BEHIND THE CAMERAS AT PARKINSON

BBC Television Centre • Wood Lane, London • 2000-2003

From 2000 to 2003, I regularly photographed Parkinson for the BBC at Television Centre in Wood Lane, London. The programme was recorded on a Thursday evening for broadcast on Saturday, but there was no full rehearsal before filming began.

Musical guests would rehearse during the day, and occasionally I was able to sit in the otherwise empty audience seating and watch. I remember Elton John rehearsing and becoming unhappy with the tuning of the BBC piano, eventually insisting that his own piano tuner was brought in to get it exactly as he wanted

Once recording began, I worked quietly behind the television cameras, moving carefully between positions so I didn't interfere with the production.

Using an 80-200mm lens, I concentrated not only on whoever Michael Parkinson was interviewing, but on the other guests' reactions - smiles, laughter, surprise and those unguarded expressions that happened while someone else was talking.

When the credits finished, the job changed again. Id switch to another camera with a shorter lens and flash and quickly photograph Michael Parkinson with that evening's guests, with the studio audience behind me.

The deadline was immediate. After the recording, my editor would send the photographs out that night so they could appear in Friday's newspapers and magazines, giving the press images from the programme before it was broadcast on Saturday.

There were no second chances and I couldn't ask anyone to repeat a reaction. The job was to move unobtrusively, anticipate what was about to happen and capture the moment when it did.