Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon was an influential American fashion and fine art photographer. His iconic portraits of celebrities, spanned more than half of the 20th century, and included Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, The Beatles and Andy Warhol. 

“My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph,” he once observed. Avedon’s fashion shots were profoundly dramatic and dynamic, often capturing the model in motion. Working during a time when the prevailing trend had been to present portraits that were still and subdued, his stood out with their intimate viewpoint. 

Avedon started at Vogue in 1964 and then as its head photographer from 1973–1988. He is also known for his series capturing American Western figures such as drifters, cowboys and others living on the edges of society. These images were later published as the book In the American West, which is widely considered a seminal work in the history of photography.