Christian Witkin

Christian Witkin (born October 15th, 1966 in Manchester, England) is a New York based fashion and portrait photographer. He is well known for capturing revealing moments of celebrities - including President Barack Obama, Meredith Vieira, Steve Jobs, Lil' Kim, Quentin Tarantino, Foxy Brown, and Christopher Hitchens - as well as for his extensive campaigns for Gap Inc., Vanity Fair, and PeopleMagazine. His work is described as "iconic, beautiful portraiture defined by a refined yet approachable point of view".

Born to a Dutch mother and an American father in Manchester, Witkin was raised in Amsterdam. During his childhood he was exposed to a wide range of art and culture by his painter father which inspired him to become a photographer. He relocated to New York in 1984 to study photography at Syracuse University, after which he moved to New York City where he began working with Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, and Annie Leibovitz.

In 1993, Witikin was introduced to George Pitts - a photo editor at the then new Vibe Magazine - which launched his professional career. During his time at Vibe, Witkin would score critical success and recognition for his work which included capturing Quincy Jones, 50 Cent, Nas, Eve, Rakim, and numerous other stars in a style that combined intimate portraiture with blazing glamour. Concurrent with this work, a series of street portraits commissioned by New York Magazine would also attract major plaudits leading to a long association with the organization and entry to working with the most exclusive magazines in the world. In 1996, New York Times Magazine would honour him in its list of the world's leading photographers, 100 Years of Pictures; WHO'S WHO.

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