25 Best American Photographers of All Times

From pioneering photographers who captured the struggles and triumphs of ordinary people to bold artists who pushed photography into new creative territory, the best American photographers have deeply influenced the art form.

Their famous pictures have recorded history, challenged traditions, and inspired others. Whether it’s Sally Mann’s emotional child portraits or Robert Frank’s bold street photos, American photographers have used different styles and subjects, showing the country’s incredible diversity.

Pulitzer Prize for Photography. This is one of the highest honors in photojournalism, recognizing outstanding and impactful photo stories in news reporting.

World Press Photo Awards. A top global prize for news and documentary photography. Many Americans have won it for their powerful work.

Sony World Photography Awards. Celebrates great photography in all categories, from portraits to landscapes.

National Geographic Photography Contest. Being featured or winning here is a big deal because Nat Geo is famous for amazing photos.

ICP Infinity Awards. Given by the International Center of Photography, these awards honor the best in photography and visual storytelling.

Lucie Awards. Like the Oscars for photography, they reward top photographers in different styles, from portraits to photojournalism.

Ansel Adams Award. Given by the Sierra Club to photographers who help protect nature through their images.

PDN Photo Annual. This is one of the top awards for commercial and editorial photography. It honors photographers in categories like advertising, photojournalism, and personal projects.

Genres: street, documentary, urban life

Helen Levitt’s photos capture real, unplanned moments of city life, mostly in New York areas like Harlem and the Lower East Side. The work of this famous photographer shows the lively and human side of streets, often highlighting kids and everyday community moments. The pictures of this American street photographer are special for their storytelling and simple, poetic style.

Genres: landscape, documentary, large-format

Stephen Shore is one of the best American landscape photographers, whose photos carefully frame everyday scenes, using color to highlight the beauty in ordinary life. He often focuses on small-town America and roadside culture, especially in places like the Midwest, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Shore’s work reveals the quiet charm of American landscapes, paying close attention to detail and telling stories through subtle moments.

Genres: fine art, black-and-white, portraiture

This talented female photographer creates deeply moving images that mix personal stories with emotions everyone understands. She often photographs her children and the moody landscapes of the South, like in Virginia and Georgia. Her work touches on memories, the passing of time, and life’s fragility. By using old-fashioned photography methods, she gives her pictures a dreamy, eternal feel.

Genres: street, documentary, social commentary

Robert Frank’s photos in The Americans show real, unfiltered life in the 1950s from busy New York to quiet Mississippi and sunny Los Angeles. The powerful images of this male American photographer capture quick, honest moments and contrasts in society, giving us a deep look at American life.

Genres: street, urban landscapes, portraiture

Lee Friedlander takes photos with clever, detailed compositions, usually in cities like Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans. This famous landscape photographer plays with reflections, shadows, and surprising details, creating unique and eye-catching images that change how we see photography. His work has a fun, creative way of showing depth and perspective.

Genres: documentary, portraiture, narrative

Alec Soth's photos capture quiet, emotional moments of American life. He often shoots near the Mississippi River, in small Minnesota towns, and across the Great Plains. His pictures of people and places feel lonely and thoughtful, mixing personal stories with feelings everyone understands. Using gentle light and careful framing, Soth creates images that look like movie scenes. This is why he's considered one of the best photographers for photography inspiration.

Genres: fashion, portraiture, fine art

Edward Steichen was a talented American portrait photographer who blended technical skill with creative artistry. He became famous for his fashion photos and portraits, shooting in places like New York and Paris. His pictures stand out for their classy, lasting style, often using strong shadows and carefully arranged scenes to create striking images. Steichen mixed artistic style with professional photography in groundbreaking ways.

Genres: documentary, black-and-white, social realism

Walker Evans took simple, honest black and white photographs during the Great Depression. His work showed everyday life in places like Alabama, Mississippi, and North Carolina, highlighting the strength and quiet dignity of ordinary people. By focusing on clean compositions and small details, he created powerful pictures that still feel meaningful today.

Genres: street, social documentary, urban life

Garry Winogrand's street photography shows the busy, wild spirit of American cities in the 1900s, especially New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He captured unposed moments with bold angles and motion, making his photos feel energetic and real. His work gives us a raw, colorful look at everyday American life.

