Herman Leonard (March 6, 1923, in Allentown, Pennsylvania[2] – August 14, 2010, in Los Angeles, California) was an American photographer known for his unique images of jazz icons.
Karsh gave him valuable experience photographing public personalities such as Albert Einstein, Harry Truman, and Martha Graham.
Working free-lance for various magazines, he spent his evenings at the Royal Roost and then Birdland, where he photographed jazz musicians such as Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and others.
Following his return, Leonard moved to Paris, photographing assignments in the fashion and advertising business and as European correspondent for Playboy magazine.
[5] Following Hurricane Katrina, Leonard moved to Studio City, California, and re-established his business there, working with music and film companies and magazines.
During this time, he received a grant from the GRAMMY Foundation, that allowed for his vast library of photographic negatives to be digitally archived for future generations.