Peter Strongwater

Peter Strongwater (1941–2014) was an American-born portrait and fashion photographer whose work captured many of the defining figures of late-20th-century popular culture. Renowned for his refined visual style and creative portraits, Strongwater rose to prominence in the 1970s and 80s as a fashion and celebrity photographer shooting many covers for Interview Magazine, the influential publication founded by Andy Warhol.

During this era, he photographed some of the most iconic personalities in music and entertainment, including Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Cher. His portraits—often stylish, direct, and intimate—captured both the glamour and individuality of his subjects, helping define the visual language of celebrity portraiture in the 1970s and beyond.
Strongwater studied at Columbia University, where he developed an intellectual and artistic foundation that informed his photographic practice. Over the course of his career, his work gained significant institutional recognition; ten of his photographic portraits are held in the collection of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, reflecting the lasting cultural importance of his images.

Peter Strongwater died in 2014 at the age of 73. His photographs remain an enduring record of a transformative era in art, fashion, and popular culture, and of the remarkable personalities who defined it.