The Most Important Punk Photographers

Inspiring my own pursuits

Edward Colver - The Flip. July 4, 1981

The following is not a list of the best punk photographers ever. Instead, it is compiled of the photographers whose photos have impacted my current pursuits in punk and hardcore photography, in no particular order or time sequence.

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Cindy Hicks

Photographing the Richmond, Virginia scene of the early 80’s Cindy may not be highly acclaimed or even considered one of the greats. This does not make her photos any less impactful or brilliant. I only recently stumbled upon them from a random Google search when one picture in particular court my eye.

Cindy Hicks - 538 Club 1983

In an interview with RVA Mag (here), it’s mentioned that Cindy would often turn away from bands to capture crowds and the people involved at the time. Having the same feeling and then delighted to see how her photos look it was a sense of reassurance. A centred flash with slight vignetting is something I was applying to my work as can be seen with Cindys. In the golden age of punk, Cindy was able to capture and document bands such as Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys and Circle Jerks.

Find an amazing collection of Cindy’s photos on her Flickr

4 photos above all Cindy Hicks - 1981-83

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Glen E Friedman

Glen E. Friedman - 1991 NYC

Renowned for his raw and powerful photography capturing the early American punk scene of the late 1970s and early ’80s. I was aware of Glen before my plunge into this photographic world due to his equally important documentation of both the rise of skateboarding and Hip Hop. Also his detailed capturing of one of my favourite punk bands Minor Threat. He has released an incredible book on the band which I need to add to the collection. Shooting legendary bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, and Bad Brains, photos in intimate, energetic, and chaotic moments. There is no question that his work helped define the visual identity of hardcore punk, emphasizing its rebellious spirit and DIY ethos. His photos remain some of the most iconic representations of the era.

You can see lots of his great photos on his IG.

Photos in order - Minor Threat, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Flag. All Glen E. Friedman

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Paul O’Brien

It would be criminal of me to not include an Aussie in this list with location and recency bias giving the nod to Paul. In 2013 the State Library of Queensland came into possession of 880 of O’Brien’s negatives. The collection captured Brisbane’s punk scene from 1978 to 1982. From these negatives, a wonderful book was put together titled Nowhere Fast – Punk and Pop-Punk Brisbane 1978-1982.

What’s great and so relatable about Paul is the fact he was a telecom worker by day and then pursued his passion for photography at night. Finding myself in the same situation now. The photos he took were very intimate and could transport you to a place in time. Lots of great photos of crowds of people within the scene hanging out. The full collection can be seen here.

All photos Paul Obrien

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Edward Colver

This one goes without saying, Ed to most would be the best or if not the best one of the most influential. Documenting the LA punk explosion Colver’s photos are timeless and easily recognisable. Not having him on a personal most inspiring list just seems wrong. You can spend hours looking through his website's gallery trying to find a favourite. Raw and gritty but always seem to be perfectly timed, a hard feat in the time of film and manual exposure.

Name an influential band of the time and Ed photographed them, his images used on album covers, posters, books and flyers for years to come. One of his most famous photos is the shot of a stage-diving punk mid-air, featured on the cover of American Hardcore. Colver’s work defined the raw, aggressive aesthetic of the West Coast punk and hardcore scene.

All photos Edward Colver

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I could go on forever with these but I don’t want to lose your interest or attention. The people who photographed the punk movement of the late 70s and 80s were groundbreaking with their photographs being so timeless. A truly great time for music and the people who captured it.