Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American photographer. He was the American photographer. There is very little I can write here that can adequately explain how talented or influential Richard Avedon was. He was a photographer, yes, but what he did behind the camera was so much greater than that.
Richard saw in photography it’s ability to capture the soul and personality of its subjects. He was a master at being able to capture something tangible and real about his subjects, even if it was something the subjects weren’t necessarily willing to reveal. It was with these talents that he managed to give America an image, an identity; a reflection of society at its highest and lowest.
He was a true master of his craft.
And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.
- Richard Avedon, 1970
