German-born photographer Erwin Blumenfeld began his career in the Dadaist circles of Berlin and Paris in the 1930s. Later, he garnered success as a famed fashion photographer for such US magazines as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and as a pioneer of modern advertising in his commercials for cosmetics. Blumenfeld had a disdain for mainstream conformity and without compromise, his images were infused with an experimental energy. With daring in-camera optical effects and a precise control of lighting and processing, he was a technical genius - never leaving any detail to chance. Working mainly in colour, his innovative style continues to shape contemporary photography.