The Batblog by Photobat

This is the end…

Festival is over, last night was the last night of Gilded Balloon shows, we have a party tonight but no shows are on. Last night was quite big, I watched the sun come up as I walked home.

I spent the night between Late and Live (live comedy), Shaken and Stirred (late night jazz) and the Library Bar (its a bar, in a library). Talked to a lot of people, took a couple of photos and then put the camera away to concentrate on the couple of drinks more.

Got all inspired by the Heri Cartier Breson exhibition plus the National Portrait Gallery. In my 2 hours of sleep induced daze I think i took more in.

Running out of battery so more later.

I’m out of the flat tomorrow, spending remaining nights on Jemmas floor. It’s a pity, as I now have a better shower than her!

Back in 2003 I went and took a photo of Margaret Scott, a nice old lady who i knew off the telle on things like Good News Week and World Series Debating. I spent about 2 hours with her and only took about 12 frames in total, the rest of the time was taken up with a great conversation. I just read that Margaret died today. Im glad I had at least one oppotunity to meet Margaret, even when I met her she was suffering a bit, but was very entusiastic and full of life.

It s Tim!

It’s 11am the morning after the Perrier Party, the most exclusive party in the Fringe, it’s where the announcements of the winners of the Perrier Awards are made. The Perrier Award is like the Acadamy Award for comedy.

I didn t know i was going until about 20 minutes before i was there. Thanks to the lovely Sarah Bennetto for thinking of me with her spare ticket and friend on the door.

We had to cross a protest line to get in, if you want to find out why have a look at http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=237 it’s all about Nestle, the company that own Perrier. I did feel a bit bad at going through it, but I wasn’t going to not see Tim get his award. He’s had an amazing run and I’m really looking forward to seeing where his new found fame is going to take him, and Tim’s the kind of guy that isn’t going to let it go to his head.

Tim Minchin, who stormed the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April took Edinburgh by storm so much that they gave him the very prestigious Perrier Newcomer award. I was standing with a group of Australians and UK friends, and when his name was read out and we all went a bit mad.

I have to say well done to Charlie and Rhod, who were also nominated and that’s an amazing feet to get the nomination and they will not be forgotten.

It’s a great end to the festival, and it’s not even the end yet!

All you in Tasmania, Tim is doing shows in September / October at the Peacock Theater and the Earl Arts Center. GO BUY TICKETS NOW.

Tim doing an Interview for The Australian

Charlie Pickering and Rhod Gilbert… were also nominated for the award, i think they took it well

The Minchin Crew

Australians, all wanting a piece of Tim’s popcorn (except Gerard)

Thought i’d get in on the action too.

The Umbilical Brotheres

Sleepy…

I’m in an interesting 2 day sleeping pattern, up at 11am, bed at 11pm, up at 8am bed at 4am and start over again. It works. I’m keeping on budget, which could be called spending as little as possible on anything. Managed to find some good meals for very little plus have a supply of apples on me at all times.

Once again I went around to Jemma’s for a shower today, when I got home last night I discovered this.

I rang and left a polite and on the verge of very sweary message on the landlords mobile phone and didn’t hear from him until this afternoon, he agrees to reducing my rent by half for the affected days, which conveniently will pay for the youth hostels that I’ll be staying in on the trip around the north.

Also have my wide angle lens back, which is great. I happened upon another wedding photography studio near the repair place, run by Mark and Owen. Mark won photographer of the year or something and is like most Australian photographers who are in the AIPP, has too many certificates to physically put up on the wall. I havn’t been to their website yet but it’s located at www.imagesofmorningside.com. It was really nice chatting about work, seeing what they do and showing them what I do. By coincidence Mark had just been to see Yervant the other day, who is an amazing wedding photographer from Melbourne who did a speaking tour here. I’ll hopefully be hireing their studio to do a shoot on Saturday.

And what a nice shoot it will be, expression shots of the Umbilical Brothers for Sesame Workshop, the same Sesame behind a certain famous street. The Umbi’s are creating a show with them and the images are to be used as promotional material to see them and the show at a major international conference on kids television.

The shoots have slowed down a bit now, I’m not really pushing for them, if I bump into someone I’ll ask. I’m really looking forward to getting out of the Festival. I have a lot planned for the couple of days I’m still here. The Cartier Breson exhibition is going to be the highlight of it, also I hope to actually get into the castle here and do something very touristy.

In celebrity spotting, I’ve managed to just miss the Australian Cricket Team, Aiden Quinn and Joel Edgerton and managed to bump into Ronnie Corbert who I didn’t say anything too as I was amazed at how small he is.

Also had a few hours hanging out on the Meadows, which is a parkland here, having a picnic for Lawrence Leung’s birthday. It was nice just hanging about not doing a lot but did include a bit of frizbe action.

Well, the laptop is now fully powered up, I’ve processed lots of images so it’s time to go and fine some free wireless to upload this and some photos.

David O’Doherty

Shower

So, you know when you wake up and find 3 men in your bathroom, which may be fine if you happen to live with three men and nto by yourself… one in my landlord, one is a plumber and the other says “Wombat… you’re famous”. No idea who that guy is, but I like him.

