Tyler Shields' Controversial Portraits

Heather Morris as Barbie

According to Shields, the actress, who plays a cheerleader on Glee, "wanted to do a shoot like Barbie, so I thought let's do a crazy Barbie-is-over-it sort of thing, where she breaks the ironing board."
Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Heather Morris With Iron

Bad-girl Barbie also has a black eye, which prompted widespread criticism that the photos glamorize domestic violence.
Heather Morris Bruiser

Shields said that it never occurred to him that people would interpret Morris as anything other than an empowered woman. In response to his critics, he offered to auction off a limited print of her with a bruiser and give the proceeds to domestic violence victims.

Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Heather Morris Flies

The two photographs from the shoot where the black eye is not apparent have a decidedly different feel.

Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Alessandra Torresani and Baby Darth

Shields has photographed dozens of well-known actresses, models, and musicians. Many of the photos live on his website, while others appear in magazines and advertising campaigns. "I think what we're doing is creating a piece that has a story behind it," Shields says of his work. His love of Star Wars often is evident in these stories.

Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Lindsay Lohan Inferno

Shields has done many photo shoots with Lohan. The story lines have involved guns, blood, murder, and fellows who look like mobsters, among other things.
Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Lindsay Lohan and Michael Trevino

"If we want to do a story where Lindsay Lohan is covered in blood and has a knife in her hand ... [it's the] same thing as we’re doing one frame of a scene in a movie," Shields offers as a counterpoint to his critics. "These people are actors and they are giving me their talent."

Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Lindsay Lohan Gun

"It's not softcore porn hunny, it's called ART," Lohan said on Twitter, responding to widespread criticism about this portrait.

Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Taxi Cab Machine Gun

Guns and nudity are common themes in Shields' work.
Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Zachary Quinto Swims

Shields also photographs male actors and musicians.
Photograph by Tyler Shields.
Toby Kebbell Floating

Like his female subjects, the men often find themselves in strange and precarious situations. They are usually wearing more clothes, however.
Photograph by Tyler Shields.