Lord Lichfield (1939 - 2005) - a photo on Flickriver

Lord Lichfield (1939 - 2005)

Tribute to Lord Lichfield. Professional Photographer to the rich, famous and beautiful.

The above photograph isn't mine, I found it on Blue Sky Seminars website.

"I don't think old photographers retire .... they just go out of focus" - Lord Lichfield

Photographer Lord Lichfield dies

Friday, 11 November 2005

Royal photographer Lord Lichfield has died at the age of 66 after suffering a major stroke.

The Queen was among the first to pay tribute to Lord Lichfield, saying she was "deeply saddened" at the news.

Lord Lichfield was the Queen's first cousin once removed and was the official photographer at the wedding of the Prince of Wales to Diana.

He was being treated in the stroke unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford after falling ill.

The renowned photographer had been staying in the area with friends when he suffered a stroke. He died at 0400 GMT on Friday.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: "It's a private matter. The Queen is deeply saddened and will be sending private condolences."

Lord Lichfield - who inherited the earldom of Lichfield in Staffordshire from his grandfather - has often been asked by the royals to take their official portraits.

He photographed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

In July 1981, he took the official wedding photographs for the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

"He wasn't complicated, he wasn't pretentious, he wasn't an intellectual, he just loved making beautiful images" - Geordie Greig, Tatler editor.

Tatler editor Geordie Greig said Lord Lichfield was an "old-fashioned gentleman" whose best work had been his shots of the wedding.

"The royal wedding was spectacularly memorable, he got the intimacy of the Royal Family, he got that fairytale magic.

"There was a sort of almost Hollywood magic dust spread throughout that shoot and the world enjoyed it.

"He wasn't complicated, he wasn't pretentious, he wasn't an intellectual, he just loved making beautiful images."

Former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said Lord Lichfield had been very close to the Royal Family and was noted for the easy way he handled them during shoots, using a whistle to marshal guests at the wedding of Charles and Diana.

"One year, we were shooting a Christmas card at Windsor Castle it was all over in about 15 minutes, he was almost a one-shot man, he would get it perfect the first time."

Baroness Thatcher, whose recent 80th birthday photos were taken by Lord Lichfield, said: "Patrick Lichfield was not only one of the most talented and professional of photographers, he was also an absolute delight to sit for.

"Always courteous and considerate, he had a rare skill which is now sadly gone."

Friend and photographer Terry O'Neill said Lord Lichfield's style was always spontaneous.

"He did go for the moment. He was instinctive. It was part of his nature."

He remembered that the aristocrat liked to be viewed as "one of the chaps".

In a career spanning 40 years, Lord Lichfield worked for Vogue and photographed many stars, including Sixties singer Marsha Hunt, Michael Caine and Joanna Lumley.

As well as editorial photography, he worked on advertising commissions across several industries, including fashion, tobacco and pharmaceuticals.

He was recently commissioned by the British Tourist Authority, and was involved in Hot Shots, a television series for Discovery Real Time in which amateur photographers are taught by professionals.

Interviewed in October by the BBC News website, he told reporter Caroline Briggs: "Remember that the person you are photographing is 50% of the portrait and you are the other 50%.

"You need the model as much as he or she needs you. If they don't want to help you, it will be a very dull picture."

Lord Lichfield's long-term partner was Lady Annunziata Asquith, and he had had three children with ex-wife Lady Leonora Grosvenor - a son, Tom, and two daughters, Rose and Eloise.

BBC News Website

More Reading

Lord Lichfield : BBC News Website Obituary

Friday, 11 November 2005

Lord Lichfield stretched beyond his privileged upbringing to become a world-renowned photographer.
He first used a camera at the age of seven, taking pictures of his family, pets and scenes at his beloved home, the stately Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire.

He attended Harrow School, and took his first pictures of the Queen as he played cricket against Eton.

While his upbringing was aristocratic, Lichfield's great passion for photography carried him far beyond any blue-blooded barriers, and through an extremely successful 40-year career.

The son of Viscount Anson and Princess Anne of Denmark, Patrick Lichfield - the 5th Earl of Lichfield - was the Queen's first cousin once removed.

