Fan Fare

May one moan about the royal wedding?

I may be in Berlin covering the film festival, but I’m keeping half an eye on the press coverage of the royal wedding. Needless to say there is an awful lot of it, and some of the stories appear to be as much fiction as fact, if not more so. The tone is almost entirely positive, with commentators glowing about the young royal couple, her style, his grace, how good it all is for the country, economy, morale, soul — oh you get the gist.

Now there is not necessarily anything wrong with being positive — after all, we are talking about a couple of 20-somethings about to embark on a big adventure (marriage) and we should wish them well.

As to what it all means for the rest of us is a little more complicated, however. Lots and lots of people will welcome the fact that with the wedding falling on a Friday (April 29), the population has been granted a right royal day off, making it a four-day break over the May Day weekend. The weekend before is Easter, so many loyal subjects look set to take the whole week in between off work. Now this is all very nice for many of us, but a real pain the neck for others. One TV director said he was fed up with the wedding, as he was supposed to be shooting during the period and now doesn’t believe he can. As a self-employed film maker, he’s set to lose out. There will be hundreds of thousands, if not millions more like him.

And for all the talk of a boost to tourism and the economy, a lot of my friends plan to get out of London, and even the country during the nuptials, rather than get stuck in a gridlocked city. The Guardian newspaper had an interesting article recently about how previous royal weddings of this scale actually had a negative impact on tourism.

So, while not wanting to be grumpy, let’s all try and keep a sense of perspective.

Laden in Red – Chris de Burgh sells fine wines

“The Lady in Red” singer Chris de Burgh has decided to cash in on surging prices for fine wines, offering 320 bottles and 84 magnums of mainly red varieties at Christie’s in March which are expected to fetch in the region of 200,000 pounds ($320,000).

“Looking at the economics of the wine trade and how the business of selling wine fluctuates, I decided now was the right time,” he said in a statement. Not surprising — Asian buyers, particularly from China, have piled into the wine market in the last two years sending prices soaring. Christie’s sold wine worth $71.2 million in 2010, a whopping 70 percent increase over 2009, and fellow musician Andrew Lloyd Webber made a cool 3.5 million pounds from a much larger wine sale in Hong Kong last month.

De Burgh, his wife and daughter now prefer drinking white, so parting with some of the world’s finest clarets may be easier to bear.

Among the highlights from de Burgh’s temperature-controlled wine room at his home in Ireland is a 12 bottle case of Château Lafite-Rothschild, vintage 1945, estimated to fetch 12-16,000 pounds. (How much that works out per sip I’m not sure, but per glass it’s around 220 pounds). The bottles are still in the original straw which protected them since the end of World War Two. “Considering the dramatic events that were unfolding across Europe and particularly in France at that time, it’s extraordinary that one of the finest wines of the century was made then,” de Burgh said.

The highest value lot is a vertical collection of 62 magnums of Château Mouton-Rothschild, vintages 1945-2005, expected to sell for 70-90,000 pounds.

“X Factor” hits wrong note

Britain’s “The X Factor” has struck a bum chord, even before the main knock-out phase of the hugely popular TV show begins. Judge Cheryl Cole has incensed thousands of viewers with her selection of three finalists from a shortlist of eight contestants. Hopeful Gamu Nhengu, 18, was rejected by Cole, despite impressing with her audition and being among the early favourites to win the show.

One reason for the strength of the reaction — nearly 90,000 people have already leant their support to a Facebook page supporting Zimbabwe-born Nhengu — is that Cher Lloyd went through to the finals, despite being able to sing barely a note due to a sore throat. Katie Waissel also succeeded, despite failing to impress many who watched the show at the weekend. Only Cole’s choice of the accomplished Rebecca Ferguson was universally popular.

One fan summed up the mood with a blog post on the ITV show’s official website: “Oh well, no more X-factor for me then! My husband agrees. To put through Katie and Cher, and send Gamu home was confirmation that the show is rigged. What a complete farce. Did Cheryl take instructions from Simon Cowell on who she should pick so that none of the girls would win? Gamu was far and away the best of all the girls. I will never watch the x-factor again.”

Of course, the controversy and headlines it generates are likely to boost ratings when the competition proper gets underway, so suspicions of a set-up are rife. Bookmakers are already offering odds on Gamu being allowed back on to the show as a “surprise” wild card, and she is among the favourites to win. If that does come to pass, doubts about the show’s integrity are bound to grow.

Who is greatest stage actor of all?

So who is the greatest stage actor of them all?

Britain’s “The Stage” theatrical publication is holding a poll to ask visitors to its website to choose who is the best stage actor of all time. Six of the 10 shortlisted artists are still alive, and include legends not only of the stage, but also the screen, including Judi Dench and Ian McKellen (pictured at right). The Stage will keep the voting lines open for the next 10 weeks and publish the winner in a special Christmas edition.

