Miles Aldridge Print

Ashing a lipstick-smeared cigarette into an egg yolk is just the level of discomfort and sex appeal that photographer Miles Aldridge has mastered over his 30 years in the business.

As one of the few contemporary photographers to shoot nearly exclusively on film, Aldridge arranges and captures models in colorful, exaggerated scenes that can be characterized as quintessentially film noir infused with pop culture.

Aldridge was born in London in 1964. He received his first camera as a gift from his father, the illustrator and art director Alan Aldridge. He later studied graphic design at Central Saint Martins, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1987. He directed music videos for several years before committing to photography full-time in the 1990s.

Aldridge’s photos have a distinctly cinematic quality achieved through a process similar to arranging a shot for a film. Beginning with a sketch, Aldridge envisions a scene while planning the lighting and color choices that will go into it. His style is influenced by the works of portrait photographer Richard Avedon and directors such as Derek Jarman and David Lynch.

Aldridge's fashion photography has been published in many magazines and news outlets, ranging from Vogue and Vogue Italia to the New Yorker and the New York Times. He has been featured in numerous exhibitions since his first solo show in 2009 at Hamiltons Gallery in London, including solo shows at Steven Kasher Gallery in New York and Reflex Amsterdam. Aldridge has also participated in group shows at Frank Fluegel Gallery in Nuremberg, Huxley-Parlour Gallery in London and Rukaj Gallery in Toronto. 

On 1stDibs, find a collection of authentic Miles Aldridge photography and prints.

Color photography evokes emotion that can bring a viewer into the scene. It can transport one to faraway places or back into the past.

The first color photograph, taken in 1861, was more of an exercise in science than art. Photographer Thomas Sutton and physicist James Clerk Maxwell used three separate exposures of a tartan ribbon — filtered through red, green and blue — and composited them into a single image, resulting in the first multicolor representation of an object.

Before this innovation, photographs were often tinted by hand. By the 1890s, color photography processes were introduced based on that 1860s experiment. In the early 20th century, autochromes brought color photography to a commercial audience.

Now color photography is widely available, with these historic photographs documenting moments and scenes that are still vivid generations later. Photographers in the 20th and 21st centuries have offered new perspectives in the evolving field of modern color photography with gripping portraiture, snow-capped landscapes, stunning architecture and lots more.

In the voluminous collection of photography on 1stDibs, find vibrant full-color images by Slim Aarons, Helen Levitt, Gordon Parks, Stefanie Schneider, Steve McCurry and other artists. Bring visual interest to any corner of your home with color photography — introduce a salon-style gallery hang or another arrangement that best fits your space.