This photo was taken at the Carriage Driving Trials at Hopetoun House, South Queensferry just outside Edinburgh.

I arrived expecting a few other press guys to be there, however I was on my own, possibly because it was dressage day, not exactly the most exciting sport!

The rain was on the heavy side and as I was sitting on my car’s tailgate putting on my waterproofs with cameras at my feet Prince Philip ambled by on his scooter with no helmet giving me a cheery ‘Good morning’. At that point I thought I missed my shot. Anyway I decided to plod on in the rain until he was due up in the competition.

I took some shots of him warming up his horses, a couple of nice scenic shots although nothing fantastic. I was standing 40 or 50 yards away, waiting for him to go into the ring, when I lined him up for a shot talking to his helpers. Suddenly he made eye contact and pulled this ‘Stan Laurel’ face. I must have managed to get 6 or 7 frames done before he went off to start his run. I’m still convinced he felt sorry for me and gave it up for a pic! Unfortunately it never made the papers and has only been published once, in a French magazine, since.

Thomas Main is entirely self-taught and started his freelance career working for the Sunday Times in Glasgow in 1993 before going to freelance for the News of the World in 1994.
Clients now include the News of the World, The Sunday Mirror, The Times, Sunday Times as well as corporate clients, with assignments ranging from Sport and portraits to tabloid glamour.

Photographer since 2003, EPUK member since 2005.