OK, guys…I was thinking to share this for a while and now I am ready.

Creating a top ten list of favorite portrait photographers is a wonderful way to celebrate the diversity and creativity within this art form. Portrait photography is a powerful medium, capturing not just the physical appearance of individuals but also revealing deeper insights into their personalities, emotions, and stories. In curating this list, I’ve sought to include a range of voices, styles, and perspectives, bringing together photographers who have made significant contributions to the art and who each bring a unique vision to their work. But most of all the photographers I consider important as a reference for me.

Together, these photographers have shaped the landscape of portrait photography, each contributing a distinctive style and approach. Their work not only documents the human condition but also challenges us to see the world through different lenses. This list honors their artistic achievements and celebrates the profound impact they have had on the art of portrait photography.

Here are my top ten favorite portrait photographers:

1 Helmut Newton

Iconic for his provocative and often controversial fashion portraits, Newton work is a constant reference when it comes to portrait and glamous photography.

2. David Hamilton

Soft-focus and ethereal portraits, he tried to capture that brief period in a young girls life when her body is changing, entering puberty, but her mind is still a girl.

3. Richard Kern

I associated him to certain punk and camp scene, of a ceratin American suburbia. Find me another guys shooting models in a bathroom, maybe sit in a toilet with that class!

4. Efrem Raimondi

My unwitting mentor during our private discussions. He put Vasco Rossi in the shower for two hours, that alone would be enough to understand how great he was!

5. Toni Thorimbert