Black and white brings immediate and undeniable charm to almost any photo. Having said that, Jane Brown’s portraits don’t appear to need much help in the charm department. Brown worked as a photographer for The Observer for the past 60 years and has made portraits of a wide variety of subjects including Michael Caine (see below: who would’ve thought a man wearing a skivvy and drinking a cup of tea could look so suave), Mick Jagger, Margaret Thatcher, Orson Welles and Truman Capote to name a few. Apparently she found Paul McCartney to be ‘a bit pompous’ and Robert Redford good looking but boring.
Brown is testament to why if you think having the latest camera is the only way to get a good shot you’re barking up the wrong tree. She still shoots with her 40 year old Olympus camera, using the same lens and almost exactly the same settings for each portrait. She even shuns the use of a light meter, preferring to gauge the lighting by looking at the back of her hand.
You can see 30 of her portraits here at The Observer website.
