Guenter Knop is widely known for making monochrome nudes of “real” women that he meets in the streets of New York, as opposed to working with professional models.
Born June 1954, in Bremen, Germany, he began his career in the late 70’s working in the studio of German fashion and advertising photographer Charlotte March. He later worked as first assistant to Henry Wolf, art director for Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and Show magazines, before opening is own studio in Chelsea, New York.
Knop says of his own work:
I photograph non-models because they possess a more fluid self-expression. Some artists draw on the repetition of themes, but I tend to portray each woman in a different way than the one before. I find my challenge in the variation of the approach and in the need to capture the moment.
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All images © Guenter Knop