Meet the Mother-in-Law ..

I met a lovely lady at a Wedding at Willington Hall a couple of weeks ago. Her name's Pat, and she was the mother of the bride that day. Now, when I say I met her, it's probably more accurate to say I was warned about her as Judith, the bride, gave me the heads up that her Mum was - well, let's say, very particular and demanding! Whoever got the gig to shoot her daughter's Wedding was going to have to be at the top of their game .. or else!! Well, I'm delighted to say I passed muster! I came home from Saturday's Wedding Fayre to find a letter from Pat addressed to M. O'Neill/Ace Photographer Extraordinaire! She said my "skill with the camera is fantastic and the photos will give us all many memories to cherish" .. and then she whacked me with her walking stick! Ok, that bit's a fib, but it's really made my day to know she's so happy with my work! I honestly don't think I've ever had a thank-you card from a parent .. and it made my day! It was an honour, Mrs Bickerton!

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Go Vikings! Er, Steelers....

Ah, Sunday and for once, after the busy Wedding Fayre yesterday, I get a 'normal' one .. walking the dogs, reading the 'paper and then .. AMERICAN FOOTBALL!! Can't wait 'til five-thirty when Channel Four show the live American Football game from Wembley - so much better than silly o'clock in the morning! (I really think the Yanks are so inconsiderate. If they want us to follow the game they should kick off at 11 am their time!)

I think it's an absolutely fantastic game, and I'm making a concerted effort to follow it more closely this season. Who needs those namby-pamby United players? Not me! Hut, hut......

Motoring ..

Time to get a move on and get myself to St Margaret's church in Dunham today. I've got a stand at their charity Wedding Fayre, and I like the idea of that! I get the chance to meet lovely new brides and grooms, and they make some much needed dosh for the church funds! Cool!

I had a great chat with .. oh, sorry .. I'm supposed to be getting a move on! Laters...

The signs are good ..

Plans for The Culcheth Collection are coming along nicely, with more and more suppliers wanting to be involved. Let me explain..

When I moved into my studio I realised that I was surrounded by other Wedding suppliers. A cake maker, a stationery maker (or two..), a Wedding car company .. and so on. So, I thought it would be a good idea if we all joined together under one name to make Culcheth a 'Wedding centre of Excellence'. Well, it's finally happening, and we'll have a meeting in a week or so to mash out the fantastic discounts that we're going to be able to offer brides and grooms. Whether you need diamonds or dianthus, lingerie or a limo, we're going to be able to point you in the right direction. Oh, and there's a photographer in there, too ...

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Bill's the best ..

Hello, this is Barry Norman. Today I want to tell you about a film Lesley and I watched last last night, called Bill Cunningham NewYork. It's a documentary about a fashion photographer who works for the New York Times, and it's one of the most heart-warming, cheery films we've seen for a long time. The thing about Bill is he's 84, and still rides the hectic streets of Manhattan on a push-bike, with a basket on the front, zipping between glitzy grand dinners and swanky catwalk unveilings in a jacket usually worn by the bin-men of Paris! Honestly! Now you might not have an interest in photography - or even fashion - but this lovely film is so worth watching for the sheer joy of life that this guy has! Joie de vivre and humility, but underlined with a determined purposeful drive to get the shots and have them shown in the 'paper properly! We loved it. We loved him! We want to be that happy when we're in our 80s. Thank you, Bill, you're the best!

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Canada dry ..

Pleased to say I've just been booked to shoot the Wedding of a couple who live in Canada. Unfortunately - for the traveller in me - their Wedding is at Manchester Registry Office, so I won't be needing any warm, woolly clothing for the Big Day! I piled into my archive to find a shot that would suit today's blog, but as I've never been to Canada I could only come up with this shot of a Greyhound Bus Station in somewhere like Cleveland, Ohio! (Ah, near enough, eh? .. and it's got a church in it!) If you're knocking about with nothing to do this weekend - and you live a little closer than Newfoundland - then why not come to see me at a Wedding Fayre in Altrincham on Saturday. I'll be at St Margaret's, Dunham, from 11 am. There's a free glass of wine, by the way! Or you could always drink Canada dry .. hahahahah..!

