Steven Bourelle Digital Arts

Over the years, I’ve been inspired by many photographers and photographs. But there are five photographers who stand out above all the rest. Each of these five came into my life at a time when my photography needed them the most. The inspiration they brought can still be seen in the images I currently make. Each brought something different to me, and it’s a combination of  these influences that help make my photography what it is. I’ve listed them in the order that their work came into my life, (I didn’t know where to put Ansel since he’s always been an influence. So I put him in where the black and white influence comes in.)

——————————————-

Galen Rowell
Galen Rowell was the first photographer to inspire me. His amazing images started me down the photography road. Interestingly, it wasn’t his photography that influenced me the most, it was his words.  His book Mountain Light played a huge role in that. It showed me that there was more to photography than just clicking the shutter. It helped me to see the philosophical side of why we take pictures and started me thinking about why I took pictures. It also taught me how to think ahead and visualize what I wanted an image to look like. Galen Rowell and Mountain Light played a major part in my early development as a photographer.

———————-

Carr Clifton
When I discovered Carr Clifton’s book Wild & Scenic California I was blown away by it. His images immediately stuck a chord with me and I needed to know why. I studied that book from cover to cover, trying to figure out why I liked these photos so much. Eventually I came to the conclusion that his compositions were what I liked most. I loved the lines he chose, they had natural curves to them and your eye would naturally follow those lines. I feel it brings a softer touch to his work.  I still look for those flowing, curving lines when I’m composing an image and I think it’s become a big part of my style.

———————-

William Neill
William Neill’s photography came into my life at a time when I was very frustrated with my own photography. I had reached a point where I could see the images in my mind, but I just couldn’t pull them off. I wanted so badly to show the world what I was seeing, but for some reason the pictures never turned out like I saw them in my mind. It was very frustrating.

Then I happened upon William Neill’s book Yosemite: The Promise of Wildness and a light bulb went off. Right there in front of me were photos like I saw in my mind. I dove into those pictures head first and devoured them, trying to learn all I could about why they worked the way they did. The influence those images had on me was huge. My photography took a major turn for the better and my visions started to become reality.

———————-

Ansel Adams
I really can’t point out a precise time when Ansel’s work became an inspiration to me, it seems like it’s always been there and I’ve enjoyed his images from the very beginning of my photographic journey. I’ve never studied his images like I have other photographers, but when I look at my photos, I see Ansel’s influence in them. In the last year and a half though, his images have greatly influenced my black and white work.  His dynamic images of the Sierra Nevada are what led me to the world of black and white photography and inspire me to create dynamic black and white images of my own.

Like Galen Rowell, Ansel has also influenced me philosophically. His ideas about the negative being the musical score and the print being the performance are the driving force behind my artistic approach to photography. Like Ansel, I believe that my vision of the final image is the most important thing and I’ll use whatever tools I need to in order to reach that vision.

———————-

Harold Davis
Lastly we come to Harold Davis. Harold’s influence is very recent, within the last two months in fact. But that influence is huge. I was introduced to Harold’s work by a Facebook friend who posted a link to a slide show that featured Harold’s macro photography. When I saw this slide show I was blown away. Then when I saw the rest of his photography, I was hooked. It was the macro images that had the biggest influence though. I immediately ordered an extension tube for my camera and ventured into the world of macro photography.

Over the last month or so Harold’s biggest influence on me has been on the creative side. His 5 part article Becoming a More Creative Photographer has been a huge inspiration and has re-opened the creative door inside of me. Combining that with the macro photography has taken my photography in a direction I never dreamed it would go.

——————————————-

There are my 5 most inspirational photographers along with a little about how they have influenced me and my photography over the years.

I’m interested to know what photographers have inspired you guys over the years and how you feel their work has helped your photography.

1 Comment »