Mario Testino is a famed fashion photographer who has shot many of today’s new powerhouse super models, such as Karlie Kloss, Cara Delevingne, and Gigi Hadid. Before his success as a top fashion photographer, Testino was a Lima, Peru native, born in 1954. He attended numerous universities, including two in Peru and the University of San Diego. He would later move to London for internships with John Vickers and Paul Nugent. It was about this time that he got his first big break with British Vogue.

Testino has had the opportunity to shoot some of the most famous people in the world. He has stated that his shoot in 1977, with the late Princess of Wales, Diana, was “one of the greatest experience in life” and helped to catapult his career. He has since shot the likes of Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, many members of the royal family, and Madonna. His work has been published in numerous magazines such as eleven editions of Vogue, Vanity Fair, V Magazine, and GQ. Testino has also worked with brands, such as Chanel, Gucci, Versace, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli, which are some of the largest names in fashion. With such a wide range of clients, it is apparent why Testino continues to be commissioned for his work.

He stated in an interview that he gets much of his inspiration from his childhood in Peru, which include mixing both masculine and feminine styles. His main focus while shooting is to create a theme of sensuality rather than sexuality, which he believes is the most important. Testino is known for his close relationships with both his clients and the models. This helps to create a better outcome for the magazine publication. The more comfortable the models are, the better the shots will turn out. Testino is known for his photographs full of bright colors and the perfectly designed locations. Testino is not afraid to take a risk, unlike many other fashion photographers, which makes a lot of his photographs stick out. Not many of Testino’s photos are the same. As a result, the audience is always waiting to see what he will be presenting next.

The two pictures shown are from one of his many Vogue shoots and his towel series. The Vogue cover, featuring Blake Lively, is subtly stunning. Testino designed the shoot so that Lively looked natural and allowed the clothes to work with her. The clothing he and Blake chose draws you in, but because of how stunning Lively is, the first thing the reader notices is her face. The lighting in this photo, again, attracts the reader to Blake rather than the clothing. In this specific photo there is a lack of background, which allows the reader to immediately focus on Blake and the clothes she is wearing. Lively’s pose also portrays her as a powerful and confident woman, which are similar to many of Testino’s photos. There is an immediate color contrast of her skin tone and hair with the burgundy sweater. However, they do not compete with each other, rather compliment. Overall, the main focus of the photo is Blake Lively and how the clothes work with her.

Mario Testino has also created many of his own solo exhibits. His most recent exhibit is the Towel Series. In this series he shoots celebrities, such as Amanda Seyfried, Emily Ratajkowski, and Sienna Miller in nothing but towels. He has expressed that he believes the towel series allows those being photographed to feel free because he gives no instruction during the shoots. Because of the atmosphere during the shoot, the photos come across as natural. Majority of the photos are in black and white, which draws you to the picture because most photographs nowadays use colors to draw in the attention of the audience. The simplicity of this photo makes the reader want to know more about why the model is in only a towel. There is nothing else in the photo but the model, which again signifies freedom and simplicity. Each picture in this series is different, but has a similar message. In much of Testino’s work, the main focus is strong women who can stand by themselves. This empowers both those on the cover and reading the magazine to think positively of themselves and other women around them. Ultimately, Testino’s work will stand the test of time because of his daring, but timeless photographs.