It's hard to travel the world with a camera without one day thinking of the great masters of photography. These timeless figures, from Steve McCurry to Sebastião Salgado, from Elliott Erwitt to Dorothea Lange, have left their mark on our collective gaze. Their images remain with us, sometimes even intimidating us. But can they also inspire us without making us doubt?
As a travel and nature photographer, I have often felt this tension: between learning from the best and the difficulty of maintaining my own vision. Here are seven lessons that these great photographers have passed on to me, and how they nourish my practice without distracting me from my personal path.
1. See before you shoot : Elliott Erwitt's patience
Elliott Erwitt, a master of the decisive moment tinged with humour, would spend hours waiting for the right gesture, the right look, the little absurdity of everyday life. He taught me that photography isn't about running, it's about listening, patience, meditation.
These days, when I travel, I take my time. I sit down. I breathe in. And I wait for the scene to reveal itself. Because "really "see always precedes the trigger.
📸 Practical tip: let your camera rest on your lap for 10 minutes before photographing a location. Observe. Feel the atmosphere. Then, and only then, frame it.
2. Photographing from the heart : the depth of Steve McCurry
His piercing portraits have become iconic. But what's most striking about McCurry is his ability to dignify every face. He photographs with a kindness that shines through in every pixel.
As a photographer in the field, sometimes confronted with fragile or intimate situations, I remember this rule: people first. To photograph is to enter into a relationship. Listening before framing. Entering into fullness, into inner meditation.
🌍 Ethical advice : Always ask permission, even with just a glance. And show your images. The link is more important than the image.
3. Composing with sobriety : the silent force of Sebastião Salgado
Sebastião Salgado, committed documentary photographer, sublimates black and white like few others. His compositions are powerful because they are both simple and controlled. He taught me not to say everything in an image. Suggesting can sometimes be more powerful.
In my landscape series, I tend towards purity. I remove rather than add. I let the light, the shadows and the silences breathe. And that's not easy 😜 !
🌄 Creative tip: Try out a day's shooting, limiting your frame to a square format or a fixed focal length. This will force you to look for the right angle.
4. Seeking perfection in the light The mastery of Ansel Adams
How can you not talk about it, when you're a landscape and nature photographer 🤓!!! Ansel Adams remains a key figure for all landscape photographers. His vision of black and white, his technical rigour with his famous "zone system" taught me that it was not enough to be a photographer.a powerful image comes from a detailed understanding of light.
Adams left nothing to chance. He would preview the final image as soon as the shot was taken. This led me to slow down my process even more, to anticipate my choices right from the capture.
🌲 Field advice : take the time to measure your light, think about exposure and density, and imagine your post-processing in the field.
5. Being in the right place at the right time : the brilliance of Henri Cartier-Bresson
Henri Cartier-Bresson is, of course, all about "the decisive moment". His sense of intuitive composition, his ability to capture the energy of a place, inspired me to trust my instincts. It shows us that " technical perfection is only meaningful when it serves the moment".
In my improvised street scenes during my travels, I remember him. And I try to frame not what I see, but what I see. feel in the moment and develop my own instincts.
🎯 Flash exercise : practise your photography by setting a 3-second limit for the shutter release. This will eventually sharpen your visual intuition.
6. Being faithful to your inner light : the truth about Dorothea Lange
Dorothea Lange captured misery and pain, but also dignity, with an inimitable human light. She taught me that authenticity takes precedence over aesthetics. Once again, we realise that feeling must guide what we photograph.
In a world saturated with images, I try to get back to basics: what this place does to me, what this face tells me, what I want to share.
🕊️ Food for thought : After a photo shoot, write down in a few words what you felt. Let this emotion guide your final selection and post-production.
7. Finding your way in this visual tumult
If you keep admiring these great photographers, you risk losing yourself. But what I've learnt is that great photographers don't want disciples, they want heirs. Photographers who go their own wayenlightened by those who came before them.
My voice is sometimes discreet, but it's mine. It's built up from influences, failures 😩 and flashes of inspiration. And that's what I share through my images: a fragile but true sincerity.
✨ Personal exercise : Select ten of your favourite photos and ask yourself: what do they have in common? What emotion, what subject, what light comes up often? And it will be your voice that emerges.
6. Conclusion: learn from the great photographers, but create in your own way
The great photographers inspire me. But they don't dictate my vision. What I try to retain from them are not recipes, but ideas. attitudes to the world patience, respect, simplicity and commitment.
And at the end of the day, what you have to say with your images is unpublished. No photographer, however great, has experienced what you have. And it's this unique experience that your photos can reveal. That's why we all have our place, and our path to follow.
So follow in their footsteps... but never forget to listen to your own footsteps, and stay in your own light 🧘🏼. And there you have it, it was a new moment of philosophy on Dragonstret Photography,
Well photographed,
David
