My mate's got a good camera!

Had a good laugh watching Channel Five's "How to take stunning pictures".. the one about Wedding Photography! It just proved yet again that "My mate's got a good camera" does not equal "My mate is a good photographer!"....There's so much more to Wedding Photography than simply standing back and capturing those unguarded moments. The photographer 'drives' the Wedding - steering people and deadlines towards the moment when everyone can sit down and tuck into their nosh. Something that often happens at a Wedding is that a guest will come up to me and tell me they once got a good shot at a Wedding and the Bride and Groom loved it because they didn't know it was being taken.
"Wow!" I reply, "I only do that 400 times every Wedding!"

Room with a view..

A lovely shot of the Rose Room at Room Restaurant in Manchester. Finished off a brochure shoot for the venue yesterday and now it's time to get the suit on again for today's Wedding Fayre. Catch ya there? Debenhams in The Grand Arcade, Wigan!


Stop Press: Well, I'm back from Wigan! What a disaster! I stayed for three hours, in which time a mere two people came to my stand. One was a little boy who started playing with the mouse on my Mac..resulting in him bringing up a menu and pausing my slide show..and the other a woman who asked me where the tills were! All the particpants were as quiet...wrong venue, wrong clients, sharp exit...You live and learn!

Hello Blossom...

Well, my 'Florescence' range of flower photographs is picking up momentum! As well as the photographs still being exhibited at Wilmslow Garden Centre, the greetings cards are now available at yet another outlet in the North-West. They're on sale at Plaza Cards, on Lord Street in Southport. I'm also gearing up to supply a series of new framed sepia prints, and a set of glass place mats and coasters. Please get in touch if you think you could stock these in your shops or outlets!...Ideal Christmas presents, folks !!

Couple of other things to mention...I have another photo-shoot at Room Restaurant in Manchester today. That'll compliment the sessions I did earlier and mean the brochure can now be finished and put out there to the discerning public.
Speaking of the public, I'm out at the Debenhams store in Wigan for their Wedding Event tomorrow. Come down, say hi..take advantage of my £50 engagement portrait offer!

End of Commercial Break !

Autumn!..April ?

Summer's over and it's Autumn...or is it April 1st?
I've just been sent an email promoting..triangular Wedding Albums! How's that for a new angle (See what I did there?)  Gee whizz, I'm all for trying to offer a new way of promoting one's work..but who on earth would want their Wedding photographs in a triangular album? Reminds me of John Cooper Clarke's old song Gimmix. It came out as an orange triangular record, and in it he sings (shouts?) "Like an orange triangular record, you're a gimmick that nobody needs!"
(Damn it though..of course I bought it !)

Polishing my bestest shoes for a swanky 'do' tomorrow evening. I'm going to the Great Northern Ball as a guest of Emirates Airlines, where I've donated a Portrait Sitting as a prize in the Silent Auction. Hope it raises lots of dosh for charity and erm, gets me a bit of publicity into the bargain!

Pat on the back...

You know, I've now been a professional photographer for 32 years, and 28 of them have been as a freelance..so I know I'm doing something right! It's still a fact of life though, that when you work on your own you generally only know you've done a good job when you never hear a word from the customer! Made it all worthwhile last night, then, to actually get some feedback! I was shooting a Law Society soiree at the Lib Dem conference in Liverpool. The president of the Law Society praised my energy and said I was really "proactive" (I don't just stand back and wait for shots to happen..I'll pull people together to make things work!) and. at the end of the evening, the client's words were "Lovely Job!"
A pat on the back! Ah, that's all it takes to soothe my artistic ego!

The photo today is of the 100th Wedding I shot (It was about eight years ago!).
I bought the couple of bottle of champers and asked them to pose by my corny number plate!

What a load of rubbish !

No, not you dear..my work this morning! The PR head was back on today as I had a shoot for McDonald's in Manchester City Centre. They've launched an anti-litter campaign and I was there to provide shots for the press. I made it look like I was in the bin and the various organisational reps were dropping their rubbish in! So, all those shots have gone off to the client, and now I'm heading to Liverpool for a Law Society event at the Lib Dem Conference. Variety's the spice and all that...

Quick word about the Weekend's Wedding.  Well...it rained! From the moment my bride and groom came down the aisle as Mr and Mrs until they sat down for their Wedding Breakfast! Had to shoot all the group shots under a canopy on a verandah, though Karen and Darren braved the monsoon and headed out to where I'd spotted a good site for an autumnal shot. Tell you what though....it might have been raining, but I still came away with a choice of 600 shots for them!

