Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He is best known for his work in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue magazines, as well as his iconic portraits of celebrities and public figures.

Avedon was born in New York City to a Jewish family. His father was a Russian immigrant who owned a clothing store. Avedon began taking photographs at the age of 12, and by the time he was 17 he had already developed a signature style of portraiture that focused on capturing the personality of his subjects.

In 1944, Avedon joined the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and served in World War II before returning to New York City in 1946 to pursue photography full-time. He quickly gained recognition for his work with Harper's Bazaar, where he worked from 1945 to 1965, and Vogue magazine from 1966 to 1990. During this time he created some of his most iconic images including portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Andy Warhol.

Avedon also worked extensively with advertising campaigns for brands such as Revlon and Calvin Klein throughout his career. In addition to fashion photography, Avedon also produced several books including Observations (1959), Nothing Personal (1964), In The American West (1985), and Evidence 1944-1994 (1994).

Throughout his career Avedon received numerous awards including the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal in 2003 for outstanding achievement in photography. He died at the age of 81 due to complications from a cerebral hemorrhage in San Antonio, Texas on October 1st 2004.