Sigh !

I was talking to a young photographer the other day and he mentioned he'd never used film. An unbelievable thing for me to hear, of course, but natural enough for someone who's just come into photography. It tied in with a couple of other things. Another photographer I met was telling me how he only used Velvia for his landscapes. It's a transparency (slide) film that delivers gorgeous rich colours. A lot of my Florescence series was shot on it, actually! Made me think back to my 'film' days, when you HAD to get the shots right because there was no easy-peasy checking the camera screen to preview your work. Made it kinda disappointing then, to hear the full story of the Last ever roll of Kodachrome. It's been given to renowned documentary photographer Steve McCurry, who I met in Manchester once. His shots are going to be the subject of a National Geographic programme, but he says he felt the pressure to get the shots right...so he shot it digitally first ! Aw, Steve !!

Looking for a suitable 'slide film' shot to drop in to this story, I found one of my 1970's shots of Northern Ireland. Kids and guns...and today some idiots there bomb a police station. Some things never change!

Any Road Up....

Bloody Council works!
What are the chances, eh? The big event at the Joy Division exhibition this weekend was the showing of the rare film Plan K..showing the guys' gig in Brussels. What happens? The council start digging outside and cut off the bloody 'lekky!! Grrr.....
Any road up..follow the signs to Macclesfield while you can, guys...the show's only on for this week.
Oh, and nice piece in the Mirror by Miranda Sawyer...

Hittin' the road..

Bit of a quickie today as I'm getting ready to hit the road...off to London to see about getting my new Greetings Cards stocked in the trendy tourist areas!
Just to say that I've had yet another couple round to the studio who've been let down by a 'friend' who was going to shoot their Big Day. Turns out this guy bottled it and even got his girlfriend to text the groom to tell him he couldn't do it ! ( He's now an ex-friend!! )
I say it so often..owning a good digital camera does not make you a photographer!
Don't risk it, guys!..Having a pro photographer cover your day isn't just about getting the shots right. A confident professional will 'drive' your day in the right direction, and 'steer' you and your guests to where you need to be. That reminds me, I'd better hit the road...

Known Pleasures!

Went to Macc last night for the opening of the big Joy Division exhibition...Unknown Pleasures, at the Heritage Centre, Macclesfield! My photographs run in a continuous slide show with some of those by Anton Corbijn. Steve Morris, the band's drummer, is joint curator of the show, and that's me and him jawing in the corridor. Said Hi to Jon Savage, and New Order's Gillian Gilbert, and had a great time looking through some amazing memorabilia. Best bit for me? The actual Set List written by Steve for the gig I shot at Bowdon Vale Youth Club. Wow! The show runs for a mere week until August 7th.
Don't Miss it !

Up in the Air...

 Just dropped a few shots of Aircraft onto my 'Photo-Shop'...prints at £17.50 for a gorgeous Pearl Metallic Print...Check 'em out!

Up the Wall...Again!

Everything's up the wall today! Firstly, my Florescence Cards are now on sale
in Plaza Cards, a "proper" card shop in Culcheth...look, my own racks and everything!
And secondly, my Joy Division images are being projected up the wall at the new Unknown Pleasures exhibition in Macclesfield. Official opening tonight then up and running until August 7th..it's a must, Curtis fans!

Head and shoulders!

Today I thought I'd show you a couple of different portraits I've worked on lately.
The first was this copying job for a chap who wanted an enlargement of his friend. All well and good BUT the friend just happened to be one of hundreds of university students in this five foot long 'portrait' from the '50's. No probs...and as you can see I pulled out a great 7x5 print for him, retouched, scratch-free and contrast-boosted!
The second shoot was a 'Proms night' student from last month. She loved her new shoes so again, no probs..let's get 'em on the shot and have a giggle.
Made me think, though...It's a shame people are holding back on having pro portraits shot at the moment. For the sake of a few pounds you avoid the possibilty of not having that reminder of your youth, or your family, or your kids....Money well spent!

Martin O'Neill Week !

It's gonna be a busy week for self-promotion..so stand back and here I go!
First up is Florescence at Wilmslow Garden centre. Well, some of it !
Turns out the walls are not strong enough to take the weight of my four-foot long acrylic mounts, so I've had to opt for Plan B and put up a set of smaller montages and single images instead. Looks good though, and sets off the restaurant quite nicely. The shot of me (Ugh!) is for the Wilmslow Express!