Here is the full list. How about giving us your opinion as well? And if you think the best ever to walk the boards is not on the list, let us know.

Ralph Richardson (1902-1983)

John Gielgud (1904-2000)

Laurence Olivier (1907-1989)

Paul Scofield (1922 -2008)

UK’s X Factor gets off to rocky start

The X Factor, one of Britain’s most-watched television programmes, has got off to a rocky start this year with its integrity called into question after it came to light that some contestants’ performances had been enhanced using computer software. A spokesman for the show, a pillar of ITV1′s annual scheduling, admitted that post-production work was sometimes necessary due to the number of microphones used during filming. But he also told British media that judges make their decisions during the audition stages based on what they hear live, and that later shows are all genuinely live.

The revelations have prompted negative media comment and online complaints from some fans, although few people expect them to have too much of an impact on viewing figures. The first episode of this year’s series was watched by 11.1 million people, up from last year’s figure of 9.9 million.

Making matters worse, the show’s producers issued a statement on Wednesday explaining why Shirlena Johnson, who sang an oddball version of Duffy’s “Mercy”, was kicked off the talent show aired on ITV1.

“It has been decided by both Shirlena’s GP (doctor) and The X Factor’s own medical experts that it is in Shirlena’s best interests for her not to continue in the competition. The welfare of our contestants is of paramount importance to us — Shirlena was informed of the decision in person by the show executives in the presence of a psychologist.”

It appears the show, which is masterminded by music mogul Simon Cowell, wants to avoid the kind of negative publicity that surrounded the mental condition of Susan Boyle, a contestant in another Cowell project “Britain’s Got Talent” who was admitted to a clinic for emotional exhaustion after surprisingly losing the final last year. Mind you, Cowell presumably made a princely sum from the Scottish singer, whose debut album stormed charts around the world and was one of the top-selling records globally.

Elle Macpherson in rhino horn row

Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson has got herself into a spot of bother by implying in a recent interview that she used powdered rhino horn as a beauty therapy, even though the animal is endangered. Animal welfare groups have reportedly reacted angrily, prompting her to issue a statement clarifying that her remarks, made in the shortened Twitter format, were tongue-in-cheek.

“While I’m happy that the critical issue of protecting endangered species is back in the headlines, I am a but surprised that it is based on my use of herbal and homeopathic medicine,” she said in a statement given to Reuters.

“I was Twittering with a Times journalist about the taste of herbal medicines and made a flippant comment inferring I had tasted rhino horn. To be clear, I have never knowingly consumed or encouraged consumption of any products derived from endangered species. The idea is abhorrent to me. While I love my herbal and Chinese remedies I would never put my health over the survival of a species. I guess this is one of the pitfalls of 140 character journalism.”

She went on to explain that four out of five species of rhino are under immediate threat, mainly due to poaching for their horns. “Killing rhinos because some people think its horn is an aphrodisiac is beyond appalling.”

One lesson from the whole sorry saga may just be: Think before you Tweet!

from Photographers Blog:

Ten minutes or less with Taylor Lautner

Reuters had been approved for a ten-minute portrait session with Taylor Lautner, the heartthrob of millions of teenagers, my editor Sam Mircovich informed me the day before the shoot.

Reporter Alex Dobuzinskis had a one-on-one interview with Taylor scheduled ahead of the premier of "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." Before the release of a film, the production company organizes press junkets in which the cast is available for media interviews and occasionally for a quick photo session. Photo access is rare so whenever it's granted to us, it's welcomed.

Not unlike other press junkets, this one was held at a prestigious hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel had been rigged and retrofitted for these types of media events.

My shoot was slotted in for 3:15pm on a Saturday. I arrived one hour early, as I always do, to check in, set-up and think about my shots.

Two important things to remember during these portrait sessions are: to create an environmental portrait with no backdrop, and to create a unique look that extracts the subject from the actual hotel setting. I always aim for these two different looks.

To shoot a traditional portrait, I use a medium size Chimera softbox, a Dynalite uni400 head plugged into a jackrabbit battery and a wireless connection with pocket wizards transmitters as I prefer not to have any cables running along the floor. I am able to move around the room freely with my lighting self-contained.

Does Glastonbury live up to hype?

As a first-time Glastonbury-goer, I travelled to this year’s event with some trepidation. After all, I had to pitch my own tent, find my way around a massive site with hundreds of bands playing on dozens of stages, get enough food and water to live, and face the infamous portable toilet facilities that have a habit of overflowing as 150,000-plus revellers relieve themselves.

As the event reaches its conclusion tonight, with Stevie Wonder the headline act, I can safely say I would do it all again. Joining 100,000 or so people jumping up and down to the likes of Shakira, Scissor Sisters and Muse at the main Pyramid stage is something to remember, as is the infectious feel-good vibe that seems to fill the air despite the concentration of so many people in relatively small spaces. Of course, the smiling faces may have as much to do with alcohol and illegal substances as good music, but it doesn’t seem to matter as people enter an alternative universe for four days.

