richardson's mother reportedly gave him his first snapshot camera in 1982, which he used to document his life and the punk rock scene in ojai. in 1992, richardson quit music and moved to the east village neighborhood of new york city, where he began photographing young people partying and other nightlife. it was in new york city that he had his first "big break." his first published fashion photos appeared in "vibe" in 1994. his "vibe" spread was shown at paris' international festival de la mode later that year. following the showing, richardson shot an advertising campaign for fashion designer katharine hamnett's spring 1995 collection. the campaign was noted for images of young women wearing short skirts with their pubic hair showing.