Canadian singer Bryan Adams holds a large replica of a new stamp honoring Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, December 19, 2003. The image on the stamp is based on a photograph taken by Adams during Her Majesty's 2002 Golden Jubilee.
"Mr. Adams was given just five minutes to take his pictures. He was able to capture an informal, close-up image of the Queen in what he describes as a “glimpse of the real person.” The stamp was designed by Saskia van Kampen of Gottschalk + Ash of Toronto who cropped Adams’ photo to highlight the Queen’s smile and give it an active, unexpected quality.
Mr. Adams spoke briefly at the event, and explained why he feels the image was worthy of a stamp: “I think in the end, the thing that made this photo win out, was her charming smile. It is a one in a million.”