Lost in France ..

Back from another week in France, and I am SO settling into their way of life! Check out this shot from our last night at the house. Our mower packed in half way through cutting the lawn .. and so what happened? Our next door neighbour whizzed round on his own sit-on mower and finished the job for us, that's what! I'm afraid there was nothing else we could do but chat with his wife and drink gin and tonics as the sun went down. C'est la vie ..

Anyway, I am now registered with a great web-site called 'Brides in France', and am pushing for Wedding bookings in what will soon be my new home. Have a look-see here ..

I've actually had to come back to the UK because I have another Wedding to shoot on Saturday. It's the Big Day for a lovely couple who'll be marrying at The Village Hotel in Warrington. Can't wait!..

Now, what's the French expression for 'time to wash my dirty socks'?..

It's the norm...

This is the pre-Wedding photograph that'll be used as the Signing Board at the Wedding today of Kerry and Norm, and I'm so pleased they picked it as their choice! It just goes to show that romance isn't dead! Even though Norm's a big, butch plasterer it's lovely to see he doesn't mind showing his softer side, and I wouldn't bet against him shedding a little tear when he says his vows this afternoon. That's what I love about Wedding Photography. It's all out there in the open. The nerves, the love and the giggles, all wrapped up in some of swankiest togs the couple will ever wear! It's one reason I shy away from the 'modern' Wedding look - the yellow tints, the blurry edges, the corny, unsmiling poses. Reality is so much better! Now where did I put my lens vaseline and brandy glass?...

We did the rest...

"Gosh! What's that, Dad?"
"That? Ah that, son, is a Kodak Instamatic!"
"Huh?"...
"It was a type of camera, son. Used to be made by a big company that could supply your every need as a photographer. Film, papers, chemicals and yes, even the cameras themselves."
"Wow, Dad. Can I get one? Can I? Can I?.."
"No, son, 'fraid not! They've just gone out of business. Imagine, big company like that, based entirely in the world of photography. Bust! Gone! Ko - Dodo..."
"Tut! Gee! So, what happened, Dad?"
"Digital happened, my boy. Digital...."
"Digital? Digital? How'd that kill 'em off?"..
"Well, son, it's like this. They used to have this catch-phrase, see.
'You press the button, we do the rest'"
"Yeah? And?..."
"And, well .. 'the rest' doesn't happen anymore, son. These modern folk, they just click and click and click and all those images ... sniff ... well, they never, ever become real photographs."
"No??..."
"No, son, they just stay on cards, sticks, hard-drives and discs until them peeps just lose 'em on a bus! Cryin' shame!"
"It is, Dad! It is! Good job that Martin O'Neill kept so many old negatives, eh?"...

©Martin O'Neill 2012

A Signature Shot..

Wow! The writing was on the wall at yesterday's Village Hotel Wedding. Well, it almost was when Laura and Steve's signing board proved to be rather popular with their guests! Anybody booking me as their Wedding Photographer before the end of this month will receive a free Engagement portrait, made up into a Signing Board like this (Hey, I even throw in the Sharpies!) I've never seen one fill up so quickly as this one, though. That's one popular couple just married! You can check out their Wedding here...

Right, time to go hunting for Easter eggs....

The heat is on...

Probably hard to see, but this thermometer reads thirty-five degrees, so it obviously wasn't photographed here because it's a Bank Holiday, and the cold, wind and rain are right on cue to spoil the long weekend! They'll make a pickle of today's Wedding too, I fear, as it's being held in a, well let's say less-photogenic hotel in Stockport, with any amount of car-park to choose from for my shots should the weather behave, and any amount of dark, crowded corridor should it decide not to! I will, of course, rise to the challenge, and the results will be on here for you to see by Tuesday.

I'm waiting excitedly for the post-man! I've bought myself a new Fuji rangefinder camera, and can't wait to start playing with it. I've ordered it from Jessops on-line shop, and can expect it any moment with free next-day delivery. Thing is, I did actually go to the shop to buy one, but get this.. It costs £50 more in the shop than it does online! Fifty pounds .. from the same company. Is it any bloody wonder our high streets are becoming deserts? Makes my blood boil...

PS: My shot was taken in Dallas, and the thermometer was in the shade. Get me back there ..  please!!

Stop Press: 8.15 pm .. home from the Wedding! Man, I rose to the challenge!!

Look on the bright side...

Ok, enough of the excitement from the weekend .. let's get back to basics. I thought I'd provide a public service to my readers in the south of England by showing them what a lot of water looks like! It must be so long since they've seen a sight like this, what with their drought and all that! Funnily enough I had an engagement shoot to do on Saturday and the bride-to-be, Laura, called me first thing in the morning to suggest we postponed it as it was pouring down. I told her that, if Saturday had actually been her Wedding Day, we'd have had no choice but to carry on and get the shots done, so she relented and we went ahead with the shoot. On the drive down to the hotel, however, I was gritting my teeth as, not only it had stopped raining but the sun was now shining absolutely blindingly. I needn't have worried! As soon as I got to the venue the rain began again, and can actually be seen in all my shots! Still, I had to look on the bright side .. at least it wasn't sunny! ..

PS: This shot won me the runner-up prize in the Cheshire County Newspapers annual Snappers' competition in 1981!

Trendy at last..

Engelbert Humperdinck in the Eurovision Song Contest? Well, that's it then, we've won! Aw, come on .. you can't argue with class, can you, and yes, these CDs are from my own collection! I knew I'd end up trendy one day! Ironically, I'm always complaining that the same old names keep getting played on the radio, making it very hard for new talent to break through, but today I couldn't hide my delight on hearing that old Engelbert would be flying the flag for us in May. Go on, Bert! I always knew I'd be a better man (For having loved you) PS: Relax! I've not gone all soppy on you, that's the title of one of his songs!

So, off to Stockport now to shoot some portraits for a business magazine, and then I have an engagement shoot over the weekend at The Village hotel, in Cheadle. Just got to remember not to sing 'Release Me' ..!