Photography is probably my favorite art medium, because there are so many stories that can (and do) exist within one frame. It is interpretive in that the photographer can convey his point of view by choosing the moment, the place, the view, and the circumstance - but I love that it is based in reality.
My favorite era for photography was the 1950's and 1960's. There was something very surreal about that time, and people seemed to be trying very hard to keep up appearances. But emerging underneath all of the skinny ties, lipstick and hairspray was reality and the gritty underside of society which caught the eye of a few photographers of that time.
Diane Arbus and Garry Winogrand were both masters at capturing moments and people, and both of them had a definite New York point of view. I have seen retrospectives on both of their works, and I admire them very much. Arbus's subjects were very close up, where as Winogrand pulls a little bit further back to include the whole scene. Arbus seems to focus in and stop time, with her subjects clearly aware of the photographer's presence, whereas Winogrand is capturing a moment, as an undetected observer.
Above is Winogrand's most recognized photograph, "World's Fair". Here are a few more of his:
And Arbus:
