Double Exposure

Inside the World of Cecil Beaton Part 2: Photo Deep Dive

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In part 2 of their Cecil Beaton special, Hugo Burnand and Cambridge Jones

dive deeper into the photographer’s extraordinary career, exploring his wartime photography and his creative triumph with My Fair Lady. Inspired by the Cecil Beaton exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, they analyse some of his most iconic portraits including of artist Salvador Dali, and fellow photographer Richard Avedon. They discuss Beaton’s ambition, contradictions, and enduring influence before revealing a surprising personal connection between Beaton and Cambridge.

How did Beaton blend photography, theatre, fashion, drawing and design to

shape 20th-century visual culture?


What we cover in this episode:


Cecil Beaton at war

  • Commissioned by the Ministry of Information
  • Iconic Blitz imagery and its global impact
  • How Beaton’s photographs helped shape public opinion during WWII
  • The tension between photojournalism and staged artistry

    • The Power of a Single Image

    • The wounded child photograph published internationally
    • How subtle framing choices changed the emotional impact
    • Why even great photographers struggle to choose “the best” frame

      • Beaton’s Hollywood years

      • “Hollywood hero lighting” and radical composition choices
      • Beaton’s fascination – and discomfort – with Hollywood beauty culture

        • Embracing colour

        • Early colour fashion photography for Vogue
        • Red-on-red fashion portraits and bold stylistic risks
        • How Beaton adapted to colour while maintaining a graphic eye

          • Theatre, film and My Fair Lady

          • Beaton’s return to prominence through stage and costume design
          • Winning Oscars for My Fair Lady
          • Why this period marked his true creative renaissance

            • Art beyond photography

            • Beaton as a draftsman, diarist, designer, and visual storyteller
            • Retouching photographs by hand with brushes and ink
            • The role of drawing and painting in shaping his photographic vision

              • Personal Revelations

              • A surprising real-life connection between Cecil Beaton and Cambridge Jones
              • Reflections on legacy, influence, and forging your own creative path


                • Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World⁠ is at the National

                Portrait Gallery until January 11.


                Hosted by royal photographer Hugo Burnand and celebrity portrait photographer Cambridge Jones, Double Exposure is the podcast that gives you a new angle on life through the lens of photography. Follow us on Instagram @hugoandjones to see the photographs featured in each episode or visit the Double Exposure podcast on YouTube. Plus, want answers to your own photography questions? Send them to Cambridge and Hugo via Instagram or email at [email protected]

                 

                Series producer: Eve Streeter

                Managing editor: William Miller

                Music by Eclectic Sounds

                A Raconteur Studios production

                 

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                Double ExposureBy Raconteur Studios