Irving Penn, longtime photographer and inspiration to many, died yesterday at the impressive age of 92. He will always be remembered for teaching the world that clarity and simplicity are sometimes the most striking qualities in a photograph.

Irving started his long career as a fashion photographer for Vogue. He was the first of his time to place the model in a simple studio backdrop, free of distraction. Over the years he shot the likes of Pablo Picasso, Truman Capote, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Celebrities and models were not Irving's only subjects, though they were his primary source of income. He also conducted a number of anthropological shoots like the one pictured above with a New Guinea mud man. 

 During his expansive career, Irving also showed us that a still life of fruit could make just as captivating of an image as  the hottest model. In a series entitled Street Findings, he featured this memorable shot of a collection of cigarette butts.

Irving was one of the pioneers in the field of art photography, and his presence will be missed. He lived with the reality that he must support his art with more practical contracted work while not sacrificing his own unique style. Perhaps the most important thing we can learn from the Irving's career is that your art and your paycheck need not be entirely separate.

(top image by Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn)

(bottom image by Irving Penn)