Life Through an Aperture : The Films and Photography of Keith Hamshere

Keith Hamshere started his entertainment career as a child actor after winning a junior TV talent competition, which in turn led to a nine-month stint working with Max Bygraves on Singing Down the Lane at the London Palladium. Alas, child actors do eventually grow up, and keen to add a second string to his employment chances, Keith developed his interest in photography, which resulted in him becoming a society photographer at the heart of Swinging London, and in particular working for Baron Studios in the 1960s. When In Search of the Castaways unit photographer Johnny Jay began working on a new film directed by Stanley Kubrick in the mid-1960s, he realised he had a mammoth assignment ahead and needed a reliable assistant.

Recalling Keith’s fascination with photography and his growing popularity, he asked his young friend if he would be interested in helping out on 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Keith did not need to think about his answer. Following his stellar work on 2001, Keith went on to become an established stills photographer, and was in great demand on such titles as Battle of Britain, Barry Lyndon, Young Winston and Rosebud, before embarking on the first of eight James Bond assignments, The Spy Who Loved Me. Along with his Bond films – three with Roger Moore, both of Timothy Dalton’s and all four of Pierce Brosnan’s adventures – Keith was also asked to work on other legendary franchises: with Steven Spielberg on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; George Lucas on the three Stars Wars prequels, among many others. Keith has helped create some of the most iconic images from some of the biggest movies ever made, and in Life Through an Aperture, he shares his fascinating tales of rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in Hollywood, alongside with his incredible images.