In December, renowned portraitist Herb Ritts passed away at age 50, due to pneumonia-related complications. The photographic community will miss his generosity of spirit, cherish the lasting warmth of his friendship, and, in his memory, continue to honor and praise his
iconic portraiture.

Ritts was known for his portraits, often in black-and-white, of celebrities such as Madonna, Richard Gere and Jack Nicholson. He also did work in the fashion and the fine art fields, and he published seven books . His work appeared on countless magazine covers such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone, as well as album covers, movie advertisements, music videos, and commercials.

Herb Ritts had written the following entry for The Digital Journalist, part of an interactive essay on the history of AIDS and photography (edited by David Friend and designed by David Snider) that the Online Journalism Association named the best story of the year produced by an independent website.

View an online exhibition by Herb Ritts and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.