Photography legend Penn dead at 92

Legendary photographer Irving Penn has died, aged 92.

Penn began his career as a fashion photographer for Vogue in the 1940s and is credited as one of the first photographers to cross from commercial to art photography using the same technique. He strove to achieve perfection in his work through the printing process.

When Penn opened his studio in 1953 he is reported as having said: ‘Photographing a cake can be art.’

Penn was born in New Jersey on 16 June 1917 and initially trained for a career as an art director before being hired by Vogue magazine’s art director as an assistant.

He borrowed a camera and arranged a still life that included a brown leather bag, gloves, lemons and oranges. The picture, published on the cover of Vogue in 1943, helped launch Penn’s career as a photographer.

Penn’s assistant Roger Krueger said that the photographer died at his home in Manhattan.