Hello hello hello. I know you are waiting for a proper write-up of the con. Since the write-up still isn’t ready (not for lack of processing – I am done with that – but for lack of time), I thought I’d at least post some pretty pictures. You know how extra critical I am of my photos. And this occasion is no exception. But I have reasons. Not least because I have seen absolutely wonderful, stunning pictures of Richard at RDC5 posted on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Please do search out those fans and give them some love if you like their pictures. They are much better than mine could ever be. Not necessarily for superior skills or better equipment, but for a better vantage point. I will explain more of that when I get to my write-up, but the caveat for today’s quick picture post is that I shot from about half way back the auditorium while being seated, with plenty of heads in front of me and only ambient light available. (My flash would not have reached all that way…) So the images are not particularly sharp – I have seen much better ones by lucky fans who were sitting very close to the stage.
Friday Night – Opening Ceremony
Anyway, I am starting you off with day 1 of the con. As for a little bit of context – the images were taken on Friday night, at the opening ceremony. Richard was the fourth (and second but last) guest to be called on stage, and he made a lovely little welcome speech. In the first picture he gives a little bow in response to the deafening applause before he starts speaking.

Is he looking at us through my lens???

Looks as if he is trying to calm the hysteria down 😂

Heads in front of me, as you can see.

Still talking…

Who’s he looking at now? Still us? I can’t tell, I am dazzled by the smile.
And now, lastly – my favourite from the day.

Some profile love – and b/w, just because I can’t resist…
So there we are, a few first impressions. There are a few more, even of day 1, so they’ll get thrown into the write-up as it happens. You’ll be pleased to know I have actually already finished all the photo editing. So all I really need to do is get down to describing the whole event. I am planning a session in my favourite cafe tomorrow for a show and tell 😉 Meanwhile, hope you enjoy the leather goodness! Guyyyyyyyyyyy…
Thank you! I especially love b&w (couldn’t resist too 😉). And in the first picture he looks right into your eyes (and ours too!) Love it! 🥰
Looking forward for the rest 😊
LikeLike
Hehe, I had no idea he may have been looking at the camera. When I shoot, I do not see anything that is happening. I only concentrate on getting everything in frame and in focus…
More to come tomorrow.
LikeLike
So lovely ❤ Thank you!
LikeLike
Glad you like them.
LikeLike
Thanks for taking us there, along with you. I hope you weren’t too uncomfortable with so many of us peering over your shoulder all the time. 😂😂 😂
B&W and colour have their plus points, so it’s good to see both of them. The boots were very Guy too, weren’t they?
LikeLike
Proctor, Jenny – the boots were Proctor! (Not sure whether they actually *were* Proctor’s – did RA leave a trunk full of stuff in London when he left to go back to NY end of 2014, and now dug Proctor’s boots out???)
And no, not uncomfortable at all. I want a nice picture loot as much as you do, and a little bit of pressure is good to keep me stretching myself… But yeah, I reckon I always have excuses why my pictures are meh.
LikeLike
Oooh, Proctor is good too, I have absolutely zero problems with Proctor. 😎
LikeLiked by 2 people
*grins* hehe, I suspected that…
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing these, G. I love the b&w pics too..so crisp and vintage-y. Those last 2 pics- the leather, the hoodie, the smile, the hair, the stubble, and the profile…everything that thrills my little fangirl heart ❤️ How did your camera lens not fog over with steam lol?
LikeLike
Well, D, here is the secret: I definitely noticed while shooting during Richard’s Q&A on Saturday that my hands were shaking so bad, and my heartbeat was so fast, I couldn’t get any clear shots 😂. I literally had to tell myself to calm down and steady myself, and then to get some shots…
LikeLiked by 1 person
He he about the shakes! That’s the reason most of mine were out of focus. Thanks for pulling yourself together and sharing your gorgeous hoard. He looked so good didn’t he
LikeLike
He looked a treat… So good in fact, I didn’t notice any grey hairs or lovely laughter lines. Sigh. Truly a gorgeous man.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh man, takes me right back. Thanks!!
