Hey, bud...

Read into this what you want! Green shoots of recovery, spring on the way, growth, optimism, better days ahead .. or just a saddo shooting bushes! It was a delight to see, though, and I can't wait for the warmer days that are just around the corner. The Wedding season's kicking off good and proper now too, especially with Valentine's Day filling our cash registers - sorry, our hearts - with romance! There's a big Wedding Fayre this weekend - the season opener if you like - at Tatton Park and, although I missed out on a stand, I'll be there in spirit, or at least in 250gm card, as 2000 Goody Bags will all have my little studiofivefour.com business flyer in them, with the offer of a free engagement shoot for all visitors to the event.

As for today .. well, I'm off to shoot a brochure at an Old Folks' Home. Not so much green shoots .. just another branch of my PR photography!

You de man! ..

How're these for compliments?  They came in emails last night, and sent me to bed with a smile on my face! I photographed the Wedding of Suzanne and Paresh at Tatton Park last September, and they've just finished trying to choose the images they'd like for their album. It was a difficult job for them! "Well what a task cutting down our photo's..!! " they said "The job would but so much easier if you took c**p photos but hey ho, we picked a top notch photographer so we could only expect top notch photos!!!"

Now that, my friends, I can live with! Top notch! Ooh, I do like to start the week by being called Top Notch! Makes me feel dead good!

The other reason to feel good was that, for the second week in a row, I got a booking from a Wedding Fayre right there and then on the day, and I can't wait to shoot the Big Day for Alun and Karen in September. They met me on Saturday at the Blackburne House Fayre in Liverpool, and their's was the second great email that came in last night. I'd mashed together a price and package for them, based on what they were looking for from their Wedding Photography, and they emailed back "That's great, we're very happy with this!"

Cue contented sigh! Ladies and gentlemen, this Blog is brought to you today by Martin O'Neill Photography - Top Notch! Bringer of Happiness!..

Aw, fair go...

I did have a good look around when I saw this sign, though I didn't really expect to see one that said "Please keep off the ordinary working man!"  This sign's at Tatton Park, pointing people away from the lovely grassy slopes at the rear of the Mansion House. I saw it when I was shooting a Wedding there last week.

On the same subject - not! - I found an old diary from 1981 the other day. Guess what I've got written on the inside front cover..  Phone numbers of my nearest and dearest? Names of picture editors on national newspapers? Nope! The development times for Ilford HP5 film, that's what! Since you ask, it was 7 minutes in ID-11 for 400 ASA, up to 25 minutes in Microphen for 6400! God, how I love that ISO dial on digital cameras!!

Gizza kiss....

A sweet little montage from last Sunday's Wedding at Tatton Park, and I'm sure I'll get some equally good shots at today's Civil Partnership ceremony, too. I'm off to Manchester to see Matt and Andy tie the knot, and really keen to get some cool reportage as they amble between their three different venues around Albert Square.. Manchester Registry Office, the bar they're visiting for some refreshing sparkly stuff, and then the town hall itself for their reception.
Bring it on!

The signs are good...

Wow! I've just revamped my entire web-site! My eyes are boggled! It looks great though, and I'm really excited. Please check it out and tell me what you think! Quick blog today as I'm leaving soon for Mitton Hall, up near Preston, to shoot the Wedding of Hannah and Mike! Can't wait!
Please don't raiiiiinnnn.......

Anyway, here's a 'word for word' text from Suzanne, whose Wedding I shot on Sunday at Tatton Park.
"Just to say the pics are absolutely amazing. I had tears in my eyes going through them, you captured every little detail, it was brilliant" 
Nice, eh? 'Cos so often these days it's a case of "Silence is Golden" .. If I never hear from a client or a bride after their event I can only assume it's because they were happy with my work and didn't need to contact me to have a moan!!

My ego is suitably massaged...

What a day!...

Phew! Tatton Park! Bring it on...

I shot what was probably the most amazing Wedding of my year so far yesterday! It was the Big Day for Suzanne and Paresh - a fantastic mixture of Scottish and Indian, sari and kilt, at the amazing Tatton Park, in Cheshire. I was exhausted by the time I'd finished it! With coverage from bridal preparations to first dance it was a long day, and now I'm currently working my way through 1, 366 shots from the whole event. I received two of the best compliments I've ever had, too! The bride's step-dad Mike said I was "brilliant", and when we got into a conversation about advertising and promotion he said he'd describe my USP, my unique selling point, as being a crackpot! Love it! I love it, but how do I get that across when nobody phones my studio anymore? It's all done by email, these days, and we all know how sterile that can be. I bring this up because only this weekend I had an email (Ironically, they didn't phone!) from my 'Freephone number' supplier. They said I might want to cancel my Freephone number, as I'd gone below my minimum usage amount. In other words, as I said, people are e-mailing rather than phoning! The minimum usage amount? Three minutes per month! Jeepers! Thank you for (not) calling! Have a nice day!

PS.. I think he meant crackpot in a nice way !!   ;-)

When ya gotta go....

Well, what to Blog about today?... Libya? The Economy?  Weddings? Naa..it's Friday! Time to chill and let it all hang out whilst I can! There's a big Wedding Weekend coming up, after all! I can't wait to get cracking at Tatton Park on Sunday but, before that, I'm off to Peckforton Castle in my new role as Wedding Photography Advisor! (I just made that up!) The couple whose Wedding I'm actually going to want me to walk them around the venue and show them the best locations for their photography. Just gotta keep telling myself that I'm not actually shooting it!
Oh, I did end up talking about Weddings, after all! What are the chances?...