Double Exposure

Lee Miller Part 1: model, muse and surrealist photographer

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In a special two-part series, Hugo and Cambridge explore the extraordinary life of Lee Miller ­– accidental model, muse, surrealist pioneer, Vogue photographer, war correspondent, and a woman whose story is as remarkable as it is deeply poignant. In each episode they take a deep dive into the photographs that define her most iconic work and style.

Huge thanks to the Lee Miller Archive who we have collaborated with for this series. To see all the images discussed by Cambridge and Hugo, please visit the Double Exposure podcast page on the LMA website. Or you can find the photos @hugoandjones on Instagram.

In part 1, Cambridge and Hugo trace Lee’s early life, her artistic awakening in Paris, her transformative partnership with artist Man Ray, photographing Picasso and the unexpected turns that shaped her creative path.

 

Key themes explored in this episode:

  • Reinvention – Lee Miller’s life is marked by continual transformation across fashion, surrealism, and independent photography.
  • Trauma and resilience – early childhood trauma shaped aspects of her relationships but also fuelled her creative fearlessness.
  • Accidental beginnings – a near accident with Condé Nast launched her modelling career, which she quickly outgrew.
  • Creative collaboration – her partnership with Man Ray blurred authorship and showcased her as an artistic equal. Plus her friendship with Picasso.
  • Surrealist identity – Miller didn’t just photograph surrealism; she embodied its humour, playfulness, and subversion.
  • Artistic maturity in Egypt – her Cairo period produced some of her most innovative, minimalist, and visionary work.
  • Humour and experimentation – wit and inventive seeing were core
    • to her photographic voice.
  • Letting go as creative strategy – major life leaps – leaving Vogue, Man Ray, Egypt – were essential to her evolution.
  • Prelude to war – Part 1 ends with Miller on the cusp of her most defining chapter as a WWII correspondent.

    •  

    Don’t miss Part 2, where Cambridge and Hugo explore Lee Miller’s transition to war photographer, which would cement her legacy as one of the most important photographers of the 20th century.


    A major retrospective of Lee Miller’s photography is at Tate Britain until 15 February 2026.


    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 and photographers. 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