Horst P. Horst 1906 - 1999 may have been the best fashion photographer ever. He worked for Vogue mostly, but also for Chanel, and did memorable portraits of the notables of his era.
The man was heavily influenced by surrealism.
Who'd have thought that a style as offbeat as that could be bent to commercial use?
According to Wikipedia he frequently used only four lights for his studio photography, one of which was directly overhead.
He experimented with still lifes (above) and used the best ideas in his human photography.
He also liked to shoot interiors. The text usually suggested that they were pre-existing, real-life rooms but they were often enhanced by Horst's own collection of furniture and accessories.
He had a sense of humor (above)....
...and a flare for drama.
Outdoor photography...no problem.
Like Cecil Beaton he had a flare for elaborate, prop-intensive portrait photography, but he also excelled in simple, straight-forward portraits, like this one of editor Diana Vreeland.
Interesting, eh?
