let’s explore!

my name is Jordan Petteys—i am a tactile storyteller.

50 photographers that excite me

when i first began this project, i struggled to find any photographers that inspired, pushed or challenged me. i photograph because i want to expose the supernatural beauty of mankind––the miracle in the mundane, but i want to make photographs that are wildly personal, perhaps in a way that extends beyond the image itself. then my photo professor introduced me to Dan Eldon. discovering him changed everything for me because i saw an artist successfully execute mixed media photography in an intimate, expressive and chaotic manner. i started tailoring my search toward photographer sketchbooks, prints with handwriting and other mixed media approaches and was blown away. this research has inspired me to seek new ways to unfold narratives as a documentary photographer. still influenced by timeless photographers like Danny Lyon and Paul Fusco, i feel more driven, yet challenged, to capture wildly emotional, narrative and captivating moments.

left to right:

Martin Parr:
Martin Parr is the epitome of a fly on the wall when it comes to photography. He captures beautiful moments without the subject even realizing they’re apart of a beautiful moment. His photographs are so emotionally compelling because he documents real life: the miracle in the mundane.
Gordon Parks:
There’s something special about Gordon Parks photographs that invite me into the moment with the subject matter. I love how he positions himself to make the image, and the expression on this boy’s face makes me think that he was here already and ran into Parks. I enjoy the emotional tension Parks’ photographs carry, especially his documentary style images because again, he gets up close to the story and uncovers the truth while captivating my attention emotionally.
Vivane Sassen:
Vivane Sassen’s simple approach to photo montaging is a breath of fresh air from more complicated artists like Dan Eldon and Peter Beard. I appreciate her style because oftentimes when I want to approach collaging I feel like I have to dream up something wildly conceptual and detailed, but photography can actually be much more simple than that. This reminds me that the photograph itself demands attention, and her photographs are beautiful in their simplicity.
Daniel Dorsa:
Dorsa reminds me a lot of Mark Mahoney in the way he edits his photographs. I’m so in love with this style of color photography right now that is very airy, warm, light and romantic. I enjoy posed portraits that still tell a story based on the subject’s environment. I used to be very against eye contact with the camera in documentary style photography, but at times I feel it’s necessary. It creates a deeper connection with the viewer.
Loomis Dean:
While these photographs seem a little more commercial, I can’t help but feel like there’s a narrative unfolding in these photographs. I’m just so impressed by the expression and posture of his subjects and the way he uses their environment to further the story. His way of black and white is interesting to me too, I enjoy the pop of blacks but the glowing highlights. I would like to achieve a similar look in my portfolio for black and white.

left to right:

Gail Thacker:
Gail Thacker’s black and white film is so unique. Every photograph I explored seemed shockingly different from the last in color, medium and subject matter. In some photos I am experiencing an intimate portrait of someone waking up in the morning, another one contains pastel paints melted over the photograph to something totally abstract. She is very unpredictable which I enjoy.
Jim Goldberg:
I enjoy that Jim Goldberg, being a documentary photographer, successfully incorporates handwriting into his work, especially when it’s not only his own. Our bodies aren’t the only parts of us that are totally unique, rather our hearts, souls, mind and handwriting all say something individual about us. I enjoy that the handwriting appears like it was done on the first try, because it shows that Goldberg wants to capture the person, not something perfect.
Olivia Arthur:
I love Olivia Arthur’s framing in her photography. I can’t get over how unique this photograph is where she’s clearly below three men looking up at them with her camera, and she’s so close to the man on the left his shoulder is practically in her lens. That’s personal. There’s something so special about the way she captures her subject matter that takes her documentary photography to a new level of authentic portraiture.
Dara Maar:
I’m surprised that Dara Maar wanted to be known as a painter and not a photographer, since it seemed she was always living in Picasso’s shadow. Seeing how successful Peter Beard and Dan Eldon are at combining mediums in their photography, I wonder why Dara Maar didn’t push those boundaries on her photography more. I still find her paintings and photographs to be beautiful, but I wonder what would have came of her artistic style had she explored a combination of the two further. However, I was moved by this image she made where the spider web acts as a veil between her and the viewer, because when people think of Dara Maar, most think of Picasso before they think of her.
Brit O’Brien:
Since Hippo Campus is my favorite band of all time, I decided to do some research on their photographer. I saw that O’Brien shoots almost entirely on film, both their tours and day to day lives, and I was totally surprised. Knowing the band’s music, I am thoroughly impressed with the way this photographer successfully portrays the personality and demeanor of the music itself through warm tones and low contrast. Not to mention how vulnerable and intimate the portraits of the members are.

