10 Famous Photographers That Will Inspire You to Create

Photography has evolved at such an incredible rate since the first photo was taken almost 200 years ago.

The first ever photo took an amazing eight hours to expose, which was then shortened to just 15 minutes by Louis Daguerre in 1839.

Now we can take a picture on our phones or cameras in a matter of moments; with innovative new technologies like High Speed Sync flash making it easier than ever.

Famous photographers throughout history have had the challenge of overcoming the limitations of their gear but have nevertheless overcome the obstacles and created some of the most recognisable images that we see everywhere: on movie posters, on billboards and even on our money.

This is the one thing that has never changed: countless awe-inspiring moments have been captured by some incredibly talented creatives around the world.

Surrounded by beautiful and unique art in such a broad variety of genres, it's easy to succumb to self-doubt. The beautiful thing about art of all kinds, be it photography, painting or poetry, is that it can be inspired by anything; including those famous photographers you look up to.

There's always more to learn, no matter your skill level; new techniques to master, new ways to form a rapport with your model, a new way to manipulate light. Here are 10 famous photographers across every genre that could very well inspire you to create your best work yet.

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

No list of famous photographers would be complete without mentioning Annie Leibovitz. She's one of the most iconic photographers of the 20th and 21st Centuries, and certainly one of the most celebrated female photographers.

Annie was the first female lead photographer for Rolling Stone magazine but has also shot for world-renowned publications like Vanity Fair and Vogue.

Her career has notably featured shooting household names like Dolly Parton, Brad Pitt and John Lennon on the day of his death. But Annie is also famed for her non-portrait work which has been displayed in museums and art galleries around the world such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C.

Annie's photography has justifiably earned her numerous awards and accolades, the most notable being the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Centre for Photography and the prestigious Wexner Prize whose recipients previously include director Peter Brook (Lord of the Flies, King Lear, The Tragedy of Hamlet) and filmmaker Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street).

But her most creative work is her elegant, high-fashion editorial shoots that are more often than not on location - like the image below. Much of Annie's work contains these muted tones, but they're anything but boring.

Charlize Theron shot by Annie Leibovitz.

The iconic image below of young Cosette is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Les Miserables; the vibrancy of the eyes juxtaposing the otherwise drab colour palette that captures the despair and desperation of the French proletariat. Annie's mastery of lighting is incredible, yet she often keeps it minimal; regularly just using one light and an umbrella to shoot her portraits. A light meter is only a guide. It shouldn't be used literally, writes Annie in her book, At Work. When I decided to tone down the strobe, we made it even with the natural light rather than being a stop over. Then we went a stop or two under the natural light. I liked the way things looked when they were barely lit. The darker pictures seemed refined, mysterious. So, don't be afraid to get close and get intimate with your lighting to create soft shadows that wrap around the subject in a way that accentuates the cheekbones in just the right way.

An iconic image of the young Cosette by Annie is the perfect picture of desperation in Les Miserables

STEVE MCCURRY

Steve refers to himself as a visual storyteller' and is responsible for one of the most recognisable images in modern history. His work, like many of the other famous photographers on this list, is focused on reality in all its unpleasant and gritty beauty; capturing the unique faces of some of the world's most culturally rich areas. The image that put Steve on the radar is simply titled Afghan girl'.

Much like famous photographer Annie's Les Miserables images, it's all in the eyes; the striking primary colours of Steve's shots really telling a story. Whilst the images themselves are staged to an extent, with Steve needing to ask the subject's permission, the people and their stories are very much real. The images aren't shot in studio they're shot right there and then where Steve meets them; capturing the most authentic representation that he can in that moment that accurately depicts their story. Sometimes this means venturing into Ground Zero or refugee camps to see the faces of war and poverty.

In an interview with Vice, Steve recalled: When I was [in Afghanistan] back in 1979-80 with mujahideen fighters, I was often days from help, out on location, perhaps two days from the nearest road, often with men who were not well trained and with whom you had a lot of communication problems and language barriers. You were being bombed with mortars and artillery and aircraft, and you're with a bunch of ragtag fighters, who were certainly brave, but maybe short on training.

The Afghan Girl became synonymous with the reality of war, and is one of the most recognisable images in recent history.

Captured after Steve secretly the Pakistan border in to Afghanistan with two of the mujahideen fighters, the image of the Afghan Girl became the face of modern poverty in the media across the world.

Since then, Steve's photos have been frequently featured in National Geographic and has been awarded numerous photojournalism awards inclu

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