Richard Billingham

Richard Billingham is another photographer whose work I admire. I am drawn by the roughness and rawness of his photo's, he sums up domesticity perfectly; Everyday people, with everyday lives, in everyday situations but they make a unique and striking pictures. I like the fact that none of his pictures are staged he lets the subjects of his work be natural, he captures the moments of "family life" which would normally be overlooked and ignored.  

Christian Boltanksi

Although I find Boltanski's work visually appealing, I find many of his pieces give off an erie presence which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable if I look at it for too long. His work has been considered a "disturbing archive of our social, cultural, ethnic and personal histories". Many of his pieces are death obsessed, he creates photos that are out of focus and blurred so the faces become more ghost like and emphasise the memories that lie behind these faces. I like his photos that are lit up with bulbs, the pictures become shrine like and celebratory of the lives of the people who feature in them. 

You can see an similarities and influences from Annette Messenger's style and presentation, who is his wife.

Nan Goldin

Mario Testino

Mario Testino is widely recognised for his celebrity photography, what I love about Testino is that he manages to capture the feeling of fame and fortune within his pictures, they epitomise a certain kind of accessible, star- friendly, flashy and trashy glamour. I have seen pictures of his exhibition in The National Portrait Gallery in 2002, where he hung celebrity images all over the wall. Each photo as bright and captivating as the other, the images appear to be fighting with one another to grab your attention, much like reality. Testino manages to apply and encorporate high fashion photography for many different ad campaigns, for example his most recent photograph of Kate Moss for the London 2012 campaign "40 Artists,
40 Days"; the idea and execution of this photo only further highlights his creative energy.

You will notice throughout Testinos images although each and every photograph looks vibrant and unique, many of them have one thing in common-the use of primary colours. I think he likes to use these constraints to push his creativity and try to produce equally unique pictures within these confinements.

His work is often fun and playful, I love the art direction behind these "Working Girls" photographs. They remind of the traditional spot the difference pictures but with a modern, controversial, high end fashion twist.

The Starn Twins

I have admired and followed these photographers for a while now. Their work always manages to catch my eye, because of there distinct presentation and unique way of handling prints. Most of the work is done once they have printed their photo, they often manipulate them to create texture, depth and interesteing focal points. The manor in which they treat their work is very rough and may appear haphazard and careless but every mark is though out carefully. They scratch, rip, burn, tear, cut and tone, to mention a few ways of enhancing the original photo. Many of their photos are cut up and each section is dealt with in a different way, some toned longer than others, some toned a different colour, others ripped or scratched, then they are pieced back together again. It doesnt stop there, I have seen hem sewn, stapled, nailed and taped back together again. They push the boundaries of photography; combining it with the creativity of art. My favourite aspect of their work is that each piece is unique and can never be created again.