, he wanted to capture the essence of the person's life and their work. -
Diane Arbus
Diane was an American photographer who was famous for her portraits that showed individuals such as street people, transvestites, nudists, and carnival performers. She first began in advertising and fashion photography with her husband but then started focusing on her own work. She became one of the most unique Post-Modern and influential photographers. -
Richard Avedon
Richard was an American fashion and portrait photographer and his fashion shots caught the model in action rather than being motionless. In his images he would capture the emotion and unique essence of his subjects. When he was young, he would enjoy taking pictures of the clothes that were in his father's store. He took photographs of celebrities, politicians, and other public figures. -
Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry Uelsmann was an American photographer known for his images of surrealist photomontage. He uses analog tools to compose his surreal images by using things and putting them together in an unexpected way. He produces his images by including multiple negatives onto a series of enlargers. His images have been presented in over 100 individual shows all over America. -
Annie Leibovitz
Annie is considered as one of the best portrait photographers in America. She was the chief photographer for Rolling Stone Magazine at only age 23 and she also worked for Vanity Fair. Her bright and well lighted photos have been in lots of books and major expeditions. She also photographed John Lennon the day he was assassinated.
