Photographer Herb Ritts dead

Tessellation · 12-26-2002, 09:20 PM

Celebrity Photographer Herb Ritts Dies

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Photographer Herb Ritts, whose access to celebrities, even at their most fragile moments, gave him an edge in the competitive field, died Thursday of complications of pneumonia, his publicist said. He was 50.

Ritts, whose pictures helped define the image-conscious 1980s and '90s, died at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, publicist Stephen Huvane said.

Ritts gained entree into celebrities' lives even when they displayed little glamour. He photographed Christopher Reeve, wired up and immobile in a high-tech wheelchair. In another photograph, Elizabeth Taylor sported a crew cut and the scar resulting from her brain surgery.

Ritts was born in Los Angeles in 1952, and moved to the East Coast to attend New York's Bard College, where he studied economics. He later returned to California and took a job as a sales representative for his family's furniture business.

Chance and connections propelled Ritts into the world of celebrity photography in the '70s. He got to know Richard Gere through someone who was dating the actor at the time.

A drive in the desert led to a flat tire and an impromptu photo session in a service station. The result was a photo of a steamy Gere in a white vest, his arms over his head and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

"I can't remember whether I told Richard to put his arms over his head or whether I just clicked when he stretched. And he really smoked a lot. He was like that, a handsome kid and very sexy," Ritts said in an interview for a catalog that accompanied a show at Paris' Fondation Cartier in 2000.

At the time, Gere was an unknown. A year later he was a star, and Ritts' photos were being used as publicity shots.

Ritts shot celebrities from Madonna to Michelle Pfeiffer to Dizzy Gillespie for top fashion and culture magazines — Interview, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Elle. He took pictures for album covers and directed music videos.

His work was displayed at studios and museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

In 1991 two of his videos won MTV Awards: best female video, with Janet Jackson, and best male video, with Chris Isaak.

He is survived by his mother, Shirley Ritts; a brother, Rory; a sister, Christy; and his partner, Erik Hyman.

http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj1...ges/kasia3.gif http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj1...ages/kasia.gif http://www.boston.com/mfa/ritts/photos/madonna.jpg

Mayfuck · 12-26-2002, 10:50 PM

Good riddance. He was a shitty photographer.

And Joe Strummer was a shitty musician.

Go ahead and flame me now like the little bitches you are. Christ.

sickbadthing · 12-26-2002, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mayfuck
Good riddance. He was a shitty photographer.

And Joe Strummer was a shitty musician.

Go ahead and flame me now like the little bitches you are. Christ.

He WAS a shitty photographer.

The Clash weren't great. It's their influence that stands out... well... I guess.

I have the sneaking suspicion that the pneumonia was AIDS related but that's just because he's gay so flame ME for that.

DeadSwan · 12-27-2002, 05:56 AM

fuck you people. herb ritts was an amazing photographer. you really don't know what you're talking about. you may not like his celeb subject matter, but his b&w work is incredible. and joe strummer may not be all that some people have made him out to be, but he was still a fucking legend. jesus.

DeadSwan · 12-27-2002, 06:08 AM

http://www.pdnonline.com/20years/edi...herb_ritts.jpg http://www.staleywise.com/collection...ce_dress_b.jpg http://www.espresso-speciali.kataweb.../ritts/wek.jpg http://www.fashion.at/foto/herbritts501.jpg http://www.5years.com/herbrziggy.jpg http://www.designboom.com/portrait/rittimg/4.jpg

Tessellation · 12-27-2002, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeadSwan
fuck you people. herb ritts was an amazing photographer. you really don't know what you're talking about. you may not like his celeb subject matter, but his b&w work is incredible. and joe strummer may not be all that some people have made him out to be, but he was still a fucking legend. jesus.

very well said.

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeadSwan
you really don't know what you're talking about. you may not like his celeb subject matter, but his b&w work is incredible.

Eh. I guess if you like your art to look like a Calvin Klein commercial.

Tessellation · 12-27-2002, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sickbadthing

Eh. I guess if you like your art to look like a Calvin Klein commercial.

Tessellation · 12-27-2002, 09:27 PM

Calvin Klein stole their look from RITTS.

12-27-2002, 09:31 PM

herb ritts was a ponce. i guess if you like that sort of thing, you'd like ritts. i couldn't stand him, or most of his subject matter.

the clash, however, were an amazing band in my opinion.

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tessellation
Calvin Klein stole their look from RITTS.