(Ps: I lied about not having been to Canada! I've been to Vancouver Island, but that's more British than the UK! You're greeted off the ferry by bagpipes and red London buses! I rest my case..)

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Work like it's the weekend!..

 A relaxing two days with nothing in the diary turned into a real humdinger of a weekend, and I've got a charity dinner and a christening under my belt since Friday! Saturday saw me at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester shooting the charity event for a friend and picturing, amongst others, Olympic star Beth Tweddle. Then I spent Sunday at a family Christening, and have just dropped 272 images onto a web-gallery for them all to view.

I've also been working on an idea I've wanted to get off the ground since I moved into my studio. Around and about my unit are a number of Wedding related businesses - a cake maker, a jeweller, a florist, stationers, a Wedding car company and even .. a caricaturist! - and it makes sense to tie us all together to offer a better service to Wedding couples in the area. So, The Culcheth Collection has been born and, although it's in its early stages, I've designed a website to get us all off the ground and we'll be having a meeting soon to work out the discounts we are going to be able to offer to you all those lovely brides and grooms out there!

I just need two days off now!..

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Double vision ..

I've been working hard on a project - or idly wasting time on the computer, as Lesley calls it - involving matching up pairs of archive photographs that I think work well together. Here's an example, and I hope you can see what I mean. Well, I've had another great double this week which means that, for the second time this month, I've become involved with a film. You may remember I was interviewed on camera for the forthcoming documentary about Chris Sievey/Frank Sidebottom and now I've been approached about having one of my shots used in a feature about Manchester in the 90s. Admittedly this one's only a quick flash of a night-club, which will be shown against the background of people who used to go there but, man, at this rate I'm never going to be out of a tuxedo! All those movie premieres, all those red carpets! Darlings, I love you all ..

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Grub up! ..

Well, here's something to get your teeth into! I seem to be setting a trend here, based around food, glorious food! You've already seen that I spent Monday shooting PR pix in a sausage factory, and last week I was back at Smiths restaurant in Eccles to put up some new food-themed photographs from my Twelve for '13 archive. Today I'm returning to the Deli-Lama Cafe in Salford to put up a banner of Joy Division photographs that will form a backdrop to gigs during the Salford Music festival, but the BIG news is that I've just been selected to shoot the brochure for a new restaurant in Manchester. I can't tell you whose restaurant it is, although my pals James and Martin might be able to drop you the odd hint!! How exciting! Anyone for seconds?..

Stop Press: Had a portrait sitting at the studio this morning. The sitter brought me a bacon butty!!  Foodtastic!!....

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Hard hat, hair net ..

Oh, yes, did I look the part yesterday, shooting sausages in a freezing cold meat factory! From Wedding photography to meat production in one fell swoop .. Ah, the glamour! Hard hat, hair net, hi-vis jacket, white overcoat and shoe protectors .. it's a wonder I could actually get my rucksack on my shoulders! I was on a day-long PR shoot for a well-known supermarket, capturing the 'essence' of sausage manufacture, the 'efficiency' of steak butchery and the 'integrity' of pork packaging! I'll tell you, vegetarianism seriously flashed across my brain at one point but, don't worry, a ham sandwich at lunchtime soon put paid to that! To be honest, I did have to do other shots, too. The warehousing, the maintenance, the HR team and then, finally, the Directors. Talk about packing it in! It didn't help that I was told, as soon as I got there, that there was no power for me to use in the 'meat' areas, so - technical note here - I shot it all on SB-900s, one of which blew over in the gales during an outdoor shot and still kept on working throughout! (An SB 900 is a flashgun to you and me! Thank you, Nikon!) And now I'm in the middle of tweaking 600 images! I could murder a sausage butty!...

