Herb Ritts was one of the most renowned fashion/portrait photographers of the 80s and 90s. In areas of photography where it is too easy to be formulaic and bland, his work always stood out. Here are a few suggestions as to why.

Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood by Herb RittsA simple and beautiful treatment of the super-models of the day. In many areas of photography, and fashion and portrait particularly, there has been a huge taste for edginess since at least the 80s. In fashion photography this has sometimes gone quite far, with provocation for provocation's sake providing empty shots with little aesthetic appeal and no substance. Herb Ritts' work was the polar opposite. His was photography focused on beauty and elegance, an archetypal figure of classy photography with a delicate cleanliness to it. Pristine black and white and flattering treatment give his pictures a tame and beautiful quality far from the disturbing and provocative style that has been seen so much elsewhere. Beauty and the subject for the subject's sake with no political overtones dominate Ritts' work.

Axl Rose by Herb RittsA fragile side to the frontman of the world's most dangerous band, showing how Ritts' self-imposed constraints enable him to look at things differently

Yet this never leads to boring shots in Ritts' case. Working within the constraints of a restrained and classy style never stopped him from creating powerful, enticing, beautiful, and sometimes humorous pictures. Quite the opposite, he often managed to subtly highlight interesting things about his subjects in ways a more aggressive style would not allow. Not only does this reaffirm how photography can act as a revelator, but this illustrates how self-imposed constraints can spur creativity and generate a unique view of the world. All the while retaining an extremely appealing beauty.

Man with chain by Herb RittsGreek sculpture comes to mind when observing this picture, yet Ritts' strong composition is very modern

One of the sources of this beauty probably lies in Ritts' knowledge and use of classical - and I'm really talking about greco-roman art here - visual language. In many of Ritts' works one will find postures and attitudes reminiscent of greek gods and godesses. His subjects come forward as larger than life heroes radiating their glory. Yet his unique take and composition skills lend a definite modern flavour to his pictures.

These subtle mixes make Ritts' photography unique, revealing a unique worldview - mixing tradition and modernity - on his part as well as highlighting crucial aspects of his subjects. Yet another great photographer who spent his career in aletheia - revelation.  Clint Eastwood by Herb RittsA very revealing and powerful picture of Clint Eastwood