I got my wish to cover this year’s Press Night for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle – my third.
Commissioned by the recently formed Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance, the brief was to seek out images from differing angles and composition as well as colours that match the Edinburgh Inspiring Capital’s brand colours.
So another great night shooting stunning displays of music, dance, and pipe bands from all around the globe – a truly international gathering of performers. The joy of coverng this event is on previous blogs >> Edinburgh Military Tattoos 2006 and 2008.
Managed to 'grab' these performers from She Huo cultural troupe from the city of Xi'an in China for a few seconds just before the show started
The massed pipes and drums enter the esplanade from Edinburgh Castle
Keeping the beat
She Huo cultural act from China
Performers from She Huo cultural act from China waiting to come 'on stage'
She Huo cultural act from China
Top Secret Drum Corps from Switzerland with lighted drum sticks
Been to Crail, Anstruther, Elie before but not Pittenweem. Lovely little seaside town on the south coast of Fife that hosts the famous Pittenweem Arts Festival every year. Local artists throw open their doors to visitors to view and buy. Living room walls are covered in wonderful art – some inviting other artists to share their wall space. For once I remembered to take my little Fuiji F31fd in my pocket but much to my wife’s annoyance it was in use a lot. I’ve to come back on my own sometime!
Sea facing wall of the stone building on the pier
Pittenweem Harbour
There are over 100 artists exhibiting in the village in houses, garages, studios, gardens and anywhere that has wall space. www.pittenweemartsfestival.co.uk/
The conference in Edinburgh in July 2009 was the coming together of those involved in research and the study of teaching in medicine in further education. Delegates came from as far away as New Zealand to contribute as well as learn from best practise.
Conference held at Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh
Delivering results of a study
The main auditorium at the RCP Edinburgh
One of the break out sessions for the JASME (Junior ASME)
One of the break out sessions for the JASME (Junior ASME)
The main sponsor - Limbs and Things
Professor Ronald Harden, General Secretary, Treasurer AMEE, Dundee, UK
They had not had a photographer before for their conferences and in pitching to suggest this to them they agreed to ‘give it a go’ to see if there would be a benefit. From a call this morning from one of the organisers, Nicky Pender of ASME, it seems they are very pleased with the shots.
Last week a number of key clients were hosted by Edinburgh Convention Bureau and Hopetoun House at an evening of laser clay shooting, archery and a ‘Murder Mystery’ in the house.
Held 2-3 times a year, these events gather those who have the propensity to bring major conferences to the city by showcasing various venues and facilities in and around the city. They are professionals in their specific fields of science and medicine for example and are usually in an influential position in their respective organisations to help bring their annual conference to Edinburgh, many of which are international.
The Edinburgh Convention Bureau has run this programme over many years and has proved enormously successful in bringing events that may otherwise have been held elsewhere. Such events have been worth millions over the years in economic benefit to the city.
Even though it's laser clays, it's still disconcerting taking a photo from this angle.
Looking for clues
The "Murder Mystery" team.
Forth Road and Rail Bridges. I got this shot on the way home that same evening with minutes to spare. A few more high clouds would have provided a little more colour to the sky.
A great 3 days at the Peebles Hydro saw 180 subpostmasers meet for their annual conference. 3 days of brilliant weather helped show off the town of Peebles and the Scottish Borders at its springtime best.
A packed conference room was the focal point of much debate about their industry and it brought it home to me the challenges they face in running their sub post offices.I suppose like a lot of businesses, we the public take too much for granted. These are men and women who displayed an absolute passion for their businesses, and are facing tough times in today’s market place for post office services. Not only do they face competition from supermarkets and some other retail outlets but also from the main Post Office network too. Alan Cook, the Post Office Ltd Managing Director, and government minister Gareth Thomas MP, were at the conference to address delegates and to take questions – and believe me some were tough.
My job was to take photographs throughout the 3 days and the dinner so I wasn’t listening intently to all the presentations and debate but just caught just enough in between takes.
A Gala Dinner was held on the second evening. The local kilt hire shop must have done a brisk business as all the Sikhs and Indians hired full kilts for the night - great stuff!
Photos: Nikons D3 and D300. Nikon Lens 70mm-200mm 2.8 and 24mm-70mm 2.8. Nikon SB 900 flash. Most shots using available light at 800ISO.
I got this assignment via two previous contacts in the hospitality industry. Lynn Samson of MCI Glasgow (a PCO _ Profesional Conference Organiser)passed my nameto Uta Boeger-Brown, BioMedEx (Conference and exhibition management services) who was asked by Cancer Research Scotland for a ‘tog’ (industry jargon for a photographer).
Nicola Sturgeon opens SAC 2009
Nicola Sturgeon talks at SAC 2009
Nicola Sturgeon MSP, opened the conference at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow attended by other MSP’s, professors, medical staff, carers and other experts in this field in Scotland. It is platform for those at the front end to hear from their contemporaries, share experience and knowledge and to get messages across to the MSP’s.
170 members of the European Nuclear Society travelled from all over Europe to meet at their annual conference at the 5 star Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in February 2009.
Held over two days they came to engage in dialogue and share ideas on the way the nuclear industry in the various European countries engage and communicate with politicians, local authorities and the general public.
In between taking photographs I heard some pretty interesting discussions. Most businesses and organisations can learn how to manage their PR from trial and error. That of course is not something the nuclear industry can afford to go by – and indeed it is the rare incidents that do lead to massive learning curves. Thus they have to develop sophisticated scenarios, learn the art of press management, the right kind of terminology to use when there is an ‘incident’ and learn to deal with a highly contentious subject.
The conference was opened by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Jim Murphy.