😭😭🥰😍🥰😭😭
LikeLike
I am going to milk this for days, Kate, just to keep the exquisite pain going a little bit longer…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lovely photos, he is definitely covering the grey lol
LikeLike
Maybe it only looks like that in my pictures. (Although I wonder why? Does my camera have a built-in age-leveller?) I’ve seen other photos today that seemed to show more grey…
LikeLike
Please don’t suggest Fifty shades of……..
The photos of undercover Trevor from BS were the most pronounced that I had seen, I don’t remember Daniel being quite that grey! Although Daniel is slipping from my memory much like John Bateman lol.
LikeLike
What do you mean re. Fifty Shades? The book? Or just the hair colour. Looking back over my pics, I don’t really see much grey at all. And I don’t remember seeing much in situ, either. I only remember snarking to Kate whether he had dyed his eyebrows again.
Daniel? Who’s Daniel? *grins*
LikeLiked by 1 person
He wasn’t as grey as he has been perhaps to recreate Dolarhyde hair
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful! Can’t wait to read the play-by-play of the event!
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
🙂 Merci pour avoir sélectionné ces très belles vues de face et de profil.
Pourriez-vous, s’il vous plait, ajouter une photographie de l’appareil photographique que vous teniez dans vos mains. Si possible une vue de face, pour que l’on puisse avoir en vue frontale: la lentille que Richard Armitage scrutait, avec tant d’attention. Son oeil dirigé dans votre direction est fascinant.. Il savait qu’il avait affaire à une photographe professionnelle…
LikeLike
Aw Squirrel – far too big a compliment. I am not lying – there are MUCH better pictures elsewhere. What a lovely request for a picture of the lens that RA’s gaze graced. I shall have to make such a picture first, though.
LikeLike
Thank you! Etait-ce une personne avec une chevelure bleue? J’aime beaucoup l’avant-plan flouté multicolore. Le personnage tout habillé de noir y est encore plus visible, en focus à l’arrière plan. Bonne journée!
LikeLike
Spot on, Squirrel! Yes, there was a person with blue hair sitting a few rows in front of me.
LikeLike
I didn’t know you were going, but I hoped. I like your pics, so does that mean I am too easily impressed? No, it means you are a perfectionist. Can’t wait to hear all about it.
LikeLike
Yep, you know me, Kathy, I always keep things quiet. Mainly because I don’t like to raise expectations or hopes.
And yes, you are definitely too easily impressed 😂. More stuff tomorrow. 😘
LikeLike
Love the B&W shot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Cheers, glad you like it
LikeLiked by 1 person
These are great, thank you for sharing…..
LikeLike
Glad you liked them 🙂
LikeLike
Reblogged this on One Last time? Never and commented:
Sharing from a friends blog……….This is awesome
LikeLike
Thanks for the reblog, Tessa!
LikeLike
Yummy!! Thank you for sharing, I’m looking forward to your writeup, but stringing it out is perfect! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was thinking this morning that it is really mean to string it out. I should really give you the whole binge-read opportunity in one go.
Which suddenly reminds me of Richard at the Q&A talking about his inability to resist the binge-watch temptation. Yet at the same time he actually likes to be “strung out and hung on a chain”. His words. Boy, did we have visuals… 😂 #TooMuchGuy
LikeLiked by 4 people
That’s one of the few things I actually wrote down verbatim. It was too good to forget.
LikeLike
I didn’t even have to write it down. It was burnt into my brain, never to be forgotten…
LikeLike
I couldn’t get any decent pics in the main hall, these are great! Sad it’s over 😢
LikeLike
Aw, thanks Lady, and glad you like them. Sorry that I missed you there?
Yes, very sad it is over. It was just great, and I loved everything about the whole thing. This will be a cherished memory forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was recovering from surgery, so was hobbling around with a crutch when I wasn’t resting up! I’d done 3 RDC’s (I’d only got into Hannibal when I knew RA was going to star 😂) I wasn’t going to go to this one until he was announced, then I had to go! If I’d known you were going to be there i would’ve tried to seek you out and say hi, but I’m sure there’ll be another opportunity…I asked the question about the Joy Ellis books.
LikeLike
Good question, great answer and that face he made!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😍
LikeLike
‘That’ episode of VoD is on…Jill’s Gymkhana!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
On telly? Now?
