Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus is one of my favourite photographers because she captures her subjects in a way that is not only interesting and new, but particular and personal to the subject. This is probably her most famous image. The expression on the child's face is brilliant.

The parallels between the poodle ornament and the woman's hair make this a humourous photograph. Although Arbus was often criticised for her subject matter - the unusual, the borderline and the strange, she approached her subjects with sensitivity and a fresh eye.

Arbus' images have a good range of mid tones. Most of her images have no black in them at all.