Edward Weston
(1886-1958)

Edward Weston is an American photographer known as “one of the most innovative masters in 20th century photography”. Born in 1886 in Illinois, Weston developed an early passion for photography, receiving his first camera at 16. After studying at the Illinois College of Photography, he moved to California at the age of 21, where he initially struggled to establish himself before finding success as a portrait photographer. In 1909, Weston opened his studio in Los Angeles, where he worked for two decades. His photographic style evolved from soft-focus, painterly effects influenced by pictorialism to the sharp, high-contrast compositions that defined his later work. Weston’s iconic images, such as Shell (1927) and Pepper No. 30 (1930), reveal his remarkable ability to transform everyday objects into striking studies of form and texture. His belief that the camera should capture the essence of its subject—whether a landscape, human form, or still life–shaped his entire approach to photography. In 1932, Weston co-founded a collective to promote a new aesthetic of sharp focus and pure, unmanipulated images. He was the first photographer awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1937, which allowed him to expand his creative reach. Weston’s work is now held in major collections such as the J. Paul Getty Museum and The Museum of Modern Art.