In the world of fashion there is a small yet consistent collection of photographers who get the majority of work for major publications and brands. In fact, many of them seem to have quite the monopoly on the fashion world. Legends like Richard Avedon and Irving Penn continued to work prolifically up until the time they passed away, and that seems to be what is so great about being behind the camera instead of in front of it. Top photographers are given the chance to work for years in an industry where most figures are in one day and out the next.

But how do we differentiate one top photographer from another? We’ll show you what to look for from visual style, what publications they regularly appear in, as well as recent ongoing collaborations with brands and models of some of the top working fashion photographers of today. Click through to get started!