My favorite photographer

when I talk to anyone about photography one of the points of discussion will eventually be the favorite photographers and those whose work really impresses and inspires us...

There used to be time when I could answer this question by simply pointing to a link on a forum. Some nicely done portraits, edgy senior shots (think Phamster - google him if you don't know who he is), smooth skin and good quality used to attract my attention because in the beginning we all struggle with the technical side of photography.

here's a little framework that I thought of just recently and perhaps it will help you to find your current place. This is VERY subjective:

Not being familiar with the techniques is something that we all went through and the quicker one get's over this huge steep learning curve - the better.
I call this Room 1.

Room 2 is where some fall into the gear acquisition obsession, pixel peeping masturbation. This is a dangerous area and, depending on how much money one can spend on photography, can last for a very long time. A person is being fooled by the notion that their new 200mm 2.0L and a Mark IV will produce amazing images. No it won't unless you make it to...

Room 3
Then it is the lighting obsession. Realizing that working with light is necessary is a great notion, but again, this room connects with the 2rd one. Getting more gear so those grand ideas for those grand shots come true. I 'll be frank. I just got out of this room, literally, several months ago. It takes a while to realize that every lighting situation is fixable with the simplest tools. Someone asked me - will a 580EX II be enough for a fashion shoot? my answer is YES! of course! You just have to know how to use it! Though if you are asking this question - you probably don't know yet. And that's ok. This is why you ask questions and practice practice practice.

Room 4
"pro"

So you have your simple (or not) tools, you know how to balance the lighting, how to create the mood and are proficient with working your first Model Mayhem models. You can easily shoot a family, a senior and it will look great. Some people consider this enough. What else do they need? Nicely shot portraits are always in demand and I know some folks who are super popular in doing just that. But there's one thing that will always push me away from this kind of photography... (weddings too) - it is REPETITIVE.
"I make 20K a month doing 3 wedding jobs and 5 senior portraits. It pays the bills and I can get whatever gear I want! REPETITIVE makes me rich!" I hear this a lot. And I can't blame people. But for me this is not why I started taking photos.
I love the artistic expression, I love when the personality of the photographer is peeking through every shot. I just can't help it. This is the kind of photography I enjoy looking at and creating the most. Trust me - it can be very lucrative. And by the way, no one said that an artistic photog can't create a nice senior photo. It is the other guy who can't create an artistic one because he never pushed himself...
If you can get out from this room - you will find yourself here in

Room 5.

Finding your style.

this room is about the strength of your ideas, technical side aside. Out of focus times and blown out faces should be the issues of the past by then. By now You have to know your gear like the back of your hand. Gear is NOT on your way to create great images. You don' think about exposure and the f stops. It is an automated process, like driving a stick shift
Here you will start thinking about your location relating to your idea and the wardrobe complimenting your location. The shapes and the patterns and the way they work together, the mood they provide. The colors that match, the poses that compliment the concept, the models that compliment your vision... This room has no end. It is an ever-expanding corridor with countless doors that lead to the multitude of your Idea sub-rooms and halls. You skip some and visit some a little longer...It is ultimately your subconsciousness and your CREATIVITY. It can be trained like a muscle. It can be educated like a kid and grown like a tree.
At first you try ideas that you have already seen. For example I loooooove the sense of movement achieved with fabric. So I shot tons of those. Were they original? no - not really. Does it have to be original all the time - nope, but when it is redundant (Google "ring book heart shot" and see what I mean)
it is not a good thing either. just try some stuff that you like, put your own twist into it, change it up, and one day you will see that there's something, barely noticeable but still unmistakable present, that links all your works. This would be... YOUR STYLE.
I truly believe that the task of every artist, no matter what the medium is is to get to the 5th room as quickly as possible. There are rooms beyond that - I am sure, but I am not there yet, therefore I don't know of their existence.

So what does it have to do with my favorite photographers? Everything.
They are all very far in the depths of the 5th Room.

One of the ways to start seeing the difference between a photographer and THE PHOTOGRAPHER is to find the PHOTOGRAPHER amongst the swarm of already skilled people. Let me help you here.

Here are some links. IT is up to you to decide who is who in your book.
As time goes by your vision will be changing. Perhaps some of these links will inspire you to start exploring.

these people inspire me:

http://www.erwinolaf.com/

http://yanmcline.livejournal.com/

http://www.lachapellestudio.com/

http://www.milesaldridge.com/

http://www.koendemuynck.com/

http://www.erikalmas.com/

http://www.thomkerr.com/

http://www.mrtoledano.com