Photos: Nikons D3 and D300. Nikon Lens 70mm-200mm 2.8 and 24mm-70mm 2.8. Nikon SB 900 flash. Most shots using available tungsten spot lights at 800 ISO.
Business source/lead: Recommended by Edinburgh Convention Bureau.
I first shot the Tattoo in 2006. The MOST amazing experience.
As part of the media on the esplanade and a complete newcomer to photographing the Edinburgh Tattoo, it was with some trepidation that I arrived with my Nikon D200 and two lenses. But wearing an accredited Media Pass and getting waived through the thronging crowds queuing down the Royal Mile to get in was ‘cool’ .
At the press briefing just before the start, there are strict instructions on what to do and how to behave. One piece of advise is to not get too close when photographing in front of the marching pipers – they won’t stop and you could end in the middle of the columns and, we were warned, trampled on. Of course some of those who been there and ‘dunnit’ before do do that! I mean go between marching columns. Not me – a menacing looks from the Pipe Majors is just enough thank you!
An absolutely beautiful evening – dry, warm and a sky deepening into shades of deep indigo. But how do you shoot? Flash? What lens? What speed? Well, it kinda worked out pretty good and I was delighted with the results.
Massed Pipes and Drums against a stunning backdrop 2006
Performers come from all over the world - 2006
Finale performance in 2008 of the celebrated theme of 'Gael' from the Hollywood movie 'Last of the Mohicans'.
One of my favourite film themes and I can tell you, to be right in front of this violinist and the pipe band behind was magical. Hear a version of this below – just great but can you imagine what it is like with 100 pipers playing it too. The second clip is from someone at one of the performances.
The 'young lady' from Queen Victoria School' 2008 as she had just stepped out onto the castle esplanade on her very first live performance - please read more about her below...
2006 -Contemporary and traditional percussion from Switzerland’s awesome drummers
Highland Dancers 2008
2008 - A wet Esplanade gives an extra dimension
Drummer 2008
The view from the Castle's Drawbridge - and the rain! 2008
2008 - One of my favourite shots. The refections, colours, the spotlights, the singer to the right and the dancers just moving garefully to their right. Good one Simon!
In 2008 I nearly didn’t go. Only on that morning did I pop in by the Press Office of the Tattoo to see Alan Smith (delightful chap)… who encouraged me to attend. Had just got my Nikon D3 and the three Nikon 2.8 zooms and rain was forecast. Anyway I did go.
It rained – errr… no it bucketed down most of the night. The show goes on and it its history it has never been cancelled. But with the reflections of the tarmac, some great effects were achieved.
But there’s a great story from this night – well for me anyway. As a young pipe band and dancers arrived down the drawbridge out of Edinburgh Castle, I took up position here. Nearly last out was this young girl coming on at the rear and with the Queen Victoria School. This young lady just beamed with a joyous smile as she saw the live stage, at last, that she was arriving on, the audience, lights and atmosphere – it was written all over her face. A fleeting few moments and a sword, perhaps, a slight distraction in the only shot I got of the moment. I emailed with Alan at the Tattoo with the image - I just felt if I didn’t, she and her parents may not have had the opportunity to see a moment of her first night’s experience. He was able to pass it on to the schools Headmaster in the hope that it got through? It did. (The Queen Victoria School in Dunblane is for those whose parents are in the forces and often serving abroad.)
The photo also came to the attention of Catriona, the person looking after the schools sponsorship and when she saw my name in the emails enquired with me if I was the same Simon Williams that her mother (Susie Reid) knew as a child in Perth. Indeed I was/am. Small world. Later I sent Catriona other photos of the schools pipe band at the Tattoo. Some of these were posted on the schools web site. Later, I received an email from the Grandmother of the your girl asking if she could get a copy and it was thus I found out a little more about her and that her mother served in the forces.
I can say that it was an absolute privilege to have covered the Tattoos. To be so close to such spectacular performances and that are recognised throughout the world was just sensational. As you can see you get close and nearly personal with the performers.
I was asked by McDonald Hotels to cover the Harley Davidson annual rally weekend in Aviemore in late August 2008.
The ‘Chapters’ arrive from all over the UK and abroad for one of the largest Harley gatherings in the country. Wow, what a fabulous collection of bikes and trikes – not to meniton the riders too with some great leathers and helmets.
The weekend kicks off with bands and activities all over Aviemore – they really do take over the Scottish village for the weekend taking over most of the hotel accommodation but with many camping out. It was really was a great atmosphere. On Saturday some 1,500 bikes lined up in the grounds of the McDonald Aviemore Higland Resort and then paraded through Aviemore and the rideout over the Grantown. On Sunday the rally was to Kingussie – I think.
Scottish do you think?
...definately!
Thunder in the Glens 2008 - Rideout through Aviemore
Thunder in the Glens 2008 - Rideout through Aviemore
Thunder in the Glens 2008 - Rideout through Aviemore
Have to admit – first helicopter flight. Great, fantastic, exhilarating, scary but not to be missed.
Well I did miss it, kind of. I only had a mere few minutes high over Aviemore for the Aviemore Highland Resort to take shots during the Harley Davidson Thunder in the Glens gathering. Taking two cameras on a first flight and I have to say until you get up there and the going and the coming down you have little idea of how to prepare.
First and foremost are the flight ’rules’ … umm can’t remember any of them. Then I was warned not to stick a lens and camera too far out of the tiny window. Yea, I thought. Soon found out why. On top of the helicopter are long things called rotor blades. These tend to go round quite fast, you know, to create downdraft so that the thing flies. So the newbie here decides to try to get a better shot with camera out of the window. Big mistake – just about lost the whole thing in the downdraft. Only did it once.
Anyway a great thrill but concentrating so much on getting the shots and looking through a lens, I pretty well missed the experience.
