Oh, yes it is ...

I was at a house-party last night and one of the guests was Diana Moran! Bloody hell, The Green Goddess, right there in front of me! Looking great, too and telling me fab stories about that other O'Neill photographer - Terry - with whom she's friends and has worked with quite a bit in the past!
Anyway, another guest then asked me which famous people I'd worked with, and it was great to start reeling off the names of the rich and famous from my old days in the press. Maggie Thatcher, Mohammed Ali, George Best etc., etc., etc... Man, I was name-dropping like a crazy boy! Then, I was literally half-way through writing this blog when the phone rang. It was the Salford City Reporter, calling to get a bit of detail on me, as they're hopefully going to run a piece on my forthcoming exhibition at the People's History Museum. "Have you ever worked with any famous people?.." asked the writer. "Well.." I began ...

Picture this ..

Delighted today to show you - with the couple's permission, of course - a Wedding Album I've just been working on. It has one of the most fun covers I've ever produced, and I'm so pleased Liz and Ben went with my choice of image! I will, as well, show you a few of the proofs from their selection. It'll give you a good idea of what you get when you book Manchester Wedding Photography...

Christmas smellies ..

Made it! Survived another Christmas and .. er ..
Oh, ok, I'll own up! I had a great time! Family, friends, food .. gifts, gin, giggles .. love, happiness and .. snow!! Ok, it was on Boxing Day, but that's close enough, isn't it? Didn't half come down, too. Lesley and I were on the motorway when it really started to kick in but, wow, it certainly added to the festive feel! Anyway, hope your Christmas was as good ours and that you, like me, got a present that made you laugh. A can of anti-perspirant, in my case! Not quite what I had in mind when I asked for Christmas smellies ..

A toast ..

I remember meeting my Dad on Christmas Eve once for a pint in the Wagon and Horses in Eccles. The pub was ideally situated half-way between the two factories in which we both worked and, as we'd both finished at lunchtime that day, it seemed like a damned good idea to go for a drink. It's the most insignificant event, an almost hazy memory, yet it's one of the warmest Christmas glows I get when I think of my Dad. I'll raise a toast to him later, and I'll raise a toast to you, dear reader, as we near the Big Day and start to think of the year gone by! Merry Christmas to ya! Enjoy ..

That time of year ..

Gloves! That's what you should be buying people for Christmas 'cos, judging by the kick-start I've had to my latest 'On the one hand' season, there are a lot of people losing them! Yep, it's that time of  year again when I start to see single gloves all over the place! I'd imagined I'd be able to resist them this year but no, I'm still not cured, and I have to stop walking and take a picture every time I see one!..

Yesterday was also the time of year again for our annual Freelance 'do', and this year we got a record-breaking five freelance photographers together for a nosh-up and a wee drinky! For the second year in a row we went to the Deli-Lama cafe in Salford, and they did us proud with poussin, iced-berry ice-cream and reggae reggae Christmas carols! Highly recommended..

Back to the StudioFiveFour this afternoon for what must surely be the last Portrait session before the Big Day. Two little girls are being photographed and yes, their Mum does want to give a print as a Christmas present! What a rush job! Still, it is that time of year ..

Splashdown ..

So, the funny story ..

I was shooting a Christmas Wedding at Peckforton Castle, literally on this Monday a year ago. The weather was abysmal. It rained non-stop all day, and I didn't get a single photograph of anybody outside .. much to my frustration. However, just before the Wedding Breakfast, the rain stopped and I practically pleaded with the Bride and Groom to come outside for a quick photograph. They reluctantly agreed, as long as the Bride could hold her dress up and away from the soaking paths, so it was lights, cameras and a hasty walk down to the gate-house at Peckforton to enable me to get the whole of the Castle in the shot. I parked the couple under the huge tree there, plonked down my tripod, set up my light and .. a Rook dropped a big blob of poo straight onto the Groom's head! (It was easy to see .. the guy had no hair!) I automatically pressed the shutter, even though I hadn't set the exposure or white balance, and was just about to shoot again when the Bride screamed in dismay and set off back to the Castle at 100mph. The big, black splish had bounced straight off the Groom's head.. and all over her dress! The shoot was over!
No shots of the couple outside the castle.
So close!!..

