Four of Wigan 10’s members (Christine, Joan, Kathryn and KT) visited the start of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year and took the opportunity to see the opening of Edinburgh Photographic Society’s 151st Exhibition on the Saturday evening and to celebrate Joan’s medal-winning success. Viewing the Exhibition is a must if you are a photographer and in Edinburgh during the month of August.
Our favourite location during the Festival has to be the Royal Mile, a main street in the old part of the city that runs from Holyrood Palace up to the Castle. During Festival month it is populated, between Parliament Square and the Tron Kirk, with street artists and groups of actors from the Fringe shows, all eager to tell you about their performance and to put a leaflet in your hands. If you don’t want to carry the leaflet round, why not just photograph it?
Photographing the performers can be tricky as they are surrounded by crowds of onlookers and of course many other photographers. However, with some patience, candid photographs are possible and can provide some interesting and expressive shots. Some performers are very willing to pose for the camera, though the living statue type of mime artists expect to be paid for the privilege of being photographed! Make a small donation and the artist springs into action.
Also interesting to photograph are the churchyards, old alleys and courtyards and of course the horizon provided some dramatic backdrops for us to use in composite images.
Above all the Fringe provides an opportunity for photographers to meet up with other photographers from around the country, soak in the atmosphere and sample Edinburgh’s many restaurants and cafes. Most memorable, perhaps, was the delicious afternoon tea that we shared with two photographers from Glasgow and which was so plentiful that we couldn’t finish it. We had a great time!
