BIOGRAPHY: REG WILKINS

Reg Wilkins is an international freelance photographer with a career spanning more than four decades. Born in Brockley, London in 1942, he assisted the acclaimed fashion, advertising and editorial photographer, David Montgomery for seven years in the 1960s. Concurrent with this Reg also assisted the legendary photographer Richard Avedon and the famous celebrity photographer Terry O'Neil.

Whilst Assistant Photographer to David Montgomery, Reg was invited to be Photographic Advisor to the iconic film Director, Michelangelo Antonioni on the enigmatic and award winning classic Carlo Ponti film Blowup (1966). Reg also appeared in the film as a London fashion photographer's assistant. Hailed as a masterpiece, the film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, was nominated for an Oscar and today has a worldwide cult following. The star-studded cast included David Hemmings as the photographer, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle, Jane Birkin, Gillian Hills, Peter Bowles, a host of the world's top fashion models and brief appearances by The Yardbirds, Michael Palin and Janet Street-Porter.

In the 1970s Reg was asked to be Staff Photographer for Management Today magazine well known for its free, creative style:

These were among the many, many articles Reg illustrated with his photographs for the magazine.

During this period and later, as well as carrying out freelance commissions for other magazines and advertising agencies, he was photographing personal projects both at home and overseas which continued until he retired in 2007.

Reg's portraits include numerous celebrities from the world of politics, business and entertainment such as:

Leading magazines have published Reg's documentary, reportage and portrait photographs including:

Reg has also photographed major advertising campaigns including:

As well as photographing many of the world`s most prominent industrialists, he has shot campaigns for:

Nominations and awards for Reg`s work have come from the most internationally respected creative awards for the design and advertising industries such as:

His photographs have been exhibited in prestigious art spaces such as:

In recognition of his sense of design in photography, Reg was made a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers (FCSD) in 1983. The society is the world's largest and only Royal chartered body of professional designers and its Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Reg has also been a member of the highly esteemed Association of Photographers (AOP) since 1981.

Following a serious head injury whilst on an extensive shoot for a multi-national company taking him to thirty-five countries, Reg had to greatly simplify his working practices and gradually reduce the photographic commissions he accepted. Thereafter he concentrated on personal projects and making available photographic prints of his life's work to collectors.

The Reg Wilkins Archives, comprising the complete collection of personal and commercial materials relating to his career, are currently held by Timothy Prus at the Archive of Modern Conflict in London.

Reg in the film

©1966 Arthur Evans

Reg and David Hemmings during filming

©2009 Reg Wilkins 

Reg in 2009

MORE INFORMATION

http://www.regwilkins.com

http://www.facebook.com/RegWilkins.Photographer

SOURCE: E-mail correspondence (many thanks, Reg)