Next there were tears, and then I got a ticking off from the Bride's dad, but I was more concerned that I hadn't got a shot of the couple with their venue in the picture! Still, everything calmed down and, by the time the pair came to Manchester Wedding Photography to pick up their Wedding album some months later it was all a great, big, funny part of the day. It goes to show that these things are always worth shooting 'cos, when it's all done and dusted, a dress is for a day, but a memory is a memory for ever!..

"I'd love to Blog that one day.." I said to them. "You should.." they said.
I just have..

Happy Anniversary, guys!...

Time passes ..

The Shortest Day of The Year! I love it! It's such a pyschological moment for me 'cos, in my head, that's winter done! Bizarre I know, but it really cheers me up to think that, from today, our half of the planet begins its spin back towards the sunshine and Spring is on its way! Well, kinda!..

Anyway, as per, I shall be playing Jethro Tull's 'Solstice Bells' and digging out my sunblock and swimming trunks..

Great shoot at StudioFiveFour yesterday with a one year old puppy. I should say a very happy one year old puppy, 'cos I had to feed him so many treats to get him to sit still that he left the studio about three pounds heavier! And, believe it or not, I still have a shoot booked in this coming week for a family who want to give a portrait of themselves as a present to their parents! Talk about last minute!..

A year ago I shot the last Wedding of the year for Manchester Wedding Photography, and I have a rather amusing story from the day. Twelve months on, and with the blessing of the bride, I think I'm now safe to tell the tale.
No time now, tell ya tomorrow.. 

Getting a sweat on ..

There's a lot of water around at the moment, what with the 'orrible weather and all that, so I had to laugh when I edited this shot from July for 'one of my brides' the other day. Look at Mike's brow! Dripping with the stuff! Boy, did that guy have a sweat on! Oh, for July's temperatures right now. At least, I think it was the heat, though I know Weddings can be a stressful time for young lads! Anyway, I'm delighted his new wife added this shot to their selection!..

Emily's just one of 'my brides' who's done the 'Christmas thing' and got a spurt on with their picture choices these past few days! It means I'm knee deep in Summer Weddings at the mo although, it's true to say, some of those were as wet as it's been here lately!..

The New Year's looking good for Manchester Wedding Photography, and I've even had two Wedding enquiries this week, something that hardly ever seems to happen this close to Christmas. At this rate, it'll be me that's getting the sweat on ..

Just cut the bloody ribbon ..

Three PR jobs today! My God, count 'em! It's been a while since I had three in a day like this! In fact, it pains me to think back to the 'old days' when I'd be so busy - and so in demand, blush, blush - that I was actually able to dictate when jobs would go ahead, just so that I could work them into my diary rather than the other way round! I even had a Wedding like that, once! The couple wanted me as their photographer so much that, when they found out I was already booked on their Big Day .. they changed it to when I was available! Talk about an ego boost!
Well, I am an artist, dahling....
It's funny how work has changed. I'm just glad I'm hanging in there!..

Damn! Forgot to put keywords in again! Erm .. Manchester, PR, Photography! There, that should do it! Doing my own pr here ..
 

Moan, moan, moan ..

One of the favours from my nephew's Wedding on Saturday .. with my name on it .. and yes, quite a few people came up to me during the day reminding me to put down my cameras and remember that I was a "guest as well" ..

I'm sorry? Put my cameras down during a Wedding? Well, that was never going to happen, and that's why I've got over 1, 000 images to edit today before I hand over a disc of images as my contribution to the gift pile! ..

We all had a fantastic day although, me being me, I had to have a couple of grumbles on the day. The first was when the staff at The Worsley Court Hotel erected a gazebo right in front of a gorgeous area for photographs. Grade 2 listed Tudor-exterior black and white building, with a plastic tent right in the way so that people could puff on fags just where I wanted to put the bride and groom! I hate smoking!! If you follow me on Facebook you'll have seen my rant about that while I waited for the bride to arrive. Second, a very rude registrar who deliberately stood  between me and the newly-weds just as they were about to sign the register. "You can't photograph the register.." crowed one of the mini-Hitlers! "I know.." I hissed "I've been doing this for thirty-six years...!" Grrrr....

