With a preference for compact cameras and a casual snapshot aesthetic, Richardson has shot now-iconic portraits for the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Lenny Kravitz and Leonardo DiCaprio. By replacing glossy, high-brow photography with grainy, sexually explicit snaps, Richardson has become one of the fashion industry's most sought-after photographers. Hell, even snooty Karl Lagerfeld wanted Richardson to photograph him! With a handlebar moustache, thick sideburns and his signature aviator sunglasses always perched on the end of his nose, Richardson himself is a parody of a 70s porn-star; think Starsky & Hutch meets a cartoonish version of Burt Reynolds. Carrying a couple of instant cameras everywhere he goes, Richardson delights in documenting the everyday, with the occasional a-list celeb or high-profile fashion client thrown in for good measure. While most fashion photographers control every aspect of the shoot, from the lighting to the poses, Richardson has an unconventional, spontaneous style that positions him in a league of his very own, snapping away at his subjects without any pre-planning. Richardson says of his quirky style: "You can't give your photograph soul with technique." Bringing smut and sleaze out of the bedroom and into the mainstream, Richardson has undoubtedly left a trail of sticky magazine pages in his path, with images that are as provocative as they are powerful.
www.terryrichardson.com / Images: Terry Richardson