Who nose?

Not the most flattering angle for a portrait, and one I'll certainly try to avoid at today's Wedding!
This is the sculpture 'Dream', at Sutton Manor, near St Helens. 60 feet high and 100 feet above sea-level, you can see it from the M62 as you head to Liverpool. My Wedding today is just down the road from it, and I thought it might make a good backdrop for an interesting Wedding photograph. Trouble is, the nearest parking is a good ten minute - uphill - walk...so I'm guessing I'll not be using it today!
Then again..who nose?

Florescence Friday!

Bloody gorgeous, innit! Just added it to my Florescence range, and that's as good a reason as any to point you to a little video I've made of all the shots in the series.
More Power to your Flower, dudes!

Photoshop Handsome..

..is the title of one of the tracks on the new Everything Everything album. Features great lines like "What have you done with my Father? Why does he look like a carving?"..and "My teeth dazzle like an igloo wall"..!

Looking through other photographers' websites it seems Photoshop is often more important than Photography! Brides are soft-focussed to buggery, albums carry overlapping images that bear no relevance to each other, and competitions feature portraits of people without a single pore on their face! Photographers 'do' the retouching because they can..it's in their 'toolbox' so they're going to use it! Of course, I use Photoshop, but only to tighten up my pictures from their basic camera form. My friend asked me if I was going to get the upgrade to Photoshop 5. I told him my version of Photoshop is so old it doesn't even have a number!! Thing is..it does what I need it to, so why just get more and more gimmicks? I'm more into reality, in that I don't generally take a shot and wonder what I can do with it later. I'd rather get it right in the camera and leave it at that...

Anyway, here's a shot I Photoshopped earlier...
Ok, ok..it has its place !! ;-)

The word on the Street ..

There's a new book out called Street Photography Now. Very good it is, too!
I sent them an email to let them know about my own work (Well, better late than never, eh?)..and now they've very kindly linked from their site to my Flickr set of 'documentary' photography.
The shots form the basis of my book 'Don't Miss This', and were all shot on an Olympus XA camera in the 1980's. I have to admit it's a tough time to be trying to sell Photography Books, or indeed any kind of Photography as "art"..certainly in the UK..(Well, unless you're David Bailey!), but I get so much pleasure from my "hobby" that I feel it's worth sticking with and hoping that eventually people will actually get their own pleasure from the work, too!

I'm guessin' that's Summer done?

Working on a couple of albums from Summer Weddings as the rain lashes down outside.
Memories of heat and light and the World Cup (Ok, I didn't say they were all good memories!)
Autumn Weddings are great, of course, with lots of colour and mists, but as they begin for this year I'm already having to consider the quality of light in the evening. By seven the other day things were already getting dodgy outside, and that was on a 'good' day...it'd really going downhill on a day like this. Just something to think about if you're planning a Wedding in the later months of the year!

Oh, one of my Summer 'couples' had two "Lushers" at their Wedding.
Lushers? Lady Ushers, of course!

Power to the people!

This is the new photograph on my homepage. I was shooting a Wedding at Forrest Hills Hotel, above Frodsham in Cheshire. This is the view from the hill so..I used it!
Just had a discussion with a couple whose Wedding is in Manchester City Centre. They talked about going to a local park to shoot their formal groups. Why? The Wedding is in the city because they love the city, so we're going to use it. Think architecture, crowds, buzz! Wedding backdrops don't HAVE to include trees and a lake! (Ugh!) Many's the time I've been at a gorgeous 'rural' setting and not been able to use it because of bad weather. Personally, I love the idea of romantic shots in the rain, but you try telling that to a gal whose hair frizzes up at the very thought of drizzle!

It's gonna get wet !

Well, I'm still talking about clothes..and thank goodness for brides like Joanne! A rainy, wet day at yesterday's Wedding, then a break in the clouds and I decide to go for a group photograph. Of course, the floor's wet, but good old Jo troops out and leads a great group picture. A Wedding magazine once asked several photographers to give a line of advice to its readers. "Don't worry about the bottom of the dress", was my contribution.
You can't get away with wearing yards and yards of white material and expect it to stay pristine all day!
Enjoy the dress..wear it, use it..get it out there in the pictures! (If you see what I mean!)
Way to go, Jo!  

