Kim Wilde fans will know Richard Blanshard as a member of her band during the 1980’s. Besides playing the saxophone he was also an amazing photographer, capturing Kim on more than a few occasions.
Flash forward a few decades and Richard is publishing a book called Cannes Uncut: The Golden Years, a candid collection of star-studded photographs from the Cannes Film Festival, taken over two decades. His first assignment actually happened in 1976, when he was just 22 years old, photographing Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly as they promoted their movie That’s Entertainment, Part II. It was to be the first of many.
According to Richard: “It’s a large book. My aim was to create a book that had the quality and scale of a Taschen or Assouline book but was affordable and accessible.”
The book is actually a companion to a documentary, which will be screened on 23 September at Soho House, 76 Dean Street, London, followed by a Q&A with Richard Blanshard, Roger Penny and producers and creators Mark Adams and Christopher Packard.
Cannes Uncut: The Golden Years is available on Amazon and other online book vendors, as well as book stores all over the UK, from 26 September.
