Cambridge Jones
Cambridge Jones captures personalities. His portraits reveal not only faces and expressions, but what lies behind them. From loves to fears to thoughts in progress, yet to be shared. In short, characters that connect
Cambridge Jones
Cambridge Jones reads people. He’s had some practice. First as an actor at RADA, where personalities have to metamorphose every day. Then as owner of Amber and Alphabet, officially two of Soho’s best bars. Bars are where customers’ characters react like chemicals to make atmospheres. He’s also recorded a number one single. Three careers all demanding a knowledge of minds.
All that in his own mind, he now captures characters of others. His portraits don’t just show us faces. More their pasts, emotions, loves, chemistries, depths, joys, their mood that very day. Passing thoughts, and ones we might yet see.
Cambridge has already shown us the minds of eight British prime ministers and the Royal Family. Some of his work is in the late Queen’s private library at Windsor Castle. Reminders of souls.
He also co-hosts the recently launched podcast Double Exposure with Hugo Burnand and Cambridge Jones: a discussion of all things ‘photography’ from techniques to subjects. Royalty included.
The world will be seeing more of him. And so, know more about others.
- Published Article: Diminishing Returns: The Value of Photography
- Published Article: The Cost of Nothing, The Value of Everything
Cambridge Jones x Berlin – The Week The Wall Fell
In 1989 Cambridge Jones received a call from a musician friend living in Berlin saying “you’d better get over here – it’s about to go off”. Not quite sure what to expect he packed a bag and travelled straight over with his artist friend Ben McLaughlin. What they then saw is of course history. But at the time it was unthinkable. A wall that had been guarded and protected on pain of death (hundreds of people were shot trying to cross it) was being breached in multiple places. East German soldiers who had previously done the shooting were now receiving flowers and posing for portraits (in one of CJ’s prints we can see his artist friend Ben McLaughlin handing his charcoal drawing of an East German guard to the solider on the wall who gratefully receives it.) In another print we can see the West German politician Volker Rühe talking to the press as events unfold (as Germany’s longest serving defence minister, he went on to oversee the unification of East & West Germany after these events reached their natural conclusion.)
Cambridge Jones x I Was In Succession
One of the great things about having played a part in Succession is that you know that sooner or later it will come up in conversation. Someone will compare a show to it…or reference Brian Cox as Logan Roy or just start listing their favourite all time TV shows…
That’s where I casually say; ‘I was in Succession’. There is a beat…they pause, laugh and say ‘what?’
I then explain that my agent Sarah Daw was called out of the blue by HBO before the first series ever aired and asked if she knew of any photographers that could also act. I also picture her with her hand in the air going ‘oooh me, me, me…that’s a terrific job for CJ…finally!!’
I had in fact trained at RADA back in the day and as chance would have it knew Matthew MacFadyen & Brian Cox already, so it was a joyous experience. You could tell from the moment that you stepped on set that this was no ordinary show. My role was just to play Matthew & Sarah (Tom & Shiv)’s friend and wedding photographer.
Ironically, they had wanted a real photographer so they could use the stills – but that almost never happened – because the sound guy told me to stop taking pictures early on while filming because it upset the audio track (I ignored him).
Happy days and quick thinking from my agent that delivered a truly memorable and wonderful time.
– Cambridge Jones
- Producer: West Goes East (for BBC)
- Producer: Mystical Journey (for Smithsonian Channel)
- Producer & Presenter: The Most Famous Man You’ve never heard of (with Green Star)
- Producer: A Ticket To Ride (with SKY originals)
- Producer: Mr Aintree (with Johnny Flynn & Holliday Grainger)
- Producer: History of heart (with Lion TV)
- Producer: Saving Caravaggio (with All3)
- Producer: Trojan (with All3 & Disney+)
- Actor: Succession
- Actor: Soldier Soldier
- Actor: Crime Traveller
- Actor: The Murder of Stephen Lawrence
- Actor: Subconscious
- Actor: The Bill
- Drummer: Unchained Melody (#1 Single)
Credits
- Chelsea Arts Club (The Week The Wall Fell)
- Proud Galleries (Face The Music)
- Lincoln Center (Talking Pictures Exhibition)
- Portraits of Jack White and The White Stripes
- The Mall Galleries ‘Face Time’ with The Art Room (Bill Nighy)
- Mayor of London Buildings (Environmental Portraits for Boris Johnson)
- BAFTA portraits (Portraits from the RADA Centenary Collection used in BAFTA Awards)
- Red Square State Museum (House of Photography) (Royal Power, Politics & Hollywood)
- Saatchi Gallery (Katherine Jenkins Portrait for Great Ormond Street)
- Country Music Hall of Fame (Country Couture Exhibition from The Manuel Series)
- Tinney Contemporary Gallery (The Image Makers : Manuel & Cambridge)
- British Embassy (Talking Pictures Exhibition)
- Talking Pictures Exhibiition
- British Consulate Exhibition(and permanent collection)
- Millennium Centre
- Canary Wharf & Strand Gallery
- Municipal Gallery
- Contemporary Art Gallery (NFA)