Second up is the Florescence range of greetings cards, which go on sale today at the Plaza Cards shop in Culcheth. They're stocking 26 different images from the range as a trial to see if we've got a viable product. Naturally, I think they'll sell well, so stay tuned and I'll blog a shot of them in the racks later.

So with that, the Joy Division opening on Wednesday night AND a piece about me in the Warrington Guardian it's totally Martin O'Neill week ! Ego? Me?

Ah, chill....

No Wedding this weekend, so time to tootle round my garden and enjoy the sunshine!
Get the Pimms out....

PPS...

And this one, too!

PS..No thanks!

All I can say is I'm glad I didn't get THIS Wedding booking!!

Light at the end of the tunnel?..

Just been trying to complete a business survey about how I see things going for my company.
How on earth can I predict that in these funny old times? I can't make people want to be photographed!
All I can do is be out there, visible, advertising...but...*

Things seem to be picking up, though. There's been a whole raft of enquiries this past week, and I'm keen to meet all these prospective new brides to discover what's kick-started them into looking for a photographer all of a sudden. (I do know that one couple have been let down by a friend who had promised to shoot their wedding! I keep telling you all it's not a good idea!!)

Anyway, back to but*....Of the brides I've spoken to this week, a couple googled me and one or two picked up flyers in hotels, but the rest were all 'word of mouth'..the best form of advertising! I've shot siblings' weddings for two of the young ladies...and one recommendation came from a groom's aunt who saw me working at a wedding...five years ago! Glad I made a good impression!

Oh, the shot was taken when I was about 15 years old...those are my schoolmates on their way to St.Pat's in Eccles! Where are they now?

What are the chances?..

The hosepipe ban continues..yet flooding is rife with all this rain we've had. I even went in B&Q yesterday and the roof was leaking! Reminds me of a poster on the wall of a pub plugging a singer called Midnight Johnny....he was on at 8 pm !! Best of all, a photographer pal of mine has bought some of my Florescence pictures and had them framed in their hall. Now THEY get complimented on the shots!
Grrr....
Anyway...the cards are on sale at the annual Culcheth Open Gardens event this weekend, helping raise funds for St Rocco's Hospice and Culcheth Methodist Church, and the shot of this little bruiser is from my Malaysia tour!

The past is getting closer...!

Hmm...a sign of the times, eh?  A pub...closed down...called The Museum!
And, speaking of museums, the big Joy Division festival starts next week at Macclesfield Silk Museum, and publicity's picking up, with Mark Kermode and Kevin Cummins among the names that will discuss films about the band as my photographs are projected on the walls.
Reminds me of the time I went to the opening of Control, the film about Ian Curtis made by Anton Corbijn. The bigwigs were buzzing in the foyer of Cornerhouse as TV and radio interviewers piled in. I proudly presented a set of my postcards to this tall, long-haired chap whose work I admire. "For me?" he asked, delightedly. "Yes" I replied, "I love your work!". Well, he was really pleased to get them and I was so happy he accepted them. Then someone shouted that Anton Corbijn was coming. So who the hell had I just given my cards to? The chap who played Anthony Wilson, that's who!
Oh, well..!

Tell me you love me!..

I was tidying the studio the other day and came across the book I use to collect the 'Testimonials' that people send me.  It made me realise I don't seem to get Thank-You letters anymore....(Is it because we're in an email era? Are people too busy? Do people just take you for granted? Is it embarrassing to pay a compliment these days?...Gulp, maybe it's me!!). Anyway, being the sensitive artist I am I like to know I've done a good job for customers. It's true you should never rest on your laurels, but sometimes when you work on your own you only know you're doing OK when you don't hear anything from anyone! Well, I got my dose of flattery when a Gay Wedding Magazine called me to say they wanted to use one of my Civil Partnership shoots as a 'Real Life' Wedding. Ok, I advertise with them and they wanted me to renew, but it was nice when they added that my current advert is one of the most popular in the photography section. It gets comments from readers, and they've just used it as an example to show their own clients in London. Ah..that's better!