left to right:

Mimi Mollica:
I enjoy the way Mimi Mollica tells a story through lighting, which is very dramatic. Especially considering the story I pulled this photograph from, where she was in a very harsh lighting environment, yet she commands the light so well. Her photograph reminds me of Eva Rubinstein in the way it seems Mollica is just waiting for the perfect shot, and she manages to get what she came for, it’s successful.
Ryan McGinley:
Not to stray away from an attempt at a more professional style of review, but I am just so excited about Ryan McGinley’s work!!!! He! Is! So! Talented!!!! I can’t stand his command of light and his long exposure photography, and there’s something so special about most of his subjects being naked that adds such a raw presence to the photographs. His photography feels like a celebration of life, even when he captures people at their worst. I first interacted with his work at an art exhibition in my home town called “the kids were alright” and observed hundreds of polaroid portraits of every person that came and sat on his living room couch over the course of a year. The larger photographs of teenagers on display were so graphic, honest, and real it was almost troubling someone even had photographs of such behaviors. He is one of the most intimate and talented photographers I’ve ever seen, in composition, lighting, color, subject matter––I’m just so mesmerized by his work.
Alec Soth:
As I mention later about Dan Eldon and Peter Beard, there’s something insanely personal and intimate about a photographer’s sketchbook. I connected with Alec Soth’s journal and the way the art seemingly just falls into place, but it’s obvious every decision was still intentional. Something that keeps me from starting a collage is that I’m afraid of making a mistake, but I often find some of the best montages aren’t always premeditated. Sketchbooks give way for that kind of freedom in articulating ideas.
Matt Eich:
I enjoy Matt Eich’s photographs of kids. It inspires me to photograph my own children someday in a similar light, because I enjoy how the kids have so much personality in a relatively simple photo. The photos seem very documentary, but the kids still have so much control over the photo. I want to photograph my own children in the same way, capturing their quirks and traits within their environment. Of course, I really enjoy the low contrast style as well.
Francesco Jodice:
I was surprised when I saw myself enjoying more and more of Francesco Jodice as I observed more of this Italian photographer’s body of work. There was something special about the lightness of the photographs--they are very low in contrast which is a style I’ve found myself enjoying recently. Additionally, the way he portrays humans interacting with their environment is very interesting to me, in one photograph of a group of people praying in a Mosque, it appears more like a group of men using urinals. In another, I was compelled by humans overpowering of such a large body of water and greenery.

left to right:

Thomas Van Den Driessche:
I enjoy the way Thomas Van Den Driessche incorporates his contact sheet into his sketchbook, as well as his layout of polaroid photographs. Using the red to highlight photographs he finds to be important give me a look into his thought process.  It’s obvious which photographs he prefers, so I feel inspired to look at my work through a similar light––which of my images do I connect with, which ones do I want people to know about, and how am I going to communicate that with others?
William Klein:
I’m impressed this young photographer who was stationed in the US army at 18, William Klein commands the photograph with his strong use of color and subject matter. He gets so close to his subjects and they express so much attitude. I enjoy his photo montaging because I can tell it’s meant to be more political based on his vibrant red and blue color choices.
John Maclean:
John Maclean’s take on color really interests me. The photograph I displayed reminds me of 3D glasses we used to wear at movie theaters and it gives the photograph a much more gimmicky feel. I can’t decide whether I actually enjoy this photograph, or if I just appreciate the way he took a photograph of some friends hanging out and completely re-contextualized it with this filter. Photo montaging achieves the same goal.
Don Herron:
I like Don Herron’s idea of writing a short caption below the photograph to give context. It seems much more personal than type. Given how personal and intimate his bathtub photos are, I find it necessary to mimic that vulnerability in the handwriting. I enjoy the way he re-contextualized the bathtub to a studio space in order to create very stylized environmental portraits––very innovative to say the least.
Dan Eldon:
Dan Eldon is likely my favorite photographer currently. Reminiscent of Peter Beard’s style (and location for most of his photographs) I am so moved by Eldon’s vision and expression of ideas. He pushes such radical concepts in his documentary photography in a way that’s so powerful to me. Seeing photography as if it were a sketchbook feels so personal to me, so I love interacting with Eldon’s personality and story as much as I do the subject’s. I’m moved by his illustrations, use of color, and poetry. I admire his ambition for art and documenting life as such a young age, and it inspires me––rather than waiting until I believe I have the skills I need to communicate my vision, I could start now. I’m impressed by Eldon’s writing, too, and love that I feel compelled spiritually, philosophically and emotionally by his writing as much as I do by his art.

