Padstow Obby Oss Audio Slideshow on the BBC News Web site

 
 
The Padstow Obby Oss May Day in Cornwall is a great photography subject. I had already been to the event before, for an America magazine that is sadly no more - World and I.  That was back in 2004 but the event itself hasn't changed.
Being commissioned by the BBC news on-line was a great opportunity to put over the event much better than I did before as the commission was for audio as well as the photos.
Interviewing John Buckingham in the morning was really helpful, it put my mind into what was to come and gave me ideas of what I needed to shoot to fit his commentry.  It wasn't easy however for John to explain in just a few sentances what goes on and some of the history of the event.
Out on the street it was a very different ball game taking images and getting audio. On seveal occassions I didn't know which to reach for first, the camera or the sound recorder.  A couple of times I was taking photos and recording, trying to keep the mic away from the camera so as not to  hear the sutter 'clicking'.
I missed the red or 'Old 'Oss comming out of the Red Lion pub because I was informed by locals that it would have to cross the back yard of the pub to 'emerge' from the front door.  Ha,  they had sneeked it through some other way so only the musicians crossed the back yard!  I was quit litterally in the wrong place at the right time!
I am working on another slideshow which I hope the Beeb will publish, this time in black and white, but that is for the future
 
Here is the link to the BBC again http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-13293734
Paul Glendell May 12 2011