God, what a Big-head !

Chocks away....

Just spent a funky weekend at the annual Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford...well done, guys!
Of course, you figure a gerzillion shots of the planes are going to be taken...so how to get something new? I enjoyed myself by playing around with the multiple exposure button on my camera.
Turns out the shots look like your worst hangover, but it kept me amused for an afternoon!

Anyway, lots of wedding enquiries in this week. Looks like the market's picking itself up again, and I'm sure it bodes well for the 2011 season. Just remind me to take the camera off multiple shots !!

A nation of shopkeepers..

..and I've just joined 'em...Virtually!  People often ask if they can get hold of prints of my work, and although it's always been possible from my website it's dawned on me that I could make the process a lot simpler. So...I've set up a link on the home-page of my website that takes you discerning print collectors straight to my "Photo-shop"! (See what I did there?) Prints of Joy Division and The Smiths are on there, as are exclusive images of The Hacienda and The Boardwalk.  My Florescence series is there (Greetings Cards now available, roll up, roll up!) as are photographs from my two books, Don't Miss This and Don't Miss That. The shot above is from Don't Miss That...a series of shots from Eccles in 1977.
Yeah, a long time ago. Well, when was the last time you had your pears weighed?

Lights, camera, erm.....

Yep..it's me! Just posted it as the new intro image on my website...and I've already been called "cute".. (Well, it WAS 37 years ago..!) Anyway, a lovely link was posted on Facebook today from Tamara & Julia, whose civil partnership I photographed recently. They're big in AFFA, the Alliance for Full Acceptance (An American social justice organization achieving equality and acceptance for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people) We had a great day in Manchester, and ended up swiggin' champers at The Living Room, on Deansgate. Anyway, now they've 'bigged' me up with Tickled Pink magazine, from where Tamara had found my details whilst trying to plan her English Wedding from sunny South Carolina. Not bad for a lad in National Health specs !

You have to laugh...

A rather amusing clip of a Wedding Photographer mailed to me this morning....poor fella!
Thankfully I've never had anything like that happen to me (Touch Wood!), although I've heard a few funny things over the years! Once, a bride came to the studio to pick up her new Wedding Album, saying disappointedly that she couldn't believe I'd seen the album before her!!

Those who can, do....

You know I'm not revealing anything new when I say that times are hard for photographers, but I was rather depressed the other day to hear of a new course being run by one of my competitors. This lady Wedding Photographer is now offering to teach your friends how to take your Wedding Photographs!
Yep...if she's not going to get the booking because you don't want to pay a professional, then she'll attempt to show your pals with their swanky new digital cameras how to do it for you! How depressing!
For the cost of the course you could get a great set of photographs from me...with the knowledge that they'd be great and, more to the point, that your Wedding would be guided professionally and not let to wander by someone who hasn't ever done that job before.
Why would you risk it..??

Put it away...

..Your hosepipe, dear!
The ban starts today and we're heading for a summer of drought...
A far cry from the flooded roads I photographed for the Warrington Guardian in 1980.
I brightened up an otherwise boring shot by getting these kids to have a splash in the pool of water under this bridge. Won 2nd prize in the newspaper's  'Photographer of the year' competition!

On a completely different point..my Joy Division booklets and postcards are now on sale at Macclesfield Silk Museum as part of their Unknown Pleasures exhibition, and Floresence comes to an end at High Legh Garden Centre..soon to reappear at Wilmslow Garden Centre.

Oh, and I've just finished making a Wedding Album from a December Wedding. I'm in shorts and a T-shirt, looking at my Bride & Groom dashing through a white-out snow storm. Ooh, there I go, talking about the weather again!

England, my England...

One game to go, and then we're done with it all for another four years...but I did enjoy that short burst of national pride and hope! Back to reality, I bought this week's copy of Amateur Photography magazine.
It's had a great idea and is giving away a free lens cloth printed with Photographers' Rights...(It's not illegal to photograph people on the streets, etc, etc...)
Mine had been nicked !

It's on the cards...

