Photo-call... help please!

**Nick Fiddes** · 31st July 08, 07:19 AM

Hi all,

When I released my wee "Kilts and Tartans Made Easy" e-book (see message footer) a couple of years ago, I was amazed by the generally complimentary response. Quite a few people suggested I should consider getting it published 'for real'. Well, eventually, I got around to actually looking into this. And I'm delighted to say that I've signed a contract with a respected specialist publisher in Edinburgh, and we're hoping to have it out later this year.

And here's where I need your help. I'm going to be replacing a lot of the images with improved higher quality versions. I have no shortage of good 'formal' shots of men's and ladies' kilt outfits. (If you've not checked out our site recently, you'll see we've been doing some fab photoshoots this summer.) But what I do need are a few more 'fun' and informal shots. So you guys came to mind!! :-)

I'm not looking for anything specific. Just great images of people in kilts or featuring tartan. (And long shot... anything featuring celebs would also be of interest.) To be useable, they'd need to be at a decent quality resolution (i.e. probably not cameraphone pics). And they should be either (a) interesting; or (b) unusual; or (c) beautiful; or (d) have some other distinctive merit about them. I'm sure you get the idea!

Please note that we won't be able to pay for their use, and if used you'll be asked to sign a release giving permission for their use in this form in perpetuity. But you will of course receive a credit, and the inestimable pleasure of having your image seen by millions (well, hopefully at least thousands!) of kilt buyers. Oh, and I guess I can arrange a free copy. Oh, alright then, signed by the author... if you insist.

I won't be responsible for selection. But I've told the publishers I'll try to gather a bunch of suitable images for them to choose from. So if you think you might have something suitable, please email me a copy! (Even if you're not sure it would be right, there's no harm in sending something anyway.)

PLEASE NOTE, if you're contacting me with images or questions about this, I'd be grateful if you could use a special email address to help me keep organised:

bookpics AT nickfiddes DOT com

Any general questions I'll answer here. Thanks all!

**McMurdo** · 31st July 08, 07:33 AM

Nick
The first thing that comes to mind is would these photos be of people in ScotWeb kilts. It would seem a little strange for example for me to send you photos of myself in a Canadian Casual Kilt, USA Kilt, Barb Tewksbury Kilt etc. for example. Unless I'm reading this wrong.

**Nick Fiddes** · 31st July 08, 07:44 AM

Thanks for that helpful question McMurdo. This isn't a Scotweb publication, but is intended to be as objective and unbiased as I can manage. I'm very happy to include images of 'competitors' products... aka by friends in the kilts & tartans community. The only thing I'd balk at would be rubbish tartan tat knocked together for pennies in a sweatshop, unless used to illustrate that! But if it's from a genuine producer, no problem.

**meinfs** · 31st July 08, 07:48 AM

What about DIYs (that look like it's hard to tell who made it)? Even before I started making my kilts, one of the first things I read was your e-book and encouraged me to have a kilt.

**Nick Fiddes** · 31st July 08, 08:13 AM

To be honest, I'm not sure the producer of a particular kilt would get a credit anyway. That's partly the publishers' decision. But with the existing e-book I mostly didn't specify whether a garment was ours or someone else's, so I'd expect this may be the same. It's the photographer that would normally get the credit.

And thanks for the nice words. I'm delighted.

**Nick Fiddes** · 31st July 08, 09:09 AM

Or... to clarify that last answer... I guess the producer might well get a credit if there was a distinctive reason. I'm thinking, for example, if anyone has great pics of a utilikilt in action I'd be happy to have at least one of this, and it would probably be captioned. Otherwise I may well go to direct...

**Amelorn** · 31st July 08, 10:40 AM

Hmm. You do have great deal of happy customers who have bought a Scotweb kilt (myself included). You could produce a few volumes just from your own satisfied customers.

Now if only I had an interesting picture of myself to offer you...

**ardchoille** · 31st July 08, 10:45 AM

Nick, One of the best looking tartan pics I know of comes from the main pic at http://www.albanach.org/ , you might ask Matt if you can use this pic.

**Nighthawk** · 31st July 08, 01:05 PM

I am attending an Irish festival this weekend. I just may be able to get a picture with the Glenghery Bhoys...

**Cayusedriver** · 31st July 08, 02:02 PM

Nick:

Is a wee un OK? I have some of my grandson 5 years old it's an ancient MacDonald tartan kilt we pruchased on the Royal Mile in 2005 I believe. I have some of him with a claymore sword and some action photos. I'll send you several with reduced file size if you like any of them send me an email with the photo number(s) and I'll send the one's you like as a full JPEG.

My best,
Cayuse