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Dry, dry, dry ..

How did that happen? The weather yesterday couldn't have been any further from what I was expecting for the Wedding. It was bloody glorious! After all that rain on Friday, too .. and before the 'storms' we're supposed to be expecting today! The God of Wedding Photography verily he did shineth down upon me yesterday! In fact, he shinethed a little too much, and I had all sorts of problems with the sunshine. It's been three months since I shot a Wedding at Willington Hall, and already the sun is noticeably lower. Lower as in, shining straight into the lens! Anyway, I think I did ok under the circumstances, and I'm sure Jude and Chris will be delighted with their shots! Have a look here .. see what you think!

Stop Press: I kid you not .. The Doors' Riders on the storm has just come on the radio! It's a sign...

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Wet, wet, wet ..

And so to Willington, in what looks like a brief and very welcome break in the bad weather! Given the amount of rain that fell yesterday I'd think I'll be very lucky if I can shoot today's Bride and Groom down in the field with the venue's famous tree! I spoke too soon when I said that Friday the 13th was lucky, as news came in last evening that the Southport Air Show has cancelled its Sunday section .. the bit I was going to go to .. because of the predicted bad weather! Still, I know we'll have a fantastic Wedding come what may although I have packed my studio lights in case we have to work indoors!

Now, where are my wellies? ..

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Lucky for some ..

Friday the 13th is the start of a really fantastic few days for me! I've got another Wedding at Willington Hall - one of my favourite venues - then I'm treating myself to a day off at Southport Air Show, and then on Monday I have a full day's PR shoot for one of the country's leading supermarkets!

It was mentioned quite a while back that 2013 would be a quiet one for Wedding bookings as it has the number thirteen in it! I think, on the whole, that's been true for every one of my Wedding contacts but the up-side to that is that it's now looking busier for next year. I already have bookings right up to Christmas 2014! There's a chance, too, that my music T-shirts will be marketed out to a large chain of shops across Tokyo, and I've started working on a new exhibition that will open soon in Altrincham. All that and I finally hit my mini-milestone of 300 likes on Facebook! 2013? Lucky for some ..

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Food for thought ..

I now have two exhibitions going on at the same time in Salford - one in a café and one in a restaurant! At least you won't starve to death if you to see any of my work! I've got Joy Division shots at the Deli-Lama Café, along with a selection of my Twelve for '13 Eccles archive - and I've got 'food' themed photography at Smiths restaurant in Eccles along with a couple of .. er, Smiths shots from 1984! One of these days I'll have to try my luck with an exhibition in a proper grown-up gallery but, as they say, a wall is a wall! Food for thought ..

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Fayre enough ..

Hurrah! I've finally been contacted after paying to have flyers put into goody bags at the Tatton Wedding Fayre .. in February! So, a new bride? A forthcoming Wedding enquiry? Nope .. a call from another Wedding Fayre organiser asking if I'd like to take part in their fayre later this month! I ask you!..

Thing is, I thought it sounded quite good, so I've booked a stand! September 28th! St Margaret's church in Dunham Massey. Saturday afternoon too, with a free glass of wine, so you can pop in once you've done your shopping!

Back to Willington Hall on Saturday for the funky nuptials of Jude and Chris, and I've got strict instructions from Jude's Mum as to what I should be shooting. She wants front and side views of the house and garden, lots of "funny" pictures and a selection of family portraits. Now I don't know about Jude but funny pictures and family portraits are the same thing in my family!!
Say cheese...

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Double whammy ..

I've just come back from a meeting about a possible exhibition of my Freshies photographs, and I've come away scoring a rather tasty double-whammy! I want an exhibition of my photographs of Chris Sievey and his band to tie in with the opening of the 'Being Frank' film, but that looks like it's at least a year off yet so, to tide me over, the gallery I've been to has offered me space to show a selection of my other music photography - the director there was enthusing over my shots of Toyah! - so I've come home all excited about which shots to pick! Toyah? Siouxsie Sue? Henry Rollins? Ah, sod it .. one of everything! Why not?...