My new range of Greetings Cards is blossoming! The cards are blank inside and feature photography from my 'Florescence' range...an amazing collection of 144 flowers, blossoms, buds and leaves!
They're made with a genuine Fuji 'Pearl' metallic print and every one is individually signed, so they can be used as framed 'wall art'..(Don't you just love that term!)
I'm launching them in a suitably quirky way...they're going on sale on Saturday - for just £2.95 - at the Summer Show of Culcheth & District Horticultural Society!

Interestingly, a lot of people who've seen the shots assume that I've 'photoshopped' them in some way.
They're so vibrant, with such specific points of focus, that people just think they're digital and 'worked on'.  Nothing could be further from the truth...they're all shot on 120 transparency film, using a Mamiya 645. So there!

What do you do in the week...?

A quick rant!
It's getting tough to be a photographer these days. PR Budgets are shot, newspapers are closing..and everyone has a digital camera. Suddenly, in the eyes of the public, photography is easy! The old "mystique" of photography..."Will it come out?"...has gone. One look at the back of the camera and there's your answer. Doesn't matter HOW it came out..it's enough that there's an image. Job done...why pay the pro? (Ask me nicely and I'll tell you my story about the accountants Grant Thornton!)

At a recent Wedding I had two seperate incidents that really highlighted peoples' current perception of professional photography.  One guest asked if I was a friend of the Bride and Groom. "No" I said "I'm a professional photographer!"...and another guest asked "What do you do in the week?"
I've been a professional photographer for 32 years. It's awful to think that I'm now viewed as someone who's bought a digital camera and is shooting weddings for a bit of pocket money!

Rant over!

Oooh Baby....

So, off with the Wedding Hat and on with my Baby Head!

Shot some absolutely delicious shots of little Chloe the other day...what a smashing performer she is!
Mum 'n Dad love the shots, and have ordered a set of three images of their daughter pictured as she pushed her toy pram around the studio.Won't be long before she's in her Prom Dress and all glammed up for a big night out, like my next 'subject' Hannah.
I'll pop a shot of her on The Blog when she's decided which one she likes best!

Can do !...

Just shot a brilliant Wedding in Formby. Two Doctors, a crazy crowd and the perfect setting of Formby Golf Club. FOB (Father of the Bride) opened his speech by thanking Rooney, Capello et al for not qualifying against Germany...the relief of the guests knowing they weren't missing England v Argentina!
Funnily enough there wasn't a hitch all day until it came to the first dance, when there was no band to be found...they were in the bar watching Spain v Paraguay!!!
A long day, with hundreds of shots to edit this week, but a really creatively satisfying Wedding.

Fringe benefits...

A gorgeous day and another Wedding to shoot..I'm really buzzing today!
I'm going to be spending the day with lovely people, in a lovely place, on a happy day..with off-the-cuff shots just waiting to be grabbed...It's great being a Wedding Photographer!

My Tape's Gone...

An obscure home-made 45 by The Freshies...fronted by good ol' Chris Sievey (Aka Frank Sidebottom).
Pictured here at Bowdon Vale Youth Club in 1979...check out the wallpaper in the Joy Division picture below!!
However, it's the day of Chris's funeral. How sad!

You've Been Framed!

Well, you will be when you opt for my new products, including this lovely nine-piece acrylic frame set.
Perfect for a selection of the fave shots from your Big Day.
Speaking of Big Days..it's off to Formby for tomorrow's Wedding...looking forward to shooting at a new venue, the Golf Club..and I think it's fair to say I might enjoy quite a challenge with the weather, too!
Plans are afoot, too, for my Florescence show to hit the road and open up in Wilmslow...stay tooned!
Happy Friday, everyone!

Let the Good Times..rock!

Better days ahead..I'm up with The Greats!
My Joy Division photographs are going to be shown alongside those of fab snappers Anton Corbijn and Kevin Cummins! Our images are all planned to be projected in a continuous slide-show at the forthcoming commemoration exhibition of their iconic lead singer Ian Curtis.
UNKNOWN PLEASURES runs from July 29th 'til August 7th at Macclesfield Silk Museum.

Let the Good Times...stop !

Honestly, you turn your back for a minute! I've only been gone a week and what happens?...My main client goes bust and England get dumped from the World Cup! Good grief!

