Returning for its second year, Photo London 2016 promises to reach vertiginous heights in its quest to maintain the glowing reputation of London’s leading photography fair. Taking place between 19-22 May at London’s Somerset House, Photo London will showcase the best of international photography with over 80 exhibitors.

Born in 1935, in Paris, Irina Ionesco has always considered photography to be the most enchanting form of art. Highly provocative and fashionable, her work considers the female nude and transforms it into an image that defies simple classification. Her erotic photographs are almost gothic, somewhat poetic, but never distasteful. Ionesco’s images also travel beyond the traditional male gaze, depicting the sensual allure of women when it is freed from the constraints of oppressive masculinity and societal traditions.

For more information about Galerie Alex Daniels – Reflex Amsterdam For more information about ATLAS Gallery 

Born in 1966, Nick Brandt is a British photographer, particularly renowned for his inspiring combination of art and activism. Brandt tends to focus on African animals, using his lens to make the magnificent animals become even more majestic. His work offers a vital cultural commentary on the conservation of animals in the present day. It also poses the question of whether these photographs will be all that remains of the once thriving animal communities in Tanzania and Kenya. A large exhibition of his acclaimed Inherit the Dust series will be held at the Atlas Gallery space at Photo London. ‘Inherit The Dust’ is published by Edwynn Houk Editions and distributed by D.A.P in North America and by Thames & Hudson worldwide.

For more information about ATLAS Gallery 

Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1927, René Groebli is a preeminent post-war photographer. His black-and-white series, The Eye of Love, simultaneously expresses the emotional vulnerability and sensuality of femininity. Inspired by his honeymoon with his wife, the intimate pieces are a celebration of love and all its intricacies. His photographs have been featured in numerous national and international exhibitions.

Douglas Mandry. Five Minutes to the Sun, Ravenala, 2014 – Galerie Bildhalle

Born in Geneva, in 1989, Douglas Mandry is a Swiss photographer. Experimental and expressive, his work explores the boundaries of the photographic medium. Somewhat ironically, the Five Minutes to the Sun series is created by artificial light exposure. His experiments lead to an image that is both tropical and ghostly. Mandry effortlessly navigates the relationship between perception and representation in order to deliver an image that elevates photography as a perpetually expanding art form. Since 2012, his work has been exhibited in many solo and group exhibitions worldwide.

Thomas Hoepker. Ali left fist, London, 1966 – Galerie Bildhalle

Born in 1936, Thomas Hoepker is a German photographer. Taken in 1966, his iconic photographs of boxing legend, Muhammad Ali, present an inspiring story of a real world champion. With a long and rewarding career in image-making, Hoepker has received many awards for his work and currently lives in New York.

For more information about Galerie Bildhalle 

Isabel Muñoz. Flamenco Series, 1989 – Blanca Berlín

Born in Barcelona, in 1951, Isabel Muñoz is a contemporary Spanish photographer. Bold and demonstrative, her black-and-white photographs are a true testament to her considerable talent. She easily infuses the Flamenco series with a clear, defined sense of rhythm and movement. Ultimately, the images are a tribute to the beauty and expressiveness of the human body in the performing arts. Her photographs have been featured in numerous national and international exhibitions.

For more information about Blanca Berlín

Nick Knight. Kate ‘Aladdin Sane’, 2003 – Christophe Guye Galerie

Born in Britain, in 1958, Nick Knight is a prominent fashion and documentary photographer, who currently lives in London. Innovative and influential, his work frequently challenges traditional standards of beauty in order to empower women. In May 2003, he famously photographed Kate Moss in the style of David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane as part of a cover shoot for Vogue. Seven years later, he received an OBE for his prolific contribution to the arts. He has since been exhibited in numerous national galleries.

For more information about Christophe Guye Galerie

Richard Avedon. Marella Agnelli, 1953 – Danziger Gallery

Born in 1923, Richard Avedon is an American photographer, who is particularly renowned for his iconic portraits. Having taken photographs for Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Life, he is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated figures in the field of fashion photography. Avedon has photographed some of the most dynamic figures of the century, including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. He always captures the essence of the moment and the character of his subject.

