Monday, January 09, 2012

Royal Book Challenge: Photographs by HRH The Prince Andrew

Photographs
HRH The Prince Andrew
Book 3/500
Photographs by HRH The Prince Andrew
Published 1985
ISBN: 0-241-11644-9
159 Pages

Like his brothers and sister, Prince Andrew has written a book based on his interests. In this case, his budding interest in photography. In the introduction Prince Andrew admits that he is a novice, with no ambitions to be another 'Norman Parkinson or Ansel Adams.'  Instead, Prince Andrew has a different goal in writing this book. 'Nothing would please me more should this book persuade more people to 'have a go'.

Compiled of photographs from his travels at home and abroad, on-duty and off. It includes experiments with items in the Royal collection and some dramatic photos of actress Finola Hughes. This book was not well received by critics but thankfully it did not deter him. Since it was written, Prince Andrew, now Duke of York, has taken some notable photographs of his family. He took the 60th birthday photograph of the Queen and a series photographs for the 2002 Golden Jubilee portfolio. He also took the photos to mark Prince Harry's first birthday aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia and the first official photographs of Lady Louise Windsor with her parents.  He is also the only Royal to receive a freelance cheque from the Toronto Star for his services.

© Marilyn Braun 2012

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4 comments:

Elizabeth Kerri Mahon said...

Interesting given that his ex-girlfriend Koo Stark also dabbled in photography for awhile.

Marilyn Braun said...

Sarah Ferguson also has an interest in photography. Her book about it, Moments, is on my soon to read list.

Hopewell said...

I have this one. The photos with Koo Stark are interesting. Lots of nice photos though. I like the ones of the family that he's done over the years--so much more natural (duh!) and not so stiff.

Marilyn Braun said...

The photos really don't do anything for me.

I know next to nothing about what makes a good photograph and a bad one but in all honesty, were it not for his royal connections I don't think anyone would look twice at most of the stuff that is in there.

His later photographs of his family are far more intersting, because people find his family interesting and he has an advantage in accessing them in a more casual setting.

It would be nice to see an update to this book, showing the evolution of his work. To release the original, in my opinion, was premature.