When searching for photographers to research and write a biography on, I found three very talented men who inspired me from the moment I saw their photographs. I couldn't possibly choose just one to research on as each of them had qualities in their work that motivate me.
The first photographer I researched was Michael Kenna, born in Widnes, England in 1953. He received an education at the Banbury school of Arts and later studied at the London College of Printing. In 1977 he moved to San Francisco, California where he still resides today. Throughout his career, he traveled all over the country taking photographs of interesting and unusual landscapes with ethereal light by capturing images at dawn or night with astonishing exposures of up to ten hours. Kenna's work has been shown in numerous galleries and exhibitions throughout Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States. Some of his work has even been premiered in films. In 2000, the Ministry of Culture in France also declared Kenna a chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters. Kenna's work inspires me as he takes such enticing photos of landscapes. I want my photos to be out of the norm, and compelling as his are. I also appreciate how his photos are in film, though I won't be doing that, but I can still edit my images to be black and white to have the same style and appearance.
Another photographer’s work that I enjoyed was that of David Hilliard. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts during 1964, Hilliard later received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art, and his MFA from Yale University. Hilliard mainly works with panoramic photographs. Something very interesting and sincere about his photos is his unique skill of involving his life and those around him in his photography as he records events of his life or others involved in the work. Hilliard mainly focuses on ordinary, every day life though there is a fictional aspect of his images as his many of his photo scenes are staged. His photography is so vibrant and elaborate; also he separates his photographs into three, giving the viewer something to focus on in each image. This is something I would like to do with my photographs, take sequences or one image and divide it up to make it more interesting for the viewer to see.
I also absolutely love the work of Andrew Moore. He takes the most enticing, entrancing, beautiful pictures I've seen in a long while. I have searched long and hard for information on this artist but it is nearly impossible to get any background information to write a biography on. His images are so interesting. Be it the location, or and object in his image, something about them is so captivating. The colors, the composition, the style, the surroundings, the subjects, the story Moore allows you to create for yourself is all just so wonderful. His work I appreciate the most, and will always keep his variables of photography in mind.
Each of these photographers has amazing qualities in their work and the way they do it. I am so inspired, and hope I can combine these major artist's styles to make my own. I will keep each of their stylistic virtues in the back of my head, always reminding me to find meaning in each image I take. This assignment has helped me to get more in depth with what I want in my senior exhibition, and I now feel motivated to go out and find interesting locations and themes.
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