© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
A celebrity-spotter has gathered an amazing set of portraits of his favourite stars – all taken on his own polaroid camera.
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His collection includes massive names like US president Barack Obama, Hollywood actors Tom Cruise, Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes, as well as tennis star Andre Agassi and comedians Eddie Izzard and Ricky Gervais.
© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
For the last six years Rick De Mint, from Colorado, has been travelling across the USA to meet and photograph celebrities.
And he has amassed more than 500 Polaroid portraits or ‘Portroids’ with each star’s autograph at the bottom.
“Barack Obama was really friendly and convivial,” says Rick, 36, who met him at a book signing before he became president.
He added: “I’ve just got really good luck with running into famous people.
© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
“When I lived in New York I used to see one every few days so I got into the habit of carrying a Polaroid camera and asking them to sign my pictures.”
Rick believes his Portroids are especially beautiful because there is no room for Photoshop, retouching or second chances.
“They are totally candid and I ask them to sign them while they’re still developing so they don’t have a chance to see what they look like,” he says.
© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
Despite his ‘very polite’ requests for pictures Rick isn’t always met with civility – especially by film directors Spike Lee and Elvis Mitchell.
He said: “I’ve had two people outright ignore me even after asking politely a few times. That was Spike Lee and Elvis Mitchell,” he said.
Over the years Rick’s hobby became a passion and he built a website to display all the images.
“I want to share them with people but I could never part with the originals,” said Rick, who keeps every picture carefully filed in his Fort Collins house, where he lives with his wife Erica.
A big comedy fan, Rick’s favourite picture is one of Simpson’s Creator Matt Groening standing with cross-dressing comic Eddie Izzard.
© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
“I spotted them at a comedy festival,’ says Rick.
“I was overjoyed to see them both together. They were both really friendly but Matt Groening was a bit suspicious that I’d sell the pic on Ebay so he wrote ‘not for resale’ on the back.
“I have it framed on my wall now.
“I love it.”
© Rick Demint / Barcroft Media
Rick also has a framed portroid of his wife.
“She’s the ultimate celebrity for me,” he said.
Words by Isla Harvey
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