Julian Wasser. Joan Didion, Hollywood, 1968 (33a.), 1968 – Danziger Gallery

Born in 19, Julian Wasser is an American photographer. Distantly composed and yet unfailingly honest, his photos present a beautiful moment, lost in time. The image of the literary icon, Joan Didion, with a cigarette in hand, standing in front of her classic Corvette Stingray, is one of the most recognisable images of the era. Wasser has taken photographs for numerous magazines, including TIME, Life and Fortune magazines.

For more information about Danziger Gallery

Lillian Bassman. Kronung des Chic, Jada, hat by Philip Treacy, German Vogue, 1998 – Edwynn Houk Gallery

Born in Brooklyn, in 1917, Lillian Bassman is an American fashion photographer. Particularly renowned for her experimentation with images in the darkroom, Bassman creates images that are both visual and influential. Her glamorous black-and-white photographs of models are particularly renowned for their dream-like nature. She received international recognition in her Seventies when a trash bag replete with her negatives was discovered. Since then, her work has featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

Vik Muniz. Brigitte Bardot, 2004 – Edwynn Houk Gallery

Born in Sao Paulo, in 1961, Vik Muniz is a Brazilian photographer and mixed media artist. Inventive and innovative, he is particularly acclaimed for his use of everyday, common materials in his replications of famous images from popular culture and art history. Muniz currently splits his time between New York and Rio De Janeiro.

For more information about Edwynn Houk Gallery

Chris Killip. Youth on Wall, Jarrow, Tyneside, UK, 1976 – Eric Franck Fine Art

Born in 1966, Chris Killip is a British documentary photographer. Provocative and unsettling, Killip frequently depicts the isolation of social marginals. His work makes a true statement about the plight of the vulnerable, emphasising that human life is centered around the fact that everyone has an impact.  By bringing these individuals outside of the social mainstream into focus, Killip presents the view that ignoring and turning our backs on them is a societal transgression.

Norman Parkinson. Audrey Hepburn, Italy , 1955 – Eric Franck Fine Art

Born in 1913, Norman Parkinson is an iconic English fashion photographer who has captured some of the most memorable images of our time. Parkinson’s glowing reputation primarily derives from his considerable contribution to Twentieth-century fashion and his tendency to push the boundaries of fashion photography. With Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue on his curriculum vitae, Parkinson has photographed numerous models and film stars, including Jerry Hall and Audrey Hepburn.

Al Vandenberg. Untitled, from the series On A Good Day, ca. 1975 – Eric Franck Fine Art

Born in America, in 1932, Al Vandenberg began his career as a soldier in the Korean War. Having served in the war, he returned home and attended art school. Working alongside Bruce Davidson and Richard Avedon, Vandenberg had phenomenal success in the field of commercial photography and even contributed to the art direction of the Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. His later work presents an important socio-cultural commentary, capturing scenes taken from everyday city life, with a focus on the human figure and social marginals.

For more information about  Eric Franck Fine Art

Julie Cockburn. Gwendoline, 2016 – Flowers Gallery

Born in 1966, Julie Cockburn is a British photographer, based in London. Visionary and experimental, Cockburn is particularly renowned for her unique combination of vintage imagery and textile arts. By overlaying embroidery, fragmented images and objects, she transforms and embellishes past photographs of young schoolgirls and pin-up girls into vivid and elaborate characters of her own imagination. In doing so, she plays with the boundaries of time, bringing the past into the present and making it meaningful once more. Cockburn’s work has been exhibited worldwide in numerous national and international exhibitions.

For more information about Flowers Gallery

Helen Levitt. N.Y., 1940 – Galerie Thomas Zander

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1913, Helen Levitt’s contribution to photography and film is considerable. A pioneering woman photographer, Levitt succeeded in gaining critical recognition and having her work exhibited by major museums in a time when the art field was completely dominated by men. Nominated for an Academy Award and receiver of two Guggenheim fellowships, Levitt’s work is a socio-cultural documentary of city life in New York that is as intimate as it is distant. She has been featured in numerous exhibitions across the world.

