Edinburgh Tattoo
The Edinburgh Tattoo is a masterclass in high-contrast storytelling. As a photographer aiming to capture this, I need not have tried very hard; for an unscripted and spontaneous community of street performers took the lead.
During the festival, the Royal Mile, a centuries-old, stone-cobbled street is transformed into an unpredictable open-air theatre of vividly dressed performers and visitors.
Dark alleyways, diffused natural morning light and old doors provide the perfect opportunity to portray these contrasts.
The space brings people of all kinds in many capacities, from many walks of life. The feeling when exploring is one of curiosity and openness.
Here, people are free to be whomever they wish, to wear whatever mask they desire.
One of my favourites is Elaine Davidson who holds the Guinness World Record for most pierced woman in the world. This is the only time I’ve ever paid to photograph a subject—she insisted on it, and her time wasn’t cheap—all the while she playfully flirted with me, held my arms, told me what muscles I had, and whispered sweet, seductive things in my ear.
She has this way of rounding off her sentences with an endearing “okay,” elongating the final syllable while tilting her head and widening her eyes in a playful expression. “If I were younger, you’d be in trouble,” she told me. During our brief and expensive photoshoot, another photographer lingered nearby, waiting his turn, but afterward Elaine wasn’t interested. “Only you, baby,” she told me. “Only you.”
Never have I seen such passion as this man struck pose after pose while I struggled to keep up and keep him in frame.
He is one of the many performers I observed mingling in a close community of other performers. It was beautiful to watch their camaraderie.
And all the while, outside the Royal Mile the streets bustled with people lost in thought, transiting, visiting, ceaselessly moving.
Bus stops provided a refuge in which to stop and capture the mood of the busy streets. This was shot on Kodak E100 slide film which I find ideal for scenes where retaining details in the shadows is not of great importance - this contrast due to a narrow exposure latitude is tricky to work with though can render great results.
Cafes, bakeries and restaurants teemed with customers. This coffee shop, The Milkman, positioned alongside the Royal Mile saw a ceaseless flow of newcomers.
Signposts in other areas of the city alluded to the business of the centre of the festival by their great numbers.
And in the outer parts of Edinburgh, one is still able to catch a glimpse of this city’s out of festival pace where locals can still catch their breath in quiet corners of peace.