A quick catch-up ..

Not had much chance to blog lately .. real life's been getting in the way! We've been busy with the gîte and garden and I've been form-filling to get myself into the French tax system (Oh, goody!) ..

Like England, we've had lots of heat and thunder lately .. which has kinda slowed down my plans to paint the outside of the gîte .. but I'm back on track and should have it finished by the end of this week. (Gosh, that's interesting Martin!) ..

Not a lot to report on the photography front, other than to say I'm shooting a lot of landscape and flower pictures. Oh, and sunsets! From our garden we get a great view of the western sky, and I'm usually to be found out with a camera at sunset in the hope of adding another cracker to my collection. So where was I when this one occurred? In the bar, of course! I should add that I was there enjoying one of mein host Jean-Marc's fab 'Apero' evenings, which he throws on a regular basis. The key here is that it's important always to take the photograph, even if the positioning isn't the most perfect (Lesson over!) ..

Speaking of socialising, we were invited to dinner the other evening .. in our gîte! A family who've stayed there in the past returned again for a fortnight, and invited us round for a meal to say Thank you. A lovely evening, and we didn't have to wait for a taxi home. And, not only that, but we've taken our first booking for June. That's June 2019. (Hurrah!) ..

I'm in clover ..

Today is another Bank Holiday in France  - VE Day - and, driving through the glorious French countryside yesterday, my attention was caught by a bright red field over in the distance. "Oooh, poppies," I cried "Look at all those poppies", and I decided to pop back there last night to get some shots for today's blog. The poppies turned out to be clover! But, my God, how beautiful! I've never seen anything like it, and the setting sun really brought out the detail in the flowers. I vowed that a picture from the 'shoot' would be the theme of today's blog regardless, but then what happened? Sunrise happened, and today's second picture appeared like magic from our garden. There are gorgeous photographs to be had everywhere! 
 Man, I am in clover ..

Jets ..

We're right at the heart of the French countryside and when the street lights go off at night there's no sign of another human being visible from our house. However, as the sun went down last night, I was reminded that the world we live in these days is a small one. I counted no less than 12 jet con-trails overhead. You're never that far from anyone, anymore ..

Ma première exposition ..

'Small, but perfectly formed' is the best way to describe my first ever exhibition in France, now open at a punk club called El Doggo in the French city of Limoges. I've only managed to squeeze in eight pictures - it's a small bar - but it will give visitors a taste of my Joy Division photography and, hopefully, lead to more shows in my new country.

You might be seeing a trend here. As I sat down to write this blog, Facebook flashed up one of those 'Your memories on Facebook' things from three years ago. It was a blog about the opening of a Joy Division exhibition!..

May Day, May Day ..

My Mum used to tell us that if we washed our faces in the dew on May 1st then we'd have great complexions in later life. Obviously, it didn't work for me but, as a mist rolled over our garden this morning, I couldn't resist going out to photograph the new month's cool freshness. It's the first day of May, our first May in France, and the first time I've ever celebrated a Bank Holiday 'Tuesday'. Yes, the French do things on the day, which means a lazy day for us and a chance to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow is another first - my first exhibition in France. Ok, it's more like 'hanging a few pictures in a bar', but it all counts and I'm so pleased to be getting my Joy Division shots out to a new audience. They'll be on show all month at a Punk club called El Doggo in Limoges. Hope you can make it ..

Ps: I washed my face anyway. It's never too late ..

ABBAtastic ..

I clearly remember watching ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, and it's true to say their music's been a constant in my life. I even took a girl to see 'Abba The Movie' on my first ever date. (It featured a photo-call with the group on the steps of Sydney Opera House and was the first time I'd ever seen a group of press photographers 'at work'. I was so into it that I took my poor date to see the film again the next night!)

Anyway, I'm as excited as anyone to hear they're releasing new music later this year, and look forward to hearing it. Having the group back in the news reminded me of one of my favourite jokes.

