Monday, January 09, 2006

A Red Dress (kiss of The Spider Woman)

I had to put these shots together in one place, because in the book of photos I carry around I only have two and people always pass comments or look bemused. So here is the whole picture.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Eddie Izzard and other stories




It has taken me a good few months to finally get around to getting my celebrity photographs ready for use on my blog.
I have also put one or two celebrities on this page who I've not met during the Festival, but I did meet because I was in the Hog's Head.

My first celebrity I ever managed to photograph was Mikhail Baryshnikov.
A few years ago I was in 1 Stop Photo getting films ready for processing, the staff were busy and I help if I'm about. He came in a wanted some films processed. I recognized him right away. Before he said anything I said was "I'm going to have to ask how to spell his surname. He smiled and said "why don't you put down Mr Smith."
I asked if he'd mind if I got a photograph. And was so pleased when he graciously consented.
Later that day on the High Street I ran into a press photographer, he asked me if I'd seen anyone famous. Told him I'd got a photograph of Baryshnikov . He offered me £500 for it and I turned him down. In the years since I've been asked if people could buy the print they've seen in 1 Stop Photo. Only to tell them they would have to pay me at least as much as I had turned down previously.

Jayne Middlemiss and Mariella Frostrup I got around the same time. I noticed a group of professional waiting around outside the Fringe office. Knowing one or two I found out Jayne and Mariella were about to arrive for a press call. So it was a case of just waiting.


I got some shots this time rushing back to 1 Stop Photo who managed to rush the film through. I then headed right down to the BBC on Queen Street almost the same time as Mariella Frostrup was getting out of a taxi, so I gave her a set of my photos, she thanked me and I headed back to the mile.

Eddie Izzard and the three free shows, I managed to catch two of them.
It was the last year the square behind the fringe office would still be there. A nursery school was to be built. It wasn't publisised it was a word of mouth only show. So glad I heard. Armed with as much camera kit and film as I could carry I headed for the square. Over the two days I managed to get some reasonable shots of Eddie, John Fealey, Alex Danridge, Vince Henderson and Sophie Aldred. Two shows I just could not have missed.

Alan Cumming, Arthur Smith and Andy Gray I met and photographed in the Hogshead (The Chanter) Alan Cumming of The High Life, Goldeneye and X-Men2 he was in Edinburgh for the Film Festival and had stopped off at the Hogshead for a meal before moving on to the film premier.

Arthur Smith I almost missed, he was taking one of his Festival walking tours and he'd stopped off at the pub with his audience.

Other celebrities caught at festival time and others around Edinburgh have been Goldie, "Bond villan from Goldeneye", Paul Zenon, Paul Daniels, Ross Noble,Andy Gray and Amber Benson, Tara from Buffy The Vampire slayer. (as a Buffy fan, nice shot to get)