My shots today show The Freshies on the same stage at Bowdon Vale Youth Club, two weeks prior to the Joy Division gig. Makes me wonder now why I asked Chris and his cohorts to come out for a shoot rather than Ian Curtis and his gang! Damn!...

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Turned out nice again ..

Wow, what a weekend! It started with a feature in a magazine and ended with me being filmed for a forthcoming documentary! In between that, another Wedding booking for next year and an enquiry for one in .. 2015!

Yes, I had one of my Weddings featured in 'Real Weddings' magazine and I'm really pleased with the results. They used six images from Dee and Ian's Wedding in June - made 'special' by the fact that an amazing thunderstorm caused all sorts of problems on the day but, ultimately, didn't spoil the Wedding or the mood of the day. Oh, and I was described as having a 'jolly personality'!

So, I then met with Liz and Ben, who've booked me for their Wedding in Rochdale next April. I knew I was dealing with 'my kind of couple' when Ben suggested to Liz they had Slayer's 'South of Heaven' as the music to their first dance!

After that it was off to Static Records in Wigan, which had been turned into a 'movie studio' for the day. I was being filmed for the forthcoming documentary film 'Being Frank', about the life and times of Timperley's own Chris Sievey! I photographed his band The Freshies in  ... ah, you read all that in Sunday's blog! It was a really enjoyable experience, and the director described my piece as 'self-deprecating and humorous'!

So, as the magazine says, it all turned out nice again!

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All roads lead to ..

Well, how exciting! I'm off to Wigan this afternoon to be interviewed for the forthcoming film 'Being Frank'. It's all about the life and times of Timperley's finest - the late, nearly great Chris Sievey, who you'll more likely know as the character Frank Sidebottom. Before he donned the papier-maché head Chris had a band called The Freshies, who I photographed at Bowdon Vale Youth Club a couple of weeks before the Joy Division gig. Chris and a couple of other band members then came out with me for a shoot around Sale one afternoon and Steve Sullivan, the producer of the film, saw the contact sheets of the session when he was going through all Chris' memorabilia, describing one of my shots as 'one of the best pictures of a band I have ever seen' .. !!

Hopefully I'll get some of this work shown in the film, then I aim to get a little exhibition together once the film is launched. Quite a few of the pictures have never been seen! By anyone! Well, apart from Chris and Steve, but you know what I mean!

Right, hair .. make-up! I'm ready for my close-up, darlings ..

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The icing on the cake ..

I hadn't even had my breakfast this morning when I got an email from a local gallery asking if I'd be interested in showing some of my work! Erm .. yes, I would! Too bloody right, I would! I've got so many different projects and archives that I'd love to get out there, so it's off to Altrincham for coffee on Tuesday and watch - as they say - this space!

My pal Ed Blaney, the organiser of the Salford Music Festival, rather surprised me when he announced on Facebook last night that my Joy Division exhibition at the Deli-Lama cafe will be a great backdrop to the gigs that are coming up there over the period of the festival. I didn't realise it was actually a venue for the festival! That's handy!

Today sees the publication of Pure Weddings magazine, featuring one of my Weddings from the summertime. Ironically, it's pouring with rain as I write this, and it was the heavy downpours on that June day that made Dee and Ian's Wedding day so .. er .. interesting! Can't wait to see it!

The icing on the cake, though? This message from Lucy, who picked up her Wedding album the other day."Our beautiful wedding album has arrived and it's wonderful... all thanks to Martin O'Neill. Pictures are stunning  - absolutely made up!"

I like that!..


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Me and my good camera! ..

Well, there's a first time for everything and yesterday I had a bride who, amazingly, forgot to come and collect her Wedding album! Yep! Had me waiting an hour and in the end she had to come to my house where I'd taken the album back home with me! In her defence she did have to finish work, collect three young kids on the school run and get across to my studio from the centre of Warrington but .. flippin' 'eck! Only joking, Lucy!

