Born August 25, 1968, is an American photographer known for his atmospheric images of suburban houses, landscapes, and psychologically charged interiors. His work explores themes of isolation, memory, and emotional projection, often through nocturnal scenes and ambiguous narratives. Hido has published more than a dozen books and is an adjunct professor at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

Hido was born in Kent, Ohio. He studied photography at Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, graduating in 1991, continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, and earned an MFA from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland in 1996. One of his teachers was Larry Sultan, who became an important mentor.

Hido first gained recognition for his photographs of suburban houses taken at night, often depicting modest homes with a single illuminated window. These images, made while driving through American neighborhoods, form the basis of his influential book House Hunting (2001). The photographs suggest unseen narratives and emotional tension, allowing viewers to project their own stories onto the scenes.

In later work, Hido expanded his practice to include interior scenes with figures—often female nudes—as well as desolate rural landscapes. Books such as Between the Two (2006) and subsequent publications combine these elements into loose, cinematic sequences without captions or explanatory text, emphasizing mood and ambiguity over explicit meaning. His book Bright Black World (2018) marked his first major body of work photographed outside the United States and introduced stronger environmental themes.

Alongside his personal projects, Hido has undertaken commercial commissions, including fashion campaigns, while maintaining a distinct visual language closely associated with his fine-art practice. His photographs are held in numerous public collections and have been widely exhibited internationally.

Reference

Biography text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), English edition.
Retrieved January 19, 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Hido