Famous+Photographer

=**Cecil Beaton (1904 - 1980)** =

**Historical Background**  Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton was born on January 14, 1904, in London, England. His father was a timber merchant and he had two sisters and a brother. His artistic talent was quickly recognized at St Cyprians School in Eastbourne. He attended Harrow as well as St John's College in Cambridge to pursue studies in history, art and architecture. His first ever published work as a photographer was by Vogue magazine when they bought photos he had done in a portrait sitting with the Duke of Malfi. In 1948, he bought Reddish House which, over the years, he transformed to suit his needs with regards to photography and his other artistic pursuits. His career in photography included working as a staff photographer for both //Vanity Fair// and the British //Vogue//. He regularly photographed members of the Royal family and was posted during the Second World War to record images from the home front. He also worked with set design, lighting and costumes for many theatre productions. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Years Honours in 1972. In 1974, he suffered a stroke which greatly affected his ability to work. His health continued to decline until his death in 1980.

**Influences** Beaton's first influence was his childhood nanny. She had a Kodak 3A Camera which Beaton experimented with, often taking pictures of his siblings and family. His work in theatre production also had a major influence on his photography. He often made complex and unusual backgrounds for his photos which drew from his experience in set and costume design in theatre. He was also influenced by 19th century portrait photographers such as Camille Silvy, D.O. Hill and Robert Adamson.

**Style and Genre** Cecil Beaton is known mostly for his fashion photography but also did some portrait photography. He worked for Vogue and Vanity fair for many years as a fashion photographer. He also did portrait sittings with members of the royal family. As a child, he would often dress up his siblings and do photo shoots of them, which stemmed his interest in fashion photography.

**Photos**
 * A main design principle in this photo is contrast between the background (dark) and the subject (light)
 * This is a good representation of Beaton's work as he is well known for his unique set and background designs in his photography, such as the bird present in this photo
 * The use of light is an integral part of this photo as it highlights part of the model's face while keeping the background dark (creating contrast) and produces shadows on the subject
 * Contrast is the main design principle present in this photo because of the contrast in texture between the subject and the background and the dramatic contrast produced by the shadows
 * This is well representative of his work because it represents his extensive portrait work
 * The use of light is important in producing the shadows on the subject which in turn produces contrast
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">A design element present in this photograph is balance as the figure is positioned in such a way that she appears symmetrical, except for the positioning of the head
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This is representative of Beaton's work as he had a keen interest in fashion and set design, and his experimentation in these areas is clear in this photo
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Lighting is important in this photo as it produces shine and sparkle from the texture of the clothing and draping
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Design elements present in this photo are balance and contrast, as there is contrast between the subject and the background and the centered position of the subject produces balance
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This is representative of Beaton's work as he often did portrait work with famous and influential figures and became renowned for these works
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Light is important in this photo as it highlights the subject while keeping the background dark, which produces contrast
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Main design elements present in this photo are contrast and balance; there is intense contrast between the black background and highlighted figure and there is balance in the shape of the figure with both arms similarly positioned
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">This photo is representative of the extensive work Beaton did with fashion and costume design because of the unique attire of the figure
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The lighting creates interest in the photo as it only highlights part of the figure, leaving viewers wondering what else is going on in the photo