Commemorating 100 Years
Sid Avery and his Hasselblad
Audrey Hepburn, James Dean, and Elizabeth Taylor – iconic American photographer Sid Avery photographed them all, many of the shots taken with his Hasselblad 500C. Known for capturing the stars of Hollywood’s golden age, Sid showed another side of these celebrities in a candid, intimate way. Born on 12 October 1918, his centennial year was celebrated on 12 October 2018, commemorating his contributions to the art of photography and the preservation of Hollywood history through his lens.

© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM

JAMES DEAN ON LOCATION FOR "GIANT" IN MARFA, TEXAS 1955
© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM
Raised in Los Angeles, California where he was mentored by his uncle Max Tatch, a landscape photographer, Sid learned the ins and outs of photography and the darkroom processes. While working at Morgan's Camera store on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, where many big-time photographers came by, Sid studied the craft by night at Art Center. This was followed by a position as a darkroom assistant. Finally, he opened his own studio shooting portraits of female theatre dancers.
Sid was then shipped out to Europe during Word War II where he ran the US army's photography division. Returning to Hollywood during its golden era, Sid became the celebrity photographer of choice during the 40s and 50s.

ELIZABETH TAYLOR SUNNING HERSELF WHILE ON LOCATION IN MARFA, TEXAS FOR THE FILM "GIANT"
© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM

MARLON BRANDO AT HIS BEVERLY GLEN HOME IN LOS ANGELES 1953
© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM
Being invited to their homes or simply catching them off guard in between filming scenes, Sid captured a side of Hollywood stars that no one had ever seen before. Thanks to his genuine, friendly nature that made his subjects feel at ease, he was able to show the public the private side of the biggest names in entertainment.
Sid Avery passed away on 1 July 2002. He was 83 years old.

AUDREY HEPBURN WITH HER PET DOG, FAMOUS, ON THE PARAMOUNT STUDIO BACKLOT 1957
© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM

SAMMY DAVIS JR., DEAN MARTIN, FRANK SINATRA AND JOEY BISHOP
STAGE A FIGHT DURING THE MAKING OF "OCEAN'S ELEVEN" 1960
© SID AVERY / MPTVIMAGES.COM
More Hasselblad stories
All stories ⟶
Gavin Goodman
The Powerful Simplicity of Symmetry
A limited tonal palette and simple yet sharp props combined for a superb photoshoot with a focus on form, colour, and symmetry for South African photographer Gavin Goodman and his team.

DELIRIUM
COOPER & GORFER
Sweden-based Hasselblad Ambassadors Cooper & Gorfer embarked on a new piece, Delirium, that embodies the Covid-19 pandemic, capturing the constant struggle of healthcare workers fighting through this historical tragedy.

KARIM ILIYA
HASSELBLAD GOES UNDERWATER AMONG WHALES AND TURTLES
Freediver and 2018 Hasselblad Master Karim Iliya ventured underwater with the AquaTech REFLEX Water Housing for the Hasselblad X1D II 50C, capturing serene imagery of whales and turtles in their natural worlds around the French Polynesian island of Moorea and Maui, Hawaii.

SEAN CONBOY
CAPTURING ARCHITECTURAL GRANDEUR WITH THE XH CONVERTER 0,8
Sean Conboy put the XH Converter 0,8 to the architectural test, photographing the exquisite interior of the Winter Gardens Blackpool in England.

COOPER & GORFER
BETWEEN THESE FOLDED WALLS, UTOPIA
Using the Hasselblad X1D, Cooper & Gorfer intertwine photographic portraiture with beautifully executed collage techniques and hand-drawn textures, blending photography and painting in their series, Between These Folded Walls, Utopia.

TOM OLDHAM
UNLOCKING NEW LENS OPPORTUNITIES WITH XH CONVERTER 0,8
As one of the first to try out the new XH Converter 0,8 on the 907X 50C, British photographer Tom Oldham executed a brilliantly dynamic studio session with Greek model and activist Billie Dellios. The XH Converter 0,8 opened Tom’s typical portrait-taking style of shooting on f/11 to a wide f/1,8 to create stunningly bold visuals.

ISA LESHKO
ALLOWED TO GROW OLD: ELDERLY ANIMAL PORTRAITS PRESERVED ON THE 503CW
As a project that started off with confronting her own mortality after caring for her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s, Isa Leshko embarked on a decade-long project photographing elderly farm animals. Creating connections with pigs, cows, turkeys, and sheep, among others, Isa captured the unique personalities of each animal on film through the lens of her Hasselblad 503CW.

DINO KUŽNIK
THE SOLITUDE OF THE AMERICAN WEST
With an affinity for photographing the American West, Slovenian creative Dino Kužnik embarked on a two-week road trip across Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico after months of lockdown in his New York home base. Used to shooting on medium format film, Dino opted for digital medium format using the X1D II 50C and XCD 45 and 90 Lenses. Driving through the earthy terrain of the rugged desert landscape, Dino’s images let us travel back in time to an America of yesteryear.

ANNA DEVÍS AND DANIEL RUEDA
EXPANDING THEIR VISUAL UNIVERSE WITH THE 907X 50C
Drawing inspiration from Hasselblad’s long legacy, creative duo and Hasselblad Ambassadors Anna Devís and Daniel Rueda tried out the new 907X 50C to create imagery that celebrates some of Hasselblad’s most renowned features. Expanding on their own visual universe – including a cloning situation, blending in with a record player, and mapping out their own constellations – each of the photographs give a nod to the camera’s long-lasting build, classic design, and innovation behind the technology that also led to working with NASA.

ADAM WEIST
ADVENTURING THROUGH THE SUBTROPICAL RAINFORESTS AND ACTIVE VOLCANOES OF NEW ZEALAND
As the world turned upside down for many in March 2020, Los Angeles-based photographer Adam Weist found himself removed from it all on the other side of the world in the middle of New Zealand’s magical scenery. Shooting with the X1D II 50C in wild conditions ranging from the middle of a downpour in subtropical rainforests to a snowstorm on an active volcano, Adam’s images expose the beauty of the country and transport us to a landscape photographer’s dream.