Some of the most iconic images in history have resulted from fashion photography photoshoots with many of these photographers finding fame and notoriety as a result of their creative talents.

Most of these popular photographers tend to have their own unique signature style and flair. Models aspire to work with them and fashion houses chase them down hoping that a photoshoot directed by one of these esteemed creative’s will boost the image of their brand and lead to an increase in sales.

Fashion photographers often have their own secrets and techniques which enable them to capture something special. We detail 10 fashion photographers who have made it in this competitive and fast paced industry.

1. Annie Leibovitz

Annie is an American portrait photographer who is still working today.  She is famous for several photographs, the most famed one being a portrait of John Lennon & Yoko Ono which she took on December the 8th 1980 for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.  It was the last professional photograph taken of Lennon before he was shot dead later that day. Her other subjects include Angelina Jolie, Kate Moss and Queen Elizabeth II. She was involved in controversy in 2008 for her risqué photoshoot involving the 15 year old Miley Cyrus wrapped in a bedsheet.

2. Irving Penn

Irving Penn had the ability to capture some of the character of the models he shot in his photographs. During his career he produced work for Vogue Magazine, Clinique, De Beers and other high profile clients.

His work is best described as elegant and haunting with his early high fashion styled pictures setting the standard for other fashion photographers in the 1940s.

3. Steven Meisel

Considered as one of the most successful fashion photographers in current times Steven Meisel’s work still continues to dazzle in the pages of Italian and US Vogue today. Models aspire to work with him and he is credited with promoting and even discovering many successful models such as Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista.

His popular work includes the cover photo for Madonna’s ‘Bad Girl’ album and photos used for the cover of Mariah Carey’s ‘Daydream’ album and her chart topping single ‘Fantasy’.

4. Richard Avedon

Richard died of a brain haemorrhage in 2004 aged 81. In an obituary published in the New York Times it was said that “his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America’s image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century.”

His popular photographs include a close up portrait of Audrey Hepburn showing only her facial features along with portraits of Marilyn Monroe and The Beatles.

5. Helmut Newton

Helmut was a German-Australian photographer whose black and white impassioned photographs were popular with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar during the 1950s and 60s.

His work often had sado-masochistic and fetishist elements and his photos are said to have contributed in changing attitudes towards the portrayal of sex and erotic photography and in the media.

6. Cyril Lagel

Cyril is a French photographer specialising in fashion, beauty and glamour. His work is recognised internationally and he is highly respected by the fashion industry in France. His work focuses on the female form and many of his photographs feature women who project dominance and power towards his lens.  Lagel has an eye for detail and he consistently produces flawless and innovative pictures which are used in the fashion and beauty industry by clients such as Lacoste and Chanel.

7. Mario Testino

Mario Testino is a Peruvian fashion photographer who has been working from the UK since the 1970’s. He has worked with the English royal family on a number of occasions and he was chosen by the late Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 for her Vanity Fair photoshoot. He is best known for taking intimate portraits of celebrities and models.

He is credited with helping Gisele Bündchen to achieve supermodel status because of his persistence in using her as a subject and for reviving Gucci in the 1990s.

8. Paolo Roversi

Paolo was inspired to take photographs at a young age when he went on holiday with his family to Spain. In his early years he was apprenticed by a local photographer and later began collaborating with the Associated Press. In 1971 he met Peter Knapp, the renowned Art director of Elle magazine and was invited to visit Paris in 1973. He has lived in Paris ever since.

His work has been described as “ethereal,” “erotic” and “exquisitely beautiful.”  He has always been influenced by the quality of light, and he usually prefers using natural light falling through a window to photograph his subjects rather than artificial light sources.

9. Ellen Von Unwerth

Ellen is a Photographer and Director who specialises in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for 10 years before she embarked on her current career and found fame when she took the picture of a young Claudia Schifer for the Guess campaign in 1989 creating a series of Sexy prints which helped secure the brands image and boost sales of Guess products.

Ellen has worked with a number of stars and has directed commercials for brands such as Revlon and Clinique. She has also directed short films and music videos for pop musicians.

10. Nick Knight

Nick Knight’s work can be described as quirky. His career began when he produced photographs for a project titled ‘Skinheads’ the pictures featured images of Skinheads from the Punk scene in the 1980’s in a variety of ‘gritty’ environments and poses. This work led to commissions for him to create portraits for magazines and eventually led to a photo shoot aimed at creating a catalogue of work for the avant-garde Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto in collaboration with graphic designer Peter Saville. The catalogue was highly successful and he has since directed the video for Lady Gaga’s single “Born This Way” and worked with the likes of Calvin Klein and Alexander McQueen.