If you spend any time reading the national newspapers, you will realise that there are very few new ideas in the photography they publish. On the whole they like nothing more than a nice safe picture which they have seen incarnated numerous times before.
Jumping A-level teens being a good example. (Though even this is now wearing a bit thin… )
Pictures of people punting on the River Cam. (Though who would deny Geoff Robinson his monthly cheque from the Mail?)
Sadly however, when we see the opportunity to produce a homage, this is rarely appreciated. (of course whenever we rip-off another idea, its always a homage btw….)
I was secretly pleased with myself when I had just the opportunity to do so with Engelbert Humperdink prior to last years EuroSong debacle, during a photocall at his Leicestershire Mansion.
Whilst everyone else was busy copying each others photographs of Engel, (Or Hump or Arny…) on motorbike, posing with car, posing in pub, posing with flags… etc etc… I decided I would copy someone else’s picture….
Can you spot what it is yet?
Anyone familiar with the work of Terry O’Neil should be transported to Beverley Hills and Faye Dunaway’s photograph after her Oscar win… This time of course its the Hump reflecting on his upcoming Eurosong victory at the side of his pool in Leicester.
Maybe I was trying to be too clever…
Anyways here is the original.
I also photographed him standing on the end of his diving board over his pool.
They didn’t use that either.
Instead they used an agency picture which everyone had copied of him on his car with flags. Sometimes you can think a bit too much when your on one of these jobs.