There are certain photographers who are considered to be artists and the works of art that they produce are celebrated by critics and the public. Art photography prints add to the aesthetic value of any home, particularly when they are placed in an attractive frame. Offices, hotel lobbies and restaurants too, are enhanced by them.
One of the most treasured American exponents of the art is Ansel Adams. He became famous for his art photography prints of the American West and Yosemite National Park in particular. He loved this landscape and was a passionate environmentalist. Adams used a large format view camera to capture vast scenes of mountains, forests, and lakes. He was made a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1966 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, which is the highest award that a civilian can receive in the United States. His reproduced works include Moon and Half Dome Yosemite National Park 1960, Oak Tree, Sunset City, California 1932, Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska and Aspens Northern New Mexico.
Henri Cartier Bresson was a French man, known as the ‘father of modern photo-journalism’. He was largely responsible for taking photography out of the studio and into the street for candid shots, rather than formal poses. He began as a painter and was a true artist with a camera. He traveled extensively in Europe, taking art photography prints of Berlin, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, and Madrid. His travels also took him to Japan, China, India and the Soviet Union. Cartier-Bresson helped to form the influential Magnum picture agency for photo-journalism. His prints available to buy include View from Top of Notre Dame, Sidewalk Caf?, Boulevard Diderot, Queen Charlotte’s Ball 1959, and Ahmedabad, Guejerat, India 1966.
Bill Brandt was a British photographer and photo-journalist, celebrated for his landscapes, nudes, and his documentation of British life. The Government commissioned him to photograph the underground bomb shelters for civilians during the Blitz in London in World War II. His nude art photography prints are in black and white and artfully shot, as in Nude 1952. Brandt’s work was used by Life magazine, including the print, Rider on Horseback in Hyde Park, a shot from 1940 in London’s famous park, showing a rider on a white horse and a line of trees.
Robert Mapplethorpe is an American photographer, mostly known for his pictures of celebrities. His reputation was sealed when he photographed Patti Smith for the iconic cover of her debut album, Horses. He also took pictures of Andy Warhol, Debbie Harry, Richard Gere and Grace Jones. Many of Mapplethorpe’s other art photography prints are of flowers. These are delicately shot with pale colors and often have a luminous sheen. Available prints include images of orchids, roses, tulips and poppies.