Still, that's another one in the bag and - sob, sob - that's my last Wedding for 2014. Take a break, Manchester Wedding Photography! Time to put the Portrait and PR head back on, 'cos it's a busy old week in those departments. I've got three portrait sessions booked, plus two PR jobs and two Christmas parties to photograph. Oh, and a trip to the dentist! See, I knew I could find something else to moan about ...

 

Here comes the sun ...

And so to today's Wedding! This afternoon we'll see Manchester Wedding Photography in action at a sparkly little affair at the rather pleasant Worsley Court House and yes, after all the appalling weather we've had lately, it does look like I'll be able to complain that it's too sunny! Hurrah!..

Christmas lost ..

Ah, the innocence of Christmas ..

I've just been out to photograph a class of schoolchildren, singing carols near my studio (Well, if you can call THAT song from Frozen a Christmas Carol!) I handed the Deputy Head a card and said I was going to put a couple of shots of Facebook. I knew it was a no-goer the instant I saw her face. "Hmm.." she said "Some of the parents might not have given permission..."

Permission for what, for God's sake? Permission for anyone else - in the whole world - to actually see their child's face? The same child that, more than likely, has a phone with a camera and is photographing other kids left, right and centre! I mean, what the hell do they think I'm going to do with the photograph? What horrible disaster do they imagine is going to come from having their child's face seen in a picture? It's no wonder today's kids are growing up with a weird, warped, self-centred view of the word! (And don't even get me started on parents who call their kid 'mate'!!)

God, I hate society today! Just look at my archive! Check it out on studiofivefour.com! It's full of old pictures of kids, all more than happy - nay insistent! - that I took their photographs! Just when did we flip into this namby-pamby precious likkle icky-wicky society, where the roost is ruled by dahling likkle Sigourney or Mohammed (To use the most popular boys' name in the UK this year!) ..

Aaaagh! Bah! Humbug ....

Parents!..

Phwoar! A nice, big meaty snog! This is one of the new pictures I've added to my Manchester Wedding Photography website. "Hey .." said Lesley, giving all that hard work the once-over "Do you remember the mother of a bride who told you off for that?.." I thought for a moment. "Oh, cripes, yes..." I laughed, the memory of it coming back like a dodgy hamburger "She actually contacted me to tell me off, because I'd photographed her daughter  ... kissing!!" Yes folks, I once had an MOB (Mother of the bride!) phone me to say how inappropriate it was that I'd photographed her daughter - a bride - kissing her new husband! I only have to think of that story now and an image of Les Dawson pops into my head. "Have you met my Mother-in-law?.." he growls, top lip curling!..

Anyway, speaking of parents, I was delighted to see that The Peoples' History Museum is now promoting my forthcoming exhibition 'Made in Eccles' and there, in pride of place, is me old Dad Joe O'Neill. I love that shot, and it always amazes me to think he was only 44 when I shot that. Ten years younger than I am now! God, what I'd do to be able to kiss him now .. 

Concentrate! ..

Moving house! I can't see it ever happening for me! It would take so long for me to go through all my 'stuff' that I'd forget why I was trying to clear it all out in the first place! Take this morning, for instance. All I needed to do was find one old Wedding photograph to add to my new revamped website. A ten minute job! Ha! I have been so side-tracked! I've looked through 1970s diaries, old programmes and exhibition flyers, stored negatives, autograph books, boxes of god-knows-what .. my old cub-scout necker, anyone? - and a heap of archive CDs. You'll be pleased to know I did actually find what I was looking for - and I've already added it to the new website of Manchester Wedding Photography - but I also dug out some really cool 'old' shots of yours truly at work! I say 'old' .. the CD I pulled this off was dated 2004 .. yet look at it! Here I am at Peckforton Castle, still using my lovely Mamiya RZ67 camera to shoot this Wedding scene and yes, I did used to hike it up a ladder and tie it to the top rung to keep it steady!..

I actually met a 'photographer' on a job last week who'd never heard of an RZ! Imagine not knowing of such a wonderful machine! Imagine never having used film! And yet this guy gives 'lessons'! (I looked him up on his website!)  How can a guy who's only been a photographer for two years give lessons? What experience could he impart to an eager young snapper?  How can ...  Oh, I'm getting side-tracked again ..

Past, Present and Future ..