left to right:

Liu Zheng:
I mostly love Liu Zheng because these photographs remind me of my time in Asia. His photographs inspire me to become more attuned to Asian culture, especially when it comes to photography. I’ve only been to Asia once for three months, so obviously I can’t understand the in’s and out’s of an entire continent in such a short amount of time. However, I can look at successful photographers from Asia like Liu Zheng for inspiration and context. I have always sensed a childlike spirit in people I’ve met from Asia, regardless of age. I’m hoping to capture this sense of innocence in my black and white portfolio.
Sunil Gupta:
I enjoy this more formal portrait––especially when considered alongside much more candid photographs because I believe that posed portraits can be just as authentic and raw as fly-on-the-wall documentary style images. I love how close Gupta has to be to his subjects because the room is so small, and how inviting the subjects are in return. I percieve this photograph as a goodbye since Gupta positions himself above them like he’s getting ready to leave.
Danny Lyon:
Danny Lyon is likely one of my new favorite black and white documentary photographers. I admire how close he gets to his subjects and the way he uses hands to fill the frame. I enjoy framing my posed portraits using the subject’s feet, so it’s really beautiful and inspiring to see Lyon successfully tell the story through these strategies (the face in the mirror, birds-eye view, filling the frame, etc) under really difficult circumstances for photography. He manages to get close.
Leonard freed:
There’s something so special about moments like this to me––maybe it’s that I find them to be so beautiful but have yet to master, so I love seeing when other photographs pull off such a romantic yet mundane moment between two people. The quality of light really guides the success in the photograph too, because I can sense the warmth in the photo.
Sergio Larrain:
Sergio Larrain’s black and white photographs have a much higher contrast compared to other black and white photographers that stood out to me during this project. However, in the image I’ve selected, he creates sort of a spotlight effect on the older man and frames him with a blurred woman figure. His command of lighting in this photograph and others really guides his story. Additionally, the first thing we see right away in the photograph isn’t always what Larrain wants us to find. His lighting invites us to look deeper.

left to right:

Eva Rubinstein:
I love how Close Eva Rubinstein is able to get to her subject while still seeming like a fly on the wall to her subject. The quality of lighting in her photographs feels so effortless, as if she just waited for her subject for hours to step exactly where she had in mind and then took the photograph. She captures expression and the mundane beautifully.
Simon Kerola:
I love the way Simon Kerola commands the light in his photographs, and how everything about the subject tends to be so dark except for the area highlighted somewhere on the face or body. I especially love the portrait with broken glass overlay because it’s so different from the rest of his work. However, it remains consistent with his romantic, nostalgic, and warm style.
Robin Cracknell:
Robin Cracknell. Wow. This woman is so creative in her communication of ideas––I love how she incorporates such beautiful line work, illustration, cutouts, and light to her already beautiful photographs. The muted tones and transparent overlays make such a humble and delicate photo montage that I really resonate with. I appreciate her economic approach, a lot of her choices make sense and don’t take away from the photograph--especially because the photograph is always the brightest part of the montage. Her mediums support the photographs successfully.
Mickalene Thomas:
I’m amazed by the way Mickalene Thomas captures the essence of each person in her portraiture by only using one small feature from her body while the rest of the image is compiled of mixed media and patterns. I’m intrigued by the surface design of the image. I’m amazed that Thomas uses so many different patterns and textures to illustrate her subject, yet it still feels totally cohesive.
Paul Fusco:

