William Klein

Klein’s background in abstract art directly influenced his fashion photography for Vogue, where he brought a unique, experimental energy to the genre. His innovative use of light and exposure led to his signature technique: “First, I would shoot the model. She would hold the pose, and then we’d turn off all the lights in the studio. In a second exposure, lasting just a few seconds, an assistant would use a flashlight to draw shapes in the air around the model’s body. The result was terrific—it brought my early abstract experiments into my fashion work.” William Klein