Damn these 'favorite' questions - it's quite tough to pin down one. But my stab at a favorite photographer is Edward Burtynsky. I only opened the door on his work about a year ago, but it continues to haunt me.
I studied landscape architecture, am active in the outdoors, love the sublime, but find the vast majority of landscape photography quite cliche. My photography evolved along those lines, and confronted that conundrum. Edward Burtynsky did as well - he saw himself as a Canadian looking north to this expansive primal landscape (as Americans sometimes look to the West) and he realized he could go on creating images bound for postcards and calendars or he could strive to develop thoughtful images that had something to offer the people of his time (here and now).
"Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in my work. I set course to intersect with a contemporary view of the great ages of man; from stone, to minerals, oil, transportation, silicon, and so on."
The conceptual and technical skill of his images are astounding. The concise and insightful way he speaks about his work is amazing. He skillfully straddles the line of art and documentary, repulsion and beauty, offers something insightful while adhering to photographic traditions. I could go on...
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