I have to own up to the fact that, with a media pass, I have access to quieter areas of the festival and so-called “hospitality” camping. That means slightly more room in the corner of a field, and, more crucially, a greater toilet-to-punter ratio. The second factor that has made 2010 easier than most for a first-timer has been the weather. I’m complaining about the intense heat, particularly in the media tent which is effectively a giant sauna, but everyone I speak to would take hot over wet, because that’s when Glastonbury turns into a giant mudbath, making getting around and staying clean nigh impossible.

I still have a lot to discover, and would like to get to more of the smaller stages to see less established acts strut their stuff. With any luck, I’ll have a chance to try next time around.

from Photographers Blog:

One minute with Justin Bieber

This portrait session came about because our entertainment reporter, Christine Kearney, noticed that one of the several PR pitches that came across her desk was a small event where Justin Bieber was going to give the winner of a contest a bouquet of flowers. Normally this isn't a story that we would be interested in because it doesn't have anything to do with any "larger picture" type of story. However, because it was Bieber, Christine decided she would ask for a few minutes to interview him. One of the hardest things for us to do is gain access because a lot of musicians, actors, or television personalities have very specific images that they want to project so access can be incredibly tight. This restriction to access can make my job difficult because as a photographer I would love the opportunity to document what these public figures lives are like on a day to day basis. The next best thing for me to get is a little one on one time with whoever allows it. Luckily, the PR officer said yes to both the request for a private interview and a quick portrait session, as long as I was low key and quick.

It was a hot day and hauling a large rolling suitcase around with a single set of strobes, along with my backpack full of camera equipment, was enough to make sure that I was panting by the time Christine and I arrived at a small non-descript flower shop in Lower Manhattan. As we walked in I was surprised to see only about a dozen people inside, a couple of television cameras, and one other still photographer. At most events where a celebrity as popular as Justin Bieber is attending there are dozens of photographers and television cameras. I was heartened to see that it would be a much smaller crowd for this. The woman organizing the event told me I could set up my lights in the back while a television station interviewed Justin. Once that was finished Christine could interview him while I moved my lights to the front of the shop where Bieber had to remain seated. I have to admit, I wish all of my portrait shoots could take place in flower shops because it was a welcome break from the usual portrait venue of a hotel room. Not only was the air conditioning on high but it smelled nice and flowery. I think this put everyone at ease as I didn't have any issues whatsoever setting up my lights, moving them to the front room through a small crowd, or shooting a quick portrait.

As Christine was finishing her interview the organizer of the event came up to me and the other photographer to ask if we could both get our shots in the 3 minutes they had allotted for photos. I asked if we could get more time but Bieber was scheduled to be somewhere immediately following this event and the timing couldn't be changed. I struck a deal with the other photographer that I could have the first minute and he could have the second and third as he was hired by the organizers of the event and needed multiple people, angles, promoters, etc in his photos. I knew that if other people crowded around Bieber it would be difficult to separate them in time and I just needed single photographs. Christine introduced me to Bieber and after mentioning that I had seen him perform a few months ago with a cast, I went to work.

I had been enjoying using two strip softboxes on my lights and I took several photos both of Bieber as a full-length, him leaning forward, and him standing and close to the lights - with the lights in a number of different configurations. I also took a handful with an 85mm f1.2 camera at ISO400 and 1/250th of a second. The rest were taken at ISO100, 1/200th of a second at either f11 or f9, depending on where he was standing. All in all I had a total of maybe 10 minutes to set up and plan what I was going to do and about 1 minute with the talent. It's fairly par for the course in this line of work and while it is exhausting and stressful to only have that very limited amount of time, it is also fun when you make some strong photos. There is one horizontal frame in particular where he is leaning forward on his knees that I think turned out well.

In any case, it was fun and I am sure that thousands of teenage girls would have loved to have been there. He was a nice fellow and getting the access was great. Those two things are all I need to get a photo - I just wish those two stars could align more often!

Shah Rukh Khan braves freezing Berlin

No thermal underwear for Shah Rukh Khan.

The 44-year-old Bollywood megastar is used to warmer climes, but has had to brave snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures during his visit to Berlin where his latest movie “My Name Is Khan” had its premiere on Friday.

Oozing charm, and making some in the audience at the movie’s press conference practically swoon, Khan bluntly stated: “Death before long johns. I am too macho for this.”

But Khan’s charm wore off with some esteemed colleagues who were made to wait for more than two hours for interviews with the actor only to be told that they had been called off. As of the time of writing, the interviews were back on again, but boy it’s been a long, cold day for those journalists.

Khan’s limousine is usually parked straight outside the building, as befits one of the most famous men on the planet. We mere mortals, however, must slip slide along treacherous pavements as we navigate our way from screening to press conference to interview to eatery. Welcome to the world of film festivals.