I admit that like lots of people that I know I do have an ego.
I like to think that it isn't too big and I certainly don't treat anything that I do as being precious.
I just do things because I want to and because it gives me pleasure.
Well that is certainly true in the case of my small photography output, the pictures are taken for me
and my pleasure only. If others like them I am really happy but if they don't then I am not bothered.
I analyse, dissect and judge myself too often to be hurt by what others think, but of course I do love praise and the occasional stroke and pat on the head.
Which brings me to the pictures above.
Any photographs that I like enough are offered to a picture library that I have been associated with since we opened the gallery.
It was at a time when I was starting to like what I was taking and they had just opened.
I found a small advertisement in a magazine asking for photographers for a new picture library.
In fact it was so new it was just a husband and wife working from home.
I was one of the first photographers that they signed and we have been friends ever since.
Their own fortunes have grown and grown, I would guess now that a large proportion of the book covers that we all see originate from them and their photographers.
I know that now I am their smallest contributor, I send them maybe two pictures a year.
But we are still friends because I was one of the first.
Occasionally they will inform me that someone wants to use a picture of mine for a book cover.
I very rarely, if ever get to know what the book was which is a shame as I would love to own a copy
[even if it was in dutch or Japanese] just to boost my sense of self importance.
After all, it is very hard to deal every day with talented artists when you feel unable to create something of your own.
So.
For some reason a week ago I looked in my 'junk' email folder and there amongst all the advertisements for Viagra [how they know I need it troubles me] was a letter marked 'Your Photograph'.
It was a mail from an author who was about to have her first book published, a lady named
Linda Lafferty.
She explained how much she loved the old painting that was being used for her cover and had asked her agent who painted it.
When she was told that it was a modern photograph she asked him to track down the photographer.
Eventually she found me.
As a result she wrote one of the nicest letters I have ever received, she told me that she couldn't imagine a better cover for her novel.
She went on to praise me much more than I am worth and promised to tell people about me whenever she gave an interview or did a book reading.
To say that I was moved would be something of an understatement, so I wrote back to her and explained how the photograph of her cover came into being.
Less than thirty minutes later she replied and asked permission for my description of the picture to be used in the promotion of her book.
Blimey, fame at last.
What a lovely and kind person she must be, at a time that is so important to her she is including me.
I went home that evening hovering on a little cloud of my own.
The book called 'The Bloodletters Daughter' was published three days ago.
This evening she mailed me to ask "was I aware that it had gone to No.1 of the 'Kindle' bestsellers list
in both the fiction and historical fiction sellers in two days.
I understand that this is entirely due to her work, but even so it has given me a little 'glow' inside as I leave for the evening.
How could I ever have guessed on the day I pressed the shutter "for my pleasure" that the image that I could see might end up being seen around the world.
But then, it's a small world isn't it?
Above is the book cover, my original picture plus two others shot at the same time.