My nephew has announced he's to get married next year and I'm delighted I've been able to offer my Wedding photography as the couple's Wedding present. It occurred to me that Stevo must be one of the very few people that can actually say, with complete justification ..

"My uncle's doing my Wedding photography. He's got a good camera!.."

Bum, bum ..

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The Hook Line ..

And so the mystery is solved! I was back working with Hooky yesterday evening - that's Peter Hook of Joy Division fame to the two of you out there that haven't heard of him - and I took along my copy of his book to get it signed. I'd bought it as soon as it came out and hoped I might be mentioned as I feel my little set of pictures of the band do have their place in the history of the group. Well, I am mentioned in the book, but I'm mentioned as - get this - "a very young Martin Ocomin" .. !! Ocomin? Oh, come on! Where the hell did Ocomin come from? Well, I asked him last night. "Eh?" .. he said "Who? What?..." Turns out .. it's a typo! Plain and simple as that! Seems there's apparently at least one line of text missing from the O at the beginning of my surname to where Hooky goes on about "kicking me up the arse and telling me to piss off!!" (One of my claims to fame but answers on a postcard, please, as to what that line might say!) So, anyway, there we are. He emailed the publishers there and then and says they'll have it corrected for the next print run.

After that, he signed the book and then there was nothing left to do but pally up and have a picture taken!..

Oh, he signed it "Thanks for the tip" ..

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Old growlers ..

Children and animals! I don't know why they say you shouldn't work with either, 'cos we had a blast yesterday shooting Lucy and Molly and that furry ball of energy they call Fergus! The key is to work fast! As in .. I got about ten frames before the dog'd had enough, and set to barking for Britain until we took him outside! (Actually, maybe I do know why they say that about animals!) Some lovely shots, though, and I'm pleased that my first studio shot with a pet went well. Really looking forward to Mum coming back for her viewing, now!

Bass players! I don't know why they say you shouldn't work with them 'cos .. Only joking! The old PR hat goes back on again this afternoon and guess who I've got to photograph .. me old mate Hooky, that's who! Let's see what he moans about this time! (Still joking, Hooky, honest!) I'll fill you in on the detail tomorrow.

PS: The photograph today is of Fergus .. not Hooky!
Just making that clear !!
Don't hit me, Hooky!
Down, boy!
Aaagh!..

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Bye, buy ..

I've certainly hit the road running this week, as I've woken to an email from Japan letting me know my range of T shirts is now on sale in Tokyo! Joy Division, Devo, The Smiths and The Human League all feature. Quick, get over there! Buy, buy ..

My picture today is from a Wedding I shot in June, and I'm pleased to say that it's going to be featured in Pure Weddings magazine as a 'Real-Life Wedding'. It was certainly a different day to your 'average' Wedding, as the weather caused havoc with all the bride's plans. There was an absolute cloud-burst just before the newly-weds came out of the church, meaning they had to wait inside until the storm had passed. Then, there was ..  oh, what am I doing? You'll have to read the magazine. Quick, get out there! Buy, buy ..

I'm being filmed for a movie in Sunday! Oh, yes .. touch my hem! I'm being interviewed for a film called Being Frank, about the life and times of the late, great Chris Sievey. He used to have a band called The Freshies, which I shot a couple of times in 1979, but then he subsequently morphed into the 'cartoon character' Frank Sidebottom and never came out of his, erm, head .. again! Anyway, my shots of the band are hopefully to be featured in the movie along with my quirky, amusing reminiscences about the band (It says here!)

Before that there's one other big event in my diary. For the first time since I opened the studio I'm going to be shooting a dog in there! (Sorry .. photographing a dog! Don't go phoning the RSPCA!)
Better go get set up! Bye, bye ..

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You will always find me in the kitchen ..

 Party, party .. September's Twelve for '13 installment is here! P is for Peel Green, Pink Panther and even .. Patti Boulaye!

Perfect!...

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