German born Fashion Photographer, Peter Lindbergh, who’s known world wide for his dramatic black & white portraits and ushering in “the rise of the supermodel,” passed away yesterday at 74. His official Instagram account posted the announcement early this morning stating his passing has left a “big void”…and honestly I agree.

Peter was born in 1944 in Leszno, Poland and worked with many fashion designers and international magazines throughout his long and incredible career. Most recently noted for working with Meghan Markle, (the Duchess of Sussex), for the September issue of Vogue, and was due to present and speak at this weeks Portrait Masters Series.

 

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Celebrated photographer Peter Lindbergh passed away at 74 yesterday. The news was announced on his Instagram today, and hours after it was posted, Meghan paid tribute to Lindbergh on @sussexroyal. Meghan had worked with Lindbergh on her British Vogue Forces for Change issue. @sussexroyal shared a photo of them together and in the post’s caption, wrote about how Meghan only had Lindbergh in mind for the issue she guest-edited. Lindbergh was the person who revealed what Meghan’s personal vision for that shoot was and how it aligned with his own embrace of natural beauty. He spoke glowingly about her in British Vogue, saying, “My instructions from the Duchess were clear [for the cover shoot of the women selected as Forces for Change]: ‘I want to see freckles!’” Lindbergh said said he spoke to Meghan on the phone during the morning of the New York shoot. “Well, that was like running through open doors for me. I love freckles.” “I hate retouching, I hate make-up. I always say, ‘Take the make-up off!’” Lindbergh continued. “The number of beautiful women who have asked me to lengthen their legs or move their eyes further apart…” he laughed. “You would not believe. It’s a culture of madness.” RIP @therealpeterlindbergh ?

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[Related Reading: How To Access Sue Bryce’s Portrait Masters Conference For Free Online]

Besides that, his work has inspired countless generations of photographers, models, and creatives alike. Including myself! I actually just recently picked up one of his books i’ve been wanting for ages and it’s currently sitting on my desk at home. So it’s safe to say he’s had an incredible impact on the fashion industry from top to bottom, always striving to help push the fashion industry into a more positive direction.

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He preferred to capture his models naturally, with as little makeup and special effects/lighting as possible. He’s quoted in Vogue as saying “I hate retouching. I hate Make-up. I Always say: ‘TaKe the make-up off!'” What does that mean to the rest of us? Well it just goes to show at how good he was with light and his camera to be able to create such incredible images without the standard of today’s retouching levels.

You can see his work in museums all over the world, view his films and documentaries on various sources & mediums, or like me, order more of his books through sites like amazon.

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As his family & team stated in their Instagram post, “a big void” is clearly an understatement given the sheer volume of tributes and images flooding social media today. While I never had the honor of knowing the man personally, his work has had an incredible impact on my life and career. I, like many others in our industry, owe him a lot. So Thank you Mr. Lindbergh, and may you rest in peace.