Photographer of the Week Presentation

 Terry Richardson (August 14th, 1965) is an American photographer baseed in New York City but raised in Los Angeles, CA. His father Keith Richardson, was also a famed photographer in his hey day before succumbing to alcoholism which ended his career. He has become a fixture in the NY and LA fashion and art scene with his signature look of aviator sunglasses and handlebar mustache that he sometimes deploys onto his subjects. He is known for his sexually explicit and intimate portraits of celebrities or "normal" people doing things you wouldn't normally think of them doing or expect. 

He has shot covers and spreads for Vogue, GQ, Rolling Stone, and for brands such as Gucci, Fendi, and Tom Ford. He has shot celebrities such as Beyonce, Oprah, Leonardo DiCaprio, President Obama, and many more. 

His claim to fame is his  overtly intimate/sexual portraits of famous persons or ordinary people with a signature white background, flashy effect from camera, and (usually but not always) holding a prop or item and posing in a suggestive, sexual, raunchy, or out of the ordinary way. If not holding a prop the subject will still be usually be doing something out of character or near explicit that contradicts popular opinion/belief about who they are or what they do.  Raw is the word that many people use to describe his work. His photo style is easily recognizable and now replicated commonly. 

Terry has faced controversy and even allegations of sexual misconduct for his lewd photographs. He has been accused of molesting or coercing models into uncomfortable or unwanted sexual acts as a ploy to "get the perfect shot." However, it must be noted that there have been a few notable subjects, famous and not that have come to his defense. Magazines such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar have stated they will no longer hire Terry Richardson to shoot for them. Richardson has never been arrested or charged regarding any of these allegations, and claims that every shot is completely consensual and not coerced. He is still working today and displaying exhibitions, mostly in New York City and Los Angeles.