Helmut Newton

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German-born photographer, known for his fashion photography of nude women and his portrayal, usually in black and white, of sexuality. His photographs, many erotic, appeared in magazines such as Playboy, Elle and Vogue. Considered a trailblazer in the world of fashion photography, his work explored power, gender roles and sexuality, producing a "Big Nudes" series in black-and-white. He photographed many beautiful and powerful people, including Paloma Picasso, Pierre Cardin, and super-models such as Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. Even his landscapes and clothed subjects were striking in their portrayal of a mood. A hosiery ad he photographed was banned from the side of New York City buses in 1998 because it was deemed to be too racy, though it had been featured on a giant billboard in Times Square for a short while prior. Newton was born in Berlin to a Jewish family. He fled Germany in 1938, going first to Singapore and then settling in Australia where he became a citizen. He eventually moved to Monte Carlo. His wife June worked under the name Alice Springs and she was a favorite subject of his. They had no children. He died in Los Angeles on January 23, 2004, age 83, when, as he was leaving a hotel, he apparently lost control of his car and crashed into a wall. Link to Wikipedia biography