keith

I assume they have been so busy with all the organising of the GMEX Show since the C10 Show ended that they just have not had time to upload any images to the gallery. They certainly had the photos from C10 over a month ago, but like I said, theyve had a lot to do since then.

Jason, I assume the link you were sent was from a forum linked to another show coming up a week before C10. If it was not, you should check it out as by the looks of his postings there, master 007paul007 is a real ....how can I put it politely....$h!t stirrer and has a real downer on anything and everything to do with Showmasters' shows. So you'd be surprised that he's remotely interested in coming to future ones bearing in mind and I quote from his post at the other forum "...no sorry I've just read more of his posts and he's just a real to$$er slagging off any SM event, so WHY come on here? I guess he just has NO LIFE and wastes time antagonising people on the net.

When you get the queue going you'd be surprised how quickly you can do them. I heard of one photo shoot were they got 1000 done in an hour! With the very greatest respect, I would suggest that is complete rubbish. THREE AND A HALF SECOND per pic ???? To say it would be a production line job is an understatement. Yes, you could easily shoot a line of people 'machine gun style' with a fast pro digital SLR, but the problem is people don't move fast. Unless you really want to manhandle people like cattle and really pi$$ them off leaving them with an experience they will want to forget, that just cannot happen. And at 3 1/2 secs per person, that does not even give the photographer a chance to check each image. No, sorry thats fantasy land and an absolute nightmare if anyone really did try that on. It would be a horrible experience for everyone concerned - you'd barely have time to blink....and if you did blink, you'd hold the production line up and completely screw up the timetable. No, sorry 1000 in an hour...... KEITH

In fact its not 'odd' at all. It has now become a standard size as it is 'full frame' ie does not cut off any of the image. 35mm images and Digital stock from SLRs are always in that format, thats why 6" x 4" became the norm taking over from the smaller 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" prints. With 8" x 6" prints you lose the top/bottom of an upright image or the left/right of a horizontal shot. So for example if you have a full length shot of a bride/groom at a wedding, with 8" x 6" you run the risk of cutting off the top of a head or feet, with full frame ie 6x4, 9x6 and 12x8 you get the complete image. Same goes for group shots - you dont really want to be the one on the end in a photo that gets cut out of a picture printed 8" x 6" do you? Go check out your nearest Boots/Jessops/Tescos - they all do 9x6 prints now. KEITH

Depends whether you are expecting to collect a PHOTOGRAPH...or some cruddy INKJET/LASER print. Sure some are quite good and last a couple of years, but they are NOT A photograph. I know some guys who do these Event photos and the fact they own a camera, take photos and get paid, does not mean they are a Professional Photographer. We call them 'weekend warriors'. Can be adequate sometimes, but from what I've heard and seen of standards of 'event photography' at other shows, well you get what you pay for. But the absolute MUST, is that the photo you get is a PHOTOGRAPH, Developed/printed in a lab, be it Boots, Costco, Jessops or wherever. That will last for as long as you want to keep the photo for. And if you get it signed, the signature will not disapear into the paper as happens with a lot of sub par psuedo 'photo paper'. A lot of on-the-spot event printing is done with 'Dye Sublimation' machines which are better than inkjet and laser, look almost like a photo. Those machines normally run out at £5000 plus and each print costs around £2 per sheet. It looks like whoever Showmasters are getting to do the photography intend to get the photos PROPERLY printed at a lab nearby Earls Court, which is a good thing and will guarantee that the quality of your print will be good. I know thats what I'd do. And speaking as a Professional photographer, YES There is for some reason a big difference between getting a 10" x 8" print done and smaller prints, a SUBSTANTIAL Difference in price. After all, its not like they are being sent away to Bonusprint or somewhere......Just try going into your nearest JESSOPS and asking for a 10" x 8" print, done and ready in an hour, how much ? £4.98, now go ask how much a smaller print is....And the problem you have is not many high street labs do 10"x 8" prints on the premises, but most will do 8" x 6" or 9" x 6" KEITH

....and I've replied Emma

If you like your Twins, looking hot, sweaty and most of all WET (it was pouring with rain most of the afternoon!), I've just put photos of the boys in action at Sunday's SOCCER SIX tournament played at West Ham's Upton Park ground http://www.mypiccies.com/spotlight Which is a stupid link which does NOT Work so dont waste your time clicking it. For some reason, I put in the correct link and it comes up as 'mypiccies' which is rubbish. So if anyone wants to see them, email me at spotlight@easy.com Sorry about that obviusly some kind of filter has been added to the forum so nasty horrid people like me can't post link that might actually direct you to photos that you might just like to look at. KEITH

OK So one of the themes of this Autographica is a 'Sharpe Reunion'. Great for Sharpe fans and fantastic if Sharpe himself was to be there ie SEAN BEAN. And if he was there...great for 007 Fans too and Lord of the Rings etc etc But, I'm guesing that despite good intentions maybe Mr Bean might be missing so..... HOW ABOUT BERNARD CORNWELL ?? - The creator of the Sharpe books He does do talks and book signings, so I would have thought he'd be agreeable to turning up for at least some of the show Any thoughts ??

