Every photographer hopes to have an iconic image in their portfolio – one that will tell a story and stand for decades to come. Now, TIME have unveiled their very detailed list of the 100 most influential images of all time – and there’s some absolutely breathtaking entries.
Narrowing this into a concise list of 100 is no easy feat – and the selections have ranged from black-and-white images from the 1940s to mobile phone selfies which have changed the way we think about the art of photography. Moreover, TIME have accompanied each of their picks with editorial to contextualise each image – providing a true insight into the circumstances surrounding the snap.
Speaking on their selections, the TIME team said:
There is no formula that makes a picture influential. Some images are on our list because they were the first of their kind, others because they shaped the way we think. And some made the cut because they directly changed the way we live. What all 100 share is that they are turning points in our human experience.
You can see the entire ambitious project over at TIME right now, while you can see some of our favourites below – do you remember where you were the first time you saw these iconic images?
BETTY GRABLE BY FRANK POWOLNY
THE BURNING MONK BY MALCOLM BROWNE
MUHAMMAD ALI VS. SONNY LISTON BY NEIL LEIFER
LUNCH ATOP A SKYSCRAPER BY UNKNOWN PHOTOGRAPHER
IMMERSIONS (PISS CHRIST) BY ANDRES SERRANO
FIRE ESCAPE COLLAPSE BY STANLEY FORMAN
OSCARS SELFIE BY BRADLEY COOPER
THE HINDENBURG DISASTER BY SAM SHERE
BLACK POWER SALUTE BY JOHN DIMINIS
NORTH KOREA BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER
