CHARLIZE THERON
Photograph by James White
Sept. 12, 2005
Chicago

''You would think it'd be easy to find a locale in Chicago, but it wasn't,'' says White, who ultimately decided to shoot the Oscar-winning actress Theron inside a half-demolished loft. ''We just used the base of the building as our studio, and it had really beautiful light.'' At the beginning of the session, the photographer asked her to adjust her outfit's strap. The effect, it turned out, was stunning. ''There was this moment where it looked like she was bare-shouldered,'' he says. ''I thought it looked really sweet and sensual at the same time.''