Helen Bartlett

A black and white photo of a young girl with her mouth open wide in wonder as she watches the bubble in front of her face about to burst.

Canon Ambassador Helen Bartlett shoots solely in black and white, working with contrast, light and shadow to create drama and graphic intensity. "The shape of the bubble echoes the light on the girl’s joyful face, capturing that moment of wonder before the bubble bursts," she says. Taken on a Canon EOS R6 Mark III with a Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens at 1/2000 sec, f/2 and ISO200. © Helen Bartlett

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London-based portrait photographer Helen Bartlett uses black and white photography in natural settings to perfectly capture the unique spirit in every family she works with.

Helen set up her photography business in 2003, having finished a degree in medieval history at the University of Cambridge. She has gone on to become one of the most accomplished and respected family photographers in the UK.

Helen developed her passion for photography from an early age, after receiving her first camera (a Russian Zorki Rangefinder) when she was just eight. While she was growing up, her father photographed Helen and her brothers in black and white, and from that time on she felt that those pictures looked better and lasted the test of time better than colour images. It is her belief that removing colour encourages us to look closer, to pay more attention and to fill in the blanks ourselves.

Her work is inspired by the fact that no two families are the same and her belief that each family has its own dynamic; a unique energy that makes photographing them and capturing that spirit so captivating. Shooting on location, Helen is able to freeze the individual moments in family life, sometimes as a conventional portrait but often by adopting a more candid approach to harness a sense of happiness, joy or love between family members.

A black and white portrait of Canon Ambassador Helen Bartlett holding a Canon camera, taken by Tom Jenkins.
Location: London, UK
Specialist areas: Family, black and white
Favourite kit:
A black and white portrait of two girls running, shot with a panning technique to convey a sense of movement and speed.

Action and movement play a big part in Helen’s work. "I enjoy using techniques that show speed," she says. "Panning is a favourite; I love how the girls here are caught in perfect synchronicity." Taken on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II with a Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens at 1/30 sec, f/5.6 and ISO400. © Helen Bartlett

Although Helen had a clear vision for the style of family photography she wanted to produce from the beginning – relaxed, natural and fun, with a consistent and timeless black and white aesthetic – her pictures have become more adventurous as her technique and skills have matured. She's now more likely to experiment with light, movement and the graphical elements of an image during a shoot.

Working with returning clients over the years has enabled Helen to document intimate visual histories of their families, but when she visits a family for the first time she prefers to know very little about the environment that she'll be working in. The names and ages of the children and the address are about the sum of it. She doesn't even look on Google Maps to see the style of the house, as she prefers to arrive with an open mind and see what catches her eye.

A black and white portrait of a family group in silhouette, framed by the branches of a large tree.

Helen says this image reminds her of a scene from a fairytale. "To me it’s a picture that transcends the individual family and speaks of childhood, protection, love and the wonder of the natural world," she says. Taken on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II with a Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens at 1/1000 sec, f/4 and ISO100. © Helen Bartlett

Helen's portfolio covers everything from newborns to older children and family groups. When she is not capturing portraits for her clients, she can be found taking family portraits for her friends, as well as enjoying landscape and street photography. Helen confesses that she "lives and breathes photography" and is constantly analysing imagery online, in books, films and galleries to discover fresh approaches to photographing people, storing these in her "internal database" so that when she is confronted by a situation, she can react instinctively.

Helen has lectured on photography throughout the UK and Europe and has had work published both in the UK and internationally. Articles on her work have appeared in Professional Photo, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, and Professional Imagemaker in the UK and a 12-page feature in the influential Photoworld magazine in China.

A black and white portrait of a young boy staring intently at a cricket that is perched on his hand.
A black and white image of a young girl making a funny face at another young girl. A black and white image of a smiling woman holding a laughing baby upside down.
A black and white portrait of a young girl in side profile, taken with a wide aperture to blur the busy background.
A black and white portrait of a young girl blowing seeds off the palm of her hand. A black and white image of a man holding up his hand to show a young girl the bug crawling on it.
A black and white portrait of a young boy looking straight at the camera.

Why do you work in black and white rather than colour?

"Black and white images suggest, rather than show. I feel they engage the viewer more closely. I look at the expressions and the interactions rather than the colour of clothing or whether it was a 'nice day' or not. For family photography, I believe it's the perfect medium: the photographs I take today will sit alongside images taken in 10 years' time and pictures taken 50 years ago, creating a coherent family narrative with images that are full of feeling and emotion."



