Photographic Links regarding the Late Queen

I've learned a lot about the royal family this week. I'm not a royal-watcher, nor do I identify with them in any significant way. Although of course you pick up a certain amount about them by osmosis, as it were, and I did learn the story of Diana at the time of her death (it involved photographers, after all).

But I've read a lot about the late Queen this week, including a biography I'm partway through. Of everything I've come across here are the three not-to-be-missed tidbits for photographers:

First, this lovely story from the former Queen's Police Officer, Richard Griffin. Various outlets have been rewriting and rehashing the story in written form, and people have been sending me links to one or another, but the original is this video. A lovely little anecdote.

Next comes the article from Popular Photography called "A closer look at some of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite cameras."

Lastly, the most important one, IMO, from The Guardian, "The story behind the portrait of the Queen the palace used to announce her death," by Luke Dodd. I think this is the original; similar articles have appeared elsewhere. At any rate this is the best telling of it. Although it's a short little article, it's a rewarding read—it's like a little photography lesson from Jane Bown (note no "r." It's not "Brown"). Jane (1925–2014) is one of my very favorite photographers, a touchstone. I love her work, her methods, her thoughts about what she did. And I'm pleased she existed.

Mike

Book o' the Week

Migrant Mother, by Sarah Meister. "Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation on a single work from the collection of MoMA." Forty-two pages with many illustrations. An engaging guided tour of the history and lore of "American photography's Mona Lisa."

This book link is a portal to Amazon. You're very kind use our links as they help support the site.

B&H Photo

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Comments

[Aaron]

According to the article Jane Bown used "two 40 year old 35mm OM1s".

I'll remember that the next time I think I need a new camera.

[beachbum]

"I've learned a lot about the royal family this week."

Me, too, but what I've learned this week has really shaken the notion I had that the royal family was just an innocuous and ceremonial remnant of British culture. I mean, wow, these three articles just shook me up.

https://consortiumnews.com/2022/09/09/cruelties-of-the-queens-reign/

https://scheerpost.com/2022/09/09/the-queen-and-her-legacy-21st-century-britain-has-never-looked-so-medieval/

https://risingtidefoundation.substack.com/p/sugar-and-spice-and-everything-vice?utm_source=email

[Tom Burke]

I looked at the Guardian's on-line image that you mention and I could see a problem - the upper-right side of the image (the left side of the Queen's forehead and her white hair) was burnt out, IMHO.

On Sunday The Observer (The Guardian's sister paper, essentially a Sunday version of The Guardian) did their own supplement about the Queen and ran a slightly different image from the same shoot on the cover and had Luke Dodd's account of Jane Bown's shoot on an inside page. In this image the Queen is smiling and her head is differently angled (or more likely, Jane Bown had move round to the Queen's side). Printed on newsprint at something close to A3 size, I think it's a (technically) better image: slightly darker tone overall and tighter on the Queen's profile, it retains texture and detail in exactly the areas I found unsatisfying in the other image.

I've been looking on their website for that image, but I can't find it.

[Rod S.]

That story told in the video by the former Queen's Police Officer, Richard Griffin, is a real cracker, isn't it.

I hope that you are recovering well, Mike.

[Rob Campbell]

Thing is, analogue cameras reached their peak, whilst digital ones are still in their dark ages, so to speak; there is so much more still to come, unimaginable stuff, I believe, that will make life even more easy for snappers and the rewards, consequently, ever less fulfilling.

For me, Nikon reached its analogue peak with the F2: from the moment that a camera became inoperable without batteries, game over for design and function’s happy marriage.

I had thought that Pop Phot had long become extinct. Had it, and has a new Lazarus now hit the scene? Loved their two Annuals!

The thing about Jane, though, has always been talent. Why would she suffer the insecurities of GAS?

[Zyni]

That link is indeed the original. Bown worked for The Observer which is now the Sunday paper of The Guardian which bought it some time ago (not sure when).

[Howard]

Lest we forget that her sister Princess Margaret was married to Lord Snowdon, a renowned professional photographer.

[Bob Johnston]

The Queen resided over the period when British colonialism was ended and almost all of the empire was handed back. She went on to help found the Commonwealth, where all its peoples were considered equal. So, comments about the evils of colonialism are more than a little misplaced when it comes to the Queen.

[Chuck Albertson]

If those Yank tourists had recognized the Queen, they probably would have asked her why she built Windsor Castle underneath the flight path to Heathrow Airport.