Who are the ten greatest photographers of all time? It’s the question every photography lover has an opinion on, and no two answers are the same. AP asked a panel of 20 experts to take on the impossible task of deciding.
Asking anyone to name the ten greatest photographers of all time is a bit like asking them to name their ten favourite meals. The results depend entirely on who’s at the table, what mood they’re in and the last time they ate.
AP first ran the greatest photographers feature idea back in 2000. The internet was still young and digital cameras were just finding their pixels. Twenty-five years on, four members of the original panel kindly returned to play again. Some changed a name or two; others completely overhauled their list. It’s a reminder that photographic history isn’t set in stone but shifts, as all art histories do, with time, perspective and taste.
Defining greatness
Several contributors wrestled openly with the brief. ‘I’m worried by the word greatest’ said one. ‘Context is everything,’ admitted another. ‘The best I can do is list the ten that have most intrigued or moved me consistently.’ For one panellist, the most important picture in their life was from a colonoscopy – proof, perhaps, that photography’s power is not confined to the gallery wall.
Others defined greatness as a mix of influence, longevity and revelation: photographers who changed how we see the world and sustained that impact across decades. One expert noted the difficulty of assessing the long-term influence of today’s image-makers, while another made a deliberate effort to include underrepresented photographers from Asia and Africa.
There was nostalgia too: ‘In retrospective mode, I notice my choices devolve on the pre-digital era. It’s very difficult to excel now.’ And, inevitably, a sense of resignation: ‘A challenge to say the least. If I did it next year or in ten years, it would be different again.’
What emerges from this collective exercise isn’t a definitive list of the ten greatest photographers, but a portrait of how photography itself is seen and valued in 2025: messy, subjective, passionately debated and gloriously alive.
The greatest photographers ever (in reverse order) are…
LEE MILLER (= 5 nominations)
‘Extraordinary career spans from being a model for US Vogue in the 1920s, a key artistic figure in the French surrealist scene, through to the first female photojournalist to bear witness to many historic and horrific events of World-War II.’ Anne McNeill, Director Impressions Gallery
‘For navigating through life with determination and considerable talent, overcoming a dysfunctional family life and showing true grit in the face of grim war.’ Zelda Cheatle, Curator and Editor of Photography
ROBERT FRANK (= 5 nominations)
‘The Father of contemporary photography. The Americans is still one of the best photography books ever published.’ Martin Parr, Documentary Photographer, Magnum Photos
‘Reflected his own psychology and the temper of a whole country – the USA – in the same image. And took the most filmic stills ever.’ Martin Harrison FSA, Writer and Historian. Director of Publications Estate of Francis Bacon Publishing
ANDRÉ KERTÉSZ (= 5 nominations)
‘His images of ordinary objects and places feel like poems, somewhat surreal, and leaving you wanting more.’ Sebah Chaudhry Director, Producer and Curator
‘He had a unique approach to capturing seemingly chance encounters and the poetry of everyday life. He was the greatest influence on Cartier Bresson too (“Kertesz did it first”) and always strove to innovate and experiment.’ Professor Paul Hill MBE, DFine Art, DArts Visiting Professor, De Montfort University, Leicester
GORDON PARKS (= 6 nominations)
‘So lucidly realised; like cinema, Parks’ images can appear more solid and tangible than the living moment. Each image, a vivid encounter, delivered in a perfectly-executed frame.’ Melanie Llewellyn, Curator, Getty Images Hulton Archive
‘Highlighting social issues with empathy simultaneously setting a new standard in fashion photography.’ Carrie Kania, Creative Director of Iconic Images and co-host of The Decisive Moment Podcast
NAN GOLDIN (=6 nominations)
‘Intimate, unfiltered, and emotionally charged images of queer communities, relationships, and the realities of addiction.’ Louise Fedotov-Clements, Director, Photoworks