Well, as my Blog is football free (supposedly!) I'll skip on from that pathetic on-field performance and look at a much sadder story. Crain's Manchester Business has closed! The fab city newspaper that commissioned me for its photography just couldn't keep its head above water in these straitened times, and bit the dust with a bomb-shell announcement last Monday. It lasted just under three years and seemed to be ticking along nicely. Indeed, only a few days before I went away I shot a fab lunch they held at the Piccadilly Ramada Hotel, with photographs used on their website to announce its award winners. 

Sad news...I used to love shooting quirky business portraits for the paper. They used them well and one was short-listed in a national photography competition just this January.

Goodbye Crain's.....

Gotta Fly!

No Blogs for a week now as I'm off on me Jollies, but a quick dip into the archive for a flight-connected shot brings up me shooting Buzby way back in the 80's...Remember Buzby? Well, the guy in the flying helmet is wearing a T-shirt plugging the Post Office, so I'm guessing this was a PR shoot, though funnily enough, I've absolutely no idea who took this shot!
Catch you in a week!

One Less Ray of Sunshine......

Damn it! Chris Sievey just died....how sad !!

Chris Sievey? Frank Sidebottom! Timperley, papier mache head and all that!
I knew him more from his days in The Freshies..and shot him here with the band pretending to be thrown out of the Embassy Rooms in Sale in 1979.
RIP Chris...and thanks for the sunshine you brought into everyone's lives!
Jeepers..enjoy it whilst you can, guys!

Mid-Summer...!

The Longest Day of the Year...and a picture of the sunshine coming through my kitchen window!!
No, I'm not on drugs...the shot is from a series I started entitled '93 million miles!'...I just love the fact that the sun is that far away..blazin' its little heart out..and we still get lovely little moments like this one, with a single drop of water lit by all that energy. Wow, far out!  Cool! Hey, maybe I've turned into a Druid! Oh, bugger it, just get the washing-up done, Martin!

And the winner is....

Had my Corporate Photography Head on yesterday! Covered a great lunch to announce the Crain's Manchester Business "Best Places to Work" Awards at the newly refurbished Piccadilly Ramada Hotel in Manchester. Champers, silly hats and an amusing speaker added to a really fun event and I shot almost 400 images that'll have to be edited and sorted before publication in Monday's newspaper....Phew, now what's for lunch?

Our Shop Window

Our Wedding Window is looking good in Culcheth.
A number of suppliers have joined forces to produce the Wedding Stand within the CPS Centre near Warrington. Everything from stationery to dresses and erm, oh yes..Wedding Photography, is on display throughout the month of June. Check it out.....

Stop me if you think you've heard this one before...

...but I've got another new range of T-Shirts coming out!

The Smiths are joining Joy Division on the front of a new set of shirts from Japan.
My Morrissey shots, from The Free Trade Hall in 1984, will feature on the clothes designed by Japanese designer Enhance Elements. They're going to a Paris Fashion show later this month, and a show in Tokyo in August. Meanwhile my Joy Division shirts are still selling well at Japanese store 'Lad Musician'...check 'em out here!
It's all great news, and Heaven knows I'm certainly not miserable now!

Tamara & Julia get hitched!

Shot a great Civil Ceremony today!
Tamara from South Carolina, and Julia from Lithuania tied the knot at Manchester Registry Office, then walked thru town to the swanky Living Room bar, on Deansgate. An intimtae little gathering, it was great fun and everyone had a blast. Tamara sent me this on Facebook later..

Tamara A Bolding thank you for being a part of our special day! everyone loved you and enjoyed how you made them all feel special while feeling like you were another member of the family!!! Julia and I are looking forward to your photographs of our wedding!

Way to go, girlfriends!

A Life in the Week of....

Happy Monday everybody, and the week's off to a flying start with one of my shots of Aumbry Restaurant used on the front page of Crain's Manchester Business. That's my 'Press Photographer' ego satisfied...

Tomorrow sees me in Manchester for the fantastic civil ceremony of two young ladies, one of whom has flown in from South Carolina. That's my 'Wedding  Photographer' juices flowing...

And Thursday sees me at a City Centre hotel to cover a big Award Ceremony Lunch. That kicks in my 'Corporate Photographer' creativity....

Good being a photographer, innit!?

Top Stuff...