......................Oooh, Man Alive! Well, sorry to jump in and add more to today's blog, but Mr Postie's just brought me a nice delivery. The long-awaited debut album by Manchester-based combo Everything Everything.
It's actually called Man Alive, and I promised me Mum I wouldn't swear on the blog, but By Jove, it's flippin' good! Well done, boys!

Dress sense...

Still on the subject of clothing...I have to admit that when I went to photograph 'Tracy Barlow' on Wednesday I didn't know who she was. I don't watch Coronation Street so she meant nothing to me. In fact, the last time I shot anyone from the soap it was 'Annie Walker and Bet Lynch'!
Reminds me of the time fashion designer Jeff Banks was filming a TV programme from a house in Manchester. I had to cover it for the Manchester Evening News but didn't know who he was, either. I went to the house, introduced myself to the guy who opened the door, and followed him upstairs. When I asked if he'd arrived yet everyone burst into laughter...Yes, it was Jeff who'd opened the door!
Good to see a famous person who wasn't 'up himself', though!

Last bit of clothing news (Jeez, I sound like Gok Wan!) Check out these great T-Shirts! They're from the Lad Musician range in Tokyo, and feature my shots of Joy Division and Ian Curtis. Sixty-five quid a pop they're going for. Even I can't afford one, and they're my pictures!!

Anyway, Wedding in Altrincham today, so I'd better stop writing about clothes and get me bloody suit on!

PR...

Had my PR Photography head on yesterday...with a job for Marks & Spencer, and another for BOC Gases. Shot the desk portrait in 15 minutes...just playing around with lighting and position on a pretty 'ordinary' shoot, until this dynamic angle popped up. The client emailed "This is exactly what I wanted".. Job done!
Tracy Barlow, her off Corrie!, was my other subject. She was launching a Marks and Sparks charity event whereby the store collects clothing on behalf of Oxfam. Basically, it was the actress and a big cardboard box full of old clothes! (I did ask if she'd jump in the box, but she was having none of it!!)
Not much scope for fancy lighting in a store full of shoppers, but I used a big dish reflector to soften the spread of direct flash, and here's the result. Marks' PR said "Great working with you today".
Job done x 2 !

Prayed!

Still on the England theme, it seems..but I just love this shot of a quintessentially English Wedding scene in God's own county of Cheshire. Gentlemen in tails, ladies in big hats, fresh cut grass, the bells pealing.. (Ok, you don't get that from the picture!). Shooting in black and white adds to the timelessness of the scene, of course, which is why I do shoot so much monochrome when I cover a Wedding.

And, it seems everyone's prayers were answered..England have won two games in a row and, God help us, Rooney's scored at last! (Let us now pray the wingnut can keep his pants up. Amen)
Hallelujah, my brothers and sisters!

Proud!

Florescence to Flickr...my flower series is now up there for y'all to admire!
Yes, I'm proud of it!

Pride!

It's the anniversary of the Battle of Britain, so here's my shot of three Spitfires, taken from a series I did at RAF Fairford earlier this year. Rubs uneasily with my view of a lot of people in England these days.
The types that throw litter from their car windows, for example. How ironic they were generally in cars that were flying the flag of Saint George during the World Cup! Don't get me started!

Oink!

Caroline 'hams it up' as her Dad mentions in his speech that she looked "a little odd" at birth, and I unearth another great photograph from the 902 images I shot at her Wedding on Saturday. It's great to sit down and start editing one's work. Sometimes during a Wedding the shots come so thick and fast you forget what you captured. Lovely then, to be reminded and rewarded afterwards!

So, another busy week ahead, with PR jobs for BOC Gases and Marks & Spencer, as well as another Wedding on Friday.

Must remember to eat at some point...really fancy bacon and eggs!

What a day!...

Had a fantastic day yesterday! I had the honour of shooting the Wedding of Caroline and Rob at Rostherne Church, in Cheshire. Caroline is the daughter of Lord and Lady Grey, so after a ceremony conducted by the Bishop of Stockport it was all back to their fab house in High Legh for the reception. When I say all, I mean 327 guests! What a crowd. Ended up hanging out of a bathroom window to get a shot of them all on the front lawn! (One of the ushers showed me a shot he took of my big head stuck through the window..I'll blog it when he sends me a copy!)
So, a very busy day, with quite a specific list of formal shots to get, but with so many guests for the bride and groom to greet it was getting quite late in the day before I could even start to set up groups. The light was going, and it started to drizzle a little but, hey..job done!

