Being Bert Stern: The Life of a Photographer, Pioneer, and Provocateur The tables have turned on famed bad-boy photographer Bert Stern in Bert Stern: Original Madman, a documentary directed by Shannah Laumeister, a filmmaker who, like many of the women in Bert’s life, began a love affair with the photographer through the lens of his camera. Always in fervent demand on Madison Avenue and in Hollywood, Stern held fast to a belief that “the only boundaries are the ones you make” and went on to revolutionize the conceptual power of photographs in advertising and print culture. Alongside greats such as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, Stern, now 83 years old, has achieved a level of success that defines him as a celebrity in his own right. Herewith, VF.com presents an exclusive slide show of Stern’s iconic photos, including a look into the photographer madman’s personal studio guest book.