Richard Avedon:

Someone sage once said "There are two periods in fashion photography: Before Avedon and After Avedon." That is all that needs to be said. (PS If he books you, weep in gratitude.)

Gilles Bensimon:

Whatever the detractors have to say, his stint as Creative Director of Elle has kept the magazine on an arrow-straight, market perfect course. One of the first lensmen to truly celebrate Alek Wek, his support of a diverse ideal of beauty is modern and intelligent.

Richard Burbridge:

Basically reinvented the beauty shot by drenching it with a heavy dose of artist Chuck Close's brutal confrontationalism, thus saving it from a legacy of banality. For that brave feat alone Burbridge deserves his place in fashion history.

Patrick Demarchelier:

When paired with Fabien Baron his work takes on a gorgeously open and euphoric quality (witness the Naomi Campbell/Ali G shoot in Arena Homme Plus.) Never to be underestimated.

Nathaniel Goldberg:

That lighting! Celestial, sculptural and graphic, Goldberg's rigorous eye skyrocketed him so quickly into the major leagues, the whole Industry is quite interested as to what his second act might be.

Alexei Hay:

Now that he has transcended to the heights of a Gucci campaign, it certainly is his moment and now Kate Betts looks like a genius for so quickly adopting him to the corporate glossy ranks. His 'gang bang' story in Dutch is deservedly legendary.

Mikael Jansson:

The Bazaar covers, Arena supplements and Dutch editorials announce one thing. Jansson is now one of the primary lensmen of the Zero's. Supremely well placed, watch for him to become fashion photography's next household name.

Steven Klein:

Is it the feng-shui, or is it his instinctive perversity. For a moment there Steven Klein was throwing down masterpiece editorials left, right and center. Now that he has that rich Calvin franchise and gigs with American Vogue it certainly seems as if his ship has come in.

Nick Knight:

It's his ability to redefine the borders of his medium that make him of critical importance. Technically astonishing and breathtakingly innovative it's really fascinating how badly his work translates to America.

David La Chappelle:

He's playing with Donatella, which should be a match made in heaven. Wouldn't it be great if Versace went ironic. Give him the campaign already!

Peter Lindbergh:

He was 'modern' before modern became fashion's most abused slang. His icy portraits of moody beauties with just a touch of smudged elegance single-handedly dealt a deathblow to the 80's Barbie ideal.