The Legacy of Photographer Colin Jones

Are you trying to find your tone as a photographer, but unsure of who to look up to? Do you want to be the type of person who goes to the places and addresses topics that few other people are willing to touch? If so, then you need to learn all that you can about the late, great photographer, Colin Jones.

In a rich history of British photographers, Jones might just be the pinnacle. However, his greatness isn’t confined to Britain at all.

See below for an in-depth guide on Colin jones and why his legacy will live on in infamy within the photographer world.

Rough Childhood

Throughout his career as a photographer, Colin Jones was known for many great feats. He wasn’t afraid to cover the hottest topic of his day: race inequality. Known for covering things like the race riots in Alabama or the troublesome youth of London with The Black House, he faced adversity head-on.

But where did this daredevil mindset come from? Where did he get his tenacity and almost fearless approach to photography that challenged society? Most attribute it to the adversity he had to overcome as a young child.

As if having his father goes away to war wasn’t enough, Jones struggled mightily with dyslexia. His reading disabilities were so severe that he attended 13 different schools. With no solution in sight, he shifted all of his focus and time into developing skills that didn’t require him to read (he couldn’t read sufficiently until he was over the age of 20.

It’s fair to say that Colin Jones did not have fond memories of school. There was even a point in his life where one of his schools was reduced to rubble after being bombed. He had only attended that school for a few weeks before the horrific incident.

A Passion for Art

Colin Jones photography will forever be intertwined with the social history of Britain and, to a certain extent, America as well. As Britain was trying to find its footing post-war, Jones was a monumental figure in challenging the social bounds of the society they’d created to that point.

Part of what enabled him to do this was his vision for the beauty of humanity. He saw the art of society and challenged any barriers within it.

That passion for art came early on. After realizing that his dyslexia and illiterateness would sabotage any chance for higher education, he sought to grow skills that didn’t require him to read.

But contrary to popular belief, he didn’t immediately find photography. As a matter of fact, his first love was ballet. In the middle of perfecting his craft with ballet, he was called into service and had to join the army. 

After serving in the army, he found his stride by getting the opportunity to join the likes of the Touring Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, and so forth. 

As fate would have it, while he was on a world tour with the Touring Royal Ballet he purchased his very first camera while performing a task about town for a ballerina that was on the tour with him.

While touring the ballet circuit, Colin Jones began growing his passion and skills for photography while taking pictures of his fellow dancers and personifying their life behind the stage, not just on it.

The Power to Change

What would you do if you witnessed impoverished people being evacuated from their homes or even killed if they didn’t get out fast enough? That was the dilemma that Colin Jones was faced with. A dilemma that ultimately convinced him to use his gifts to drive social change.

While he was in The Philippines, he watched in horror as poor families were being stripped of their homes while they slept. That’s when he decided to leave the ballet for good and follow his photography full time.

His career would come full circle one day when he traveled back to The Philippines—the place that inspired him to leave ballet—to photograph the sex trade and show the horrific scenes to society at large.

His passion for capturing the beauty and ugliness of society is what inspired him to create Grafters, a book that was used to personify post-war Britain. Though these times were filled with poverty and struggles, the citizens embraced the hardships and battled through them with class.

Many historical experts credit Colin Jones with shining light on this post-war Britain era, an era that went relatively undocumented. 

Best Known Work

Of course, Grafters isn’t Colin Jone’s most well-known work. Most people admire his famous solo photography projects such as:

• The Black House – A project that captures the troublesome black youth of London known as the “Harambee Project” back in 1977.
• Photos of The Who – A photography project that captures the iconic music group back when they were first starting.
• Photos of Birmingham, AL – A project where Jones traveled to Birmingham to capture the race riots in 1963. This is also when he created portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King.

History shines a bright light on Colin Jones’ bravery as a photographer. While his courage to speak out and capture iconic groups and events weren’t as appreciated at the time (if at all), they certainly are these days!

Use Colin Jones as an Inspiration for Your Life

Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on the life of Colin Jones and all of the major events that led to him becoming such a monumental supporter of change, use this as inspiration in your own life.

Take the time to browse our website for more articles on Colin Jones, as well as other awesome topics that you will enjoy.