Which is my favourite from Abba? The blond, but I wish he'd shave his beard off!!

I thank you ..

Everything's vine ..

I was once bought a pair of vines as a 'Thank You' gift by a young couple whose Wedding I'd photographed. Little did I know that, within a few years, I'd be tying those vines into those we've 'inherited' at our house in France. So it was that, yesterday evening, I spent time training a red and a white variety of grape into the established hedge at the back of the garden. The sun was setting, a kestrel hovered in the air above and the latest residents in our gîte tell us they are "astonished" at how good it is. Yes, I'm delighted to say that everything's going vine ..

Saint George ..

It's St. George's day today - he being the patron saint of Belfast, as any fule kno. I was lucky enough to photograph the great George Best on two occasions, and am pleased to say I asked him for his autograph. It says a lot that I neglected to ask Ryan Giggs for his! Such a shame that Best's life went the way it did but hey, the man enjoyed himself and you can't say more than that.

Despite my claim to be uninterested in football, I'm delighted that Man U are back in the FA Cup Final and I look forward to watching them beat Chelsea in a few weeks time. It'll be the second time I've watched the Cup Final from 'abroad' .. I remember getting up at about 2am to watch the 1991 final from New Zealand .. a few of us 'Brits' huddled around a tiny TV set in the reception area of a backpackers' hostel in Auckland. Great memories. They're the best!

Over to you, La Galerie ..

I thought I'd hand today's blog over to La Galerie, our gîte in Loubillé, France .. and it can let you know how it's getting on. (What do you mean, a gîte can't write? I'll have you know our gaff does its own 'Gîte Tweets'! ..

'Hi Martin, and thanks for letting me take over your blog today. It's a great opportunity for me to tell you how busy I've been lately. At the moment I have an English family staying with me - they've been here for quite a few weeks now as they're in the middle of buying their own house in France. It's been lovely to give them somewhere to call 'home' whilst they get everything organised, and such fun to host their pets, as dogs are always welcome here. Next week I have a French family staying with me. A couple from Normandy are staying for a week with their parents from La Rochelle. Really looking forward to meeting them, and I'll soon be buying wine, bread and other goodies to make up their Welcome Basket.

I've had a bit of 'tarting up' done in my front garden, and now have a lovely private gravel drive for my guests to park on. A new set of garden furniture and a lick of paint on my walls and shutters is on the cards too, now that the weather's perking up. (It's going to be 26 degrees later this week. Good job I have a cooling ceiling fan in my spacious lounge!)

Yes, spring is making itself known all around me. At the moment I'm surrounded by gorgoeus fields of yellow rape-seed, and buds, blossom and fresh lime green leaves are appearing everywhere. It won't be long until I'm back to my full summer loveliness. Lots of wildlife is reappearing, too. Hundreds of cranes flew over my head on their way back north, and a hoopoe called in yesterday. I have goldfinches, skylarks, black redstarts and long-tailed tits twittering above my head and birds of prey hovering in the fields around me. The swifts and house martins are back and, for the last two mornings, I've heard a cuckoo calling from the nearby woods.  I often spot deer and hares in the fields, and lots of butterflies are starting to enjoy my garden.
 
My friend 'Entre-Pote', the local bar in the village, has thrown some great party nights recently, to which my guests are always welcome. They do a great line in lunchtime meals, too. I'm so lucky to have this lively place just around the corner.

My owner (Yes you, Martin) had a busy day recently when he staged a 'Photo-Walk' around the village, teaching keen amateur photographers how to use their cameras. The photographs here are some that my owner took yesterday. Don't forget he offers One-Day camera workshops for anyone that stays with me. What a great way to spend a day of your holiday.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by some gorgeous chateaux, and they're all busy dusting down and opening up after their winter breaks. The cycling's getting good too, now that the weather's improving. If you don't want to bring over your bikes, don't forget I can organise 'wheels' for you when you're here. 