Genres: landscape, black-and-white, environmental

Ansel Adams took stunning black-and-white photos of nature, famous for their sharp details and beautiful shades of gray. He mostly photographed the American West, especially Yosemite National Park in California, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and other wild places. The work of this film photographer shows nature's grandeur with incredible precision. Adams was known for using the "Zone System" to get perfectly balanced light in every shot.

Genres: portrait, editorial, celebrity

Annie Leibovitz is one of the best American female photographers who takes famous portraits that are creative, personal, and full of emotion. Her photos of celebrities often use bold lighting and fancy setups. What makes her work special is how each picture tells a story. She’s also known for taking some of the most controversial photos photos in the world.

Genres: fashion, surrealism, pop culture

David LaChapelle’s photos are bright, bold, and full of drama. He mixes pop culture with artistic flair, often shooting in Los Angeles and New York. His work uses wild colors, eye-catching setups, and sharp social messages to create unforgettable, over-the-top images.

Genres: cinematic, conceptual, narrative

Alex Prager creates photos that look like movie scenes, full of bright colors and storytelling. She often shoots in Los Angeles, turning ordinary moments into something strange and dreamlike. Her use of bold lighting and perfectly arranged setups gives her work a mysterious, nostalgic feel.

Genres: fine art, conceptual, surrealism

Brooke Shaden crafts magical, dreamy photos, frequently shooting in wild landscapes across Arizona, California, and Nevada's deserts. She blends nature with narrative to create surreal, art-like images packed with emotions.

Genres: photojournalism, conflict, documentary

Lynsey Addario takes strong, meaningful photos around the world - from war areas like Afghanistan and Iraq to American cities. Her pictures show people's strength during hard times, mixing great photography with real feeling, making her one of the greatest American photographers of all time.

Genres: portrait, travel, documentary

Steve McCurry takes vivid, unforgettable photos around the world. His famous Afghan Girl portrait is known everywhere. His pictures use bold colors and powerful framing to pull you into people's lives. As a top portrait photographer, his work connects different cultures with feelings everyone understands.

Genres: conceptual, portraiture, feminism art

Cindy Sherman uses creative self-portraits to examine identity and gender. Dressing up in different costumes and characters, she takes these photos in her New York studio. Her work mirrors city life while challenging social expectations. These striking images push viewers to think differently, establishing Sherman as an innovator in modern art.

Genres: still life, landscape, modernist

Edward Weston took simple, striking photos that highlighted shapes and textures. He often shot everyday objects and coastal scenes around California, turning ordinary things like seashells and rocks into beautiful art. The photos of this contemporary American photographer turn everyday objects into masterpieces.

Genres: fashion, portraiture, still life

This top fashion photographer creates stylish, simple images, especially in fashion and still life. His clever lighting and a sharp eye for detail produce classic, lasting photos. Penn’s work perfectly mixes advertising and artistic photography.

Genres: portraiture, black-and-white, fine art

Robert Mapplethorpe took striking black-and-white photos that examined beauty, identity, and sexuality. Working mainly in New York City, his pictures mixed timeless grace with daring modern style. His fearless work pushed boundaries and raised photography to high art.

Genres: surrealism, conceptual, experimental

Man Ray often tried experimental photography ideas like dreamlike surrealist images and his famous "solarization" effect. His work mixes weird shapes with playful, puzzling twists. As a rule-breaking artist, he turned photography into something strange and exciting.

Genres: documentary, portraiture, social realism

Mary Ellen Mark's compassionate documentary photos focus on overlooked groups in big cities, including New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Her strong, emotional portraits show people's dignity and struggles, making her photos meaningful to society and beautiful to look at.

Genres: fine art, portraiture, landscape

Lisa Stone creates emotional, textured fine art photography that mixes natural elements with a dreamy quality. Her work feels both personal and relatable to everyone. Using careful lighting and shadows, plus close attention to small details, she makes photos that resemble paintings. As one of the greatest American nature photographers, she mainly shoots landscapes and portraits that feel peaceful and timelessly beautiful.

Genres: sports, action, photojournalism

Pete Martin takes exciting sports photos that show the energy of games in famous U.S. stadiums like Boston’s Fenway Park, Dallas’ AT&T Stadium, and New York’s Madison Square Garden. His strong, clear shots perfectly capture fast-paced action, making his photos feel alive with stories and motion.