And all that Jazz ...

After a chance meeting I became Humphrey Lyttelton’s personal photographer for 24 years!

1987 Cover of one of my favourite Humphrey Lyttelton albums "Gigs" as it shows the 7 band members as though about to start a tour, and queuing up to put their equipment on the roof of my first little mini 'Alf', which sadly went up in flames a few years later!
1987 Gigs - one of my favourite album covers as it features my first little mini 'Alf', which sadly went up in flames!
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What Humphrey Lyttelton and Helen Shapiro thought about their photo sessions

1984 Black & white photo of Helen Shapiro singing into the mike in Porcupine Studios. This was the first session I did with Helen and Humph ... many more to follow
1984 Helen Shapiro in Porcupine Studios
2006 Colour photo of Jazz musician Humphrey Lyttelton performing during a recording session in Porcupine Studios
2006 Humphrey Lyttelton in Porcupine Studios
A black & white photo taken in my studio of Me and Jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton in 1987
1987 Me and Jazz trumpeter Humphrey Lyttelton in my studio. When I met Humph in 1984, little did I know that I'd be his personal photographer until his death in 2008
Helen Shapiro

Helen Shapiro:

“Rosie has taken many photographs of me for various albums, etc. I’m not a good subject!! I always ask ‘How long is this going to take?’

Rosie is always good humoured and doesn’t waste any time at the sessions. I’m always surprised and relieved at how quickly the sessions are done.

Her speed doesn’t take away from the quality of her work though.

She’s a smashing photographer and a smashing lady.”

Humphrey Lyttelton

Humphrey Lyttelton:

“In 1984, near the start of my record label, Calligraph, I asked the late Ted Taylor if, for convenience, he knew of a good photographer near his studio in Kent, where we recorded. He said ‘There’s one just up the road – I’ll get her to pop by next time you’re here’. Rosie popped by, and has been with us ever since.

Why? In a sentence, photographers who move in on a bunch of musicians, control them like a benevolent drill-sergeant, have a laugh, come up with great ideas, get the job done in the minimum time and with maximum results – well, they don’t pop by every day of the week.

Rosie’s not just a photographer, she’s one of the family!”

... and how I became Humph's photographer

Me:

In 1984, whilst walking past the pub in my local village, I bumped into the late Ted Taylor (owner of Porcupine Studios & Musical Associate to the late Benny Hill). After a brief chat and discovering that I had my own photographic studio, Ted asked for my number and said that he’d be in touch.

Sure enough, 2 weeks later he asked if I’d be interested in doing a photo shoot with two of his artistes who were recording their first album together – the great Jazz trumpeter (and Chairman of the Radio 4 programme “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue”) and legend singer Helen Shapiro. I met them in Ted’s recording studio and took some informal shots whilst they were rehearsing and listening to the play-back, and then after lunch we did the cover session in my studio.

Little did I know, the chance meeting with Ted would end up with me being Humph’s personal photographer for 24 years, until sadly Humph passed away in April 2008.

Check out my Jazz Gallery to see just some of the pictures that I’ve taken during those years. There are still hundreds of negatives and slides that hopefully one day I’ll find the time to scan and add to this site.

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