My bookings are looking good for the summer, although I still have some dates available. Check out my web-site for availability.

Thanks again, Martin. Maybe I can give you another update in the summer? Ciao for now. La Galerie x'

Brilliant. Thanks for the update and yes, catch you in the summer. Have a great Spring!

A boy named Mo ..

A lot of my friends know me as 'Mo'. It's a nickname I've had for almost forty years, from when my old photographic manager used to mark up the office diary - to allocate jobs to each of his photographers - and wrote what he thought were my initials next to the jobs he wanted me to do. So how lovely to see 'my name' in lights - or at least in old metal framing and a blossom-covered bush - when we went for a walk yesterday. Yo Mo, how's it hanging?..

Take another road ..

Another Monday morning, another day to do whatever the hell I like. I'm really getting the hang of this retirement mullarkey. I say 'retirement' because - despite my trying to dress it up - it seems I really have retired from work. I've come to accept that there's no realistic chance of me shooting weddings or PR over here and, to that extent, I've stopped promoting myself as a photographer. The frenzy of 'real-life' is over, and now I'm quite content to potter in our garden, or to see new friends for beer or a meal, or to simply sit and watch as our first French Spring unrolls in front of us. I've had time to re-edit my book, 'The Boy who missed Next Year', and have even started to write two new stories. Yep, as much as I loved the rush and the adrenaline of photography, I'm now quite happy to sit back and let the world wash over me. I've taken another road. It's bliss! 

Walk this way ..

I was delighted to lead a Photo Walk around our little village yesterday. Delighted too that I gave practically all of it in French, thanks to a little .. er, a lot .. of help from the DeepL translation app! I'm chuffed to bits that I got the turnout that I did, and chuffed to bits that everyone was so enthusiastic. The afternoon was a taster of the Shoot 'n Tutor One-Day Camera Workshop I offer at our gîte here in France. Thanks to all who came along. We'll do it all again soon ..

What joy ..

Thirty nine years! That's how long it is since I shot my Joy Division photographs at Bowdon Vale Youth Club in Manchester. Thirty nine years ago today, as a callow 18 year old junior photographer just 5 months into my career. Now I wouldn't normally have mentioned this anniversary, but ..

Tomorrow I'm off to meet with a chap in a town near here to discuss an exhibition of my pictures, and I was literally taking them out of storage this morning when today's date dawned on me. Funny how things work out ..

Moreover, I had an email last weekend from a Blogger, asking if he could use some of these photographs to go with a piece he was writing. The fee to me? Zero. My answer to him? No, you can't! Funny what people for free expect these days ..

Also last week, an email came from the Visitor Centre in Macclesfield - Joy Division's home town. I'd had some prints and booklets for sale there but the Tourist office has decided to return them to me. They weren't "selling well enough"! What joy ..

(Just as a matter of interest, today's shot shows an original scan of a strip of negatives from the gig. Interesting to see that, in those days of shooting film sparingly, four out of those five shots were selected for the exhibition!)

Makes me spit ..

There's a chance you played that 'drinking game' the last time you watched a film. You know the one? You take a drink every time someone on the screen has one. Depending on the movie, there's a good chance you could end up being completely sloshed. Well yesterday I played the 'spitting game'. I watched two football matches back to back and decided I'd spit every time I saw a footballer spit. Every goddam time there was a close-up of a player - or Pep Guardiloa, come to that - they coughed up a lovely big ball of snot. And full marks to subs Fabregas and Gabriel Jesus, both filmed spitting before they even got on the bleedin' pitch. Put me right off my family bag of Maltesers, it did. And what am I supposed to do with two and a half gallons of saliva?..

Who needs a watch? ..

It's been raining most of the week. The garden is a mud bath and there are now not one, but two leaks in our ancient red tiled roof. And do you know what? I love it! I love the fact that I still feel like I'm on holiday. This weekend marks five months since we moved over to France, and we're really getting into it now. Our chickens are laying two, sometimes three eggs a day (Omelette anyone?), we've given up on ironing our clothes and my kinetic wristwatch - which relies on movement to wind itself up - has stopped. I haven't worn it in weeks ..