I love the way Paul Fusco uses longer exposures/motion blur to tell the story about this train leaving. This is such a perfect example of using the camera to convey the story without needing words or other mediums, etc, to help. I love that, when the photograph so easily speaks for themselves. When placing multiple images next to each other from this series, they build on one another and the viewer receives the story in such an effective, yet emotionally compelling manner.

left to right:

Masahisa Fukase:
I am very drawn to the overlay Masahisa Fukase creates over her black and white portraiture. I feel like I’m drowning in this image, especially near the blackness of the lip. The expression is so captivating and I feel like I’m in that labyrinth with Fukase’s subject. Having what looks like a nude portrait hidden behind some sort of veil is honestly surprising, because usually with nude photography, I’m used to models feeling very expressive and free in the portrait.
Richard Mosse:
Richard Mosse uses an infrared film to turn his documentary photographs into something much more abstract. I love his experimentation with different style choices, but as my class talked about during the sepia toning lab, there has to be a reason to do make decisions that we do, else we run the risk of making photographs that look gimmicky. Without reading an artist statement, I don’t see why Mosse made this artistic choice, however I am wildly impressed that he was able to pull it off since it’s such a hard film to photograph with.
Nan Goldin:
I really enjoy Nan Goldin’s organization of color and the way she uses multiple images to further the story. Although they are fairly different from each other, she creates a narrative through color, which is so unique compared to other documentary photographers I’ve seen. I can connect with each image individually because they’re all similar in size, yet her overall composition still feels intentional. In her other images, I enjoy how she also uses color compliments like blue and yellow to create tension between warmth and coolness.
Kyle Meyer:
Kyle Meyer uses photography in a way that’s pretty far off from anything I see myself being capable of, but nonetheless, I still think his artwork is beautiful. I was mostly drawn to this photograph because it reminds me of the women I met in Asia while we were trekking through different ethnic minority villages. They spend the whole day weaving handicrafts together, and I wonder what it’d be like to incorporate their handiwork into photographs of themselves.
Sonia Soberats:
I sort of stumbled upon this photographer by accident. I picked up a book at the library with a lot of texture and was really drawn to the grooves and colors in the photographs, then realized it was a book of photographs intended to be experienced by blind people. Curious, I looked up blind photographers online and stumbled across Sonia Soberats. I’m so mesmerized by her use of lighting and long exposure to create such dreamlike photographs that seem to portray the world through her perspective so authentically.

left to right:

Mary Ellen Mark:
I learned about Mary Ellen Mark from my roommate, Robin. Robin created a series of bathtub photos in her black and white class last quarter, inspired by her work and I believe my artist’s list would be incomplete if I didn’t include this iconic photographer. I took the chance to dig into Mary Ellen Mark’s work myself and discover what I really loved about her, and I just fell in love with this photograph. I have James 1 written next to the mirror in my bedroom, which says that we should not look at ourselves in the mirror and walk away to forget what we look like. I find it very interesting that this man is observing himself in this insanely fancy mirror in an incredibly empty room, imagining everything he could be, while his stature is still so average.
Sally Mann:
Sally Mann is…interesting, to say the least. But, I adore her. To again reference the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Sean O’Connel as he’s about to take a photograph of a hidden snow leopard says, “beautiful things don’t ask for attention,” and I find this to be so true of Sally Mann. She is so unapologetically herself. Her photographs stick out from any other timeless photographer because she has such a unique way of seeing and communicating the world to her viewers. I particularly enjoy this photo montage of portraits because of its darkness, it’s not often I see collages portrayed in such a light like this.
Peter Beard:
Peter Beard’s body of work comes very close to a visualization for the kind of art I hope to make one day. His photo montages are breathtaking because he incorporates real objects (even elephant’s blood!) to a photograph that instantly drives the narrative to a new level. It’s easy for a viewer to get lost in so many different mediums, but Beard’s command over his unique materials is wildly impressive.
JR:
JR’s work is not only impressive for its scale, but for its relevance to society. I am continually inspired by the way he involves everyone in a culture or community in speaking out on social issues or injustices. He gives people who have no voice, a voice. I loved his ted talk where he cast his vision for art to millions of views and pegged the question, “can art change the world?” When he gave everyone a chance to paste up their own photography around their towns and to speak out on issues that mattered to them, I was so impressed by the way he used his style and voice to have influence over multiple different demographics.
Deun Ivory:
I really enjoy Deun Ivory’s portraiture. She pulls out such awesome texture and personality just by using light. The way she has her subject matter engage with the photographer is so compelling. It appears there’s some sort of emotional tension and movement in all of the images, where Ivory took a photograph while the subject was mid sentence.

