Regina Relang

When studying up on vintage, female fashion photographers I often find women who typify everything that was wonderful in photography in the 50s and 60s--poise, perfect composition, etc. Their work holds up today, but it doesn't necessarily translate. Meaning, those photographers might have to develop a different style if they were alive and working today. An exception to this rule is German photographer Regina Relang. She photographed Paris fashion shows, worked at Vogue in the 1930s and by the 50s and 60s was a leading fashion photographer of her day. Her work is elegant and beautifully composed, but also witty and candid in a way that is perfectly modern. When photographing a new pair of eyeglasses she has the subject blow smoke directly into the face of the viewer; when photographing a Schiaparelli hat that mimics a braid of hair, a smiling bell boy is out of focus in the background--the images highlight the desired accessory but with humor and an almost cinematic quality.