Black and White Music Photography

Broken Records

Head and Heart

I try to mix the old with the new and capture moods such as quiet moments of inner reflection. One of my interests is images of new artists and several of those I've photographed are now signed to major labels -  Emeli Sande, Hurts, Mumford, Metronomy, Broken Records,The Low Anthem, King Creoste... My favourite photographers are Mario Testino, Eve Arnold, David Bailey.  http://pkimage.co.uk/

Creative Scotland slammed by leading Scottish artists

A hundred leading artists have launched an attack on the management of arts body Creative Scotland. In an open letter, they condemn decision making, disregard for Scottish culture and say the organisation is in an "ongoing crisis". Among those signing the letter are John Byrne, Alasdair Gray, James Kelman, AL Kennedy, Liz Lochhead and Ian Rankin. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-19880871

Edinburgh International Book festival 2012

Russell Kane

NooSara-Wiwa

Elaine Proctor

Karl Miller

Tom Benn

Will Brooker

Elif Şafak

The Big names at the festival this year were – Michael Palin (new novel The Truth), Seamus Heaney, Roy Hattersley, Alex Salmon, Ian McEwan, Ruth Rendall, Irvine Welsh, Ian Banks, Nile Rodgers (writer/producer), Russell Kane (comedian) and many more.

Debate, Poetry, Novels, Autobiography, Stage, theatre, sport, film, more..

What is so refreshing in our shallow world of celebrity at this thought provoking event, is the fact that the EBF is a melting pot of ideas, creativity and energy and is all about substance, character and stories. In a culture dominated by tweeting sound bites and facebook ‘likes’ – an opportunity for writers and readers to participate in the passionate and serious discussion that good writing still generates.

One of the main events this year was the Writers Conference organised by the British Council. John Calder and Jim Haynes discussed their memories of the first Writers Conference held in 1962 in the McEwan Hall Edinburgh and writers worldwide attended.

The festivals popular Debates were on Europe, democracy, Scottish Independence and growth. Should writing be political? – perhaps unavoidable?  Is change always a good thing?  Change is neither for better or worse it is simply about the inevitability of change itself.

I walked past great minds such as - Seamus Heaney, Irvine Welsh, Tony Benn, Ian McEwan, Lazlo Krasznahorkai and more, Fireworks end each night over the castle ramparts to mark the finale of the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Edinburgh Festival 2012

It has been a strange Edinburgh festival this year. I’ve been so busy I’ve felt distracted/ detached from it all somewhat and I have less energy. I spend most of my time here at the Edinburgh Book Festival, more to follow. The next part of the saga that is ‘magical mystery tour’ of the Edinburgh trams is that the buses now detour to avoid the digging at Haymarket. The tram lines were started in 2008? and it is now years later and they are costing millions more that expected and are an embarrassment for the city. Did the people of the city get a say over it?  I think not.

 Everyone needs to be an artist in the babble of shows and posters that is the EIF and Fringe. It used to be about amateur student shows. Now it has become slick with stylized big productions and most young people go to the comedy shows. I heard that the new Summerhall venue is about what the festival used to be before it all became corporate, comedy and rubbish. 

**My Theme this year was Love. Love knows our hearts desires, our mirrors. There are voices of hope in a world often torn asunder and we are full of wonder… surely?  Tolstoy wrote of reverence, humility and love and he felt that the narrative was outside his control. I promise myself I need to write more.  

Where do stories come from and why? 

Whatever else love is, it is always a mystery.

Fireworks end each night to mark the finale of the Edinburgh Tattoo.