You may think it strange that a studio lighting man like me admires someone like Jane Bown who only uses available light, but in a way that’s my style too. Those people who have been to my lighting seminars will know that I try to use the very bare minimum of lights in the studio to imitate natural light, shooting low key with just one light being a particular favourite of mine. So the work of Jane Bown has always been a joy to me, the way that she uses natural light and marvellous cropping to create such impact in her work.
Jane Bown was born in 1925 and grew up in Dorset and after wartime service with the Wrens, joined Guildford School of art. In 1949 she was commissioned by the observer to photograph Bertrand Russell and has been with them since then. Since 1949 she has photographed everyone from pop stars and the queen, actors and politicians and has published several books including The Gentle Eye 1980, Women of Consequence in 1986 and Faces in 2000, she was awarded the MBE in 1985 and CBE in 1995. All her images show a great understanding of her subjects and she has that unique ability to capture them in a very natural way. So why have so few people ever heard of this marvellous photographer?
Steve Aves on Jane Bown from the Warehouse Express Web Site
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