From a young age, Richard Avedon was exposed to fashion. But the little boy sitting in his father's women's clothing store on 5th Avenue had no idea that he would later become the world's greatest fashion photographer. He was born in New York in 1923 to Jacob Avedon, a Russian immigrant who worked his way up in the city, eventually owning his own clothing store. Avedon's mother, Anna, was a musical and artistic woman who was his artistic muse. His sister, Louise, was also a source of inspiration for him. As a child, he constantly took photos of his beautiful sister, his first model. His interest in photography began after joining a photography club at his local Hebrew Young Men's Association. After graduating from high school in 1941, Richard attended Columbia University to study philosophy and poetry, but after only a year, he dropped out to enlist in the Marine Corps. In the Marines, he was a photographer during World War II, taking photos for identification cards. After the war, Avedon returned to school, at the New School for Social Research, to pursue photography and learn from Alexey Brodovitch, a well-known photographer. and designer at Harper's Bazaar magazine. Brodovitch influenced Avedon to take high-caliber photos and eventually hired him as a photographer for the magazine. It was at Harper's Bazaar that Richard's career really took off. He was sent to France in the late 1940s to do a fashion photo shoot. From then on, Avedon was recognized as an extremely talented photographer, capturing everyone's attention with his photos of flowing dresses and unposed fashion portraits. Richard Avedon changed the images of fashion photography. Avedon liked the idea of ​​movement. He was one of the first fashion photographers to take photographs...... middle of paper......ized and famous. Although he received critical acclaim all over the world, another lesson his early editors taught him was not to believe in compliments. Avedon never accepted compliments showing a modest side to a world of greedy celebrities. Sadly, on October 1, 2004, Avedon died while on location for a photoshoot from a brain hemorrhage in San Antonio, Texas. He will be remembered for his creation of controversy, his invasive photos and his ability to evoke humility and personality in a subject. He was a bold and daring individual who let the world see the inside of his head. He let them see the crazy, the beautiful and above all the truth in what he saw. He was first an artist, then a friend to his subjects and finally a photographer. He didn't care what the world thought of him, he just wanted to make his mark. And Richard Avedon certainly did.