I stumbled across this photographer recently after becoming obsessed with street photography. Vivian Maier died a couple of years ago, unaware that her photography would become an important thread in the fabric of photography in general. She left behind hundreds of thousands of negatives, prints, and film that were discovered at a storage auction. She never sought notoriety, she was just passionate about taking photographs of the world that surrounded her.
The most inspiring aspect of her photography to me is that each photograph tells a story. While I love doing abstract, nature and fine art photography, portrait/posed photography is probably my least favorite style. Street photography appeals to me because those pictures are “life as it happens,” which is my mantra when I take event photography. I pose subjects as little as possible and focus on candid interactions between people.
Today, I saw this video about the man who found her photographs and has taken on the job of restoring and showing her work. As my own style comes into focus, I am so grateful to have discovered Vivian and her legacy. Vivian was a storyteller, and that’s what I strive to be with my creative skills.
Sassy Dreams Awake 