You know, you'd probably look like less of a MORON IF YOU FIRST RESEARCHED WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE YOU TYPE THE WORDS DOWN.

Quote:

donna karan, calvin klein, the gap, versace, valentino, gianfranco ferre
and giorgio armani are among his many corporate clients.

dumbass.

12-27-2002, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tessellation
Calvin Klein stole their look from RITTS.

i hope those aren't bragging rights.

Tessellation · 12-27-2002, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by noyen

the clash, however, were an amazing band in my opinion.

why the hell did the Clash come up here?

Tessellation · 12-27-2002, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sickbadthing

.

you have to be born after 1985 or you're a total idiot. Mum's the word, but Ritt's style was imitated by Klein.

12-27-2002, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tessellation

why the hell did the Clash come up here?

READ THE FUCKING THREAD YOU FUCKING DOLT. THE INFORMATION YOU REQUIRE TO SUSTAIN LIFE IS LOCATED HEREIN. USE THE FORCE, FUCKFACE AND YOU WILL FIND WHAT YE IST LOOKING FOR. AND YEA, THERE WAS MUCH FUCKING WOE THAT CAME TO PASS AND THERE WAS MUCH MORONIC TOMFOOLERY JACKASSHEADEDNESS AND YEA, GOD IS GOOD AN GOD IS GREAT. KILL YOURSELF NOW

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tessellation

you have to be born after 1985 or you're a total idiot. Mum's the word, but Ritt's style was imitated by Klein.

You really have to be a fucking joke. There is no way you're a real person. There is no way there is a human being alive that is as fucking stupid as you and knows how to use a computer.

Okay you got me.

Cherub Sock · 12-27-2002, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sickbadthing

I have the sneaking suspicion that the pneumonia was AIDS related but that's just because he's gay so flame ME for that.

I had the same suspicion just because he's a photographer, which makes me even more homophobic, I guess.

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cherub Sock

I had the same suspicion just because he's a photographer, which makes me even more homophobic, I guess.

He probably had a SPECTACULAR apartment as well!

Cherub Sock · 12-27-2002, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sickbadthing

He probably had a SPECTACULAR apartment as well!

And I bet rainbows were one of his favourite sky-based phenomenons.

Cherub Sock · 12-27-2002, 11:35 PM

It’s slightly amusing to see a thread announcing someone’s death and it having a five-star rating. You people are a bunch of grief-junkies.

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cherub Sock
It’s slightly amusing to see a thread announcing someone’s death and it having a five-star rating. You people are a bunch of grief-junkies.

True, but then again it's the person posting it.

Eh. To me it's like calling Danny Elfman a great musician... okay... if you see it that way. I know many people would think that he is but to me he's just a guy who makes movie soundtracks that all pretty much sound the same to me.

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sickbadthing

True, but then again it's the person posting it.

Eh. To me it's like calling Danny Elfman a great musician... okay... if you see it that way. I know many people would think that he is but to me he's just a guy who makes movie soundtracks that all pretty much sound the same to me.

Did you noticed how much I said ME?

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME

jenn · 12-27-2002, 11:46 PM

i heard about this on the news... how does someone die of pneumonia in 2002? did he have AIDS?

sickbadthing · 12-27-2002, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hyperbole

but first of all, you need that guy for drama & effect, and second of all, he can't be awful at it, because it would ruin the movie. or at least, distract the viewer.

both danny elfman and herb ritts are/were very good at their careers.

Perhaps. They can both still annoy me.

As Bobby Brown once said, that's my prerogative.

DeadSwan · 12-30-2002, 10:14 AM

ignoring what most people posted, i just want to say....

he wasn't an art photographer (although he did do some of that), he was a COMMERCIAL photographer. and no, his work isn't my favorite, and it's not really my "style" or whatever, but i have to give him credit for being technically very good. and um. herb ritts started photography when klein was still named alvin (FOR REAL!) and before he had any line. SO THERE. but their work did evolve simultaneousky, it's true. DON'T FUCK WITH ME! I'M A FORMER FASHION MAJOR!@!@!@!

