Patrick Lichfield

Patrick Lichfield, in my opinion was one of the great photographers of our time

A helping hand

..of course with a Princess for a mother and being a nephew of the Queen helped somewhat with his career

Patrick Lichfield

Patrick Lichfield offered some very kind words to me when I was much younger, but I must say that I always thought that his Royal links did him no favours as people where quick to say he traded on them. However, if you just look at the pictures in isolation, without the byline, I feel they stand up very well.

Seriously..

Lichfield may have been close to Royalty, but it was more of a hindrance to him as no one took him seriously.
Beautiful nudes which remind me of John Swanell's early work.

So?

I have just read, carefully, and patiently enough I think, Julian Barnes "Sense of an Ending".
By the time I had got half way through, and certainly by the last contrived and mediocre ending, I was asking myself why did he write it? Why bother?
These Lichfield pictures are the same. Why bother, except for money-which he did not even need. So, why bother?
There does have to be a reason to catalyse good work even in the best of us, but I just do not see it here at all.

Like the "hero" of Barnes book, I just don't get it, do I?

Lichfield's body of work

If you take the class argument out of the equation. Look at Lichfield's work at the gallery at Shrugborough Hall. In my opinion he was better than Bailey, but you need to look at Lichfield's images not just the royal images then make your own judgement.

sour grapes.........

i cant believe the negative comments about patrick's work, there are some real envious types out there that need to take stock. you would have to be pretty stupid not to use the connections
that this man had. if he did at all..
after all 80% of pentax papparazzi's in this game are employed on the "its not what you know..." difference is patrick had the second part of the adage. and could do the job, where others fail. "the artist must educate the critic, for no artist no critic"!

Royal connections provided access...

His royal connections may have hindered him being taken seriously because it triggered a class divide and more than a little envy however the much greater advantage of having them allowed him access to places, people and wealth that the normal photographer could only dream of capturing. That world was only seen at the time by the few and now doesn't exist so with some talent and an eye, it insured his images would be in demand at the time & in the future. Lucky bugger I say!

a belated comment

just read his autobiog. i get the impression his royal links were handy after he was established but was looked down on prior to. as for the book, he admits he's ''airbrushed'' his story but then doesnt eveyone?