This suitably festive photo is the first one that'll greet you when you click on my (re!) re-designed Manchester Wedding Photography website! Yes, I've been at it again, changing fonts and shapes and pictures and driving myself mad thinking how my pages should look. Anyway, I've done it now ('til the next time) so it's a case of 'Step away from the computer' and let's let the pages do their job. It's my Christmas Present to you ..

Not doing too well this year on the Christmas party front! Our annual 'Freelance Bash' which, in Christmas Past, has been beer and a Chinese with me and four other snappers/writers .. has been postponed twice already because one or other of us is always working on the date we set (It was my turn to be double-booked last Friday!) Anyway, I'd finally got a date where we can all go and 'inked in' the pencil in the diary only to find .. the Christmas Markets will have finished! Oh well, at least there's always Christmas future ..

Read my blog ..

Check out this list! These are stats from yesterday's blog, showing the countries where people have logged on to read my ramblings! Isn't that brilliant? Although I'd love to know what causes these sudden bursts of interests in different countries - there were 29 'reads' of the blog in Ukraine, for example. Oh, and 'Hi!' to the one person in the UAE who dropped by!..

Had a great portrait shoot in the studio yesterday. A fourteen year old lad whose mother was convinced would be a nightmare to photograph! Folks, he didn't want to leave! Well, ok, he did .. of course he did .. it was almost tea-time .. but he wasn't as traumatised as his Mum thought he would be! There's another booking like this on Saturday too and, again, it's a case of Mum being unhappy with the school photo her son has had taken. Happy to help, all you Mums out there! Happy to help ..

Just over a week until the next outing for Manchester Wedding Photography but, this time, it's a bit of a 'family affair'. My nephew ties the knot with the lovely Ashley on the 13th and I've offered to shoot their Big Day as a Wedding Present. At least you'll know that, as I'll be busy working, I won't be the one doing the embarrassing 'Uncle' dancing on the disco floor.
Now that would be a blog to read ..

Just like buses ..

Exhibitions, eh? They're just like buses! You wait ages for one, and then two come along at the same time! I think it's true to say I don't often get days like this, with final arrangements being made for not one, but two exhibitions of my work within the next few weeks. It's really exciting! Firstly, the press releases and posters are going out for my part in a show at the Ono Arte Contemporanea gallery in Bologna, Italy, and then on Friday I'm having a meeting to finalise arrangements for my 'Made in Eccles' show at the Peoples' History Museum in Manchester. On top of all that, this week I've had to start delivery of the first batch of images to the 'Martin O'Neill Collection' (I love that name!!) at the Mary Evans Picture Library in London and I've been asked if more of my images of Chris Sievey/Frank Sidebottom can be used in the forthcoming film about his life!  I mean, forget Christmas! I'm getting all my presents now!..

Bugger! I forgot to mention Manchester Wedding Photography ! My SEO guy says I need to drop it into the 'conversation' at least once a day. I know, I can tell you about the time I shot a Wedding in London when all the guests travelled from the church to the reception in a big red London bus. Trouble was, the reception was by Tower Bride .. a week before Christmas! The bus went so slowly through the traffic that I could keep getting off the back and walking down the street to photograph it in the jams!..

These buses? From a trip I did by Greyhound Bus across the States.
Ding, ding! Fares, please! .. 

Back to life, back to reality ...

Ten days in Egypt! Just what the doctor ordered! Although I did start to come down with a cold the second I got off the 'plane at Ringway! That's the price you pay for an international jet-set lifestyle, I suppose! Anyway, did you miss me?
Thought not ..

Didn't take any photography gear with me other than the Fuji X10 and, once again, I was one of only about three people in the whole resort that actually took a camera on holiday. Everywhere else it was 'phones, tablets, and ipads... the compact camera industry must be freaking out! Still, my lovely machine performed admirably as always, and here's one of the more amusing shots from my trip.
Ps: So why is it called the Red Sea?  ..

Nice to be back at work though, and my new Manchester Wedding Photography site seems to have been doing its job! I've come home to two Wedding bookings, two portrait sessions and three Christmas parties to shoot! Ah, yes, December already! We didn't hear a single mention of Christmas whilst we were away.
I'd better get my festive head on, and quickly.
Just need to take a Lemsip first ..