How to use this list
Studying established photographers is one of the quickest ways to develop your own eye. The list below is a personal selection rather than a ranking, and it leaves out many excellent people. For each name, the useful question is “what is this photographer doing that I could try?” Details such as dates are given only where they are well established.
Early pioneers
Nadar
Nadar, the pen name of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, ran a Paris studio in the nineteenth century and photographed many of the artists and writers of his time. His portraits are often simple and focused on the sitter’s character. Lesson: a plain setting and attention to the person can be enough.
Julia Margaret Cameron
A Victorian-era photographer, Cameron made close, soft-focus portraits that were unusual for their time and remain influential. Lesson: technical perfection is not the only goal. Mood and intimacy can matter more.
August Sander
Sander, a German photographer, set out in the early twentieth century to document people of many occupations and social groups in a project often known as “People of the 20th Century”. Lesson: consistent, honest framing across many subjects can make a body of work greater than its parts.
Twentieth-century studio and editorial masters
Yousuf Karsh
Karsh is known for dramatic, carefully lit portraits of political and cultural figures, including a famous portrait of Winston Churchill. Lesson: deliberate lighting and a strong sense of presence can turn a sitting into an icon.
Irving Penn
Penn is known for minimalist, refined studio portraits against plain backgrounds. His work shows how limiting the setting directs attention to the person. Lesson: simplify the background and the pose.
Richard Avedon
Avedon is known for stark portraits against plain white backdrops, including the series “In the American West”. The approach removes context and puts the sitter’s face and expression front and centre. Lesson: a plain background can feel more intense than a busy one.
Arnold Newman
Newman is often credited with popularising the environmental portrait, placing artists and thinkers within settings that suggest their work. Lesson: composition can use the surroundings to tell the story, not just serve as backdrop.
Diane Arbus
Arbus photographed people on the margins and many ordinary people, often in a square format and with direct eye contact. Her work is admired and also debated. Lesson: an unflinching gaze and direct connection can create unforgettable images, and the ethics of how you photograph people deserve thought.
Documentary and photojournalistic portraiture
Dorothea Lange
Lange photographed Americans affected by the Great Depression and is best known for “Migrant Mother”. Lesson: documentary portraiture can carry social meaning, and a single frame can speak for an era.
Steve McCurry
McCurry is known for colour portraits made while travelling, including the well-known “Afghan Girl” cover for National Geographic. Lesson: strong colour, a direct gaze and a clean background can make a portrait unforgettable.
Sally Mann
Mann’s black-and-white photographs of her children, collected in “Immediate Family”, were widely praised and also sparked public controversy. Lesson: personal work can be powerful, and consent and context matter in how images are shown.
Contemporary names
Annie Leibovitz
Leibovitz is known for celebrity and magazine portraits, such as her cover work for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. Her work often involves staging, concept and collaboration. Lesson: a strong idea, combined with technical control, can elevate a portrait beyond a likeness.
Platon
Platon is known for close, direct portraits of political and cultural figures, often with a wide lens used close to the subject. Lesson: closeness and trust can produce intense images. Note how this contrasts with the usual advice about longer lenses in our lens guide.
Photographers to discover on platforms
Photography platforms and communities are full of working portrait photographers whose work is worth following. Follow a handful whose style you admire, and avoid trying to copy all of them at once.
What the masters have in common
- Strong, deliberate light. Whether soft window light or hard studio light, it is chosen with intent. See our portrait photography guide for basics.
- Connection with the subject. Many describe the session as a conversation rather than a technical exercise. This ties in with eyes and emotion in portraits.
- A consistent point of view. You can usually recognise their work, which links to how they handle posing and processing. See portrait poses and angles and editing styles.
- Willingness to simplify. Fewer elements, stronger images.
How to study a photographer
- Look at 20 to 30 of their images together, not just the famous one.
- Write down the light direction and quality in each.
- Note the crop, the background and the pose.
- Try to recreate one setup with a friend, in your own way, rather than aiming for a copy.
- Read their own words, in interviews and books. For book suggestions, see photography books worth reading.