For more information about Galerie Thomas Zander

David Bailey. Mick Jagger, 1964 – Galleria Valeria Bella

Born in 1938, David Bailey is an acclaimed British photographer who rose to prominence in the Sixties. Having dropped out of school at fifteen, he finally achieved his big break as a photographer for British Vogue in 1960. His iconic black-and-white images of film stars, rock stars and celebrities, including Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger and Jean Shrimpton, are easily recognisable and signature to his style. With a direct and uncomplicated visual aesthetic, his black-and-white photographs expose the true heart of his subjects and also break down social and racial barriers. Bailey has been featured in numerous national and international exhibitions.

Luigi Ghirri. Modena, 1973; Galleria Valeria Bella

Born in 1943, Luigi Ghirri is an Italian photographer. Having achieved recognition for his unique combination of surrealism and documentary photography, Ghirri’s innovative visual aesthetic presents the viewer with a snapshot of contemporary Italian life. Ghirri exposes ephemeral and transitory moments, exploring quiet scenes of everyday life for hidden secrets. Strongly influenced by snapshot photographers like William Eggleston, Ghirri is also a pioneer of Topographic photography.

Vivian Maier. Self portrait, Chicago area, 1956 – Galleria Valeria Bella

Born in 1926, Vivian Maier is a renowned American photographer. Particularly acclaimed for individual and self portraits, street photography and scenes taken from her urban surroundings, Maier captures the unseen. Her images capture fleeting moments, quietly presenting the viewer with a reality that they may have failed to see otherwise. With an extensive body of work that surpasses over 100,000 negatives, Maier has become a leading figure of Twentieth-century street photography.

For more information about Galleria Valeria Bella

Charlotte Colbert. Fermata, 2015 – Gazelli Art House

Based in London, Charlotte Colbert is an artist, a photographer and a screenwriter. Richly evocative and cinematic, her black-and-white work delves into interior experiences of the mind. She explores the inner and outer spaces our minds occupy and transform, either by fear or fantasy. The subjects of isolation, the self and gender also drive her imagination. By supplying the viewer with a window into another narrative, another world, her abstract photography gains a contemporary surrealistic quality.

Walter & Zoniel. Alpha-Ation ‘Emily’, 2015 – Gazelli Art House

Born and raised in London, Walter & Zoniel are a British contemporary artistic duo. Using a myriad of different mediums, including photography, installation and film, their work considers the human condition in all its complexities. With their interesting fusion of scientific and spiritual backgrounds, their images have a contemporary pop aesthetic. Walter & Zoniel’s artwork modernises traditional techniques, is vibrantly optimistic and is infused with the passion for their chosen art forms.

For more information about Gazelli Art House

William Klein. Smoke and Veil, Paris , 1958 – HackelBury Fine Art

Born in New York, William Klein is an acclaimed American artist, living in Paris. Revolutionary in his approach, Klein is particularly renowned for his controversial, grainy and wide-angle lens images. With an extensive body of work in fashion, street and modern photography, Klein’s first Vogue assignment was to present a New York city portrait. A project that would inspire most of his later work, Klein’s photographs traverse a global myriad of cities in order to present a glimpse of urban life. Having primarily taken the job at Vogue to fund his other passions for art and film, Klein eventually became a leading figure in fashion photography.

Saul Leiter. Untitled, 1970-1990 – HackelBury Fine Art

Born in 1923, Saul Leiter is an American photographer, specialising in street photography. During the Fifties and Sixties, Leiter was a prominent figure in fashion photography and experimented in abstract, colour photographs, which he would not exhibit for over three decades. A subtle yet bold statement, Leiter’s work offers a unique visual aesthetic that stands out against the contemporary photography of his generation. His expressive use of colour appeals to his artistic roots in painting. Leiter’s work has been featured in many exhibitions worldwide.

For more information about HackelBury Fine Art

Leslie Gill. Rest for the Stomach, Harper’s Bazaar II, 1935 – Howard Greenberg Gallery

Born in 1908, Leslie Gill is an American photographer. Having originally studied painting, Gill transferred his complete attention to photography in 1935. Richly imaginative and beautifully abstract, his visionary photographs directly reflect his previous pursuits and experiences in painting. In doing so, Gill demonstrates the sophistication of his technique in elevating photography to an appreciated art form.

