A day in the pool with the Queen
December 3rd, 2008
One of the very regular parts of shooting for an agency is the “pool photographer” job. Unfortunately, this has nothing much to do with shooting a swimwear competition and more to do with men in suits shaking hands in front of a fireplace or members of the Royal family meeting random bods (such as the Welsh Rugby team below…)
When an event is going to happen but space is limited, a pool system kicks into place that results in one photographer being allowed into the room to shoot it but then his or her work is given to all publications and agencies to do with as they please. A regular location is the aforementioned fireplace in Number 10 for grip’n'grins featuring various British politicians and the leader of the Principality of Randomistan.
Like most things in life, the first time you shoot one of these, “the fear” ™ fills your every pore as you consider the fact that EVERY picture desk and editor will be able to see every image you file and worst of all, they’re sometimes waiting specifically for your images to drop onto their desktops for a publication deadline. Thankfully, again like most things in life, over time the fear soon becomes your friend, then just an acquaintance and finally somebody you never really got on with in Junior School that you can safely forget about and you realise that it’s a job like any other.
Today’s pool was to cover the State Opening of Parliament for the second consecutive year. Unlike last year (above), I managed to screw up on my choice of position (wrong place, right time) so found myself in a room that didn’t get a whiff of regal action. Booo.. Not that I’m a staunch Royalist but if the choice is between Queen Elizabeth II in all her glad-rags and ceremonial gear, wearing the Crown Jewels as she makes her way through a hall filled with Lords and Ladies OR standing in a lobby as an odium of politicians file past, I don’t take too long weighing up my options before I can reach a conclusion.
In the end, due to this year’s ceremony being covered with the fallout of a scandal involving the arrest of a Conservative MP, I could at least get the leaders in the bag, cover a bit of political news and grab some stock images for future stories on our gloriously stream-lined and slick political system (or maybe just some Lord collecting his pension before Brenda arrives..)
December 4th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Great collection bud! Another one of those surreal days getting to visit the inner sanctums that hardly anyone else in the normal world would see.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Cheers bud. I just need to remember to pick a better choice of position next year!
December 4th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
wow they are super excellent and brilliant. If you don’t mind me, what is it the exposure that you use most on these?
glad greetings Mattius
December 4th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Dearest Dearest Mattius, All of these pictures were taken with either the “running man” or the “tulip” setting on my camera. Is that what exposure means?
Ya’ sarcastic buggar!
December 4th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
I thought you just left the camera on the P setting, and let the superfandangle microprocessors calculate the optimum setting. That’s what I do. Just pop the camera on a three-legged frame, press the big button on the corner of the camera box thing, and walk away…voila, job done.
The tulip setting, I always use the triangle mountain looking setting…
Sarcasm was never my strongest suit.
December 7th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
glad to see the putin snap aint to muzzy, if i remember rightly you were a tad late for that one? hmm?
nice selection budly
the inner sanctums are boring, thats why they are shut to the publik init,
December 7th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Yeah, I arrived with only a few minutes to spare and as I began to jog up Downing Street, a copper pulled me aside and strongly suggested I didn’t run as I was being tracked by a whole bunch of Russian marksmen with itchy trigger fingers. Nice..
December 10th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Glad greeting mr tabascokid, much thanks for reply. So if i am straight, the tulip – is this flower? I google – and running man – in business we call this sport setting – anyway, I digest, so for walking use tulip and everything else sport? Kind greeting.
Mattius
December 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Dear Mattius,
Please don’t hurt him. Just let her go. I’ll get the instruction manual you want. I have contacts. The EOS 1000FN, right? I can get it to you. Please don’t do anything that can’t be changed.
Yours sincerely,
Leon
PS Enough of this nonsense! Christmas drinks sometime early next week, bud?