Original Observer Photography: January

American poet Sharon Olds photographed at the Royal Festival Hall, London, for an interview in the New Review.
Antonio Olmos: 'I had a great time with Sharon Olds. She is a very beautiful person, and I don't mean just physically. It was great fun to photograph her. We discussed Seamus Heaney, poetry, California and a mutual friend we had in Gary Soto, a Mexican-American poet from Fresno, California, who grew up in the same neighbourhood as I did. I normally don't have a lot of time with my subjects, but Sharon gave me as much time as I needed. I focused on her face and beautiful long hair, which contrasted well with the dark background. It is always fun to photograph people with substance who are also kind human beings. She is an open book with nothing to hide, which is great for a photographer trying to capture at least a little of what makes a person tick' Photograph: Antonio Olmos for the Observer

Harry Hill photographed at the Battersea Arts Centre in south-west London.
Richard Saker: 'Comedians can be very difficult to photograph as they are often insecure and suspicious. I found Harry a very calm and collected person and when I asked him to perform on the kid's scooter he obliged willingly and instantly went into character' Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer

Bosnian Folk singer Amira Medunjanin visits Liverpool's former docks for an interview in The New Review.
Andy Hall: 'She was fascinating, and with scouser Ed Vulliamy swapping wartime stories with her while we took a tour of his home town, I got to know a lot more about two subjects I know very little of - Bosnia and Liverpool' Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer

Photographer Gary Calton spent a day in Sheffield behind the scenes of the Crucible Theatre's production of My Fair Lady for a feature in The New Review. Here leading lady Carly Bawden, who plays Eliza Doolittle, is about to go on stage for the final act.
Gary Calton: 'Lovely lighting, great costume. Once I had demonstrated that I wasn't about to knock the stage setting down, the stage manager was very happy for me to wander at will. It is to her credit that she suggested I stand behind the stage for the final act to get this lovely image' Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

Gary Calton: 'Waiting in the "vomits" of the Crucible, here is leading lady Carly Bawden calmly sipping water and watching co-actor Dominic West on stage while waiting for her cue to enter stage left. We hadn't pre-arranged permission to be in these locations during a live performance, but thankfully I seemed to have gained the trust of the cast, PR and, most importantly, the stage manager and was allowed to roam at will' Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

Gary Calton: 'Carly Bawden had formed a great bond with the wardrobe mistress, Valerie Atkinson. Attaching the wig was daily torture, but also provided moments of humour' Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

A portrait of Carly Bawden out of costume at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.
Gary Calton: 'I really like how the light creates a sense of shape and form in this image'
See more of Gary's images here Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

Biffy Clyro photographed in Los Angeles for an interview in The New Review.
Pamela Littky: 'In this shot Simon is ripping open Ben's shirt. It was an unexpected and spontaneous moment. Ben had a necklace on that broke as a result. You can see the broken necklace around his neck and a little piece of it flying off near Simon's hand'
Photograph: Pamela Littky for the Observer

Brenda Blethyn OBE photographed at The Sound Company in central London for 'This much I know'.
Richard Saker: 'I like this picture as it sums Brenda up … a lot of fun and with a smile that can light up a room' Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer

Actor Jenna Louise Coleman
Katherine Rose: 'I shot Jenna in the Margaret Street Gallery in central London. It was a really great space, but a bit of a challenge as I had to avoid getting the current exhibition in the photograph. I really like the monochrome backdrop; it brings out Jenna well. She was so beautiful it made the shoot pretty straightforward'
Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Observer

Fritz Vollrath, research leader at the zoology department of Oxford University, spoke to the Observer about heading a team of scientists known as the Oxford Silk Project, who are studying the biological, chemical and mechanical properties of silk from spiders' webs for use in industry.
Andy Hall: 'His enthusiasm for his subject was infectious - I came away from the assignment wanting to know more about the mechanical properties of materials – and I actually quite like spiders now!' Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer

Lynda La Plante photographed in Soho for the Observer Magazine.
Suki Dhanda: 'I didn't find the office space we were allocated very inspiring and decided to shoot out on the mews. It was a pretty cold day but the sun was out, so that was a plus. Lynda hadn't left her home yet so we got a message to her to check she was happy to be shot outside, which she was. I think this may have influenced the clothes she chose to wear, so that was a good call. As ever, although we were allocated 20 minutes for the shoot we only got ten! Although Lynda looks very serious in this portrait, she was very warm and smiley in some of the others, but I prefer the composition and lighting in this one'
Photograph: Suki Dhanda for the Observer

