Stan Shaffer is a name many people not into photography may have heard of, but chances are they saw his work. Shaffer was a photographer known for his pictures of beautiful places and beautiful people. As a fashion photographer, he photographed some of the world's best known models, and the images he created are undoubtedly among the reasons why women wanted to be like these models and why men wanted to be with them. But Shaffer, like Richard Avedon before him, was a versatile artist whose explorations went beyond the world of haute couture. He created many stunning, sharp black-and-white images of the American West, playful and colorful still lifes, and intense portraits of performers like rocker Pete Townshend and actress Mariel Hemingway. He even extended his talents to moving images, making a few short films.
This blogger had a connection to Mr. Shaffer, albeit a very slight one. I don't remember how it happened, but I somehow became one of his friends on Facebook. Although I had no direct contact with him, I appreciated his updates regarding his photography and found him to have a very interesting eye. Just a few weeks ago, Mr. Shaffer announced the impending publication of "You Should Have Been With Me," a monograph of many of his photos.
Sadly, Mr. Shaffer died a few days ago of a heart attack at the age of 65. His book, which will sadly be the last word for him, is due out in September, although some samples of its contents have been released on the Internet. Photography has lost a true original, and his book promises to be as fascinating look at his life's work, as well as his life.
His Web site is here.
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