Guy Bourdin is the photographer that all modern fashion photographers should be judged off of. A protégé and close friend of Man Ray his work is part surrealism, part pin-up, part fashion. His eye for color, framing, and negative space makes his photography absolutely extraordinary.
Somewhat NSFW images below the cut.
Heavily influenced by his mentor Man Ray, as well as other surrealists artists like Magritte, Bourdin’s portfolio is comprised mainly of atypical fashion photographs. They are bizarre little snapshots of dreamlike scenes. You never know exactly what is supposed to be happening, but it doesn’t matter to the overall photograph. This unique perspective is what kept Bourdin working at French Vogue for almost 30 years. Without Bourdin’s influence it’s hard to imagine where modern fashion greats like LaChapelle or Meisel would be.
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