12-26-2002, 09:20 PM	#1
Tessellation Apocalyptic Poster Location: your local library Posts: 4,422	Photographer Herb Ritts dead Celebrity Photographer Herb Ritts Dies By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer LOS ANGELES - Photographer Herb Ritts, whose access to celebrities, even at their most fragile moments, gave him an edge in the competitive field, died Thursday of complications of pneumonia, his publicist said. He was 50. Ritts, whose pictures helped define the image-conscious 1980s and '90s, died at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center, publicist Stephen Huvane said. Ritts gained entree into celebrities' lives even when they displayed little glamour. He photographed Christopher Reeve, wired up and immobile in a high-tech wheelchair. In another photograph, Elizabeth Taylor sported a crew cut and the scar resulting from her brain surgery. Ritts was born in Los Angeles in 1952, and moved to the East Coast to attend New York's Bard College, where he studied economics. He later returned to California and took a job as a sales representative for his family's furniture business. Chance and connections propelled Ritts into the world of celebrity photography in the '70s. He got to know Richard Gere through someone who was dating the actor at the time. A drive in the desert led to a flat tire and an impromptu photo session in a service station. The result was a photo of a steamy Gere in a white vest, his arms over his head and a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "I can't remember whether I told Richard to put his arms over his head or whether I just clicked when he stretched. And he really smoked a lot. He was like that, a handsome kid and very sexy," Ritts said in an interview for a catalog that accompanied a show at Paris' Fondation Cartier in 2000. At the time, Gere was an unknown. A year later he was a star, and Ritts' photos were being used as publicity shots. Ritts shot celebrities from Madonna to Michelle Pfeiffer to Dizzy Gillespie for top fashion and culture magazines — Interview, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Elle. He took pictures for album covers and directed music videos. His work was displayed at studios and museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 1991 two of his videos won MTV Awards: best female video, with Janet Jackson, and best male video, with Chris Isaak. He is survived by his mother, Shirley Ritts; a brother, Rory; a sister, Christy; and his partner, Erik Hyman. http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj1...ges/kasia3.gif http://www.trincoll.edu/zines/tj/tj1...ages/kasia.gif http://www.boston.com/mfa/ritts/photos/madonna.jpg __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

12-27-2002, 05:56 AM	#4
DeadSwan Socialphobic Location: GAZA STRIP MALL Posts: 10,828	fuck you people. herb ritts was an amazing photographer. you really don't know what you're talking about. you may not like his celeb subject matter, but his b&w work is incredible. and joe strummer may not be all that some people have made him out to be, but he was still a fucking legend. jesus. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. NICE SCARF, PICASSO

12-27-2002, 09:27 PM	#9
Tessellation Apocalyptic Poster Location: your local library Posts: 4,422	Calvin Klein stole their look from RITTS. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

12-26-2002, 10:50 PM	#2
Mayfuck Banned Location: i'm from japan also hollywood Posts: 57,812	Good riddance. He was a shitty photographer. And Joe Strummer was a shitty musician. Go ahead and flame me now like the little bitches you are. Christ.

12-27-2002, 06:08 AM	#5
DeadSwan Socialphobic Location: GAZA STRIP MALL Posts: 10,828	http://www.pdnonline.com/20years/edi...herb_ritts.jpg http://www.staleywise.com/collection...ce_dress_b.jpg http://www.espresso-speciali.kataweb.../ritts/wek.jpg http://www.fashion.at/foto/herbritts501.jpg http://www.5years.com/herbrziggy.jpg http://www.designboom.com/portrait/rittimg/4.jpg

12-27-2002, 09:31 PM	#10
noyen Posts: n/a	herb ritts was a ponce. i guess if you like that sort of thing, you'd like ritts. i couldn't stand him, or most of his subject matter. the clash, however, were an amazing band in my opinion.

12-27-2002, 11:35 PM	#20
Cherub Sock Pledge Location: No. Posts: 109	It’s slightly amusing to see a thread announcing someone’s death and it having a five-star rating. You people are a bunch of grief-junkies.

12-27-2002, 11:46 PM	#23
jenn Minion of Satan Location: new york Posts: 6,325	i heard about this on the news... how does someone die of pneumonia in 2002? did he have AIDS?

12-30-2002, 10:14 AM	#25
DeadSwan Socialphobic Location: GAZA STRIP MALL Posts: 10,828	ignoring what most people posted, i just want to say.... he wasn't an art photographer (although he did do some of that), he was a COMMERCIAL photographer. and no, his work isn't my favorite, and it's not really my "style" or whatever, but i have to give him credit for being technically very good. and um. herb ritts started photography when klein was still named alvin (FOR REAL!) and before he had any line. SO THERE. but their work did evolve simultaneousky, it's true. DON'T FUCK WITH ME! I'M A FORMER FASHION MAJOR!@!@!@!