Jobs a good 'un..

I'm not usually one for trite 'isms' but one that seems to hold fast is 'Be true to yourself'. I'll come clean and tell you that a quote from that Steve Jobs speech is pinned to my wall, with good ol' Jobbsy staring at me with a challenging frown.

"Have the courage.." he implores me "To follow your heart and intuition"

So why mention this? Well, after a dry spell for enquiries, it's suddenly been a good week for Wedding bookings this week, with three in already by last evening. The thing is - and I've asked them - every one of those couples has gone with me because they like my no-nonsense style. They like the relaxed, informal, genuine approach I offer them, with none of the current sickly style for turning everyone's Wedding into a hammily-staged, time-consuming, purple and yellow, sun-flared, backlit, unsmiling, serious fashion shoot!

However, I'm like everyone else. I keep a close watch on trends, styles and subtle changes in the Wedding Photography market, and every now and again I'll get a little niggle in my head. Should I shoot for the Vintage 'trend'? Should I 'photoshop' every picture to within an inch of its life. Should I seperate the bride and groom from their whole Wedding for an hour's heavy-duty posing? And then it comes back to me. No, I shouldn't! I'm basically a Press Photographer! I shoot reality. I've shot reality since I first took up photography in 1973, so reality is what I'll stick with. Like these punks, who got 'volunteered' to hold my reflector when they were sitting drinking lager under the tree I wanted to use for my pictures, I'll be true to my own values and 'my' market will come to me!

So Cheers Jobbsy, Cheers punks, Cheers you lovely, lovely couples ..

Mine's an Apple, Mac..

I was going to write about Graham Nash today, but Steve Jobs died overnight so I thought I'd say a word in his honour. I love Apple, and I've never used or owned a PC. In fact, I'm typing this on an Imac, listening to music on my Ipod! Yep, I'm a Mac man through and through, and all because of Steve Jobs' genius! RIP Steve!
Now, on the subject of technology a good pal of mine, a reporter who I began to work with way back in 1980, is the IT writer on the FT in SF - the Financial Times in San Francisco. I dug out this photograph of Chris, on the left, in the early days of his hi-tech research -ie: drinking bitter and playing Space Invaders in a Manchester disco! At the time it seemed we were all just idling away our evenings getting drunk and playing computer games, but now I like to think that myself and John, the other pal in the picture, were pivotal in helping Chris get on the ladder of success!
Actually, I will write about Graham Nash. You know? As in Graham Nash of The Hollies, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. That Graham Nash! I met him last night at the opening of his new photographic exhibition in Manchester. I won't say what I think of his work, other than to say he does a lot better job as a musician, but I will say what I thought of his attitude. I was telling him I'd met Mike Batt and Feargal Sharkey earlier in the week. Guess what.. he's never heard of either of them! What? Never heard of..    "I was too busy doing my own thing, man!" he said. Well, 'scuse us all for breathing, Graham!