Bum, bum ..

Sorry, I'm turning into an exhibition bore here - yawn - but I just need to tell you some good news from yesterday. I had a meeting with a lovely lady from a place called Incubation Arts in Macclesfield, who gave me the green light for a new exhibition of my Joy Division photographs there in May and June. It's great news, although I kinda did a double take when she mentioned it would tie in with the 35th anniversary of the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. What a shock! So that's ten years already since I decided to show the work to mark the 25th anniversary!! Crikey!..

There's a blackboard set up for comments at my - zzz - 'Made in Eccles' exhibition at the People's History Museum in Manchester. I was delighted when, on the very first day, a tourist wrote 'Botev Plovdic' on it with a cheeky little border drawn around. Nice, I thought! I hope that's something good, I thought! Turns out it's the name of a bloody football team in Bulgaria! Hmm..

Anyway, that made me laugh, and so did going to the loo last week during a shoot - I apologise for the sheer glamour of the job here - at a bathroom fittings supplier near Blackburn. The toilet seat was broken! Bum, bum!..

It's all go ..

Time to turn my attention to other things! Made in Eccles has got three months to do its own thing now, and I have other projects to think of! Manchester Wedding Photography, for example! Remember I shoot Wedding photography? Oh yes, it's all coming back to me now! I'm preparing for another Wedding Fayre this Sunday - at the lovely Buile Hill Park Hall in Salford - and I'm off for a meeting at lunchtime with a new Bridal lounge in Manchester where, hopefully, there'll be a mutual tie-in and I'll be able to promote my services to the young ladies of the town. Behave!..

There's exciting Joy Division news in the offing, too. I'm off to Macclesfield this afternoon with offers of a new exhibition on the cards. And there's Smiths news, too! Stay tooned! And I've got a landscape photography exhibition on the desktop...

It's all go ..

Mint, great, shit ..

First day of 'Made in Eccles', and fantastic to see people visiting right from the 'off''! The comments have already started, too! "Eccles is mint" and "Great cakes" is chalked on the blackboard, and "Chopper bikes - shit but good" has been added to the comments book! Well, that about covers it, I think! My people, my people, I love you all ...

It's up! ..

Done! At last! Made in Eccles is up and running! I can finally relax! Actually, I'm aching all over today, pathetic as it sounds. I just didn't realise how much bending and stretching and reaching and hammering is involved in the hanging of over 100 photographs. Still, they're there now so I only hope that now I've "built it, the people will come"!..

Funnily enough, the first person to see the show was one of those ubiquitous Japanese tourists, who'd obviously been tootling around the rest of the museum and just carried on and wandered into my space, camera - inevitably - in hand! Now the last time a Japanese chap saw one of my exhibitions in Manchester he ended up staging it in Tokyo, providing me with a fantastic and memorable trip to the land of the Rising Sun! Now a good friend, Nobu rang me and asked if I'd "mind" if he put my Joy Division photographs on view in his home city. Mind?
No, I did not mind, and the rest, as they say ..
Here's hoping ...

Get it up ..

Today's the day! It's time to hang up my washing .. er, my photographs! I'll be spending today at The People's History Museum putting up my 'Made in Eccles' exhibition, with this photograph taking a leading role in the show. It's a shot of our laundry, hanging in the back garden, circa 1975. My poor old Mum was horrified when she saw it! "Oh, our Martin.." she flustered "How can you show that! Look at the state of it!" Sorry Mum! Reality's king in my world! Oh, and mentioning Manchester Wedding Photography! SEO's a bit of a ruler, too...


Anyways, better get a move on ...

It gets on my t*ts ..