left to right:

Duane Michals:
I really enjoy the way Duane Michal’s handwriting creates such a more intimate portrait and gives additional context to the photograph. The colors in the photograph itself are beautiful, and I like that the handwriting makes the photograph appear more childlike, expressive and personal. I also appreciate that the handwriting doesn’t intrude on the actual photograph, rather it surrounds the image more like a caption.
Fazal Sheikh:
I have such a passion for photographing women, especially those of ethnic minority. I love the way Sheikh successfully captured such an intimate portrait with captivating and intense emotion. Although it appears posed, it still feels so raw. Although I am concentrating in documentary photography at SCAD, there’s something special about the posed environmental portrait. This photography still effectively communicates a story about a woman and her child.
Mark Mahoney:
I have absolutely fallen in love with Mark Mahoney’s command over lighting. The coloration of his photographs are so distinct, humble, muted, and soft. Again, I love the posed documentary-style portrait. It’s obvious he has such a strong concept behind his photography, and he takes a narrative to an entirely new level with such creative environmental portraits. I am very moved and inspired by his artistic style and editing choices as well.
Wolfgang Volz:
This series of photographs reminds me of the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, one of my favorite movies. We see mostly wide angle shots whenever Walter travels from city to city, mountain to mountain, and it gives me such an itch for adventure. Wolfgang Volz gives me that same feeling with his photography. When I see the way Jeanne-Claude’s coat picks up with the wind and the vastness of nature to be explored, I want to just go. His photography reminds me of humanity’s smallness, the world’s largeness.
John Loengard:

John Loengard pays close attention to detail. I love how much an emotional response his photographs pull out of me, even in portraits where a full face isn’t visible. He has a way of getting so close to the subject, where it seems he’s in the water with them, inches away from the face, or is inhaling the smoke of his subject’s cigar. I also love the quality of natural light in his portraiture.

left to right:

Stu Levy:
This way of photo montaging is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I love how close we get to the scene from the number of compiled photographs. In his book, he “uses the polaroid images of the finished portrait as a compositional element within the image,” then the pages fold out to display the full frame collage of the entire scene. Being drawn to book making, I am wildly impressed by his sequencing and structure. The scale of the photograph in the book is important too, because he pays such close attention to detail within the photo.
Elliot Erwitt:
I love how Elliot Erwitt settles this moment to stillness with this photograph. I admire how much I’m able to connect with the boy even though I’m not making eye contact with him. This scene makes me want to see the world through the older brother’s eyes. I love Erwitt’s glowing highlights and rich blacks because it brings my attention to his subject matter.
Eve Arnold:

My first photo book was a gift to me from my aunt, and on the cover was a photo taken by Eve Arnold. Being one of my first experiences with documentary photography, I loved seeing the way she captured such intimate portraits of celebrities. This photograph is sweet to me given the context of her other work, because I imagine a celebrity who grew up too fast…burdened by the loss of her youth to fame.
Bea Nettles:
Having been a book maker and photographer for nearly 40 years, I am deeply inspired by the way Nettles processes her photography to create juxtaposition in her content. I love that her photography deals with pushing the boundaries of this art form, but she does it so well. She has explored such a wide range of content in 40 years of photographing, one of her most recent works being about her transition to 50. Impassioned by photo montage, I see Bea Nettles as such an inspiration ever since my photo professor introduced me to her.
Dave Mckean:
I love the way Dave McKean abstracts photography in a way that’s still semi-representational. He communicates with the viewer about the human body in a way that exposes our soulful nature without ever showing us a face. This photograph in particular looks a lot like an x-ray of a broken hand to me, and reminds me that nothing we have is guaranteed to us. I appreciate how his stacking technique creates simulated transparency.

SAV FILM FEST 2019

SAV FILM FEST 2019

see. hear. love.

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