Lloyd Ziff

Early Life Lloyd Ziff (September 27, 1942–August 1, 2024) was an American photographer and art director known for his work on influential magazines such as Vanity Fair, House & Garden, Rolling Stone, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Ziff was born in Detroit, Michigan, the only child of Frances (Maimes) Ziff and Max Ziff, an upholsterer. His father died when he was five, and he moved with his mother to Los Angeles. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute in 1967.

Career In 1968, Ziff photographed art school classmates Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith in their Brooklyn apartment. His early black-and-white portraits captured intimate, formative moments before both would rise to fame.

Ziff began in the design department at McCall's magazine and then moved to CBS Records, designing album covers, including the 1972 reissue of Bessie Smith: The Empress, which earned him a Grammy nomination. In the 1970s, he worked at Rolling Stone and Playgirl and helped launch New West, the West Coast sister publication of New York magazine.

He later worked for The New York Times Magazine, House & Garden, and Vanity Fair, where he oversaw visually striking covers and layouts. Ziff was known for his emphasis on photography, often commissioning photographers such as Sheila Metzner and Bridgette Lacombe, fostering their careers and trusting them with creative freedom.

Ziff died on August 1, 2024, at his home in Orient Point, New York, at the age of 81.