One of the most influential Street Photographers of the 20th century, William Klein is one of those must know Street Photographers for anyone serious about the discipline. Before I knew who he was, as I was becoming passionate about Street Photography, I heard/read his name passed around like some sort of idol in various books and on different sites. Each time his name was used it was always near a phrase like “the greats” or “the influential”. His work seemed like something I should be familiar with.
This video is great because it not only talks about Klein and the impressive work he created but it also touches on what influenced him. I think it offers great insight when you can see who or what influenced someone who has created work that is as influential as Klein’s, it’s like being able to decipher the secret ingredients in your favorite dish at a restaurant.
Who has been most influential to you? I draw inspiration from many different disciplines (similar to Klein) though video has not been a substantial part of my work yet. Claude Monet has had one of the largest impacts on my approach to photography, his work on Haystacks (where he painted the same scene from different angles at different times of the day) had a profound impact on my approach to a scene. Let us know in the comments who we should check out next!
