Terry O'Neill – 1938-2019: iconic British photographer remembered in his own words

Terry O'Neill attends the Sunday Times Magazine 50th Anniversary Party at Saatchi Gallery on February 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)
Terry O'Neill in 2012 standing next to his portrait of Amy Winehouse (Image credit: Getty Images)

British portrait photographer Terry O'Neill, best known for his picture so the swinging sixties and his portraits of celebrity A-listers, has died aged 81. He died at his home on Saturday, following a long fight against prostate cancer.

Born in London, his work is a catalogue of the rich and famous of the second half of the 20th century. His early work chronicling the early years of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and others, led him to a career shooting portraits for top magazines around the world. His sitters have included The Queen, Frank Sinatra, and Faye Dunaway (who would later become his wife).

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Chris George

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 


His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 11 Pro.


He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.