I had to attend the launch event of the Innovation Forum in Salford as they advertise heavily in a magazine I design. In fear of having to make small talk with men in suits, I took my camera which allowed me to not talk to anyone whilst I waited for the buffet (which was very nice, especially the chocolate pudding).
I'm still not really sure what the Innovation Forum is for, but it's a very nice new building in the middle of a not particularly nice or new part of Salford. I had never actually been into Salford before and I was beginning to wonder why I had come until I was thoroughly charmed by Hazel Blears, the local MP and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
She was the headline act at the do and was given the honour of pulling the cord to reveal the plaque commemorating the occasion. After the official photographer had taken his shots, Blears was about to leave when she saw me pointing my camera in her direction. She looked directly at me, smiled, I took the shot and thanked her, she smiled again. I was smitten and silently pledged to always vote Labour...
So why have I chosen this image as an Impressionist-inspired-art-piece? Because, along with my little anecdote above, it describes the modern obsession with image. Blears' professionalism when confronted with camera lens was like that of a Hollywood star (I haven't photographed many Hollywood stars, but...) She knew she had to present a positive image and that she couldn't afford to let the facade drop for a moment. I'm not denigrating her for that: she was pleasant and charming and did her job very well.
What I am denigrating, I suppose, is that so much time was spent on 'official photographs'. The two gentlemen you see in the image with the cameras were the official snappers and lined up a range of shots of the dignitaries who attend. Blears didn't really have to say or do very much at all except smile at the right time. The event would not have happened unless the photographers were there to record it.
Compositionally, the image is quite strong and tells the story I wanted to tell. The eye is drawn to Blears and then sees the official photographer standing behind her, lurking with his camera (he was cut off in homage to the Impressionist technique). The white ladder was used by the photographer to get a high angle on his shots but seems a little incongruous and covers the second photographer. The mayoress, her consort, the chap who came up with the idea for the building and a local councillor all stand looking at the little lady as she chatters before the grand unveiling.
I didn't use flash; the natural light coming through the large windows at the front of the building and playing off the rich pinks of the interior gave enough to shoot comfortably.
The photographs by the official snappers taken at the event will now be attached to press releases and sent out here and there, used in the Forum's promotional material, find their way onto various web-based portals, and Hazel Blears will go onto other events and smile the same smile.
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