Rather amused by all the Page Three hoo-ha that's going on at the moment. If you're not from the UK, this revolves around one of our national newspapers - The Sun - which, after 44 years, looks like it's finally stopped printing photographs of topless girls on its third page. Basically, you opened the 'paper every day and there, right in front of you, was a pair of hooters and an inane caption telling you how Stacey was 19 and wanted to travel the world and save hedgehogs. I'm not getting into the ins and outs of the argument - I never bought the 'paper and I've never shot topless women (Well, once .. and that was to show how much space there was in the sleeping compartment of a new truck .. I kid you not!) but I know it worked for some people and drove other people crazy. You have to admit it was a British institution but hey, everything has its day. I mean, I can see far steamier stuff right here on this screen with a couple of clicks of my mouse .. er, apparently! It just reminded me of this old cartoon - I've had it in my collection for absolutely ages and, by the way, thanks are due to whoever drew this all those years ago. It seems that, even now, if you mention to someone new that you are a photographer they'll more often than not assume you photograph topless women. No, folks, I don't, and I don't get asked to, so thank you very much and goodbye! The funny thing to my mind yesterday was the TV interviews with the Anti-Page Three campaigner, who was delighting in her apparent victory over the mighty press. She had a big slogan splashed right across her t-shirt. I had no option but to look at her t*ts...

Before the Fall ..

A Channel 4 programme last night highlighted perfectly the dangers of thinking you can make a living from photography just because it's your "passion". They featured a guy - somewhere in Manchester, I believe - who decided to ditch his day job and set up as a snapper. He was filmed photographing a local band with what seemed to be the most amateur of camera models (Ooh, get me! I'm a camera snob now!) Anyway, seems he really liked photography as a hobby so thought he would earn some dosh from it. Big mistake! The programme went on to tell us that, in the past eight months, this guy's earned the sum total of .. £250!! Ouch! I do hope that set off alarm bells with some of the people who've contacted me over the past few months asking for advice about a career in photography, 'cos my advice is, unfortunately .. don't do it! There are now too many people 'giving it a go', causing standards - and prices - to drop and meaning there's far less work around for the ever-growing number of photographers already out there. I thought a photograph of 'The Fall' would be rather appropriate today ..

Hole in my pocket ..

We were driving home from a trip out on Saturday night and .. CLUNK! .. we went right down this dark, invisible pot-hole. It took us 'til 11am on Sunday to dig ourselves out! Eeeeh, the state of our roads! What's me bloody road-tax being used for? Why hasn't this been filled in? Grrrr...

Anyway, this is the week that my exhibition finally goes up, a good 14 months since I got the 'nod' from The People's History Museum. Very excited, as you can imagine, and there's been another write-up about it just this very day! I'm just slightly put out that I can't actually afford to throw an opening bash for everybody. There seems to be a hole in my finances, too ..

Now then, Manchester Wedding Photography! Nothing to add to that, just writing it down for SEO purposes! Don't want to disappear down that Black Hole that is Google ..

'Til I die ..

I learnt this morning that a pal and his missus have decided to go their seperate ways after 20-odd years together, and yesterday I spoke to not one, but two photographers who've decided to ease off the snapping and go into teaching! Jeez, I even know a guy that's just gone and bought himself a speedboat! Anyway, it's causing me to get worried. I think I've forgotten to have a mid-life crisis! I don't want to sound smug but I'm happy with everything about my life! Especially the bit about being a photographer! I love the fact that I'm still making a living from taking photographs, and I cannot imagine any other way of life! I mean, ok, I worry about the dropping levels of work - now that everyone thinks they can do my job with their mobile phones - but I'm sure that, somehow, I'll still be taking photographs as an old codger! Manchester Wedding Photography 'til I die ..

Actually, this blog does sound smug. I don't think I'll publish this one. Oh, sod it, go on ..

Slebs ..

