Toni Frissell

Among the pioneers of modern photography Vogue touted in 1941, there was but one woman: Toni Frissell.

Frissell preferred to work in plein air and was early to the more spontaneous, and modern, “snapshot” aesthetic, unlike her male counterparts, most of whom were proponents of staid studio photography, in which every detail and pose was pre-calculated.

Frissell was, literally, a breath of fresh air at Vogue.

Later, she’d often choose her (well-bred) peers, rather than professional models, as her subjects, and they often had the same “long-legged greyhound chic” that an editor noted Frissell had.

Frissell’s worldview was, of course, influenced by her background. “I wish I had been an Edwardian,” this accomplished woman, who was introduced to society with an Arabian Nights–themed New Year’s Eve coming-out party, for example, used to say.

When it became apparent that spelling was not her forte, the young, but well-connected, deb was relieved of her duties and it was suggested that she take pictures of society events and friends, some of which appeared in the magazine in 1931.

And so, not knowing how to rig a studio, Frissell decided to take her camera–and endless rolls of film–outside and make use of natural light.

“Though it was hailed as a brilliant, fresh technique,” Frissell would later say, “I did it because I didn’t know anything about studio lighting and indoor exposures!”

Technique is not the first thing that comes to mind when looking at a Frissell photograph, though.

There’s exuberance and sense of place–“I try hard to capture the atmosphere in the hope that the viewer can smell the flowers on a hillside or feel the joy of a windless Alpine day,” the photographer said–and, above all, motion.

(It’s important to note that her “moving pictures” started appearing about the same time as those of Martin Munkácsi, known for the dynamism of his outdoor work.)

An oft-repeated story is that while pregnant and lying on the floor to get her shot, Frissell looked up to see Condé Nast looking down at her, curious as to what she was doing. “I’m interested in the way it looks from down here. I see things my own way,” she told the publisher.