Early start

This was a 'living billboard' on the A4 in Hammersmith, where morning commuters were entertained by people acting out topical questions - in this case "Are foreign footballers the most exciting in the Premiership?"
In order to get there in time for the rush hour, and early enough to balance the light before it got too bright outside, I had to get up at 5am for 3 days. Thanks chaps.

Fashion Week

I don't get to do much at Fashion week any more (I used to cover it for a Japanese mag called Spur, which was the cause of much embarrassment when I was regularly misquoted as working for 'Sperm Magazine').
This was a different take on the catwalk, where a model appeared in near darkness and a dress was drawn on her in lasers. There was a whole list of technical problems: the distance from photographers to model, the pitch darkness, and that the laser design was being drawn incrementally, i.e. not all at once. So, even after handholding my long lens on a slow shutter speed (to allow enough of the lasers to register), I still had to crop into the image and wrestle the contrast to bring it out. This was the best of a bad bunch, and while still a long way from technically perfect, there's something about it I like. I enjoy fashion week in the same way I like doing live music, in that it can be very hit and miss, but with good lighting and a bit of luck you can get some dramatic photos.

Berlinale Film Festival 2008

It's rare for Madonna to do photocalls, but this was her first outing as a film director (which was subsequently panned and then went straight to video). Nevertheless, it was a good opportunity to get a clear portrait. I was sat on the front row of the photographer's podium, right in front of her. I even wore a white shirt so I could shout 'look to the white shirt' at her to get an eyeline.
"Madonna, could you come over to your right a bit?"
"Madonna, could you step away from the wall a bit?"
"Madonna, could you look this way please?"
Each time I spoke she'd hear me, we'd make eye contact, and she'd do as I asked.

Then every time I put the camera to my eye, she looked away!
I've got a great set of Madonna looking up, down, left and right at all the other snappers sat around me - but not one clean 'down the barrel' shot.
That'll teach me to keep my big gob shut in future.

The Rolling Stones were there too, and true to form Keith was pie-eyed. That's not just group bonhomie in the picture, it's the rest of the band holding him up.