He made his break into photography in 1962, after leaving the Grenadier Guards.

Starting out as a photographer's assistant on £3 a week, he made the most of his showbusiness and aristocratic connections, snapping everybody from Mick and Bianca Jagger on their wedding day to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in exile.

Lichfield's memory of the latter encounter was of deliberately falling off his chair to force smiles out of his straight-faced subjects. The result got him a contract with Vogue magazine.

He also worked for a range of other newspapers and magazines, including Life.

One of his most iconic images, which he recently recreated, was the naked pose of the singer Marsha Hunt, complete with a huge afro hairdo for the musical Hair.

Another was Swinging London, which featured Roman Polanski, David Hockney and Lady Antonia Fraser. Other famous subjects included Michael Caine, Joanna Lumley and a host of 1960s glitterati.

His long career was celebrated two years ago with an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, and he was awarded fellowships of both the British Institute of Professional Photographers and the Royal Photographic Society.

Most recently, he took a special set of pictures of Baroness Thatcher to mark her 80th birthday.

His position and profession came together most famously in July 1981, when he took the official wedding photographs of the Prince and Princess of Wales, before sitting down to the wedding feast with hundreds of other royals.

From his studio in north Kensington, Lichfield became renowned the world over for his skill with the lens, and personally admired for his straightforward manner.

Although he was one the official photographers of the Queen's Golden Jubilee, he liked being addressed as plain Patrick Lichfield and was at his happiest poring over shots in his studio.

A self-professed "spiv" and admirer of feminine beauty, one of Lichfield's favourite commissions was the famous Unipart calendar, shot in glamorous locations all over the world with an emphasis on stunning models.

Lichfield admitted to having relationships with many of his pretty subjects but, away from the camera, he found companionship in his own well-bred circle.

He was married for 11 years to Lady Leonora Grosvenor, sister of the Duke of Westminster, with whom he had three children.

His most recent partner was the biographer, Lady Annunziata Asquith.

Like the late Princess Margaret, he often took refuge on the Caribbean island of Mustique. It was at his holiday home there in 1992 that he suffered a very bad fall, from which he had difficulty recovering.

Despite this, he continued to work throughout his life, becoming a champion of the digital revolution, and attending to the photography that he described as his "calling".

As he got older, Lord Lichfield reflected on his legacy, wondering what he would leave behind.

Acknowledging his pedigree, he was delighted that Shugborough was smaller but better managed. But he always added: "There are the pictures."

BBC News Website

Readers Comments about Lord Lichfield

Here are some of his Quotes, Tips & Tricks

I thought you all may like...I did.....

"I don't think old photographers retire .... they just go out of focus"

"The queen would walk into the room at 6.25 and walk out again at 6.30 giving me less than four minutes to capture the perfect portrait."

About digital .... "its better because its easier to lie your arse off with digital"

"Remember that the person you are photographing is 50% of the portrait and you are the other 50%"

"You need the model as much as he or she needs you. If they don't want to help you, it will be a very dull picture."

"The last shot of the day usually is your best shot"

"Master your technique. This allows you to be as creative as possible."

"On sunny days shoot your model in open shade, not direct sunlight."

"When the sky is overcast use reflectors to bounce light onto the model's face."

"When shooting indoors, the best light is from a north-facing window."

"Interact with your model to put them at ease. This will help you get better results."

"Use a long lens for a more flattering perspective. Too short and it can make the model's nose look huge."

"Use a digital camera. This way you can take lots of photographs and not waste money."

"For group portraits I keep a whistle in my pocket and quickly blow it and get there surprised looks then quickly followed by their laughter."

"A good photographer will know the most flattering angles but generally it is not standing square on to the lens. Most people look best three quarters facing the camera, with their shoulder towards it and the head turned."

"Weddings.. Most people don't realise what a complicated and precise science wedding photography can be. In 40 years of taking photgraphs, it's the nearest thing I know to news photography.. it's the only thing you cannot do again."

"Weddings.. Shoot some photos in black and white: it helps capture the atmosphere of the Big Day"

"Weddings.. Appoint a project manager - the bride's mother is ideal. Don't expect the bride or groom to attend to the details on their day."