I've been in Foo Foo Lamar's bedroom! Now, if you're not from Manchester, that statement won't mean a thing, so let me explain. Frank 'Foo Foo' Lamar was a Drag Queen who ran his own club - Foo Foo's Palace - in Manchester, for years and years. He raised kerjillions for charity though, sadly, died of cancer over ten years ago. Anyway, let's get back to his bedroom! The Manchester Evening News launched a new weekly magazine in the 90s and, rather flatteringly, chose me as one of its small posse of snappers. They decided they'd run an article on 'Celebrities in their bedrooms' .. (?) .. so I got the job of hoiking my 645 transparency camera around the city and squeezing myself between the wardrobes and dressing tables of the more-well known citizens of Manchester. Rowetta, from The Stone Roses, was another whose bedroom I've shared! (Oooh, Matron!) I mention this because I've just turfed up rather a lot of celebrity photographs from my days on the 'papers, so I decided to design a 'Slebs' page on my web-site. Alas, as I was working for the press, a lot of my shots are long gone, but the ones I managed to salvage are a fascinating look back at the days when being famous meant you'd actually done more in your life than marry a footballer or sung for two-minutes on a Saturday night talent (?) contest! Anyway, have a look via StudioFiveFour Photography. See how many you can name! There's everyone from Peter Ustinov to Sooty, via Maggie Thatcher, Terry Wogan and a very young Steve Coogan!
Oh, and Foo Foo? Great legs .. 

Will work for .. ?

A company yesterday said they'd "consider" using me in the future if I did a first PR job for them .. for free .. and a woman has just emailed to say that one of my 'Made in Eccles' shots is "perfect" for a new campaign she's launching, so could I let her use it .. for free!

Eh? What? Do I have a sign on my door saying 'Let me shoot that for you - I need the experience'?  Is there a label on my website saying 'Yes, of course you can have my work for nothing'? What the bloody hell's going on? And if that wasn't enough, two couples have enquired this week about Wedding Photography with Manchester Wedding Photography saying they wanted to pay up to £250!..

It's right what they say! Making that first million's the hard bit ..

A vous la France ..

With France in mind it was rather timely that I came across this photograph over the weekend. When I was growing up in Eccles my neighbour Carole had a French family over to stay for a week or so in 1977. It was a bit of a 'dommage' that the poor old Maman of the family had a broken leg, and spent the entire visit sitting on my pal's settee, but she dragged herself into my pal's back garden for a photograph and so here's a shot of the shot being taken by Papa. By way of a thank you for the photograph Sylvie, the daughter of la famille, posted me a French record when she got home - a 45 by a singer called Laurent Voulzy with un petit sticker on the back saying 'Pour Martin'! It was as exotic a gift as I'd ever had in my life. A record! From France! From a French Girl!! Oh, la la!..

Out of curiosity I looked on YouTube to see if the song was there. It's there! Not only is it there but it's there in an updated 18 minute long version with a really fun video (and some awful miming, but c'est la vie!) Check it out here. Put a smile on ton visage!..

Just a quickie about my Weddings. There was flurry of activity over the weekend, and I'm delighted to say that Manchester Wedding Photography is now looking at bookings as far ahead as September 2016! Ca c'est bon ...

With this ring ..

Check this out! One of the joys of Manchester Wedding Photography is that you get to see a couple's individuality - their quirks, their tastes, their lifestyle - and so there was no doubting the groom who chose this as his Wedding ring last month! Talk about a Rock God! How fantastic!..

The wheels are in motion now for the publicity for 'Made in Eccles' - my upcoming, as those Yanks say, exhibition at The People's History Museum in Manchester.
A very flattering piece went up online yesterday. All I can do is point you to it ..

Oh, and the groom with the crazy ring? Leaving the celebrations after the first dance, as I did, I can't confirm the rumour that the groom, by the end of the evening, was out of his skull!
Ba Dum! Tish!!.....

Paris ..

Beauty, peace, light, smiles ... you gotta think positively when the news is like it is at the moment. Man, what a horrible start to the New Year. I don't need to add anything but my thoughts to the horror and disgust that has already been expressed about Paris, but I was reading that yesterday was the first day in God knows how long that there were no deaths reported in Syria. A heavy snowstorm apparently kept everyone inside! Thank God for snow, eh? ..

Two weeks 'til my exhibition opens, and I'm now featured in the mail-out doing the rounds from The People's History Museum. A couple of local 'papers have taken up the story too so, being as publicity-shy as I am, I'm having to bite the bullet and chat to journalists about the show! ..

It's fair to say there's a lull now for Manchester Wedding Photography, so I'm spending my time tarting up the website and advertising such things as 'I shoot Vintage' and 'I shoot Film' .. and anything else I can think of that might inspire newly engaged couples to book me! ..

