Leon Richard Fegley was a professional photographer who worked for Playboy

Playboy

Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...

magazine for 30 years.

Fegley started taking photos during a stint in the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

, and eventually attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California

Pasadena, California

Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...

. In 1971 he joined Playboy as a freelance photographer. His first Playboy Playmate

Playmate

A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month . The PMOM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, as well as a short biography and the "Playmate Data Sheet", which lists her birthdate, measurements, turn-ons, and...

 was Carol O'Neal, for the July 1972 issue. In all he photographed 91 Playmates, including Shannon Tweed

Shannon Tweed

Shannon Lee Tweed is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller...

, Kimberley Conrad

Kimberley Conrad

-Personal life:She is probably best known for marrying Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in July 1989, an event which sparked worldwide media attention. The comic strip Doonesbury referred to the event as the belated end of the 1970s. The Hefners had two sons together: Marston Glenn Hefner and Cooper...

, Erika Eleniak

Erika Eleniak

Erika Eleniak is an American Playboy Playmate and actress, perhaps best known for her role in Baywatch as Shauni McClain. She also starred in the films Under Siege and The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...

, Kelly Monaco

Kelly Monaco

Kelly Marie Monaco is an American model, actress, reality television contestant and winner of Dancing with the Stars in Season 1. She is well known for playing the character of Sam McCall on the soap opera General Hospital, a role she originated in 2003.-Modeling:In April 1997, Monaco became the...

 and Karen McDougal

Karen McDougal

Karen McDougal is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998. In 2001, the readers of Playboy voted McDougal "No...

. Fegley also photographed many covers for Playboy, as well as several celebrities, including adult film star Marilyn Chambers

Marilyn Chambers

Marilyn Chambers was an American pornographic actress, exotic dancer, model, actress and vice-presidential candidate...

.

He died on September 15, 2001 in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

after a long illness.