Herb Ritts, pioneer of fashion photography

A flat tyre as the start of his career: In 1978, Herb Ritts, who was in his mid-twenties, went on a car trip through California with his friend Richard Gere. During a breakdown, Ritts photographed the unknown actor. Gere's agent forwarded the pictures to Vogue, among others - and helped both Gere and Ritts to a career leap. Over the next 20 years, Ritts became one of the world's best-known fashion photographers through his black-and-white photographs that combined pop-cultural and artistic aesthetics. Many of his portraits of famous musicians such as David Bowie, Tina Turner, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John have become icons of music history. In the 1990s, Ritts also worked as a music video director, among others for Michael Jackson and Jon Bon Jovi. On 26 December 2002, he died as a result of severe pneumonia at the age of 50.

Herb Ritts lived as an open homosexual. For many years he supported HIV/AIDS research; he was HIV-positive himself. His weakened immune system contributed to the photographer's early death. Following his instructions, the Herb Ritts Foundation was founded in 2003, which continues to support research into the virus and carry out educational work.