World famous photographer Herb Ritts has died of complications arising from pneumonia in his hometown of Los Angeles. He was 50.
Renowned for iconographic celebrity portraits that defined the image-conscious Eighties and Nineties, Ritts spent 25 years at the top of his game. His work was constantly in demand for the covers of fashion publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue, but he also directed music videos for the likes of Chris Isaak, Madonna, and Michael and Janet Jackson, and directed advertising campaigns for Donna Karan and Revlon.
When asked which was his favourite photo, Ritts said he didn’t have one. “Too many stand out for me and I like the fact that they do,” he responded. He also said that he enjoyed bouncing around from fashion to portraiture to fine arts to nudes. “I like to mix it up.”
Tributes pouring in from his peers depict a professional who loved to set his subjects at ease and get on well with everyone. “He was the opposite of a prima donna,” said Anna Wintour, editor of Vogue. “He was incredibly generous.”
Brought up in a wealthy LA family of four siblings, Ritts was taught the value of hard work at an early age. Although the family lived in privileged style in a 27-room house next door to Steve McQueen, the children regularly had to complete the chores allotted to them on a general notice board.
Ritts is survived by his partner Erik Hyman, his mother Shirley, and his siblings.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
