Daniella Midenge, Sex & Cigarettes

Strong women, accentuated by their beauty and sensuality, are the hallmark of fashion photographer Daniella Midenge. Her pictures evoke intimacy and passion, beyond the outer shell. Black-and-white or color, her photos have an incredible power of expression that draws the eye of men and women alike. Her unique style still shows the influence of photography greats like Peter Lindbergh and Herb Ritts. But, as a woman and a model herself, Daniella Midenge is at home both behind and in front of the camera, informing her art direction, staging, and hair and makeup—all of which she does herself. It’s no wonder she is reluctant to let others handle the processing of her photographs. A creative family, her love of high-concept fashion photos in old glossy magazines, and her work as a makeup artist all contributed to the many twists and turns on Midenge’s path to photography. But after her first contact with a camera, she never looked back. For the first time, Daniella Midenge’s best work is collected in a single volume: one that will leave you wanting to see more.

DANIELLA MIDENGE was born in Stockholm in 1982. After completing her degree with a concentration in photography, film, and advertising at the Riddarfjärds­skolan, she worked in a studio for the restoration of oil paintings before starting a new career as a makeup artist. Because of her contact with fashion photography, Daniella Midenge quickly developed a strong interest in the artistic and conceptual creation of photoshoots—with great success: her first cover for Marie Claire followed in 2010. She was soon able to add other illustrious magazines to her portfolio including Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and GQ. Her customer base is still expanding as major companies like H&M, Guess and Swarovski now have her do their fashion campaigns. In addition, she is also a successful model herself; she was on the cover of Elle and in Playboy. After a few years in Berlin, Daniella now lives in Los Angeles.