George W. Gardner

I know that a lot of us in analog are about to begin our documentary projects. I have always loved the genre of documentary because you're photographing to preserve something, but you can twist the stylistic elements of your images any way you'd like so that they do the subject matter justice. I have always admired George Gardner's photographs of America for this reason--they're so distinct. Much like Robert Frank's series on Americans, Gardner stays true to setting and subject matter, while still incorporating his own characteristics. I encourage everyone to check out his work, because I feel that with his documentary photographs, he's achieved what I believe to be the most important element for this genre: a feeling of intimacy between subject and viewer.

America, 1960-1985