The 55 best photographers of all time. In the history of the world. Ever. Definitely.

The 55 Best Photographers of All Time… Nos. 50 to 46

Image courtesy the United States Library of Congress

50 Edward Steichen (1879-1973)
Initially an important pictorialist photographer, Steichen went on to adopt ‘straight’ photography and became a successful fashion photographer as well as an important gallery and museum curator.

49 W. Eugene Smith (1918-1978)
Famously uncompromising American photojournalist who photographed combat in World War II and went on to specialise in the photo-essay, most notably in his three-year Pittsburgh project.

Salgado (left) with former Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Image by Wilson Dias / Agencia Brasil

48 Sebastiao Salgado (born 1944)
Salgado abandoned a successful career as an economist in 1973 to become a photojournalist and has since carried out numerous photo projects worldwide, highlighting poverty and social injustice.

Image courtesy the United States Library of Congress

47 Man Ray (1890-1976)
Highly creative, surrealist-influenced photographer whose most famous images resulted from experiments with photograms (which he called ‘rayographs’) and solarisation, in which an image is completely or partially inverted.

Grab from The Irving Penn Foundation

46 Irving Penn (1917-2009)
American photographer, widely revered for his studio-based portrait, still life and fashion work. His pictures, executed with great attention to detail, are spare, powerful and carefully composed.

PAGE 1: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 55-51
PAGE 2: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 50-46
PAGE 3: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 45-41
PAGE 4: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 40-36
PAGE 5: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 35-31
PAGE 6: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 30-26
PAGE 7: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 25-21
PAGE 8: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 20-16
PAGE 9: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 15-11
PAGE 10: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 10-6
PAGE 11: The Best Photographers of All Time – Nos. 5-1
PAGE 12: Vote for the best photographer of all time!

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Posted on Tuesday, July 17th, 2012 at 12:12 pm under News.

Tags: action photography, black and white photography, documentary photography, famous photographers, fashion photography, hot, landscape photography, photojournalism, portrait photography, professional photographer, sports photography, still life photography, travel photography, wildlife photography