Shakespeare 400
On the 23rd of April, 2016, I headed up to Stratford-Upon-Avon for the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, which also happened to be his 452nd birthday. That must have put a downer on his party.
There was a long list of events taking place to mark the occasion, plus President Obama was in London, with Sunday showing a few hours of his schedule dedicated to "a cultural visit". In the end, he rocked up at The Globe theatre in London instead but hey, you have to cover your bases...
I hadn't been to Stratford-Upon-Avon in years, so it was lovely to wander around in the sunshine as people donned their bard masks and showed their respects. After bumping into Dylan Martinez from Reuters and Tristan Fewings from Getty Images, our general opinion of the day was that it might be a bit of a damp squib but thankfully, there turned out to be more than enough opportunities for photos.
Touring groups and Shakespeare enthusiasts from around the world took to the streets to perform their favourite scenes, sonnets and soliloquies. At Shakespeare's birthplace, a Chinese theatrical group performed in the garden before a US group joined the local actors in a "best of" selection for the assembled tourists.
Quick camera talk time: I was using the new Nikon D5 camera during the day and it is just awesome. There hasn't been a camera in a few generations that has been "right" straight out of the box. Usually, it will be something small that can be fixed in firmware, after thousands of users worldwide have discovered an issue. The D5 is defying that so far. I have yet to find a fault. The colour is better, the focus is better, the sensitivity is better. It's just better. Now, back to Shakespeare.
It's always interesting covering assignments like this as, if I'm concerned it may be a bit of a flop, I can't rest until I've taken an image that I like. As soon as there's one strong image on my card (or ideally on the wire), I know that I've "broken it's back", to coin a phrase. Pictures seem to need a "pace car" to clear the way before they begin to flow. I'm sure it's no more than a mental thing, but now that I recognise it, I'll prioritise finding that solid first picture to make the day flow smoothly.
I studied English Literature at college, so know a couple of Shakespeare’s works enough to appreciate what's going on, so it was a pleasure to attend the celebrations and hear such passion for him, centuries down the line. Like the Beatles' effect on music, it's hard to imagine a writer ever being able to have the same effect on global culture in years to come. Modern business is too quick to seize on every angle, genre, niche and skill, professing it to be world-changing before it fades away for the next big thing. It's pleasing to know that works from before these disposable times are still appreciated. Happy birthday, Bill.
