My New Year’s tradition is walking up the Oakvale Road overpass in Walnut Creek to get a good view of my hometown and beyond. I posted similar pics the past two years, and, given the uncertainty I have going into this year, it’s fitting that it’s cloudy today.
20th Century Fashion Photography!
(Top to bottom: fashion served by Richard Avedon (from the 90s and 50s), Herb Ritts, and Ellen Von Unwerth.)
The creativity and quality of the top fashion photographers of the 20th century has yet to be matched by their modern-day equivalents. Pick up an issue of Vogue or Bazaar from 30 years ago and compare the imagery in the editorials then to the ones from today, and the contrast is clear. I do have my favorites within this favorite: Avedon, Penn, Newton, Ritts, Meisel (probably the only OG still shooting quality work today), Von Unwerth, Demarchelier, Lindbergh…All masters at their craft!
From left to right: supermodel Claudia Schiffer for Guess Jeans, 1989, pop icon Kylie Minogue for i-D magazine, July 1994, and the master herself for UK Vogue, 2010s.
The imagery of former fashion model turned fashion/celebrity photographer Ellen Von Unwerth never fails to delight me. There’s something to her work that exudes vivacity, insouciance, and pure joy, and it’s something I’d like to see more of in today’s fashion photography, which I feel has gotten quite dreary for my tastes. (I want some fun again, darlin’.)
Some of my favorite captures from her (and there were many to choose from) after the cut!
The work of the late legendary photographer Herb Ritts (pictured above with model Alek Wek) has always been delectable and refreshing eye balm for me. Also, why don’t fashion photographers shoot like him these days?
Some of my favorite captures of his, after the cut. (some pics NSFW)
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