Actually, I was on a little bit of a high before I even got to the Wedding. A shot of mine was just voted 'Wedding Photo of the Month' by visitors to a Wedding Organiser site. I actually used it on my blog the other day...No prize..just more kudos and an even bigger head!

Finally, a lovely moment from yesterday's bash. A couple came across to me and asked if I remembered them. The penny dropped as soon as the chap spoke. His American accent took me right back to Shrigley Hall, where I photographed their Wedding on a snowy day just after one Christmas. Turns out that was TEN years ago! So lovely they thought to say hello after all that time!

Ah..I love being a Wedding Photographer!

Kids today.....

A lovey innocent shot of some young kids, enjoying a rainstorm that flooded their street.  And yesterday, I was taking a photo for the front cover for our local magazine. It was of two girls in a beautiful wildflower patch of our village green. As I finished and walked back across the park I was instantly targeted by two seperate groups of young lads, accusing me of being a pervert and a paedohile and suggesting...well, let's leave it at that!

What has society become when a photographer working publicly, legitimately and identifiably, is placed under immediate suspicion as some deviant and weirdo? It's yet another nail in the coffin of the 'standing' of photographers and photography in today's world. I wish there was a way to let these lads know that any sick 'ideas' are all in their heads and they should grow up..rapido! Time was if you went out with a camera you'd have to fight to keep the kids off your shots! ( Actually, this time, there's hope..the editor knows the boys' parents...and words will be had! I'll let you know the outcome!)

Anyway...two big things today. My Society Wedding of course, with the daughter of Lord and Lady Grey of Codnor,  and..the grand opening of 'Cards by Samantha', my friend's card shop in Thelwall, south of Warrington. She calls it a Craft Store and Hand-Made Wedding Stationery Boutique. That sounds much better, eh?

Best foot forward....

Jeez, it's Autumn! Some plonker was letting off fireworks near my house at 10pm last night, my local's been advertising Christmas dinners since..Oooh, March!..and Robbie Williams switches on the Blackpool Illuminations this evening. Reminded me of the time I used to do some PR work for the Pleasure beach. They'd just opened the 'Walk of Faith' at the top of the tower, and I had to photograph a Russian weightlifter jumping up and down on it! Rather him than me. Ok, I did have a go, and my therapy finishes next week! More shots here...

Anyway, just back from shooting a 'Kids at Work' day for an engineering company in Manchester. Lots of fun with liquid nitrogen and frozen bananas...!

Time to polish my wide-angle now...big society Wedding to shoot tomorrow and a massive 330 guests to get into one shot! Had a recce yesterday and the best place to get it is from, of all places, the small bathroom window at the front of the house. At least I can have a piddle mid-Wedding!
Let you know how I get on....

Think Big!

Networking..that's the way to do it! I'm busy tying up with three new companies to promote all our services.  I'm going to supply flower images to a company that designs Swarovski crystal-encrusted artwork to restaurants; a new Wedding stationery business in Statham is to use my wedding photography on its walls, and I'm going to be the nominated Wedding photographer for a new Wedding reception venue in Stockport. I'll be adding links to my site soon!
Watch out, Branson!

This just in...

Woo hoo....the crowd built, the tension mounted and then...our first glimpse of the new Emirates A380 Airbus, floating down from a lovely blue sky after its flight from Dubai. Amazing how something as simple as a plane landing at an airport could bring out so many people, but it really did have a 'presence' as it glided in. Earned a big round of applause as it touched down, too!
Just need to start saving the pennies if I'm ever going to use that on-board spa!!

Happy September...

..and a big raspberry to August, one of the worst months I've ever had in terms of bookings and bad weather! However, onwards and upwards, and September's looking great! Busy few days to start, with a morning's PR shoot on Friday and the Big Wedding on Saturday. There's even time for a bit of plane-spotting, too. The new Emirates A380 Airbus makes its inaugural landing at Manchester Airport today, so I'm off to snap the beast for posterity!
It'll hardly be an exclusive shot, though. 3,000 have booked places at the Aviation viewing park!

Fair enough!

Just back from three days at the Gawsworth Hall Arts and Crafts fair and.....

