As a photographer of celebrities, Herb Ritts became a celebrity in his own right. His intimate, genuine portraits remain a cornerstone of his oeuvre. “It’s not the celebrity quality of the person that makes the photograph interesting. It’s letting the true person through that makes the photograph interesting and lasting,” said Ritts in conversation with Simone Ellis (‘Puttin on the Ritts,’ Santa Fe New Mexican, 28 June 1991, p. 5). Click ahead to discover the stories behind some of his most iconic images coming to auction this October.
