The World's Best Photographers: See Who Made the Cut

The World's Best Photographers: See Who Made the Cut

The World's Best Photographers See Who Made the Cut

A great photo can be the difference between a mediocre photo and an award-winning one. A good photographer will know what tools to use, how to capture the right angle, and even how to make you look your best in any setting. While there are countless talented photographers who may not be famous yet, we’ve rounded up the world’s best photographers who have received international acclaim for their work. They’re responsible for capturing some of the most recognizable photos in history, so you know they must be doing something right! Read on to see which photographers made our list of the top 10 best in the world...

Sebastião Salgado

Best known for his never-before-seen images of indigenous tribes, migrant workers and major events such as 9/11, Sebastião Salgado is a true master of documentary photography. The Brazilian photographer—who has also dabbled in photojournalism, fine art, and film—has created several photo books chronicling his travels across five continents. His latest release is Genesis, which documents his travels in China during which he saw havoc and suffering. He uses his photos to shed light on issues that are overlooked or ignored by those who control political and economic power. In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Salgado said: There are 40 million slaves today; more than at any other time in history.

Larry Towell

It may seem silly to rank photographers in a list of Best Photographers. But that’s because it is—this is a time for bragging rights, and celebrating people who have done extraordinary things with their cameras. Towell gets our nod as the best photographer for his outstanding contribution to human culture by chronicling Sudan’s last refuge of wildlife, documenting struggles against genocide in Sudan and Bosnia, and generally redefining photojournalism. For decades now, he has lived amongst his subjects without judgment or agenda; more importantly, he truly empathizes with them to capture their plight at its most raw. We can’t help but wonder how many publications would even exist today if not for his work documenting long-forgotten conflicts around the world.

Alex Webb

A Good Picture Is Everything. (And then some.) A good picture isn’t just a pretty image or a well-framed scene; it can tell a complete story and capture complex emotion, all in one frame. For 35 years, Alex Webb has made his living traveling to places like Cuba, Iran, Bolivia, Mexico, and Brazil to take pictures of people and places few have seen before. You have to get in there; you have to live with these people—you’re part of their lives for those moments, he says about his work on assignments for magazines including National Geographic.

Candida Höfer

There are many reasons to see Candida Höfer’s work. Her photographs combine realism with a creative sensibility, often with an emphasis on nature, its grandeur, and landscape. Many of her images were made in places you might want to visit yourself; that wide-angle image of Greenland’s vast ice sheets and colossal glaciers is enticing indeed. Not surprisingly, seeing is believing. Her photography is so realistic it almost looks computer-generated as if she must have had a helping hand in creating some of these complex pieces—which are also heavily processed—herself. (She didn’t.) That said, her pictures aren’t quite as good as they look; at least not by professional standards or traditional means of assessment.

The World's Best Photographers: See Who Made the Cut

Laura El-Tantawy

There are a number of truly remarkable things about Egyptian-born, London-based photographer Laura El-Tantawy. First, she’s only 26 years old. Second, she was born completely blind—something that would preclude most from pursuing their dreams of capturing incredible moments through a lens. She overcame all odds to attend London’s Guildhall University where she studied fine art photography before moving on to The Royal College of Art and graduating in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Photography. Last year, she joined Magnum Photos as one of 12 new members after completing her two-year apprenticeship with them—the first blind person ever to do so.

Dave Hill

Sometimes even beautiful and professional-looking photos can come out blurry, fuzzy, or distorted. While a less-than-stellar picture of your Grandma probably won't affect your legacy as one of history's great photographers, not getting that perfect shot could cause you to lose a substantial amount of money. For instance, if you're a photographer shooting people for dating profiles, bad photos might mean clients opt for someone else. Or say you're an editorial photographer trying to capture an image for a magazine feature—if it doesn't look good in print, no one will buy it (even if they did see it on social media). Being aware of these 10 common photo mistakes can help ensure that your next photo shoots go off without a hitch!

John Stanmeyer

A leading member of National Geographic’s Expedition Council, Stanmeyer has photographed all seven continents and is a six-time honoree in NG’s Best of Photography annual competition. He has published four books and recently released his first film, Living Light. In 2016, he was named one of National Geographic Traveler’s Explorers for the Planet. His work is housed in major collections including The George Eastman House; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Brooklyn Museum; and Denver Art Museum. Recently he worked on portraits for First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her Let Girls Learn initiative.

Joel Sartore

Every photographer has his or her own vision and style, but these 20 are all masters of their craft. Joel Sartore, National Geographic’s chief photographer, hand-picked photographers from around the world to share their best work for an exhibition in Washington, D.C., titled The Photo Ark. We asked some of our favorite photography experts to weigh in on what it takes to be one of Sartore’s fellow photographers—and what makes their photos so special.