Edinburgh International Book Festival
Pic - Shooting Chelsea Clinton
Between the Lines
See the Behind the Scenes video. Click here.
Way back in 2009 I presented a concept to the Edinburgh International Book Festival to host a ‘live exhibition’ of portraits of authors taken and displayed on site, in Charlotte Square Gardens. The Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) is the world’s largest book festival and is part of the world’s largest festival that takes place annually in Edinburgh. After some logistical hurdles they kindly agreed and what became an annual pilgrimage began. I describe the exhibition as a ‘live exhibition’ because the portraits are taken on site and the work is uploaded, retouched and printed at night, ready for hanging the next day.
Thus it grows daily as new work is added. The studio I work from is not, as has been suggested, 'a penthouse studio' but an outdoor backdrop in the gardens of the Book Festival.
I work quickly and with a simple lighting set up. Everyone is shot on the same background with similar lighting. ‘The studio’ which is exposed to the elements has no privacy. As a result it allows extroverts a stage to embrace, and offers little hiding for the shy. It has produced a huge series of author portraits unlike any previously seen and to the best of my knowledge is the only exhibition of its type anywhere in the world.
I have met some amazing people which has been a joy, heroes, anti heroes and so many stories which I shall not divulge here.