Hats off to the funky kids at Katie and Tudor's Wedding on The Wirral.
A good time, as they say, was had by all...although I did rip my trousers and the vicar forgot to unlock the church's back door, so I was unable to get onto the altar to photograph the exchange of rings! All in a day's work!

Quick weekend in front of the football now, though I must tell you about the DJ on Rock Radio who was talking about the weather. "It's looking like quite good for the weekend," he said "Especially Saturday and Sunday!" Ta, dude!

Posh Nosh

Off to Aumbry, a Manchester restaurant receiving great reviews.
Hester Bumenthal trained chefs Marie-Ellen and Laurence took time out from a lunch-time wine-tasting to pose outside their 'gaff' for a Business Newspaper.

Talking of Posh Nosh, I'm off now to the Wirrall for a nice Wedding at the swanky Thornton Manor.
What a coincidence that this week, the start of the World Cup, my Weddings are on Thursday and Tuesday...!!

Exit, The Master...

John Hedgecoe has died. If you're not a photographer that probably means nothing, but if you've ever wanted to learn photography he's probably the man you turned to.
I grew up in the 70's devouring his book, The Photographer's Handbook. 350 pages of technique, inspiration and fantastic drawings of all the equipment I could never afford at 17 years old!
(Oh, and did I mention the nudes..?)

Read about the man who taught the world to photograph...

Mind you, he'd have laughed if he heard what I was told yesterday....

I shot an accountant (Behave!) earlier this week, and asked the PR company what they thought of the picture. The darling young PR thing said the shot was fine, but....his suit reflected in his teeth ??!

Oh, John, where did I go wrong !?

Summer Sale...

Time to splash the colour on a grey and rainy day...I'm offering a 16x12 inch photograph from my Florescence series for just £25 ! It is a montage of 141 flower and foliage photographs, taken by me on colour transparency film and scanned to digital. The photograph will be card-mounted and signed, and printed on stunning Fuji Pearl Paper.
Drop in here to purchase.....

Mustn't Titter...!

Great Wedding yesterday...Lovely couple, cool venue...and a really funny Best Man's Speech!
Sorry Gary, but I'm going to nick your line about Sara and Mike's honeymoon.
He wished them well in North Wales..adding "I think that's where they're going..he said he was going to Bangor for a week!"

I love being kept on my photographic toes for moments like that!

Give it a name...

Ok, I'd had a can of Carlsberg, but I was watching this spider spin a web in my garden yesterday, and I swear it signed its work with an elegant 'S' for Spider! That's the thing with a good photographer (Me!)...you can't stop seeing pictures, even when you're not looking for them. I just hope the spider wasn't called Sebastian!

Anyway, batteries are a-chargin' all around me as I prepare for tomorrow's Wedding. Looks like it's going to be another hot one, which means I'll be wearing shorts and sandals again. I always ask the bride's permission, of course, but it pays to stay cool. When David Bailey was asked what he thought was the most important part of a photographer's equipment, he replied "Comfy shoes!"....

What a poser!

Poignant blog today, as it's the first anniversary of my Dad's funeral.
No maudlin sentiment, though...but a loving look back at the life of my best ever model.
Dad would happily pose for me every time I bought a new piece of kit or tried out a new photographic technique. I've got tons of shots of him as I practiced bounce flash, or played with a new wide angle. Any skills I have with a camera now are down to his patience..and the fact that he was such a poser! God bless you, Joe O'Neill x

Ok, Mall Rats....

I'm up the wall at The Mall !
My photographs have gone up as the first element of a new Wedding Unit at CPS Shopping Mall in Culcheth. Whilst I was putting them up a lady booked me for a portrait session with her grandkids....! A good afternoon's work!

You're my friend....

Social Networking as a way of attracting business...discuss!
Well...I have a new friend..She lives in South Carolina, we've never met...and I'm shooting her civil partnership soon. Facebook....! She checked me out on Facebook...moved on to this Blog..liked what she saw..and booked me! I've seen the future! Now, just need to draw a beard on Rooney!

June = Football !

It's June and the World Cup is imminent.
I have to say that I'm useless at photographing football matches...everyone keeps running about!
Much happier with my Weddings..though I've managed to combine the two disciplines in this shot from Steph and Paul's Liverpool Wedding !...(And yes, I did take it on purpose!)