Famous Black and White Photographers

Photography was invented in the black and white form itself. As the technology advanced, the color photography came to existence. Though color films are cheaply available now, art lovers still prefer black and white photography. It is popular because of its low cost and the 'classic look' of the photographs. There are several famous photographers who have dedicated their lives solely to this beautiful form of photography. Let's get to know a few of them:

Ansel Adams
We simply cannot miss out this prestigious name, when talking about famous black and white photographers. This America born photographer was also a well known environmentalist. He, along with Fred Archer, formulated the now world famous 'zone system', that enhances the quality of pictures. He also found the 'Group f/64', a group of seven photographers, with the same kind of photographing style. Their collection is exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art's photography department, today. Adams' timeless photographs could be seen in books, calenders and posters. His most famous photographs include - Monolith, The Face of Half Dome, Ice on Ellery Lake, Sierra Nevada and many more.

Arno Minkkinen
He is a Finland born photographer who is currently working in the United States. He is best known for his black and white photographs containing the juxtapose bodies, alongside beautiful landscaping. After completing a Master's degree in Fine Arts from Wagner College, he is now a professor, at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. He is the co-founder of the 'Spirit Level' workshops, held from the year 1996. His works can be seen in more than 50 famous art museums all over the world, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His notable photographs are - Self-portrait, Beach Pond, Maija-Kaarina, Helsinki, etc.

James Nachtwey
Recognized as a war photographer, James Nachtwey is an American. He has been honored with the record number of 5 awards, including the 'Robert Capa Gold Medal' of the 'Overseas Press Club'. He is also famous for his film on photography and photojournalism. He got wounded while taking pictures, during the year 2003, in Baghdad. He has managed to capture many major events around the world with his camera, like - the 9/11 attacks on WTC, the tsunami in 2004, the Sudan conflict, the US invasion of Iraq and many more.

Henri Cartier-Bresson
Supposedly the father of the modern day photojournalism, Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French journalist. He made a major contribution in the 'real life reportage'. He is one of the revolutionary photographers to have adopted the 35mm range finder cameras. Died at the age of 95, Henri witnessed the Spanish civil war, the Paris liberation movement, the fall of Chen Yi Kuomintang and many historical moments. He was a very famous black and white photographer.

Robert Capa
Born in Budapest, Robert Capa was a 20th century self-proclaimed photojournalist. He was mostly famous as a combat photographer, as he covered as many as five wars, namely, the Spanish civil war, the Sino-Japanese war II, World War II, Arab-Israel War in1948 and the Indo-China war. He always emphasized on catching real life moments, rather than studying about the technical details. Capa is the co-founder of 'Magnum photos', along with Henri Cartier-Bresson. He had a sad end at the age of 40, while covering the first Indo-China war, when he stepped on a landmine.

Jacques Lartigue
He was a famous French photographer and a renowned painter. He started photography as a hobby at the age of six, and is mostly famous for Automobile racing photographs. Most of his earlier photographs were taken in the 'stereo' format but later he explored almost all the modern day photography techniques. His 120 photograph albums are his best visual autobiography. Lartigue captured many sporting events as well, including the French Open, the French Grand Prix and the Coupe Gordon Bennett of auto racing. The veteran photographer died in the year 1986.

The list doesn't end here, there are many more renowned photographers who lived their lives for their black and white photography. Only a true art lover could admire the definitive art of black and white photography. What's your opinion on this?