Jacques Henri Lartigue. Guitty in Biarritz, 1905 – Howard Greenberg Gallery

Born in 1894, Jacques Henri Lartigue is a French photographer. At age six, he took his first photograph with his father’s camera and never looked back. With expertise in black-and-white and modern photography, Lartigue’s work spans from city scenes to fashion editorials. Vivacious and striking, his pictures capture the spirit and movement of the moment in which they were taken. His body of work reads like a lifelong diary and has been exhibited worldwide.

Irving Penn. Dior Fur Scarf – Jean Patchett, New York, 1951 – Howard Greenberg Gallery

Born in 1917, Irving Penn is an prominent American photographer. Influential and inspiring, Penn has photographed a diverse array of important cultural figures in his lifetime, including Pablo Picasso and Truman Capote. A major fashion photographer, he has produced images for Vogue and Chanel. Pared-down and stripped back, Penn uses both colour and black-and-white to capture and expose his subjects in an honest and ingenuous manner.

For more information about Howard Greenberg Gallery

Ed van der Elsken. Yakusa (gangsters). Kamagasaki, Osaka, 1960 – Ibasho Gallery

Born in 1925, Ed Van Der Elsken is a Dutch photographer who first rose to prominence with his acclaimed book of photographs, Love on the Left Bank. Subjective and confrontational, he is particularly renowned for his grainy snapshot aesthetic, in which he depicts scenes taken from everyday life. Along with Paris, Japan is an important photographic subject in Elsken’s work and he visited often between 1984 and 1988. Elsken’s substantial body of work weaves a moody, character-based narrative in which different people from all walks of life across the world briefly unite and come together.

For more information about Ibasho Gallery

Newsha Tavakolian. Glass Ceiling, 2010 – ILEX Gallery

Born in 1981, in Tehran, Newsha Tavakolian is an Iranian photojournalist and  documentary photographer. She frequently explores the subjects of gender, war and the military in her work. Her work presents a vital political and cultural commentary on life in Iran. It is especially relevant at a time when Iran is going through an important period of great change, re-opening world relations. Tavakolian has been featured in numerous exhibitions worldwide.

For more information about ILEX Gallery

Sam Haskins. November Girl, Full Body Flower Montage, 1965 – James Hyman Gallery

Born in South Africa, in 1926, Sam Haskins is a well-known British photographer, particularly acclaimed for his work in fashion photography. Powerful and immersive, November Girl is a book of photographs. At its heart, it tells the tragic story of a beautiful girl, longing for her dead lover. Shot completely in black-and-white, the series formed the basis of many of Haskins’ graphic and surrealistic experiments.

Andy Warhol. Baroness Ameliade Waldner, ca. 1974 – James Hyman Gallery

Born in 1928, Andy Warhol is a leading American visionary. Most notably renowned as a pioneer of the Pop Art movement, his works explore the boundaries of artistic expression and celebrity culture. With famous subjects that include fashion model Edie Sedgwick, Warhol is one of the most recognisable names in international art.

For more information about James Hyman Gallery

Albert Watson. Christy Turlington, Luxor, Egypt, 1987 – Kahmann Gallery

Born in Britain, in 1942, Albert Watson has photographed numerous models and celebrities over his career, with Kate Moss, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell included in his extensive repertoire. Having previously studied graphic design, Watson’s skilful manipulation of contrast and his clear sense of composition is reflected in his photographs. An architect of his sitter’s bodies, he emphasises the structural and sculptural properties of the body. The famous, half-shadowed nude photograph of Kate Moss’ spine will also be exhibited by Kahmann Gallery at the fair. Watson has been featured in numerous magazines and exhibitions over the course of his career.

For more information about Kahmann Gallery

Eamonn Doyle. END. Twins, 2016 – Michael Hoppen Gallery

Born in 1969, Eamonn Doyle is an Irish photographer, particularly renowned for his documentary photography and images of life on the street. Having begun his career in music, his images clearly depict a sense of rhythm and movement. Without worrying about the meaning of human life, Doyle instead depicts its fragmentary and transitory nature. His work tends to focus on people and their capacity and range of emotions. With ease, Doyle proves that best pictures can be taken anywhere.

