Imogen Cunningham (April 12th, 1883 - June 23,1976) was a photographer born in Portland, Oregon that was well-known for her botanical photography and nude photography. She grew up in Washington D.C. and at the age of eighteen bought her first camera; a 4x5. In 1906, she began practicing photography again after an encounter with the work of Gertrude Käsebier. Her chemistry professor helped her learn the ways of photography chemicals and gave her a discount on tuition for photographing the botany department at the school. She graduated in 1907 with a degree in chemistry and her thesis in her senior year was titled, “Modern Processes of Photography”.
After graduating, she continued working in the world of photography. She received a grant to work in Dresden, where she helped the chemistry department try and come up with cheaper solutions for platinum printing. Later on, she opened a studio and began shooting work for herself and for others.
Imogen Cunningham was also a part of the the photographers group in California, Group f/64. It is through this that she moved towards sharp-focus photography and became a part of group exhibitions with her still life work.
Cunningham later became attached to street photography and documentary photography while in New York.
All of her work is so diverse and all so unique, yet so similar. I find it to be truly amazing that she can not only dabble in a little of every style of photography, but be genuinely good at all of them as well.
All work courteous of Imogen Cunningham.