More importantly, I'm really getting the time to do the things I want. I've decided to re-edit my book - The Boy who missed Next Year - and I'm putting together a Slide Show (Sorry, still can't stop calling them that!) that I'll be giving soon at our local community hall. I once went round the world with my little doll Minnie - that's her in Tahiti - featuring her in hundreds of shots as we journeyed around together. I thought it was about time her shots had a showing. Happy holidays ..

Technical PS: The pictures of Minnie are actually slides. Shot in the early 90s, I got through about 150 rolls of Kodachrome 64 using just one Nikon FM and two lenses.

Thinking of summer ..

Delighted to say I've just added another summer booking to the diary but, unlike years gone by, this was a booking for our gîte rather than for any Wedding photography. Funny how times have changed, eh? Yesterday I received a message from my e-mail domain name company, asking if I wanted to renew my 'UK Wedding Photography' domain name. Sadly, I told them 'no', as I won't be needing that anymore. My life is now focused over here in France, where bookings for the gîte are almost as important to me as Wedding enquiries once were. My photography is still the centre of my life of course, and coming soon is a 'Photography Walk' for keen amateur snappers in our village. The weather's getting better and the cameras are out. Seems I'm not the only one thinking of the summer ..

Think warm thoughts ..

The first shy flakes of snow are falling as I write this - our first snow in France! All a far cry from yesterday, when I took this photograph during our afternoon walk. Still, it won't be long until the Spring is here (we tell ourselves!) and it's fantastic to be enjoying the start of our first 'full' year here, and to be in at the start of the changing seasons. The room I'm sitting in now was one of the first we converted, and it's hard at the moment to recall the 100˚ heat of last May as I chopped up plasterboard and scraped ancient mortar from between the stones in the wall. Still, it's lovely to know that that kind of weather is on its way again. Warming thoughts indeed .. 

The Fallen ..

Very sad to hear of the death of Mark E. Smith, lead singer/dictator of Manchester band The Fall. I can still remember the excitement I felt as an 18 year old, hearing the unbelievably different 'Bingo - Master's - Break- Out!' on John Peel in 1978, a single I still own and play to this day. I even have on my wall a poster for a Fall gig at Manchester Students' Union. I took it down when I moved to France and put it straight back up as soon as I got here. He's definitely one of my musical Marmites - some of his stuff is totally unlistenable to - but yes, it's safe to say Mr Smith has had quite a defining part in my musical tastes. God bless ya, Mark E ... 

What a square ..

I've set my Fuji X10 to 'Square' again in an effort to emulate the 120 film in my old Yashica 124 camera. I love the challenge I get from fitting the world into a square, with no advantage being gained from shooting either portrait or landscape. The thing is, I find it very easy to have my subjects 'look right' when they're put into that format so I know it's going to be a great new project. However, the privacy laws in France mean it's not legal to take photographs of people in the street without permission, so I have a feeling that this series will generally be landscapes. No problem. There's nothing square about that ..

(Click the shots to see them larger) 

Flyin' ..

It's four months to the day since we moved to France. Time flies! Yet, funnily enough, it seems a long time since I shot my last Wedding .. on the August Bank Holiday. I was reminded of it this morning when I received a lovely e-mail from Emma, the bride. "Thank you so much .." she said "for making our day so special. You made everyone laugh and feel so at ease, you’re an amazing photographer, your work speaks for itself, we have a beautiful album and set of photos we will treasure forever. You're a star xxxx". Thanks so much, guys..

As you can tell, this Wedding was turned around really quickly. The couple were keen to chose their images and I've already designed and delivered their Wedding album. Job done! Contrast that with another couple who have just got in touch to ask about choosing the shots from their Wedding .. two years ago!!
Yep, time flies alright ..