Seems as if the shower in the flat above me is leaking (may have something to do with the 8 guys in a 2 bedroom flat above using the shower a lot). This leak has started to destroy the shower I’m in and the roof of the bathroom below me. I’m assured that it will all be fixed today and I’ll have a new shower. For now I have to run across the road to another flat to have a shower.

As of 1 am this morning I don’t have a shower, literally, there is just a big hole where it is supposed to be. Starting to get slightly annoyed.

So no shower, went to my friend Jemma’s place for a shower. I was also assured that I would have shower that evening. Late that evening no shower and the added advantage of no water, so in the morning I dropped around to my landlords and had a shower there while he tried to find out why I still didn’t have a shower. He assurance me that there would be a shower there that night.

Arrived home, no shower plus the added bonus of sawdust from all through the flat and over all my things. Next morning I went and had another shower at Jemma’s. And that brings you up to date, we will see what happens later on today.

In other news…

More photos, had some more people booked in, had some cancel. I’m going to hang out in the assembly room bar tonight and see who else I can find to shoot on the last few days of the festival.

Also getting my lens repaired at the moment, not costing as much as I expected.

Some friends are up for the major awards here, Rhod Gilbert, Tim Minchin and Charlie Pickering up for Perrier best newcomer and Chris Addison up for the Perrier best show.

Seen quite a few shows, last night was a highlight some of the biggest names in a latenight show where they were all on stage together, Jimmy Carr, Dimitri Martin, David O’Doherty, and Tim Minchin all playing off each other.

I’m planning a 5 day trip around the north of Scotland, so more news on that later. Also have the update for Photoshop so i can view raw files and shoots are going well.

I’m off to spend $10 on a coffee…

Edinburgh Fringe Podcast is great… have a listen.

It’s what iin listen to.

Stewart and Richard - Creators of Jerry Springer the Opera

Day 8 I think.

Started shooting portraits… More in the camera ready to go.. Here are some samples.

Also saw my first Scottish Terrier… I think.

Saw Chris Addison last night, great show and some good material about the London bombing, he has a great take on the reactions of the British compared to the reactions of the American journalists.

In other news, I have to do some washing tomorrow, about to run out of clothes. Found a friend with a washing machine, which is going to be better than paying 3 pounds at the Laundromat.

Phil Kay - This guy is a bit of a legend here, the shoot took about 5 minutes total and every shot is dam fine. I saw his show, he’s a bit mad, all over the place and you never know what’s going to happen.

The View from Carlton Hill (also known as I miss my wide angle lens)

Day 7

Portraits begin… Little later than I would have liked, but they are here now.

Shot Steward and Richard, from Jerry Springer the Opera and Geraldine Quinn fantastic comedian with a killer voice from Melbourne. I also went for a little walk up Carlton Hill and took some more photos .

I love the textures in this city, I can’t wait to shoot more… I have to run around and find some more locations. Plus the S3 is brilliant… Apart form me not being able to open raw files in photoshop, meaning I’m just doing some rough work on the images at the moment, I will have to do more when I get back home and buy the new photoshop.

Have a few bookings in the next few days, also made contact with a wedding photographer here who I’ll catch up with tomorrow or Monday morning. Be interesting to see the differences in the wedding industry here.

Anyway… Time to fly… Can’t sit around here writing all day, there is rain to get wet in.

Day 6

Enter Suzi2

Yes… thanks to the help of my parents, and for some funds being sent through in advance for a job in October I’m not the proud owner of a Fuji S3 (The old S@ was called Suzi… well I never call I that, but that was it’s unofficial name.

And the damage? 1660 pounds. That clears out my visa card and all my bank accounts. It’s going to be an interesting could of weeks. Thankfully I have free wireless happening.

In other news, I have managed to get an pass to the Assembly Rooms bar, this bar is the high roller bar, a place for the big names to go and not be hassled. In my first night there I met a few people and then some more people and even more people.

I’ve managed to make a few contacts over here just dealing with managers buying images. Now I have met them and they have introduced me on to other people and that has to be a good thing.

Other shows I’ve seen Umbilical Brothers (Amazing… best show I’ve seen so far) Michael Mee (OK, kind of likes his material, just a little lost in the delivery).

I have also remembered, I’m not here for the festival… I’m really here to make some money, time to knuckle down and get on with it. I’ll be staying in Edinburgh a few days after the festival now, so I’ll do some sightseeing then.

Ok, time to go take some photos… finally.

Day 4

Caught up with Tarn today, a friend from Tas. Was good catching up and hearing about his Edinburgh life, living in a 4 bedroom flat with 8 people. It’s in a grat location too, just at the bottom of the royal mile. After finding a good coffee, Tarn and I headed over to the Gilded Balloon … on the way my camera was knocked out of my hand… Wide Angle lens in 2 pieces, camera unable to turn on…. So I’m in a little bit of shock at the moment. Have to figure out what to do…

On the plus side….. this appeared in The Mercury Newspaper today, tanks to Mel for emailing it.