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Photographing Robin Williams and George Miller

Daniel Boud — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:00:25 +0000

I had a very brief opportunity last week to photograph Robin Williams and director George Miller, who were in town promoting Happy Feet 2 and gave an interview to Time Out.

It was one of those 1 minute shoots in a hotel bar type deals, with Robin and George on a production line from AAP to me, then on to the Daily Telegraph. But i’ve got to be happy with a brief window of face time, as often there’s just a mass media call where they plonk the talent in front of a Sydney landmark while dozens of photographers yell out to get their attention and eye contact down the lens. Or worse, the red carpet.

In terms of lighting this, i used my little photoflex octobox that mounts over my Canon Speedlite. It’s a nifty bit of kit because it’s so portable and light, doesn’t need mains power, and is super quick to assemble.

I’m a little disappointed in my shots with Robin. He’s such a livewire personality onscreen and i was anticipating catching an element of that in a picture. But he was really not in that headspace. He was extremely calm and measured and not giving much on camera. But perhaps a more introspective picture of him isn’t a bad thing?

Admittedly i was rather intimidated, its Robin Fucking Williams in front of my camera, so i was less pushy and creative than i might otherwise have been. Before i knew it the publicist was saying “last picture” and that was that.

I felt like i got just that little bit more from George Miller. He was very warm and happy to goof around with his glasses for me. It’s little moments bits of collaboration in a picture, where the subject brings something to the table that make me walk away from a photo feeling more satisfied.

The Edgerton brothers shoot each other

Daniel Boud — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:26:42 +0000

Last month i was due to take some snaps of brothers Nash and Joel Edgerton for Time Out as part of the publicity campaign for The Square. Nash directed the film, Joel co-wrote and stars in it.

As is usually the case with these sorts of press junkets, the two of them had been cooped up in a hotel room, doing back to back interviews all day long. I had a brief slot to take a few pictures and couldn’t take them out of the room.

To break the tedium for Nash and Joel, and for my own amusement, i asked them to photograph each other, rather than me shoot them.

I figured that they’re brothers and the photos they take of each other would reveal more about them and their relationship than another staged photo where they look self consciously down the lens.

So i set the camera up (with my 50mm lens of course) and handed it over, then sat back on the couch and giggled as they goofed around.

For safety I snapped a quick shot at the end of the two of them together.

Ben Barnes aka Prince Caspian

Daniel Boud — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:42:15 +0000

Some man candy for you – here’s Ben Barnes who plays Prince Caspian in the new Chronicles of Narnia film.

This was one of those quick snaps in the hotel room jobs.

He was perfectly charming and seemed well practiced doing his brooding heart throb look. He’s well cast as Dorian Gray in a new adaptation.

Along for the junket ride was the director of Prince Caspian, Andrew Adamson. He was a lovely Kiwi chap, whose directorial debut was with Shrek, but moved onto live action with the first Narnia film.

The interviews with both of these chaps will be in this Wednesday’s Time Out Sydney.

Boudist » intercontinental hotel

Photographing Robin Williams and George Miller

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The Edgerton brothers shoot each other

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Ben Barnes aka Prince Caspian

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