Nick Knight
British fashion photographer Nick Knight, who got his start with documentary photographs of the English skinhead subculture, is outspoken in his belief that photography can catalyze social progress. Through his work, he has followed that belief by introducing new ideas of beauty into the world of fashion. More recently, Knight's innovation has also taken aim at the production side of photography. The photographer, who is known for wearing the same make of jeans every time he works, has said that the latest digital advances in the world of photography are a part of the same continuum that the art form has traveled since its beginning and that it's important for photographers to embrace the future. He has been a thought leader in incorporating the Internet and video into the world of fashion photography: in 2000, he founded SHOWstudio.com, a website that broadcasts film footage of the entire creative process for art and fashion projects. (Knight directed the music video above for Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" in 2011.)