Pieter Hugo. Abdullahi Mohammed with Mainasara, Lagos, Nigeria, 2007 – Michael Hoppen Gallery

A leading South African photographer, Pieter Hugo has taken numerous images of the marginalised people on his continent. Born in 1976, Hugo’s pictures weave an unnerving yet unmistakeable thread of social realism. His images of the blind, albinos and AIDS victims in their coffins are striking and arresting in their intensity.

For more information about Michael Hoppen Gallery

Henri Cartier-Bresson. Gandhi, Funeral Pyre, India 1948 – Peter Fetterman Gallery

Born in 1908, Henri Cartier-Bresson is an acclaimed French photographer. A phenomenal influence on his contemporaries and successors, Cartier-Bresson can be considered the father of photojournalism. His ability to capture the intimacy of human affairs and nature is signature to his style. Over the course of his career, he attended major political and cultural events, including the funeral of Gandhi and the Communist Revolution in China. Cartier-Bresson has been featured in numerous national and international exhibitions worldwide.

Steve McCurry. Dust Storm, India, 1983 – Peter Fetterman Gallery

Born in 1950, Steve McCurry is an American photojournalist and photographer. In the international art world, McCurry is recognised for having captured some of the most memorable images of the Twentieth century, including National Geographic’s iconic Afghan Girl cover. His exploration of the margins of society is a common subject in his work. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions across the world.

For more information about Peter Fetterman Gallery

Susan Derges. Tide Pool 18, 2015 – Purdy Hicks Gallery

Born in Britain, in 1955, Susan Derges believes that the camera separates the viewer from the subject. As a result, she has established her career in camera-less photography. Abstract and conceptual in their quality, her photographs clearly embrace her early training in painting. The removal of the camera and the use of light as a subject makes the end image even more extraordinary and inspiring. Derges’ work is internationally recognised as a pioneer of the camera-less photography movement. She has featured in numerous museums worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert museum.

For more information about Purdy Hicks Gallery

Roger Fenton. Captain Pechell and Men of the 77th Regiment, Winter Dress, ca. 1855 – Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography

Born in Britain, in 1819, Roger Fenton is a founding member of the London Photography Society. In 1852, his pictures of Eastern Europe, Russia and the Kremlin lead to national acclaim. Three years later, he became one of the first figures to explore war and documentary photography in his portrayal of the Crimean war. Fenton’s other subjects range from landscapes, architecture and still lifes to the British royal family.

For more information about Roland Belgrave Vintage Photography

Bruce Davidson. Untitled, 1960 – ROSEGALLERY

Born in Illinois, in 1933, Bruce Davidson is an American documentary photographer. His initial foray into the world of street photography came at the age of ten, when he picked up a camera for the first time. Upon graduating college, he was drafted into the army and met the inspiring force that was Henri Cartier-Bresson. In 1958, Davidson joined Bresson’s successful collaborative company, Magnum Photos. His work presents an unflinching, in-depth social commentary on the unsettling reality of life in the streets, poverty, racial identity and discrimination. His documentation of the American Civil Rights movement is particularly profound. Davidson has been featured in countless exhibitions worldwide.

For more information about ROSEGALLERY

Maryam Eisler. Kachina (Sacred Dancer), 2015 – Tristan Hoare

Born in Iran, Maryam Eisler is a London-based photographer, editor and ultimate patron of the arts. Interested in Middle Eastern and British contemporary art, Eisler is always seeking an adventure. Her photography demonstrates her search for the poetic aesthetic and seeks a beautiful and spiritual union of Earth and femininity. Eisler is a member of the Tate International Council, a trustee of Wellesley College and the Whitechapel Art Gallery, and is also sitting on the council for this year’s Photo London.

For more information about Tristan Hoare

George Osodi. Gas Flare 3, 2007 – Z Photographic

Born in 1974, George Osodi is an Nigerian photographer. His work explores aspects of contemporary Nigerian culture, in order to present his home country from his own perspective. In Gas Flare 3, the juxtaposition of the fiery explosion against the shadow of a child is particularly compelling. Evocative and cinematic, his work entices the viewer and provides an ephemeral window into Western Africa.

For more information about Z Photographic

Here are Ultra Vie’s favourite artworks from this year’s fair.

Irina Ionesco. Fafa, La Coeur Percé, 1971 – Galerie Alex Daniels – Reflex Amsterdam

More information about the Festival can be found .

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