How is photographing a portrait in black and white technically different to colour?

"There's nowhere to hide technically – you need to get the picture right and work with the light. Graphics and geometry become more important – we don't just think 'cute child, sunny day' – we need more from our image if it's to stand the test of time."



Practically speaking, what do you need to be more mindful of with black and white?

"On a positive note, the bright colours of children's toys become less of a distraction and the other elements in a park can dissolve into the background, so a red litter bin is not so much of an issue. But attention needs to be paid to clothing. I find graphic patterns such as checked shirts, dominant stripes and zigzags to be more distracting in black and white."



How do you get the best out of children during a portrait session?

"Playing games with them is the best way to get good expressions; I spend a lot of my time sitting on the floor so we can play together properly (waterproof trousers are a must in the autumn and winter season)."



What is the toughest part of your job?

"Running a business. I love the photography side, but with it comes other responsibilities, such as admin, accounts and marketing. It's these other areas that I find harder, but the varied challenges certainly keep life interesting."


What piece of Canon kit can you not live without, and why?

"The Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM is my favourite lens of all time, and I regularly do entire shoots with it. The focal length is versatile for both portrait and storytelling, and the fast f/1.2 aperture gives me flexibility in low light and also a beautifully shallow depth of field if I want to isolate my subjects in busy locations. I have taken many of my favourite images with it, and it’s the lens I reach for if I'm testing a new camera or I need a creative boost. If I could only have one lens for the rest of my career, it would be this one."


What else could we discover in your kitbag that helps you elevate your work?

"I work with children so there are always a few bits I carry. Probably the smallest, and most useful, are plasters. Nothing derails a photoshoot quicker than a blister or a grazed knee. I carry wipes and plasters so we can patch up and get back to play. I also carry a few sheets of origami paper – a tiny dragon is a great way to distract a tired toddler and also looks good in a picture or two."

One thing I know

Helen Bartlett

"I feel the key to photographing children is to keep it relaxed and go with the flow. I like to start early and to check that everyone has had their breakfast [yes, that includes the adults] as I find this gives me the best window of opportunity before anyone gets tired. I work around normal routines and we break for naps and snacks. This way everyone stays really relaxed and has fun – and that's when the best pictures reveal themselves. If something goes wrong and we have a meltdown, then a chocolate biscuit and a cup of tea usually rescues the situation."

Ambassador Kit

EOS R5 Mark II
Овладейте момента с фотоапарат, който съчетава страхотна скорост с невероятна разделителна способност и превъзходно 8K видео.
Регистрирайте се сега

RF 16mm F2.8 STM
Компактен и ценово достъпен ултраширокоъгълен пълнокадров 16 mm обектив за серията EOS R, предназначен за влогъри и създателите на творческо съдържание.

RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
Компактен и лек 24 mm обектив с фиксирано фокусно разстояние, който е идеален за пейзажна фотография, снимане на влогове и на интериорно съдържание, както и за страхотни макро изображения.

RF 35mm F1.4L VCM
Лек и широкоъгълен професионален хибриден обектив за творчески снимки и видео.

RF 50mm F1.2L USM
Обектив с фиксирано фокусно разстояние 50mm f/1.2 за изключителна рязкост плюс забележителни характеристики при слаба светлина.

RF 50mm F1.8 STM
Компактен, тих и лек 50 mm RF обектив с фиксирано фокусно разстояние и широк отвор на диафрагмата f/1.8 – перфектен избор, за да овладеете творческата си визия.

RF 85mm F1.2L USM
RF 85mm F1.2L USM предлага безкомпромисна острота за портрети заедно с превъзходна работа при слабо осветление и творчески възможности.

RF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM
Професионален RF макрообектив – RF 100mm F2.8L MACRO IS USM е идеален за заснемане на изображения в 1,4x реалния размер без статив и зашеметяващи портрети с качество от серията L.

RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM
Добавете професионално предимство към вашия пълнокадров безогледален фотоапарат с 24-70 mm вариообектив, отличаващ се с широк отвор на диафрагмата и стабилизатор на образа за 5 стъпки по-ниска скорост на затвора.

RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z
Изключително гъвкав професионален стандартен вариообектив 24 – 105 mm, съчетаващ безкомпромисно хибридно инженерство и функции с изключителна рязкост, идеален за видео или снимки.

RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM предлага рязкост и гъвкавост с изключителна мощност на супер телеобектив и стабилизатор на образа от 5 стъпки в компактен корпус.

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