Hey, beauty, peace, light, smiles! Yeah, I shoot them! ..

File under fantastic ..

Another dive into my mysterious cache of unfiled negatives yesterday, and I dug out a cracking pair of pictures from the early 90s. These were the heady days when Manchester felt it had a decent shot at winning the 2000 Olympics although I think, from the peeling poster and the headline on the MEN board, you can guess the outcome!..

Prince Andrew was another surprise in the box. I'd forgotten I even photographed him! And then there was Nigel Lawson, Gary Davies and Sonia, the Scouse singy-bird from Stock, Aitken and Waterman's little collection. There was even a shot of my old boss from the Warrington Guardian, a diminutive Geordie called Eddie who looks like he couldn't possibly have the strength to actually carry the huge Nikon and motor-drive he's wearing round his neck.
All great additions to my archive ..

What's a motor-drive, Grandad? ..

Have a sit down ..

I almost didn't write a blog today. Hell no, I'm far too busy! Well, it's that time of year, isn't it? I've got sofas to buy, cruise holidays to book, detox diets to start .. who's got time to blog? Actually, TV ads aside, I have had a busy start to the year, albeit stuck in front of my trusty Mac as I work through Wedding selections and people's print orders. I spent yesterday mentally back in October, as I sorted out the images for a Wedding I shot then at the Didsbury House Hotel. Today I'm working on a selection of shots that have been ordered from a lady who came into the studio for some 'Dating Agency' photographs. The agency like them so much, in fact, that they've asked if I'd consider travelling to London to shoot more of their clients! Tasty! I've also chucked a bit more work at the websites - both Manchester Wedding Photography and StudioFiveFour - in my never-ending quest to get them up, up, up those rankings. In fact, I googled myself yesterday and was delighted to say I came out on the front page exactly one listing above one of my old mates! We may be the best of pals but I'm afraid there's no love lost in the murky jungle of work! Ha ..

No love lost? Isn't that a Joy Division song? Funny you should ask, 'cos I've got good news about my shots of the band. They'll be going 'on tour' in the Spring as part of a theatrical production about the group. Theatrical production? A play, Martin .. a play. Jeez, keep it simple! I'll tell you more after my meeting with the company. Man, I need a sit down ...

Frosty reception ..

Great, isn't it? Tree down, decorations gone and time for the obligatory 'Let's go to the park and photograph the frost' walk! Normality has returned!
Oh, January, such joy!..

I was searching for a message I'd received recently on Facebook, and suddenly came across a section of my page I'd never seen before. In it were 48 unread messages! Forty-eight!! Bloody hell! It seems it's a section where messages go if you're not a 'Friend' with a person but they message you anyway, so they varied in importance from utterly irrelevant or highly amusing to 'Oh, bugger, I wish I'd seen this'! Irrelevant messages included one which started 'Dear O'Neill' and one which told me about an Uncle who'd died and left me $17.2m .. Nice! Highly amusing ones included two involving the famous photographer Terry O'Neill. 'Is he your Dad?' asked one and 'Can you put us in touch with him?' asked another. A couple of people asked if I remembered them (No!) and there was one which simply said 'Such a loser' but then there were messages saying things like 'The prints were really fantastic' and 'Promotional material received; Photography and quality brilliant!' .... Aaagh! Who? When? What? Oh, bugger! Note to self: Monitor your pages more effectively!..


Oh, the original message I wanted to find? A Wedding enquiry for 2016. The fourth I've had in a week! Looks like Manchester Wedding Photography will be shooting more than frost come this time next year ..

Happy New Year!

And so we take our first tentative steps into the new year!
Happy 2015, everybody!..

First task today - looking forward to the New Year - was to look back at 2014 and design a montage of some of my fave Wedding shots! I spent this morning trawling the files and putting together a 'greatest hits' of the year collection for Manchester Wedding Photography. It's a bit too big to put on here so I added a link to it here! Enjoy!..

And now I must away to set the table, as we're hosting one last 'fling' of the season.
Incoming! Parents at one o'clock...