Stanley Stellar (b. 1945, Brooklyn, NY) is a highly acclaimed American photographer based in Manhattan, celebrated for his powerful and intimate documentation of queer life in New York City since 1976.
His extensive body of work captures the heart of the LGBT community, showcasing its beauty, resilience, and struggles through pivotal moments like the Gay Liberation movement, the iconic Christopher Street Piers in the West Village, the first Gay Pride Parades, and the tragic realities of the AIDS epidemic.
Stellar’s photographs are known for their profound human connection, focusing on the individual strengths and inner lives of his subjects, primarily men. He strives to create images that go beyond the surface, capturing a raw honesty and intimacy that has made his work iconic within LGBTQ+ history.