Documentary photography

Kind of a random post, but felt like sharing...I've always loved fashion and portrait photography and was lucky to make somewhat of a career out of it, but was always bothered by how shallow it often is. I still love it and have my idols in that discipline (Meisel, Roversi, Testino, Leibovitz, etc.), but recently after getting a Leica started seeing things much differently- I think the system somehow forces a new perspective on the user. I was worried about how I'd adapt at first, but the transition has been seamless for me and very welcome.Anyways, after getting the new camera I started researching famous Leica photographers, which ultimately lead me to a broader search for great documentary images in general and my mind has been genuinely blown by what I've uncovered thus far. I've missed this feeling of discovering something new (to me) that I'm this excited about... it's been years!Some names I've been loving/absorbing:Josef KoudelkaRobert FrankEugene RichardsW. Eugene SmithWilliam EgglestonJohn BulmerDiane ArbusTheir works are raw, honest, and emotive, while still being very artistic and featuring their own unique signature- it's a balance I can only aspire to. The word "documentary", to me, suggests complete neutrality and while I feel these photographers (artists, really) have attained that, they do so with a great artistic edge- it's fascinating how the two things can co-exist.Would really love it if you guys could recommend some other photographers to check out, old or new. I'm definitely going to be picking up some photo books soon and trying my hand at the genre as well- there are several projects I've got on my mind. My main dilemma now is whether I should get a 28 or 35 next (only have a 50 at the moment). via /r/photography https://ift.tt/32YSxWK