"Weddings.. Visit the venue, do a "recce", plan every last detail in advance. walk through with the photographer the events and timing or the day ( a similar rehearsal to that of the bride and groom) so he/she has a precise knowledge of the layout, expected details and location of the wedding event. Then, add time and a half to account for unforeseen circumstances on the actual day."

"Weddings.. Make sure you know who the important family members are - otherwise you will find strangers creeping into your valuable photographs"

"Weddings.. Photograph the bride before she gets into the car to take her to the ceremony - if wearing a veil this is the only time you will find her with it in place over her face. Make sure when she gets out of the car you have the children in place."

"Weddings.. Always start your post -ceremony photographs with the biggest group and then start to discard individuals, this means you will not be searching for people at the last minute. Expect to work right through to the last photograph of just the bride and groom. "

"Weddings.. Get the children in the first photograph - otherwise they will get their clothes messy, tired and emotional or even lost!"

"Weddings.. Be ready for the speeches and cake"

"Weddings.. the photographer must not be distracted by the prettiest bridesmaid!"

"Weddings.. Be aware of the time the bride and groom are likely to depart - shots of confetti and the car are important"

His quotes...

"I don't think old photographers retire .... they just go out of focus"

"The queen would walk into the room at 6.25 and walk out again at 6.30 giving me less than four minutes to capture the perfect portrait."

About digital .... "its better because its easier to lie your arse off with digital"

"Remember that the person you are photographing is 50% of the portrait and you are the other 50%"

"You need the model as much as he or she needs you. If they don't want to help you, it will be a very dull picture."

"The last shot of the day usually is your best shot"

"Master your technique. This allows you to be as creative as possible."

"On sunny days shoot your model in open shade, not direct sunlight."

"When the sky is overcast use reflectors to bounce light onto the model's face."

"When shooting indoors, the best light is from a north-facing window."

"Interact with your model to put them at ease. This will help you get better results."

"Use a long lens for a more flattering perspective. Too short and it can make the model's nose look huge."

"Use a digital camera. This way you can take lots of photographs and not waste money."

"For group portraits I keep a whistle in my pocket and quickly blow it and get there surprised looks then quickly followed by their laughter."

"A good photographer will know the most flattering angles but generally it is not standing square on to the lens. Most people look best three quarters facing the camera, with their shoulder towards it and the head turned."

"Weddings.. Most people don't realise what a complicated and precise science wedding photography can be. In 40 years of taking photgraphs, it's the nearest thing I know to news photography.. it's the only thing you cannot do again."

"Weddings.. Shoot some photos in black and white: it helps capture the atmosphere of the Big Day"

"Weddings.. Appoint a project manager - the bride's mother is ideal. Don't expect the bride or groom to attend to the details on their day."

"Weddings.. Visit the venue, do a "recce", plan every last detail in advance. walk through with the photographer the events and timing or the day ( a similar rehearsal to that of the bride and groom) so he/she has a precise knowledge of the layout, expected details and location of the wedding event. Then, add time and a half to account for unforeseen circumstances on the actual day."

"Weddings.. Make sure you know who the important family members are - otherwise you will find strangers creeping into your valuable photographs"

"Weddings.. Photograph the bride before she gets into the car to take her to the ceremony - if wearing a veil this is the only time you will find her with it in place over her face. Make sure when she gets out of the car you have the children in place."

"Weddings.. Always start your post -ceremony photographs with the biggest group and then start to discard individuals, this means you will not be searching for people at the last minute. Expect to work right through to the last photograph of just the bride and groom. "

"Weddings.. Get the children in the first photograph - otherwise they will get their clothes messy, tired and emotional or even lost!"

"Weddings.. Be ready for the speeches and cake"

"Weddings.. the photographer must not be distracted by the prettiest bridesmaid!"

"Weddings.. Be aware of the time the bride and groom are likely to depart - shots of confetti and the car are important"

lichfieldstudios.com/lichfield/

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Dudley Metropolitan Borough / Wollescote (show map)

Taken on: November 11, 2005

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