As we are in 'dr who' mode.... Recovered from 'C9' yes, but definately not from 'K9' yet

It was the night of the MI 3 Premiere and I drifted down to the Theatre Royal afterwards. People like Claire Sweeney, Alan Rickman and Kacey Ainsworth came out the front entrance around 10 ish with the rest of the audience. I saw some of the ladies who regular crew at Collectomania events there hoping for autographs. I did not even know David was due to attend (knew about Rickman and supposedly Patsy Kensit), but myself and around 3 or 4 other photographers went to the Stage door to wait for Judi Dench. Rickman came out then Kim Medcalf and DT. There were about 8 autograph hunters/dealers lying in wait and David must have signed about 30 autographs so they did very well out of it. The photos were taken (hold on while I check my original image files) between 10.45pm and 11pm. KEITH

A few people have asked me about some pics I took of Dr Who, DAVID TENNANT recently, so I've uploaded them to a gallery here http://www.mypiccies.com/spotlight KEITH

Speaking solely as the photographer who might actually have taking a photo of members of the public and having been a professional photographer fror 20 years.... You are in a public place, at a public event, you might get in the way of a photo, you might be the subject of a photo. That photo could be used by Showmasters on the website, on flyers, in advertising - it also might be used or found in the local newspaper (not taken by me). I'm sure if for any reason you objected it would be removed. The 'paper bag over head' is a very good idea to avoid getting your face seen. BUT Without being flippant, quite seriously if you attend an event - a gig, a signing, a garden fete even, some snapper might focus on you, either intentionally (because you are very pretty and wearing something attractive) or just as a general crowd pic. It might be the photographer for the local paper. It might be a London Agency photographer just shooting 'atmosphere' shots. It might be someone working with the organisers, sponsors PR Company or whatever. Either way, a photographer will be fine taking your picture as it is NOT infringing on your liberty, as its at a public event. However, if you see me hidden in the bushes in your garden, shooting you sunbathing in your scanties, PLEASE PLEASE have me removed and returned to the asylum where I belong. Hopefully though over the 4 days of the event I've not taken too many pictures of really ugly people who would not grace the image gallery for C9. If I have, dont worry, when I edit the 1000 plus images, I'll leave you out. KEITH

I know that a lot of people use PHOTOBUCKET, but another good site which has a couple of very important things in its favours is www.fotopic.net You can have a FREE Gallery with up to 250 megabytes of space The site is based in the UK and its customer service is second to none. If ever you have a problem, Joel will always email you back, usually same day. You have a choice of a variety of backgrounds for your gallery and if ever you run out of space you can buy - inexpensively - entra MBs of space (although probably easier just to set up a new account. But they are highly recommended Another one to look at would be www.webshots.com KEITH

According to Devon's website he says he's not coming to C9 "Hi guys, Just a quick update. I'm at the studio so my time's limited. I've been hearing all kinds of rumours that I'm supposed to be signing at Milton Keynes in April so I'd just like to set the story straight. I am NOT signing!!! I've already got plans for that weekend & never said I was gonna be there. Gotta go for now, Back to work, Your friend. Devon " http://www.devonmurray.net/events.php?home=ok

Trouble is how to you prove to someone that an auto is a fake if that someone does not want to believe something is a fake? You - the buyer - do not want to admit you've been hoodwinked and made to look stupid. While the seller is certainly going to give a ton on plausible explanations as to how and why and where - despite the signature being obviously fake. Why do you think unscrupulous sellers pitch up on ebay? Its easy and very little you a buyer can do about being ripped off. If you buy from a proper recognised dealer, you will pay - mostly - a fair market price. A price that reflects the fact that an item is genuine. On ebay, a seller puts up a multi signed Lord of the Rings items and starts it off at £5. Sorry, if that was GENUINE, would you risk it selling for just a few pounds. Certainly not if you were a dealer. If you are a fan and maybe managed to get a spare autograph from celebrity A at an event - you know its genuine, but that signature might be a scrawl, it might not quite look like the ones you've seen of that celeb before. BUT You KNOW its genuine, you KNOW it was signed by him - but I guarantee no amount of 'cert of authenticity' will enable you to sell that for anything like its real value. Because it does not look real. So if you are faking something, you are going to copy something you think is real or easy to copy. The thing that makes me laugh on ebay are those sellers who sell 'pre prints' - copies - of fake sigs. And then always beware those sellers that ONLY Sell popular, current, stars autographs. Just how many Elijah, Orlando, Viggo, Sean Bean, Sean Astin signatures are there on ebay? How many Dan, Emma, Rupert sigs from Harry Potter are there? Well, you can guarantee they'll all have COAs and that 95% will be fake... By the way, I remember one seller on ebay who, after Elijah appeared at Collectormania, had an unlimited amount of Elijah signed photos for sale. His auction details shows a pic of Elijah signing - so they must be genuine, surely. EXCEPT that the photo was taken THROUGH THE WINDOW outside the event! But I would know that, I was there...someone in Redneck City, Arizona would not. KEITH