Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. An obituary published in The New York Times said that "his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America's image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century" He has worked with countless celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, he has previously worked for Harper's Bazaar and Calvein Klein. As a child there was a moment which kindled Avedone's interest in photography; “One evening my father and I were walking down Fifth Avenue looking at the store windows,” he remembered. “In front of the Plaza Hotel, I saw a bald man with a camera posing a very beautiful woman against a tree. He lifted his head, adjusted her dress a little bit and took some photographs. Later, I saw the picture in Harper's Bazaar. I didn't understand why he'd taken her against that tree until I got to Paris a few years later: the tree in front of the Plaza had that same peeling bark you see all over the Champs-Elysees.”
Click on image to enlarge.
I appreciate the simplicity in all of the images, and how there is never too much going on. Although he defies the rule of thirds, his work isn't boring. The fact that he uses black and white could be interpreted as how all of his images show gender neutrality and equality, because he doesn't use colours that are usually associated with specific genders. This image stood out to me, not because of who was in the picture but because of her facial expressions. I've noticed how many of his images show people with 'sad' faces. The dull colours used in the image, almost show the person being photographed's emotions. The black and white could represent the negative impacts of fame on the celebrities lives. In this image I especially like how the sequins on her dress stand out, as the light is reflected of them.