The Peter Lippmann Experience

I love photographers, there I've said it, I love them, when a few years back it was musicians and DJ's that I literally raved over now I feel my affinities definitely changing.

Over the last few months I have had several of that peculiar breed staying at the maison from Doug Mc the burly, ex war photographer cum Lonely Planet snapper to Simon G the gin swilling, weddings r us, websiter. And now to add to the illustrious list we have Mr Lippmann whos promo featured here was shot on location in Morocco with the help of yours truly scouting locations and driving off piste in Rif country.

The brief was for lush green foreground with colour and mountainous background for a Poland Spring water advert, so packing the Lippmann family in the voiture, daughter Kelly and sister Nancy plus Mr L himself we headed Rifwards from Fes in search of the perfect shot.

I had no idea that this entailed multiple stops enroute whereby Mr L would leap from the car, tripod dangling, stomping over muddy fields, lying prone amongst the wild flowers to frame his magic moment foreground shot. Then scampering back in mud encrusted jeans and trainers he complained about faulty batteries and light meters whilst enthusing graphically about the light or complaining ceaselessly about lack of it!

Kilometre after kilometre we passed potential Poland Spring backdrops which were captured for posterity on Pentax. Stopping for lunch at Motel Rif, a good halfway haven two hours from Fes, we then motored on through the verdant countryside and hilly switchbacks arriving in Chauoen to book into a classy, funky new maison d'hote. No sooner had we all unpacked our toothbrushes and enjoyed a mint tea on the terrace overlooking the blue medina than suddenly Mr L announced his perfect shot on reflection was back at the Motel Rif 60k back from our present location. Ho Hum. He was looking to get a 6am start to get the light, of course, so repacking our toothbrushes we hightailed back to the motel post haste settling in for the night after a hearty repast and several glasses of good grape product.

Luckily it rained at 6am but at 8am pronto after a snatched coffee we were on the road and guess what, no go on guess.....we found the perfect shot 100m (thats metres not miles) from the motel which had Mr L almost deliriously describing the light, the flowers, the light meter, the colours. We were all very happy for him of course as the perfect shot paid for this family outing to Morocco so was quite important. I was just glad I was able to find him such a spot and several more besides to make up the composite picture you see here on the page and it made for a tiring but ennervating few days out of Fes.

The passion and attitude and attention to detail all these photographers apply to their art is admirable, but I would question sometimes their compete sanity as they dive headlong towards their intended target, camera in hand, ignoring mud, insults, donkeys or whatever to get THAT shot. For instance Doug would shoot 5000 pictures and then announce he had probably 8 good shots, what!! Thats either lack of confidence or obsession with quality or a combination of the two. With Mr L he knew exactly what he wanted and when he had got it I thought. However even he could not resist taking more and more till his film ran out. If he had more film I feel we would still be standing beside some flowery field while a mud spattered dad and daughter peered through the lens once again to frame another even more perfect shot.

But luckily he didnt.

As I said photographers....don't you just love them...they're not normal you know, bless them.