Call from Raphael Rodin looking for pictures for his fringe festival show on the last night. Story telling and music and fantastic show and shooting live. Well enjoyed the shoot and helpful venue who allowed time after with lighting to get some more controlled shots.

” good work - I really like the photos – Anastasis likes them as well – great!!!! Maybe see you in the future”  regards, Raphael.

A real weekend fiesta of Spanish dance, music, food and a giant paella helped brighten an at times wet Spanish Tourist Board promo event on The Mound Edinburgh.

Spain’s principle holiday areas were there to promote a sun destination which wasn’t lost on a somewhat damp Saturday (Sunday turned out good). I was booked for 2nd year by Lotus UK the London PR agency appointed by the Spanish Touroist Board.

Commissioned as ‘official photographer’  (well have to brag a bit!) by Lotus UK on behalf of The Spanish Tourist Board for this year’s Taste of Spain by the galleries on The Mound. The mornings  photos were ftp’d to the news desks at lunchtime.

Flash slideshow here and static images on Taste of Spain Facebook page.

Thanks to Kate and Jules from Lotus UK .

Taste of Spain Edinburgh

I felt privileged to be in the same room as photographer Callie Shell. A smart American lady who had followed, no had been in the company of, Barack Obama. Not for a quick PR shoot but throughout the American election primaries and on to taking office in the White House.

Not that she knew that he WAS going to be the President but booked by Time magazine, with whom she had worked many times before, the brief was to follow a young black man who had aspirations. Wow – was he right to harbour those dreams. Anyway that’s another story.

I had booked into one of the talks as part of Edinburgh’s 2009 annual Festival of Politics during August and at which the World Press Photographic competition winning images were on display.  I was spell bound listening to Callies’ account of her time following Obama and his wife and children on his travels from state to state, the rallies, press calls, interviews and perhaps more poignantly the behind scenes moments of family, the going on and off stage, the meetings with top level staff. And the travel- even to the point of Callie asking Obama if she could still take photos as he fell asleep on the election train.

She spoke of all the levels of staff surrounding the President and the Secret Service that she had to gain the confidence of. But whilst we might think that this was assignment to be coveted which indeed it was, she said that after 3 years of being with Obama trail, that all the hard work gaining access daily became so tiresome. Certainly she found the hours were onerous and became aware that time was being stolen from her own family life. She did ‘her time’ but she was undeniably proud to have had a unique contact with a man of destiny before and after he achieved the mantle he sought.

As I sat in that room in the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood on 25 August 2009, I felt some sense of connection with a man only a few have such contact with. Look at her pictures and you too will see a person who, despite his office, looks be no more or less than any family man than any other – only he is the most powerful person on earth. Images of a president in the making, life in the white house, the relationship with his wife and children, the essences of an American President happy to be viewed in off scene mode, comfortable in his himself and most tellingly, according to Callie, nothing was off limits – except top secret talks of course.

View some of her photos here.

I needed more images from the Tattoo so spent another great evening shooting two performances on Saturday 15 August.  As the earlier performance starts at 7.30 pm the light was better for the flyover. Arriving from over the Firth of Forth from RAF Kinloss it’s a stunning sight to see the plane go right over the esplanade and Edinburgh Castle as the crowds look skywards and hear the roar of the engines.

The shot was taken from riggers walkway the top of the production teams gantry and above private boxes – thus at roof top height.

More on the Edinburgh Military Tattoo

A Nimrod approaches Edinburgh Castle for the nightly flypast for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2009

Just went into town today to collect a media pass for the the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and more for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo for tonight. I took a camera with a little task of looking for ‘window’ shots. A bit of fun when you have a limited topic for shooting.

Who's looking at who?

Blessed with a fine day the Edinburgh Jazz Festival 2009 got underway with a colourful parade from The City Chambers on the Royal Mile to the famous Grassmarket. There jazz bands on 3 mini stages and other street performances took place throught the afternoon delighting locals and holiday visitors alike.

Mardi Gras in Edinburgh's Grassmarket for the opening of the 2009 Edinburgh Jazz Festival

Dance photographer Maria Falconer launches Dance Imagery UK with a stunning exhibition (throughout August) of dance images at the Dance Base in Edinburgh’s famous Grassmarket. Maria has combined a  background as an ex-professional dancer with some of the UK’s top productions on stage and TV and her talents as a professional photographer to produce a fabulous range of colour and black and white, limited edition prints. More at www.danceimagery.co.uk 

Dance Imagery exhibition at Dance Base Edinburgh