LikeLike
Yes! On Gold
LikeLike
Aw, missed it, of course. (I only have 5 channels…)
LikeLike
Is it? Brilliant! Do we think he‘s watching? 🤣😜
LikeLike
Haha! Harry is so adorable
LikeLiked by 1 person
He really is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😂 He probably has it on continuous loop – feelgood role where he doesn’t die.
LikeLiked by 2 people
He needs to recover from the con where some insensitive clod brought up the survival rate. Some people, I tell you!
LikeLike
Yep. Although some clod also made him smile and fondly remember the book that brought the vicar and Harry together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😆😆😆😆
LikeLike
Which face was that?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the cat that got the canary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was a brilliant question, Lady!!! And we got even better an answer than we had hoped for, right?
And damn, I am trying to remember any fellow fan with a crutch now, but I can’t… Such a pity to miss you. I really hate when I find out afterwards that I could’ve met with people… Maybe I should have tweeted where I was and “held court” 😂
Anyway, hope your recovery is going well. Especially after this weekend! Did you have to travel far?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Only from Cambridge, although I’m originally from West London & not too far from Heathrow. I loved that answer…I couldn’t look at him! I must admit,my crush had been waning slightly, but after complimenting me on my dresses at the photo shoots and being especially sweet on the Sunday, I think I’m more in love than ever! My poor husband 😂 where are you from? I really hope he goes back to the stage in London.
LikeLike
I’m based in Ireland. So had to hop on a plane to come over 😉
LikeLike
Well hopefully we’ll get to meet at a future event 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wie meine Vorredner schon sagten: Danke fürs Teilen und ich freue mich natürlich auch schon auf den ausführlichen Bericht 🙂
So eine Con kann schon was Feines sein….und wenn’s richtig gut lief, schwebt man noch Tage danach zehn Zentimeter über dem Boden 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ja, ein bisschen ist das der Fall. Ich glaube aber fast, dass ich noch höher fliegen würde, wenn es eine Con *ohne* Mitwirkung von RA gewesen wäre. Der Mann stiftet bei mir immer Verwirrung… 😂
LikeLike
Nur wärst Du ohne RA ja nicht dort gewesen *lachen* Aber ja, ich denke ich weiß was Du meinst. Immer diese mixed signals vom OdB…
LikeLike
So ist es. Ich meine, wäre ich vor Jahren zur Hobbitcon gegangen, dann wäre ich mit den Antics von McTeppich (diese Verballhornung vergesse ich nie 😂), O’Gorman, Turner, Brophy, Brown, Nesbitt, Hunter, Hambledon, Stott etc. etc. auf der Maritim-Bühne absolut zufrieden und am Abreisetag im 7. Himmel gewesen. Ganz ohne RA und den Stress, den es bedeutet, das OdB in greifbarer Nähe zu wissen, aber nicht zugreifen zu dürfen…
LikeLike
WIR auch nicht *lol*
Das kommt immer zur Sprache, wenn der Hobbit irgendwo auftaucht….gefällt dem mittlerweile 16jährigen natürlich ganz großartig (‘Ihr seid SO peinlich!!!’)
Jup, Teil meines ‘Problems’ mit RA bei ner Con…..am WE haben sich da bei mir ziemlich viele ‘Vorurteile’ (hab gerade dafür kein besseres Wort, auch wenn es nicht richtig paßt) bestätigt.
Ich bin daher sehr froh, dass Du Spaß hattest!!!!
LikeLike
Oha, Vorurteile bestätigt? In Sachen Interviews mit dem OdB und dem ganzen Firlefanz da mit Ringelpiez ohne jegliches Anfassen? Ja, das war schon sehr Armitagsch. Zugleich nervig, aber auch irgendwie menschlich und verständlich. Er ist eben doch schon ein kleines bisschen mimosig und ganz so der ätherisch-abgehobene Künstler, der nicht so richtig rafft, was es mit so einer Con auf sich hat. Und der noch nie im Leben selber ein Fan gewesen ist… Ich hab’s ihm mittlerweile verziehen – aber dem Spaß hat das da sowieso keinen Abbruch getan, da der sich daraus ergebende Gesprächsanlass wirklich jede Redepause überbrückt hätte 😉
LikeLike
Von den Interviews habe ich bisher wenig mitbekommen. Ich habe nur viele Bilder gesehen und eben das mit der Policy bei den Photoshots gelesen.