Well, I'm tired, firstly. It's hard work manning a stand for three days solid. I'm a bit gloomy too, because it wasn't as much of a success as I'd hoped, and I'm wondering if it's worth bothering with another Craft fair in the future. People were just not spending money, basically!
Admittedly, the weather didn't help. Hurrah for the great British Bank Holiday. Not so much the roar of the crowd than the thunder of rain on the roof of the marquee!
Don't get me wrong..visitors loved the photographs, but were reluctant to part with their cash. I think the value of photography is slipping down the pan. Each of my flower shots has been hours in the making, yet anyone with a mobile phone thinks they're now a 'photographer' so can, in their mind, get the same shot of a bloom..a damn sight faster and..most importantly, at no financial cost whatsoever!
I'll think about it all again with a few days' distance between me and the fair. I might get a different perspective on it. Meantime, Wedding head back on again today, as I'm in the middle of making three different albums, and gearing up for a 'Big One' at the weekend with the Wedding of the daughter of a Lord and Lady!

Insult and Battery!

A brief Blog about shops and shopping!
 Yesterday I was at a camera shop. I won't say which one but it sounds like Wildings!
I've started shooting flowers again, as part of my Florescence project. I shoot on 120 transparency film, using a Mamiya 645, but needed a new battery. Trouble is, the camera's getting a little long in the tooth, and its battery's not as widely available any more. So, I'm at the shop, asking if they have it. "It's for a Mamiya", I explain. "A what?" comes the reply!
Dear me...the young lad's surrounded by point and shoots, yet hasn't even heard of one of the finest makes of camera in the world (I've got three!)
Anyway, speaking of 'amateur' cameras...Wednesday's Wedding was filmed by a Videographer. As we finished recording the signing of the register we both turned to get back down the aisle, and had to squirm through a mass of guests, all aiming their Sure-shots at arm's length towards the couple. Video-man and I made it to the back of the ceremony, and he said "It's like a bloody branch of Dixon's up there!"
However, it'll be my turn to be a shopkeeper this weekend. I'm having a spot at a three-day Arts and Crafts fair at Gawsworth Hall, near Macclesfield. Lots of prints, cards and canvasses to be had, so come down and see how I do as a shopkeeper!
I won't be as loud as the lady in the photo, though. She was Edie Barnes, and ran a stall at Eccles Market. I photographed her in 1977, and the shot's in my 'Don't Miss That' book.
Buy !!

Deep breath...

Love watching for those last minute nerves when I shoot a Wedding. That moment before the bride takes the plunge and heads down the aisle. Got some good 'nerves' at yesterday's Wedding, but giggles soon replaced the tension and the day was fantastic. New venue for me, too. Heaton House Farm, near Leek in Staffordshire. Always fun to check out good locations for shots at new places. See how I did here...

Home, sweet home!

Martinstown, Dorset! Well, I had to go, didn't I!
Lovely time too, apart from the weather, but the misty conditions made for some romantic views, like this one of Thomas Hardy's house in Higher Bockhampton, Dorchester. (Did I really think I'd be sunbathing on an "English beach"?)

Reality check on the way home, though, with a 2 hour wait in a jam on the M6. A quick hello to this lorry-driver who seemed to think he could park on my car..and yes, he is using the phone at the same time!

Knotted Hanky at the ready...

Blog break as it's time for a little 'r n r'...off down South for a long-weekend (Of course I deserve it!)
I see it as my 'Bank Holiday' because next weekend is the big three day arts and crafts fair at Gawsworth Hall.  So, a spot of culture (Going on a Thomas Hardy tour)..and hopefully some sunbathing on a good ol' English beach! (Oh, and I might take some photographs as well...Busman's holiday and all that!)

Catch ya later!

Swanky 'Do'....

I'm flattered to tell you that I'm one of the sponsors of a bit of 'Swanky Do' that's coming up!
I'm offering an auction prize of a Portrait Sitting and Framed Print at a Ball in Manchester in September.
More details nearer the time...

Meanwhile..great news! The couple whose Wedding I shot TWO YEARS ago have been in touch to ask if they can now order a DVD of the shots so they can choose their images....Hurrah!

Go figure!

Numbers! The number of people getting married is at its lowest since records began! I read this in a business magazine the other day, and just when I was wondering whether I should have a go at feeling depressed I read something else. The mag ran a whole article on that perennial 'How to do your Wedding
on the cheap' idea, but..Hallelujah..it actually advises not to skimp on your photography! According to this magazine, the average cost of your Wedding Photography is around £1,000. (I agree, by the way!)
and it says "You'll still be looking back at your photographs in 20 years' time, so get a pro to do the job!"
You know my bias, but it really is crackers to have your pictures done as a charity job!

