Most enduring or iconic image!

Following on from Alex's 'Favourite Photographer" theme, I wonder if people have a photographic image that springs to mind when thinking about or talking about photography. For myself, I can think of several images which stick in my memory but none of them underwater! Possibly the most Iconic images that I can immediately remember are those such as the naplamed children in Viet-Nam (this has been published so often..), the 'portrait' of Che Guevara, an image taken in North Africa by Cartier-Bresson, and more - all oddly enough black & white. The first two are not technically the most perfect of images but this really doesn't matter. Other 'styles' of images are there but I can remember few as actual individual images.

 

It would be interesting to see if others can actually visualise a specific image from its description and whilst there is hardly room here for a discussion of what makes a truly great image, I would be interested to know if anyone considers any underwater images to be really 'Iconic".

The photo of the hooded Afghani woman on the cover of National Geographic in the eighties is one that sticks with me. Her eyes are incredible!

 

As for underwater, I like the Ernie Brooks photo of the California Sealions - of course in black and white...

 

Cheers

James

The u/w shot that is the most close to the 'Iconic' title is probably the Circling barracudas of David Dubilet.

I think its the most known u/w shot.

The photo of the hooded Afghani woman on the cover of National Geographic in the eighties is one that sticks with me.  Her eyes are incredible!

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Amazing, I was thinking the same thing! By the way, the photographer is Steve McCurry.

 

Underwater, the one that sticks with me is Doubilet's circle of Barracudas.

 

Here are the links for them:

 

David Doubilet's Circle of Barracudas

 

Steve McCurry's Afghan Girl

 

I almost posted the pictures (linked from their original sites, of course), but I thought that I maybe infringing some copyright law.

 

Cheers,

 

Luiz

 

EDIT: Arnon, you were faster than me! I was typing when you posted.

U/W : Doubilet's circle of baracudas, but of more recent vintage, Zena Holloway's image of a free diver with reflection in his mask on a blue open water background for sheer elegance of graphic impact and Donald Tipton's shot of his kid, makes me wanna have kids, just so they have the oportunity of this kind of encounter ,

 

Topside : Margareth Bourke White for her ironic shot of a bread line during a flood, no offence but the american way of life is promoted as THE way of life and when youre sitting on the other side of the border you kind of take this in stride , Eugene Smith, well look at the shot and tell me it's not touching you, make's you want to join Green peace right there and now, once you know the background behind the shot. Diane Arbus child with a toy Grenade, deranging image, never bought a millitary toy for my nephews from then on.

 

http://www.zenaholloway.com/

http://www.donaldtipton.com/cgi-bin/store/...l?product=books

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/B/bo...iving_full.html

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/sm...amata_full.html

http://www.masters-of-photography.com/A/ar...enade_full.html

 

Wow thank's for the thread, its nice to look back on the guide line of our personnality.

 

Regards

The photo of the hooded Afghani woman on the cover of National Geographic in the eighties is one that sticks with me.  Her eyes are incredible!

 

As for underwater, I like the Ernie Brooks photo of the California Sealions - of course in black and white...

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James have you seen the follow up the same photographer did for NG ... he followed her through out the years and found her again like a year or so ago to do the similar or same cover shot of her decades later

 

but that image is the same for me .. i can't say i have ever seen nor expect to see an iconic underwater image.

I guess I'll be showing my age with this, but the flag raising of Iwo Jima has always stuck with me. And for a second I think the shot of the first earth rise over the moon will always be remembered by me.

 

There are far too many u/w images that come to me at the moment to pick just one, many by people here on this forum. They always give me a goal to shoot for.

 

Have a great day and enjoy life

 

Stephen

Hmm, not really coming up with an iconic/enduring underwater shot. In fact there are so many schooling Barracuda shots i have no idea which one might be Doubilets.

i can't think of any images from any media other than the Afghan girl that stick in my mind at all....

Too much nitrogen i suspect

How about Louis Boutan's underwater pix from the 1890's? His self-portrait comes to mind. To TTL or not to TTL was not exactlly a concern back then !

Tom

For me it's Earnie Brooks' B&W shot of a hard hat diver with his reflection on the helmet. Mysterious yet you can tell the story.

 

Joe