Menschlich ja, verständlich in meinen Augen eher so semi…
(Mimosig? Atherisch-abgehoben? Tststststststs *roflmao* )
Aber wie gesagt: die Hauptsache ist der Spaß und wenn der gegeben war, ist alles gut!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ja, fast schon gotteslästerlich von mir. Aber da habe ich es mir ja sowieso schon verscherzt, also ist das jetzt auch egal.
Der Spaß war absolut gegeben, auch wenn das von außen nicht so aussah. Die drei Sekunden, die man Herrn A nun *nicht* anfassen durfte, waren da echt nur der kleinste Teil des Gesamterlebnisses.
LikeLike
Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert…. 😉
“…die man Herrn A nun *nicht* anfassen durfte…” das ist wunderbar ausgedrückt *Roflmao*
LikeLike
*grins* ist doch war… so ein Theater um nichts und wieder nichts…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Du bist ja sozusagen eh schon gänzlich daran gewöhnt, dass du ihn nicht anfassen kannst / darfst, da fällt das dann in “den drei Sekunden” auch nicht mehr sehr auf?!? *kicher*
Ich stell mir das alles immer gleich bildlich vor und kann richtig gut mitfühlen. Tatsächlich weiß ich nicht, ob ich es über mich brächte ihn anzufassen, selbst wenn ich dürfen sollte. Wahrscheinlich wäre ich total verwirrt. Ich kann also gut mit dir fühlen… und irgendwie muss ich lächeln, wenn ich dran denke wie du ihn (ganz verständnisvoll, geduldig, verwirrt, leicht genervt, aufgeregt und überfordert…) nicht anfasst. 😉
P.S.: Herzlichen Dank für die Fotos. Er scheint dich immer wieder direkt angeschaut zu haben. “Schwingungen” kann ich da nur sagen.
LikeLike
Ja, das “nicht anfassen” war wirklich aufregend. So schlimmes Herzflimmern, dass ich ihm dabei nicht mal in die Augen schauen konnte!
Das mit den Fotos und seinen Blicken ist Zufall. Der ganze Auftritt ging ganz schnell vorbei, insofern hab ich einfach nur Glück gehabt, dass er zufällig in meine Richtung schaute. Ich mache mir da wirklich keinerlei Hoffnung, dass er da absichtlich in die Linse schaut 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Also, mir war es mit OdB schon lieber, muss ich sagen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
War ein guter Zufall, dass er auch da war 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Echt praktisch. Wer hätte sonst mit mir über Jill‘s Gymkhana philosophieren mögen… 🤓
LikeLike
Richtig. Der Witz wäre bei Mikkelsen leider verpufft.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ich befürchte es…
LikeLike
Wobei – I have gained a new appreciation of Mads Mikkelsen. Have been watching interviews and fan vids over lunch. I do like the man…
LikeLike
Pingback: The Photo Loot from #RDC5 [part 4] | Guylty Pleasure
Pingback: RDC5 through the Guylty Lense – My dearest Louise…
Pingback: So, a few more RDC 5 goodies | Me + Richard Armitage
Thanks for the link love!
LikeLike
Pingback: An Armitage Fan at #RDC5 – FRIDAY [part 7 of the whole saga otherwise] | Guylty Pleasure
Thanks for sharing these, they are gorgeous! Looking at your camera – do you think he recognized you from earlier events?
LikeLike
No, I can’t believe that, Esther. I mean, there are always lots of people with cameras at any event. It’s highly unlikely that he would recognise me, not least because there are always years in between the individual occasions where I am photographing him. So, no, I don’t think he remembers or recognises me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We must all blur into one for him, I sometimes imagine. 🙂
LikeLike
Yep, I suspect that, too. There’s simply too many. Although I imagine that Newcastle was different because there weren’t hundreds of people in attendance. Chances are that he really ‘saw’ each and every one of you. (Which would fill me with horror tbh, so I personally am not sad that I missed that opportunity… I prefer to be anonymous and part of the crowd 🐑)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure he saw every one of us but I don’t think a year on he’d be able to remember everyone (or anyone) distinctly. Speaking for myself, I think he saw my phone case more than he actually saw me. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no, I don’t think he would be able to distinguish between people. Maybe he’d recognise some people, but definitely not all… (And I actually prefer it that way…)
LikeLiked by 1 person