Shocking ..

We had a superb thunderstorm round our way last night. The heatwave - all 8 hours of it - came to an abrupt end and the garden got the watering it so badly needed. I couldn't resist grabbing a few shots - hand-held and very much seat of pants stuff (lightning reactions?) - and shoved one on the Book of Face, only to be asked what camera I used! Doh ...

Anyway, that's not the shocking bit! The shocking bit is that yet another newspaper has decided that photographs don't need to be paid for any more. Last month the Manchester Evening News ran six of my Joy Division photographs without so much as a by-your-leave, and now The Guardian wants to play the same game with a selection of shots from my archive. They got in touch with my picture agency to ask if they could use a few and do a little article. So far so good, except there was no fee involved and the water-mark would be minimal on the shots. Bloody hell, it's no wonder the man in the street doesn't think anything of nicking a photograph when 'so-called' esteemed publications like these don't consider a payment to be in order. What bit of 'professional' photographer do you not understand, dear newspapers? Shocking ..

Spread the good word ..

I did something yesterday that I haven't done for a long, long time. I took a photograph for the Manchester Evening News! Ok, it was only a self-portrait but it is for publication so that counts, doesn't it? The paper's doing a piece on my Joy Division exhibition at Charles Roe House and so, rather than have them schlepp a photographer down to Macclesfield, I volunteered to do the shots myself. It only took 378 attempts!..

There's other good news on the Joy Division front. The shots I took at Peter Hook's 'So this is Permanence' gig last month are going on Limited Edition sale. It's been agreed that the three photographers who covered the gig can now offer a selection of prints for sale until December 31st. I've edited my work down to around 20 images - I say around as I'm awaiting final approval - but, once I get the nod, I'll get that link up and running all over those other kinds of media!
Gotta spread the word, eh?..

Foopball ..

So, off I go to the Republic of Ireland! With Roy Keane! Ok, not the me Martin O'Neill, the football manager Martin O'Neill and it's ironic I'll .. I mean he'll .. be working with Roy Keane, as I go back long enough to have actually photographed Keane's signing for Man U when I was a press photographer! The MEN got an exclusive, so it was just me and him at, I think, The Cliff, in Salford. Cripes, that was 20 years ago! I remember shaking his hand and wishing him good luck! I think it worked for him .. ho ho!

Anyway, I can't show you that photograph, as it went the way of all negatives at the Manchester Evening News, and will never be seen again! And, seeing as I'm not the mostly footbally photographer in the world, I have very little to offer in the way of other footy photos, so you'll have to make do with this picture of Alex Stepney, shot when he signed for .. Altrincham! .. towards the end of his career. I just missed him giving me the 'V's as I'd just shouted at him during the game! Sorry, Alex!..

Oh, Foopball? If you've ever read Molesworth then any fule kno that's how he phonetically spells the word. Try it! It works ..

Ha! Stop Press: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/2000-ebay-bidding-starts-roy-6281073

#pressphotography, #prphotography, #ManchesterUnited  

Brian Connolly's Bum...

Ok, Plan B!
I had wanted to show you some of the commercial stuff I shot last week, to tie in with yesterday's Blog about Me, me, me.. but I've been told I can't show the pictures until they've been approved by the clients!
Sooooo....I'll show you these, from a shoot I did with the late Brian Connolly, lead singer with Glam-rockers The Sweet.
Myself and journo Mick Middles went Darn Sarf to interview and shoot him for the Manchester Evening News, when it used to have a weekly colour magazine (Ah, those were the days!) It's fair to say that poor old Brian had seen better days. He was as thin as a rake and none too well looking, but he was ploughing ahead with re-forming the band, or at least, his version of it. When I piled in with all my gear, he told me to set up in the corner, but when I said I'd prefer somewhere else he looked confused. He thought I'd come to rehearse for the new drummer's spot!
We eventually got going, and as this sad old sofa was the only piece of furniture in his lounge, we started to shoot with him on that. After I while, he laughed at how many different angles I was shooting, and said "I bet if I stood on my head you'd shoot that, too, wouldn't you?"
"Of course!",  I said, so he did...and I did!