Lowlight: Having to sign a very restrictive contract which means I can't even show any pictures on this blog! Having to interrupt my holiday in Cornwall to do the job.
Fill in: I was on holiday for the week down in Cornwall but couldn't turn down this commission as it was from Japanese Magazine 'Rock' which pays very well. Logistically it was a nightmare because my phone couldn't get a signal and neither could my laptop dongle so I was electronically cut off from the world apart from getting the occasional blip when tons of messages from my long suffering partner would come streaming over the ethernet. The restrictions for Britney meant we had no idea where we would be shooting from, for how long or what forms we'd need to sign until the actual day - even an hour before we were shooting our position was not confirmed - and as it was at the O2, the likelihood was we would be miles away. However, not having any means of communication I did not get any of this info until I was actually travelling up to London on the train. Luckily Keith had been organising the whole shebang. So, after the Dolly Experience (see post on Dolly Parton), he had brought me box to stand on, and hired a 600 F4 lens. Thank god for loving partners!
Tech Spec:
11.00: Leave Michaelstowe Holiday Camp armed with a phone, some change, Harry Potter book and a sandwich.
11.20: Park car, only to find it is pay by phone only and my phone is still not working. Managed to get a text through to Keith who paid the parking.
12.05: Catch train from Bodmin Parkway to Plymouth - had to stand all the way
13.15: Catch train from Plymouth to Paddington - read five more chapters of Harry Potter.
16.20: Meet Keith at Paddington in the Starbucks. Eat yogurt and drink tea. Try to get gear packed down to a reasonable weight and size.
17.00: Carry 600 F4, monopod, two camera bodies, 200mm F2.8 across London via Bakerloo and Jubilee Line. No seats but I sit on the camera case.
18.15: Arrive at O2.
18.16: Have a rest.
18.17: Carry gear
18.18: Have a rest
18.19: Carry gear
18.20: Join the long queue for loo and realise I am not going to fit in the cubicle. Consider possibility of putting all the gear on the toilet seat, getting inside the cubicle, closing door, getting gear off the seat, going to the loo, getting gear on toilet seat, opening the door, getting out of cubicle, removing gear from cubicle.
18.31: Lots of people looking curiously my way.
18.32: Disabled person and carer wheelchairs into the disabled loo.
18.37: Disabled person and carer come out of disabled loo - I hold door open for them then promptly dash pin with all the gear. Plenty of room for camera.s lens and my derriere.
18.40: Receive text saying photographers do not have to rendezvous until 9.15pm. Heave gear over to Starbucks.
18.45: Have tea and banana.
18.50: Look at time
19.00: Look at time
19.05: look at time. Can;t be bothered to go anyway as gear too cumbersome and heavy to lug around.
20.05: I decide t buy a puzzle book to pass the time . Lug gear into a newspaper shop.
20.10: Coming out of shop am spotted by another photographer who persuades me to go with him to shoot the support.
20.15: Told we can't shoot the support.
20.20: Back to coffee shop for a drink.
21.00: Back to rendezvous point to sign contracts, collect passes, put lenses on cameras.
21.10: Still struggling to get lens out of case.
21.15: Finally get lens on camera.
21.30: Get led into arena and in front of a crowed who are none too pleased to see us.
21.50: Leave arena and dismantle equipment.
22.00: Cary gear back to tube.
22.01: Have a rest
22.02: Carry gear to tube
22.03: Have a rest
22.05: Catch tube back to Paddington.
23.10: Meet Keith, offload pics to laptop.
23.30: Leave Keith to process and submit pictures.
23.45: Catch train to Bodmin Parkway
06.20: Arrive at Bodmin Parkway
07.00: Back at Holiday camp - with kids all screaming at me to start their face painting ready for Halloween party later that night. As i can't show you any Britney images here's some from the face painting…
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