The influence of art, notably painting, is a thread that runs through the history of fashion photography. Yet, in recent years, fashion photography has headed in a determinedly different direction, with the aim of shocking and startling the viewer in a defiantly 'anti-fashion' way. It is as if fashion photographers sometimes wilfully resist the creation of images that might be considered 'beautiful'.

Erik Madigan Heck, though, is something of a long-awaited anomaly. His work is elegant and unashamedly beautiful, exploring the intersections of fashion, painting and classical portraiture. Working with natural light and combining in-camera effects with digital post-production, he produces evocative and seductive images that are simultaneously timeless and futuristic. His work stands alongside that of the greats, yet he is a true original and no more impersonator.

Within these pages are 100 photographs by Heck presented in a flowing, chromatic sequence that takes the use of light and colour to unprecedented heights. With essays by Susan Bright and Justine Picardie that look at Heck's place within the realms of both art photography and fashion, and with an index to the photographs captioning the piece, model, designer, collection or publication in which each image appeared, this book is the essential introduction to a contemporary master of fashion photography.