'Selfridges Bathers 1976', photographed by Jim Lee in 1976, printed by Brigida Mendes at the RCA, London, 2006.

Colour fashion photograph of female models in bikinis on a grass bank, Jim Lee 1976. The photograph was taken on the banks of the Thames at Henley. The camera used was a Nikon F with a 50mm lens with a Haselblad softa filter which creates the soft edge particularly on whites against a dark background.

Given by Jim Lee

This photograph was part of a series of three to be used as a 48 sheet poster advertising women’s bathing suits for Selfridges. The idea for this image came from an Impressionist painting by Seurat, Bathiers at Asniers. The image has a soft, summery hazy mood and captures a gentle active moment in time.

Jim Lee established himself as a leading international photographer based in London, Paris, Milan and New York, shooting for such clients as Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. His great breakthrough was meeting the diva of fashion editors, Anna Wintour, at that time the assistant fashion editor at Harpers and Queen, who he regularly collaborated with to produce some of his best work, which continued years later after they both moved to New York. Central to his work is the concept of telling stories which he creates using casts of three or three hundred and extraordinary locations and props. He has recently re-emerged as an active photographer working on numerous magazine editorials with top fashion stylists.

Jim Lee has recently moved seamlessly into directing TV commercials, his first film was for Levi’s followed by several fashion and beauty commercials.In 2003/4 he had six photographs showing in the Ossie Clark retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Printed from the original negatives by a student of the Royal College of Art, London.

This photograph was part of a series of three to be used as a poster advertising women’s bathing suits for Selfridges. The idea for this image came from an Impressionist painting by Seurat, Bathers at Asniers. The image has a soft, summery hazy mood and captures a gentle active moment in time. Jim Lee established himself as a leading international photographer in the 1970s based in London, Paris, Milan and New York, shooting for such clients as Valentino, Alexander McQueen, Versace and Yves Saint Laurent. He has recently re-emerged as an active photographer working on numerous magazine editorials with top fashion stylists.

E.19-2006