Today’s ‘Google Doodle’ is celebrating the 100th ‘birthday’ of Norman Parkinson (21st April 1913 – 15th February 1990).

Described by many as the father of modern fashion photography, Parkinson revolutionised fashion photography by taking his models out of the controlled studio environment and onto the streets to create urban fashion that conveyed a story, often in a somewhat cinematic style.  One of my favourite ‘Parks’ images is ‘The Art of Travel’ – shot for Vogue, it could be a still from a movie and is a timeless masterpiece of composition and atmosphere. 

He loved women and loved to capture their beauty and elegance.  His Vogue covers and iconic images helped to make him as much a celebrity as the people he photographed.  His influence on subsequent generations of fashion photographers is unquestionable.

For inspiration take a look at these books on Amazon (click the links):

Vogue: The Covers
Vogue Covers
In Vogue: An Illustrated History of the World’s Most Famous Fashion Magazine
Norman Parkinson: Portraits in Fashion
Norman Parkinson: A Very British Glamour

As I usually like to finish each post with a photograph of mine, here’s a studio shot of Carly, hopefully looking suitably elegant. (click to enlarge)