Imogen Cunningham

Imogen was born April 12, 1883 in Portland, Oregon and died June 24, 1976. She bought her first camera when she was 18 from the American School of Art in Scranton, Pennsylvania but didn't find must interest in it. When she was studying at University of Washington in Seattle she was inspired by Gertrude Kasebier's work to start photography again. She studied the chemistry behind photography and paid for school by photographing plants for the botany department.

She worked in studios working on portraits and also moved to Germany to study some more on a scholarship. Once she came back, she opened her own studio and was popular for her portraiture and pictoral work. Her work was shown in many exhibits. She soon became more interested in botanical photography specifically the magnolia flower. After the flowers came her interest in the human body and hands which led to her work with Vanity Fair. She continued to photograph until her death.

Imogen's work is amazing. Her work with flowers and the human form to me look similar. She was able to give the flowers a body/form like feel the way she photographed them. Imogen is one of the most influential photographers, I believe. I love the details of the flower and of the body that she created.