Portraits of Celebrities in the Iconic Styles of Famous Photographers

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Photographer Lucian Hunziker wants to give you a whirlwind tour of the history of portrait photography. For his new photo project and book titled Basel in Portraits, Hunziker photographed 59 celebrities in the iconic styles of 59 different famous photographers from the past 150 years.

It’s “my personal photo project about ‘learning the best from the best’,” Hunziker tells PetaPixel.

The photographer is based in Basel, Switzerland, and his subjects are people from his city who have made a mark in culture, sports, science and politics. Among the faces that appear in the project are tennis star Roger Federer, Oscar-winning film producer Arthur Cohn, architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, and soccer player Marco Streller.

The series is an interesting look at what modern day celebrities might have looked like had they been photographed by some of the biggest names in the history of photography, including Henri-Cartier Bresson, Andy Warhol, and Man Ray.

Here are some of the portraits in the collection. See if you can guess the photographer the style is based on before reading the name in the caption:

Claudia & Julia Müller, Artists in the style of László Moholy Nagy
Claudia & Julia Müller, Artists in the style of László Moholy Nagy
Georg Kreis, Historian in the style of Nadar
Georg Kreis, Historian in the style of Nadar
Dani Levy, Film Director and Actor in the style of Guy Bourdin
Dani Levy, Film Director and Actor in the style of Guy Bourdin
Christina Surer, Race Car Driver, TV Host and Model in the style of Peter Lindbergh
Christina Surer, Race Car Driver, TV Host and Model in the style of Peter Lindbergh
Caroline Rasser, Actress in the style of George Hurrell
Caroline Rasser, Actress in the style of George Hurrell
Anita Fetz, Politician in the style of Martin Schoeller
Anita Fetz, Politician in the style of Martin Schoeller
Rosetta Lopardo, Actress in the style of Lillian Bassman
Rosetta Lopardo, Actress in the style of Lillian Bassman
Simon Gaudenz, Conductor in the style of Jan von Holleben
Simon Gaudenz, Conductor in the style of Jan von Holleben
Johann Wanner, Christmas Decoratin Specialist in the style of Jean-Paul Goude
Johann Wanner, Christmas Decoratin Specialist in the style of Jean-Paul Goude
Luca Fabian, Rower in the style of Herb Ritts
Luca Fabian, Rower in the style of Herb Ritts
Janika Sprunger, Show Jumper in the style of Rankin
Janika Sprunger, Show Jumper in the style of Rankin
Olivier Pagan, Director Zoo Basel in the style of Albert Watson
Olivier Pagan, Director Zoo Basel in the style of Albert Watson
Helmut Hubacher, Politician and Journalist in the s tyle of Platon
Helmut Hubacher, Politician and Journalist in the s tyle of Platon
Baschi, Singer in the style of Anton Corbijn
Baschi, Singer in the style of Anton Corbijn
Anouk Manser, Model  in the style Tim Walker
Anouk Manser, Model in the style Tim Walker
Annina Frey, TV Host in the style of Annie Leibovitz
Annina Frey, TV Host in the style of Annie Leibovitz
Zoe Scarlet, Burlesque Dancer in the style of Bert Stern
Zoe Scarlet, Burlesque Dancer in the style of Bert Stern
Tanja Grandits, Chef in the style of Clifford Coffin
Tanja Grandits, Chef in the style of Clifford Coffin
Alain Claude Sulzer, Writer in the style of Henri Cartier-Bresson
Alain Claude Sulzer, Writer in the style of Henri Cartier-Bresson
Mirjam Christ-Crain, Physician in the style of Edward Steichen
Mirjam Christ-Crain, Physician in the style of Edward Steichen
 -minu, TV Host, Author and Journalist in the style of David LaChapelle
-minu, TV Host, Author and Journalist in the style of David LaChapelle
Matthyas Jenny, Publisher, Author and Bookseller in the style of Diane Arbus
Matthyas Jenny, Publisher, Author and Bookseller in the style of Diane Arbus

“Basel in Portraits” is a 276-page hardcover book that can be purchased for 68 Swiss Franks from Hunziker’s online shop, and you may also be able to find it through channels such as Amazon. If you want to learn more about this project, check out its page on Hunziker’s website.


Image credits: Photographs by Lucian Hunziker and used with permission

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