Fred Sims & Bible m111-3-10Fred Sims & Bible m111-3-10<br/> b<br/>Photograph by marc marnie<br/> <br/>WORLD RIGHTS Fred Sims Fred Sims <br/>Photograph by marc marnie<br/> <br/>WORLD RIGHTS

After 23 years the Leith studio has closed. 

The end of Marnie's Mystical Emporium and the end of a brief but fabulous era.
Where once there were four day parties, weddings, jam sessions, recordings and countless portrait sittings, there are now just boxes and boxes and boxes.
The yellow bentwood chair that sat hundreds and hundreds of invariably wonderful people now sits piled high with dusty books and vinyl awaiting selection. 
The boss is fond of saying he dislikes people but loves the person - each of them has given him the images he made.
His philosophy (and he has a fair few) is that the portrait photographer doesn't take a picture, but is given it.
He never made a lot of money, was never very good at that bit, frequently forgetting to bill the client and always undercharging, but was so happy just to be doing what he does.

Anyway...
Through no fault of their own, he and Janet are divorcing amicably (something he refers to as Jaxit, which he thinks is funny but is probably bravado).
After five months of surprise, denial and eventual acceptance he has now entered his scariest phase: Positivity.
"Art is in the accidents" he says, "Make the pain work for you"; "Comfort is my enemy"... I could go on.
He certainly does.

He has even started meditating before going to the gym of a morning, although he is uncharacteristically quiet about it, saying only "It works".

The office continues as long as there are internet cafes.
The enormous task of digitising the negatives from 1977 - 2004 has paused for breath, but it seems he has a cunning plan.
There are some big announcements on the way...

Love, Light & Peace

A.C.