Part 1 in the series "Keep Fit With Impressionists". Here is scottish actress and impressionist Ronni Ancona at home with her more serene but equally charming and easy on the eye yoga teacher Tara.
Celebrity Portraits
Alan And Peat
TV gardener and chat show host Alan Titchmarsh shot for The Times. Alan is currently embroiled in a row over peat which has split older against younger gardeners. Conservation minded younger gardeners like Alys Fowler are against the use peat compost as it comes from centuries-old bogs and digging it up releases greenhouse gasses and ruins wildlife habitats. However, Titchmarsh says he will carry on using peat until a "perfect substitute" is found.
The Soprano
Hayley Westenra, 24 year-old New Zealand opera singer, who I shot for The Times. Her first album reeased in 2003 was the fastest selling debut classical album ever. After recently breaking down in tears while speaking at an earthquake memorial service, she is currently organising a benefit concert to raise funds for her hometown of Christchurch.
Freema Agyeman
This was shot for The Times in Soho. Freema is currently appearing on US tv in the London-based series Law & Order: UK and to help americans understand the show's britishisms, (eg. what bloke means and that we drink a lot of tea), the tv network commissioned a short tutorial to help Americans learn the difference between their “bollocks” and their “bloodys”. It's hilarious, watch it here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/01/12/law-and-order-uk-deciphering-the-britishisms/
Respect For The Rap Don
This is south London born and bred, Mercury award-nominated rapper, Ty. He's had type 1 diabetes for 4 years, and as well as happily volunteering to be one of my diabetic portraits, he didn't bat an eyelid when I asked him to do a little performance on a high wall above Regents Canal near his Kings Cross rehearsal studio. Known for being provocative and deep as well as mellow and accessible, Ty is highly respected in British hip-hop and known as the rap don. Ty says....
Before I was diagnosed I was having a real slump .... highly uninterested, tired lazy and generallly a sore bear to deal with, then when it all came on top and it emerged that I was diabetic, I thought my life had ended. That's because I live to perform, I live to express myself, and through performance I have achieved a relative amount of respect for being ''energetic"
I thought it had all come to an end!! But it hasn't, I'm a type one diabetic. All I needed to do was readjust and learn to do a few things that seem like ordinary things now... .. take my injections ,read my blood sugars and watch what I eat!!! My world had not ended it just changed a little!!! I still have a ball on stage and will continue to do so!!
More about Ty here: http://www.tymusic.co.uk/
Martina
Martina Navratilova who I shot for The Times last year. Sadly she has just announced that she has breast cancer, it has however, already been treated and the cancer was spotted early so she should almost certainly survive.
Possibly the most sucessfull female athlete ever, she was unassuming, friendly, funny and comfortable being photographed though determined to look happy and upbeat, however I did manage to catch this more moody shot between smiles.
The Joy Of Cesc
Cesc Fabregas who I shot for The Times. Not what you'd expect afootballer to be like, He was charming, unassuming and short. Although I'm not an Arsenal fan, it was hard not to be impressed with his heroic second half performance in the Champions League against a far superior Barcelona team on Wednesday night, where he continued playing and scored a penalty even though he'd been severely injured.
The Shame Of Cocaine
Joe Calzaghe, retired undefeated boxing champ and sport's personality of the year, was on the front page of yesterday's News Of The World under the headline, "Calzaghe Cocaine Shame". He's the latest celeb to fall for an undercover scoop, admitting in a hotel room with a glass of champagne in his hand that he uses the class A drug. Not only that, he went on to describe the varying quality of the drug, how much to pay for it and "please don't tell my dad" . Poor Joe, Strictly star and world boxing hero, didn't you think it was a bit odd that you were being plied with drink and asked about your drug habit by a stranger in a hotel suite?
Anyway, he's proved he isn't "the sharpest tool in the sandwich box" but he is probably the best British boxer ever, and it's not surprising that he'd turn to artificial highs after having what are probably the biggest natural ones there are. I took this picture of him a couple of years ago in happier and more focussed times.
Perky Popstress
Last in the current series of 'nice ladies with their dogs' and also shot by me in front of a window at her north London home is perky popster, Nerina Pallot. Attractive, talented and really nice, singer songwriter, Nerina seems to be on the verge of something with her quite good new single, "I Don't Want To Go Out" which looks like it was also located in the front room of her Camden flat.
Imelda and Molly
Continuing the series of "nice ladies with their dogs", here is oscar nominated actress, Imelda Staunton with her wiry mongrel, Molly. I shot this for The Times at her home in West Hampstead.
Husky And Mischievous
Another day and another attractive older lady with a dog. Today's Daily Mail featured this shot of mine to go with a Felicity Kendal interview. She worked with me, her spaniel and a stepladder to create this unforgettable image. Well unforgettable for me anyway and I certainly won't forget what The Mail, right for a change, describe as her "husky and mischievous chuckle".
Janet Is A Punk Rocker
I've just had the honour of pointing my lens at the lovely Janet Ellis. The ex-Blue Peter presenter, asthma sufferer and mother of Sophie Ellis-Bexter posed at her west London home with Lucy, her large shaggy dog, who is not normally allowed on the sofa. I noticed that Janet's cd collection contained The Ramones Anthology, it was probably her husband's, but anyway she rocks! (I wasn't snooping by the way, it's an easilly recognisable double cd with pink writing).