‘Her work captures actual intimacy, communities in flux, love, addiction, self-destruction, tenderness, joy, violence and care. She was able to transform private experience into cultural history, proving that personal truth can reshape public institutions.’ Tiffany Tangen, Head of Content Wex Photo Video
MARTIN PARR (=7 nominations)
‘With over 100 photobooks to his name, Parr’s early b/w work is always worth seeking out, but it was his colour work from the 1980s that brought a new aesthetic to British photography and influenced a new generation of documentary photographers. His influence through his photography, curation and publishing is immense.’ Michael Pritchard, Photographic Historian
‘I find him difficult to describe. More than anyone he has grabbed the essence of what I would call ’the vulgarity’ of modern-day life – I am sure he would not agree with the word. I know of no one who has poured more of themselves into promoting others.’ David Hurn, Documentary Photographer, Magnum Photos
HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON (=7 nominations)
‘The doyen of my list, my mentor, he personified documentary photography in its heyday.’ Ian Berry, Photojournalist, Magnum Photos
‘So influential. I wanted to leave him out my list but, for obvious reasons, just couldn’t.’ Dewi Lewis, Publisher
DAIDO MORIYAMA (=8 NOMINATIONS)
‘Who redefined photography using symbolism and emotion, making us think rather read about his images.’ Jennie Ricketts, Independent Photography Consultant
‘His output, and the sheer energy contained within every picture, continues to astound me.’ Mark Power, Photographer, Magnum Photos
WILLIAM EGGLESTON (=8 nominations)
‘Legitimised colour photography as fine art, transforming the mundane landscapes of the American South into vivid, unsettling tableaux.’ Peter Dench, Photojournalist, Writer, Co-Founder Photo North Festival
‘Eggleston turned his gaze to his home environment – the American South, revealing beauty, darkness, and strangeness in the most ordinary and banal subjects. By embracing colour photography then confined to the vernacular and commercial realms, he transformed how art (photography) could represent contemporary life.’ Max Gorbatskyi, Curator
DIANE ARBUS (9 Nominations)
‘Whether empathic or exploitative Arbus platformed those on the margins, bringing them into the mainstream.’ James Hyman, Founding Director, Centre for British Photography
I don’t think the importance of Diane Arbus’s work can be overstated. She used her camera as a form of commentary, creating portraits of people who were unusual, underrepresented and often unaccepted. Her artistry and connection to them allowed the individuality and character of her subject to flourish and her influence continues to resonate in the work of contemporary photographers today.’ Fiona Shields, Head of Photography Guardian News & Media
Thank you to our panel of experts : Anne McNeill Director, Impressions Gallery : Melanie Llewellyn Curator, Getty Images Hulton Archive : Tiffany Tangen Head of Content, Wex Photo Video : Professor Paul Hill MBE, DFine Art, DArts Visiting Professor, De Montfort University, Leicester : Michael Pritchard Photographic Historian : Carrie Kania Creative Director of Iconic Images and co-host of The Decisive Moment Podcast : David Hurn Documentary Photographer, Magnum Photos : Martin Harrison FSA Writer and Historian. Director of Publications Estate of Francis Bacon Publishing : Mark Power Photographer, Magnum Photos : Max Gorbatskyi Curator : Jennie Ricketts Independent Photography Consultant : Dewi Lewis Publisher : Peter Dench Photojournalist, Writer, Co-Founder Photo North festival : Fiona Shields Head of Photography Guardian News & Media : Louise Fedotov-Clements Director, Photoworks : Sebah Chaudhry Director, Producer and Curator : James Hyman Founding Director, Centre for British Photography : Ian Berry Photojournalist, Magnum Photos : Zelda Cheatle Curator and Editor of Photography : Martin Parr Documentary Photographer, Magnum Photos
To read the full lists from our panellists check out our Review of the Year Special, we reflect on the past 12 months: the best kit, the images of the year, best books, and readers’ best buys of 2025. Plus, we reveal the stunning winners of APOY Round 7, Animal Kingdom, and much more…
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