Jessie Ware photographed for a Q&A in Observer Food Monthly at Upstairs restaurant, Brixton, London.
Phil Fisk: 'Jessie and I are lovers … of Marmite. It's a rare thing' Photograph: Phil Fisk for the Observer

Nicholas Pileggi photographed on the set of TV show Vegas in Valencia, California, for an interview in The New Review
Barry J Holmes: 'We coincidentally flew back from Las Vegas to the film set located just north of Los Angeles. In stark contrast to the blue skies and sun of Nevada, we arrived at our photo location in the middle of a rare, three-day down pour. While sharing stories of his first visits to the 'real' Las Vegas back in the 60s, Nicholas Pileggi – not dampened bythe rain – was thrilled that we were using a selection of the 30 classic cars scattered around the set'
Photograph: Barry J Holmes for the Observer

Nicholas Hoult shot for a feature in the Observer Magazine
Grooming by Karen Alder at karenalder.com using Kiehl's
Fashion Editor, Helen Seamons: This photograph really shows how a photographer's eye can see something in a moment that the rest of us miss. Nicholas put his hands up briefly between shots and Julian got him to turn away from the camera and he got this odd but beautiful shot that made such an impact when it ran full bleed in the magazine'
Photograph: Julian Broad for the Observer

Nicholas Hoult shot at Julian's studio.
Fashion Editor Helen Seamons: 'The Observer fashion team have worked with Nicholas four times during his career. For the first shoot he came in his school uniform with his mum, carrying his smart shoes in a plastic bag, to be shot with Joseph Fiennes at a theatre rehearsal room in West London. He is still as unassuming and easygoing now. On this most recent shoot before Christmas he arrived early and with no entourage. Hollywood, it seems, hasn't changed him' 
Photograph: Julian Broad for the Observer

Alden Ehrenreich shot for the Observer Magazine's 'Why we're watching …' slot.
Richard Saker: 'A good looking young man, suited and booted, Alden was very comfortable in front of the camera and made my job very easy. The best pictures from this shoot were taken in the bathroom of the Corinthia hotel' Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer

Comedienne and actress, Jocelyn Jee Esein in the Haggerston pub in east London.
Katherine Rose: 'Jocelyn was great fun. She was making me laugh throughout the whole shoot. Sometimes comedians do that. It makes it hard to concentrate, but it's great!' Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Observer

Marianne Elliott photographed backstage at the National Theatre on London's South Bank for The New Review.
Richard Saker: 'This is the third time I have photographed Marianne and she is always delightful. She is a very talented person and has a great sense of humour' Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer

Susannah Cahalan photographed near her home in Union City, New Jersey.
Mike McGregor: 'Susannah's story is one of the most amazing ones I have heard. The fact that she is alive purely due to the luck of having one of the only physicians in the country who had ever treated her condition by her bedside is not lost on her. She lives appreciatively and was happy to collaborate despite her home having recently been flooded by hurricane Sandy days before the shoot. What a trooper' Photograph: Mike McGregor for the Observer

Rufus Sewell photographed at the St Mary Abbots Centre in Kensington, London, for a mini-interview in The New Review Photograph: Richard Saker for the Observer

George the Poet photographed at London's Royal Albert Hall for the New Review.
Antonio Olmos: 'George the Poet may be from the Stonebridge Park estate in north-west London, but he seemed so at ease in the Royal Albert Hall. The surroundings did not seem to faze him one bit. George is one of those people extremely at ease with himself and with the camera. At first I tried to use the vastness of the hall as a backdrop, but soon gravitated to the blood-red walls of the box we were shooting in. The red seem to fit George so well and was closer to the spirit of his words, as opposed the the grandeur of the Victorian building' Photograph: Antonio Olmos for the Observer

Author Sheila Heti photographed in New York for an interview in The New Review.
Mike McGregor: 'Sheila is a wonderful person and obviously instills trust in people. Our shoot was in a NYU professor's home with art covering the walls and beautiful objects throughout. When I arrived, he left and just said "have fun" as I was setting up big lights and tripods around all his collections' Photograph: Mike McGregor for the Observer

Singer-songwriter Serafina Steer photographed in east London to accompany an interview in The New Review.
Andy Hall: 'She showed me a corner of Hackney I didn't know existed, A hidden patch of wasteland overgrown with wild grass that matched her hair' Photograph: Andy Hall for the Observer

Lorraine Pascale taste-tested budget food for the Observer Food Monthly
Photograph: Pål Hansen for the Observer