London Heathrow: Celebrity photographer Denis Stone’s legacy lives on

Dennis Stone’s legacy “photographing the good and great, the big and the bad” will live on, his eldest son Duncan has said.

The celebrity photographer, who worked at Heathrow Airport for more than 60 years, died on Sunday aged 92.

Stone, who was born on 13 June 1932 in Chelsea, began taking photographs aged 13 after his mother gave him a Box Brownie Kodak camera that cost two shillings and sixpence.

He would develop his photos in the kitchen with his father, using shutters to keep out the light.

Stone began his career at 16 as a tea-boy for the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).

At 34, he became a freelance photographer at Heathrow Airport and began snapping the stars.

Duncan told BBC London: “He said: ‘It’s not proper job, I don’t work for a living; I press a button, have lots of fun, and people pay me lots of money.'”

He added that his father’s favourite stars to photograph included Joan Collins, “who was a great mate of his”, Paul McCartney, and Rod Stewart.

“He loved telling stories and anecdotes of the people he had photographed,” Duncan said. “They all loved him.”

Other firm favourites were Twiggy, Goldie Hawn, Elizabeth Taylor, Elle Macpherson, Cher, Diana Ross, Peter O’Toole, Piers Brosnan and Richard Branson.

Stone and his wife Dorothy had three sons, Duncan, David and Darren, and seven grandchildren.

Duncan, who describes his father as the “godfather of Heathrow paparazzi”, said he worked until the last decade of his life.

“When I was about nine, 10, 11, I used to work in my father’s darkroom,” Duncan said.

“My father was a huge influence. We used to spend many hours talking about photography.”

Duncan said three generations of the Stone family plied their trade in photographic media, himself working as the cameraman to King Charles and Queen Camilla, for the BBC, ITV and Sky.

“I wanted to be a Fleet Street photographer, but he said, ‘no, the future is in video, not stills’,” Duncan told BBC London, adding: “I have no intention of retiring whatsoever. You do it for the love.”

The Stone family said in a tribute: “His legacy will live on in his collection of iconic photographs of celebrities from past and present.

“He will be truly missed and will live on in our hearts and minds.”