Andy Warhol [Historical Photographer]

Andy Warhol has always been an influence to be. I got to see a show of his work once in London and it was great seeing it in person. One thing I really liked about the show was the size of his pieces. The large size of the Double Elvis made the work stand out.

I also enjoyed see the Marilyn Monroe pieces. I could tell the thought and time he put into choosing the colors. For instance, all of their eye shadows match the background. This might just be a subtle things but it ties the piece together. 

Warhol was known for his influence on Pop Art. This movement made art out of iconic subjects, such as soup cans and dollar bills. He was able to make art out of the ordinary.

Yves Tanguy [Historical Artist]

I decided to blog about some painters because I realized how they can influence my photography. Yves Tanguy, born in Paris in 1900, is a big influence to photographer, Pete Turner. Tanguy was a surrealist painter with work that involved surprising compositions and subjects. Tanguy's paintings inspire me because they are so different. I love the bright colors against the somewhat subdued background. It makes the subject really stand out. I also really like the use of shadow in his paintings to add a new form to the piece.

Piet Mondrian [Historical Artist]

Piet Mondrian was born in the Netherlands and grew up to have a significant impact on art. He contributed to the De Stijl art movement which sought to reproduce simple form and color in an abstract way. Mondrian's art is very abstract and he was influenced by the Cubism style.

I am influenced by Mondrian's work because of its simplicity. He worked to create pieces that have harmony and rhythm in a simple form. I find it to be beautiful because although they are not elaborate paintings, they are done by his reflection of nature and the emotion that is evoked in him.

Jerry Uelsmann [Contemporary Photographer]

Jerry Uelsmann's photographs are unique and adventurous. He uses multiple images and enlargers to make the final print. He sees his pictures as and image of the unreal. While these types of pictures can be pretty easily manipulated in photoshop, Uelsmann creates them in the darkroom.

Pete Turner [Contemporary Photography]

Born in 1934, Pete Turner helped to modernize the art of photography. Through unusual compositions and bold colors, Turner dared to take the art to a new level. His interest in photography began early when he got his first camera at the age of 7. His passion grew all through school and eventually Turner went on to work for National Geographic Magazine. He traveled around the world experimenting and developing his knowledge of color photography. After his travels, Turner got into advirtisement photography because of his skills with color saturation.

This picture, entitled Giraffe, was at first a mistake. When returning from Africa, Turner realized that the shot was well overexposed. In an attempt to save the picture he added his own colors. At first he added just one which didn't look nice. Then he decided to add magenta for the sky and purple for the ground. He was pleased with the outcome and this became one of his most famous shots.

Another one of Turner's classics called Doorway to Nowhere.

Jay Maisel [Contemporary Photographer]

Jay Maisel is most known for his mastery of light, color and gesture. The focus of his career has been on commercial photography, however in 1996 he decided to focus more on personal work. Maisel success is due in part to his dedication to photography. He always seems to carry his camera with him in case he sees something that he wants to shoot.

Luis Marden [Historical Photographer]

Born on January 25, 1913, Luis Marden was a well known photographer recognized for his work with National Geographic Magazine. He first became interested in photography in high school during chemistry class. At the age of 19 he had already written a book about color photography using a 35mm camera. Marden had a passion and decided to pursue it. This led to scientific discoveries and advancements in the field of photography. When he began working for National Geographic he introduced them to the idea of using a small camera, such as a 35mm, to take their color photos. This also led to the desire to take underwater photos. From these underwater adventures came the invention of various techniques and devices, such as filters, that helped further photography. Luis Marden died on March 3, 2003 in Arlington, Virginia from Parkinson's disease.