Christy Moore

When Hot Press called and said Christy Moore was coming to my studio for a cover shoot, I nearly fell off my chair! Usually I meet them somewhere else and have little time to check locations etc, it also means I have to bring the studio to them. This was a first with Christy coming to here.

I was a bit nervous and with about half an hour to go, was just getting everything ready when Mick, Christy's friend rang to say they were running early and would be there in a few minutes! So I quickly shoved half a sandwich in my mouth and turned on the studio lights. And there he was, at my door!

I needn't have worried, Christy was wonderful, he walked straight into the studio, took off his coat and sat down and starting playing me a brand new song about a Navajo woman that even Mick had never heard. I had to pinch myself, Christy Moore sitting in my studio singing me a new song, mad or what? I hadn't realised what a funny guy he is and very quick with the retort. We were talking about platform shoes and I said it wasn't fair that women had these great heels and most of us men could do with a extra couple of inches, well, like I say he was very quick with the retort!

The shoot went really well and I got loads of great images that may surface at some stage. He slowly added layers of clothing and his hat, then his guitar over the shoulder and before I realised what he was doing, he was off! Laughing all the way.

If you even make Christy a cup of tea, he likes two teabags in a mug and leave them in!

Shoot Happens #2

The second of my fashion shoots for Hot Press. This time I wanted some flesh, to be more specific, I wanted a breast in at least one shot. As usual, it was all a bit last minute, I contacted some model agencies and told them of my request. The only one that responded positively was 1st Option, who couldn't have been more helpful. The beautiful Irma agreed to do the shoot on one condition, "no nipples". a bit disappointing, but it actually made it more of a challenge.

The shoot went very smoothly, I kept the lighting low and the studio warm! There is a fine line between genius and madness (only joking, that's Spinal Tap), there is a fine line between a fashion image and a page 3 or Tennents can (for those who remember) and it all came down to the pose and Irma's expression. I wanted the shoot to be of a powerful, strong, proud woman at ease with her sexuality and hopefully I achieved that?

Hot Press is out tomorrow.

Roddy Doyle and The Catcher in the Rye

Roddy Doyle popped into the STUDIO the other day to give me a signed 1st edition of his latest book, hot off the presses, "The Dead Republic". He is using my portrait of him for the author's photo on the dust jacket (see above). He is such a lovely guy.

We were chatting and I told him I had decided to start re-reading a lot of books I had first read in my teens and early twenties. I started with "The Catcher in the Rye" and finished the last page on the very evening J. D. Salinger died!

I promised Roddy I wouldn't read the last page of his.