Documentary Photographers related to my project

Diane Arbus 

Dianne Arbus was an American photographer who specialised in photographing marginalized people— dwarfs, giants, transgender people, nudists, circus performers—and others whose normality was perceived by the general public as ugly or surreal. I am drawn to Arbus as a photographer because she gave these minoritized people a voice. The people she photographed were outcasts and people that society looked down upon and judged for being different and this on a level links with my project as i am photographing individuality through fashion, tattoos, piercings and hair choice. The people I'm photographing will have someone from mainstream society judging and looking down upon them just as the people Arbus photographed. 

Arbus' work is always quite brutally honest, it is up front and straight forward for the viewer to see, the style i will be photographing in is different but no less effective. Instead of photographing how it is i will be getting the subjects to almost pose so i can get a picture which really does celebrate them as i don't want any negative connotations attached to the image, for example a bad angle for that individual - making them feel self conscious. 

Nan Goldin

Nan Goldin  is an American photographer. She lives and works in New York City, Berlin, and Paris and her work usually features LGBT-related themes, images or public figures. Goldin was a photographer that when i came across her i was instantly captured. She captured many intimate and personal moments and this was only possible due to her being so immersed and involved in the moment, rather than just being an observer which is what most photographers are. Goldin really changed the way in which i approach photography. Instead of capturing other peoples moments as a by-stander, i now get involved in the moment and become part of that memory. I feel by doing that i get a much truer representation of the people i am photographing as they relax, ease up and gain confidence around me; therefore showing their true selves. The other reason why i was so drawn to Goldin was because she decides to photograph sub-cultures and taboo subjects which again relates to my project.

Goldin's photography is produced in a snapshot style and many of the images are blurry, underexposed and technically poor, as shown in the image below. I personally don't like this style of photography but it does suit that diary, snapshot of the moment aesthetic that Goldin's projects often take. 

Goldin's photographs work well as a collection in a book for example, but when taken out of context, they appear as just bad snapshots taken by your mates. For my project i intend for my photographs to appear collectively in the form of a photographic book, but I also want them to work individually if taken out of context so i will put a lot more thought into composition, clarity and form when photographing as i want them to be as aesthetically pleasing as they can be. It is important they work together though so this means editing them in the same way or using similar locations/lighting when taking the photographs. 

Iain McKell

Iain McKell is a photographer who i have only recently came across but someone who i have become completely transfixed with as his work is very similar to mine and his background as a graphic designer is similar to mine as well. 

McKell is a fashion, portrait and social documentary photographer who has been photographing various subcultures since the 1980s, he initially shot Skinheads and has since documented various other subcultures, including Punks, Blitz Kids and Rockabillies. McKell has also spent over ten years befriending and photographing a group of New Age Travellers. 

McKell's approach is similar to Goldins but to an extreme level. By McKell becoming completely immersed in that subcultures life it has helped him capture great photographs which without that access that he had would have been near impossible.  Hopefully my work you will be able to see the links with McKell and see how he has influenced me as a photographer. 

Ewen Spencer

Ewen Spencer is a British photographer and filmmaker based in Brighton, England. His photography is primarily of youth and subcultures. Spencer is another photographer which i have only recently came across and although his style is far from mine, his subject matter is similar to me. Spencer photographs many subcultures and has made a name for himself in the grime music scene. 

I wanted to try and expose myself to many different documentary photographers who photograph subcultures and unique people or minority groups. by doing this i feel it has allowed to to develop as a photographer and has given me the necessary tools to succeed in this brief.