Pierre et Gilles

Pierre et Gilles (Pierre Commoy and Gilles Blanchard) born 1950 and 1953, have been living and working together in Paris since 1976, influencing contemporary photography definitively.  Although I've always seen myself as strictly a natural landscape photographer, some how these images of their flamboyant glittery work of a dreamy world filled with religious, mythological, iconography symbolism have caught my eye. All sorts of people like movie/music stars, princes and sailors, angels and demons, porn stars and boys next door are shown in their body of work.
They have created portraits for the likes of Marc Almond, Marilyn Manson, Kylie Minogue, Iggy Pop, Nina Hagen, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Madonna, to name just a few. Pierre photographs the models and Gilles retouches and hand-colors the print, highlighting each detail to create a vivid and colorful aesthetic, almost perfect and dream-like.  As stated- “This is a little bit of photo, a little bit of painting. There is the idealization of the sopped moment; Gilles with his brush can go and go back, and there is no time limit.”
Long ago I came across this picture, came in a book with a brief description pointing some details about the juxtaposition between the devil (where the work takes title: "The Devil" ) and the cherubim.

Robert Glenn Ketchum

When I see Robert Glenn Ketchum's body of work, I first think 'windows xp wallpaper background'.  I think of the images that come with computers, so you can decorate your computer background with 'pretty pictures'.  They are beautiful nonetheless. But I also begin to see that it's more of a statement for the preservation and conservation of nature.  Making interest arise for that movement.  His compositions strike an interest in me when I view how he lays out the photograph.  The way he includes bright contrasting colors and how he carefully uses them.  There is no over-saturation, very detailed oriented. I feel they are very believable where in these days manipulation seems to be everywhere.

Richard Misrach

Misrach is best known for his landscape scenes.  But his landscapes don't just involve nature itself.  I'm drawn to the ones where they have been altered by human life.  The one below shows a classic western scene but the landscape is altered by the fire near by. The fire was probably caused by humans of course.   His compositions are strong as well.  His images make me question how I do my landscapes.  Do I just want to show a pretty scene or create something more meaningful.  Most of his work depicts little life after humans are long gone.  He is very consistent with the tone of colors, always a muted semi-monochromatic image.