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

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

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 [https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2025/cecil-beaton/] 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 [https://www.instagram.com/hugoandjones/] to see the photographs featured in each episode or visit the Double Exposure podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@doubleexposure_pod]. Plus, want answers to your own photography questions? Send them to Cambridge and Hugo via Instagram or email at double.exposure@raconteur.tv   Series producer: Eve Streeter Managing editor: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Inside the World of Cecil Beaton Part 1: Fashion, Fame and Reinvention

Cambridge Jones and Hugo Burnand explore the dazzling world of Cecil Beaton – one of Britain’s most influential photographers. From Hollywood portraits to Vogue fashion shoots and iconic images of the Royal Family, Beaton was the master of creativity within the frame. But was he actually a photographer? Find out what happened behind the scenes of his shoots with Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe and why if you put Cambridge and Hugo in a photographic blender you’d get Cecil Beaton! Discover: * How Hugo and Beaton share surprising parallels: school days at Harrow, royalty, celebrity portraits, and high society access. * Beaton’s early years: a Box Brownie, a camera gifted at 12 (used astonishingly far into his career) and two glamorous sisters who became his early subjects. * The story behind his meteoric rise: from Cambridge to Bright Young Things to Vogue to New York. * Beaton’s belief in performance and reinvention: “I don’t want people to know me as I really am.” * How photographing Edward and Mrs Simpson inadvertently opened palace doors. * The Vogue scandal: how a hidden anti-Semitic phrase in an illustration lead to pulped copies and his abrupt firing. * Why his cultural impact is huge, but auction prices don’t match contemporaries like Steichen. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World [https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2025/cecil-beaton/] 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 the world we live in through the lens of photography. Follow us on Instagram @hugoandjones [https://www.instagram.com/hugoandjones/] to see the photographs featured in each episode or visit the Double Exposure podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@doubleexposure_pod]. Plus, want answers to your own photography questions? Send them to Cambridge and Hugo via Instagram or email at double.exposure@raconteur.tv   Series producer: Eve Streeter Managing editor: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

A conversation with Martin Parr (part 1)

“Very rarely do people get as close to being accurate as you have.” In this special and unplanned episode of Double Exposure, hosts Hugo Burnand and Cambridge Jones share the first part of an interview recorded with the great British photographer Martin Parr just weeks before his sudden death. In mid-November the team went to meet Martin at his foundation in Bristol, not knowing it would be one of the last interviews he did. We are shocked and saddened by the news and our deepest sympathies go to Martin’s family and everyone at the foundation. We had not planned to release this episode until the new year, and so it is unfinished. But in memory and celebration of Martin we wanted to share this intimate and wide-ranging conversation with one of Britain’s most important photographers – on his work, his philosophy, his influences and his hopes for the future of photography. We will release Part 2 of our interview in early 2026 as part of our full tribute to Martin’s life, work and legacy. Hear Martin talk about: -       His 57 years in photography, his preference for shooting in England, and the rarity of producing truly great images. -       How the UK undervalues photography, and why other countries respond more enthusiastically. -       Where he finds pictures, how he works unobtrusively, and his approach to editing, volume, and printing. -       The stories behind some of his best-known images and how families, chance, and contact sheets shape a photograph’s life. -       His early influences, from his grandfather to Tony Ray-Jones and the American street photographers. -       Subverting the cliché, honesty, and what makes work feel genuinely original.   You can find a film of our interview with Martin on the Double Exposure podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@doubleexposure_pod]. 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 [https://www.instagram.com/hugoandjones/] to see the photographs featured in each episode. Plus, want answers to your own photography questions? Send them to Cambridge and Hugo via Instagram or email at double.exposure@raconteur.tv     Series producer: Eve Streeter Videographer: Milo Hynes Managing editor: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Lee Miller Part 2: war photography, Hitler’s bath and rediscovery

In a special two-part series, Hugo and Cambridge explore the extraordinary life of Lee Miller ­– accidental model, muse, surrealist pioneer, Vogue photographer and war correspondent and take a deep dive into the photographs that define her most iconic work and style. In the second episode, Cambridge and Hugo explore her groundbreaking – and harrowing – work as a WWII war correspondent, including documenting the horrors of Dachau concentration camp, portraits of Nazi family suicides and the story behind the infamous “Hitler’s bath” photograph. Plus, abandoning the camera, the discovery of her incredible photographic archive and her legacy as one of the 20th century’s most important photographers. 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 [https://www.leemiller.co.uk/dep-lee-miller/] on the LMA website. Or you can find the photos @hugoandjones [https://www.instagram.com/hugoandjones/] on Instagram. If you missed it, in Part 1, Cambridge and Hugo trace Lee’s early life, her artistic awakening in Paris, her partnership with artist Man Ray, and the unexpected turns that shaped her creative path. A major retrospective of Lee Miller’s photography is at Tate Britain [https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/lee-miller] 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 double.exposure@raconteur.tv Series producer: Eve Streeter Managing editor: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Lee Miller Part 1: model, muse and surrealist photographer

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 [https://www.leemiller.co.uk/dep-lee-miller/] on the LMA website. Or you can find the photos @hugoandjones [https://www.instagram.com/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 [https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/lee-miller] 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 double.exposure@raconteur.tv   Series producer: Eve Streeter Managing editor: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]