Influences

Photographers

David Plowden to me is the perfect photographer. I love every single photograph he shows! Industry, built landscapes, forgotten places and trains. Check out his work, you will see why I feel the way I do.

Jeff Brouws is right behind Plowden to me. Much of the same subject matter is covered, however I see it as being on the opposite end of Plowdens work, almost a more modern version.

O. Winston Link railroad photography is absolutely amazing. His night photography of steam engines in their final years are true masterpieces.

Richard Nickel saw the destruction of Chicago’s architectural treasures and did everything he could to save them. The best he could do was save artifacts and take photos. He documented the outside, but also the inside, of many buildings in their final days. He payed the ultimate price by being crushed to death during the demolition of the Stock Exchange building.

Ron Gordon seems to start documenting Chicago’s fading architecture where Nickel stopped. I really enjoy his work in Chicago’s Printers Row area.

Camilo Jose Vergara has been photography cities for over 30 years. However he focuses on the poor neighborhoods in those cities. He shoots many abandoned buildings but then goes beyond by showing us how residence in that neighborhood fit in to the abandoned landscape.

Troy Paiva is the light painting master! As if that wasn’t enough… mostly abandoned subject matter of the Southwest.

Steve Fitch covers some of my favorites. Abandoned buildings, roadside vernacular and the desert.

Arthur Drooker has photographed many ruins in America as well as the America’s.

Brian Vanden Brink –

Art Shay is one of Chicago’s best known photographers. He has photographed many different subjects throughout his career. His street photography of Chicago writer Nelson Algren in the 50’s captures a side of Chicago history that nobody else did.

Andreas Feininger shot New York in the 40’s but also traveled west and made some amazing roadside shots. Many were created along Route 66.

Jay Maisel kind of made me look at things differently after seeing him speak at PMA years ago. It was simple, he said if you have never seen the arrow in the FedEx logo you are not seeing right. I can’t miss that arrow now!

Jack Delano was one of several photographers working for the Farm Security Administration. He covered everyday people in their everyday lives across the country. He also did extensive work capturing the railroads of the United States.

Mitch Epstein –

John Szarkowski –

William Eggleston –

Stephen Shore –

John Divola –

John Margolies –

Joel Sternfeld –

Robert Frank –

Lee Friedlander –

Michael Eastman –

Russell Lee –

Brian Vanden Brink –

Christopher Payne –

Marion Post Wolcott –

Tony and Eva Worobiec –

Gregory Crewdson –

Joel Meyerowitz –

John Vachon –

Michael Light –

Mitch Dobrowner –

Michael Berman –

Scott Lothes –

Keith Burgess –

Andrew Cross –

Caleb Cain Marcus –

Elaine Mayes –

Herman Krieger –

Artists

Edward Hopper –

Robert Cottingham –

Richard Estes –

Ralph Goings –