Oh, and if you don't remember Thelma Barlow...you are young!

STOP PRESS:....Confetti, the Bridal 'All-in-one' shop, has gone into administration! What does THAT say about the numbers of Weddings?!

Merry Christmas!

Well, that's it...summer's over! My birthday's come and gone and now every bloody pub I go in is plugging its Christmas dinners! My local's even got a Christmas tree on the bar !
I know it's a given that you brides have to plan ahead to get the venues you want for your Big Day, but couldn't we just slow down a bit on the seasonal leap-frogging?
Now, where did I put my Hallowe'en outfit?

Here we go, here we go, here we go......

Yep..it's the footy season again and I'm off to shoot....well, not football, that's for sure!
I was always rubbish at it...everyone keeps running about! I'm happier when I can control the situation, like this dazzling example where I skillfully got George Best and Ryan Giggs to stand either side of a poster advertising the video they'd just launched! Genius! Shame I couldn't get Ryan to smile..Sick as a Parrot!

Have to say that meeting Best was one of the early highlights of my career...got his autograph and still have it in my collection...along with those of Mohammed Ali and Margaret Thatcher who both signed when I asked!

Now, did someone mention two halves? Guinness please!

Roll on Summer....

Sod it..let's moan about the weather. I know we're having it easy compared with Pakistan and elsewhere, but isn't it a bugger! I don't have a Wedding this weekend (More birthday boozing to do!!) but I feel for all the Brides who have been so looking forward to this mid-August weekend for their Big Day. I feel for the snappers, too..it rather reins in one's creativity when you're stuck in some dark, crowded Stately Home/Hotel/Marquee..
Shot this on one of Di's visits to Manchester. It rained..she worked the crowd and smiled all day. Good advice for you Wedding Photographers this weekend!

The morning after...

So this was me at breakfast...only joking! Had a fantastic day yesterday, and as a Birthday treat headed over to Chester Zoo. Haven't been there in 20 years. It was great, and guess what...there was a Wedding on! Real life again today, of course..and I've just put in a major print order for the Art and Craft fairs that are coming up. Some amazing 10x8's of my Florescence series, together with some lovely 18x12's of my Travel Signs. Check out the full range here...
First fair is Gawsworth Hall over the Bank Holiday Weekend. See ya there?...

Party, party...!

Celebrations today..'cos I'm 50 !! Woo hoooo....
Day off and much drinking and eating to be done!
Reminds me of the time I'd shot my 100th Wedding..I gave the couple a bottle of champers and got them to pose by my corny number plate!

Bring on the next half century!!

What's in a name?

So, there you go...I've left Aston Villa..ha ha! It's still amusing to me when the guys (usually) at a Wedding find out they're being photographed by Martin O'Neill. Reminds me of a Wedding I went to a few years back...It was one of those unusual times when I hadn't been able to meet the Bride or Groom beforehand. I turned up at the house to shoot the Bridal preparations. "Hi, Catherine?" I asked of the young lady who opened the door. "That's me" she replied..and I dutifully set about following her around the house as she prepared. I photographed her drinking champagne, I followed her outside when she went for a crafty fag, I moved in close for some 'hair and make-up' shots...until she finally looked at me and said.."Aren't you going to take any pictures of the Bride?"....Wrong Catherine! Well, you'd have thought she'd have said something !!
(Oh, and I always try to meet my Brides these days!

The Signs are good...

I'm hitting the road this Autumn! Ok, not quite America, but I'm set to visit several Arts and Crafts Fairs around Cheshire and Lancashire, as I've come up with a great new set of shots from my travels around the world. It's called 'The Signs are Good..' and compliments my range of Flower, Music and Documentary Photography.
Available as 18x12 inch Pearl Metallic prints, or as canvas prints of various sizes, they'll brighten up any wall of your house. (Jeez, I've turned into a Smooth Radio commercial!)
Let you know when the Fair dates are.....

I love deadlines!

What a great day I had yesterday. I was shooting the Wedding of Melissa and Adam, at the Lymm Hotel.
It had drizzled all day then miraculously stopped when I came to do my shots. Thing was..I had 55 minutes to do the whole lot ! Needless to say I got the job done..and even had time to whizz the guys across the road and onto the Trans-Pennine Trail for some 'arty' stuff like this. Just got to edit the other 779 shots now!

School's Out...

So, school's well and truly out for summer, as Alice used to sing, and I had a letter today from a young lad looking for a position as an apprentice photographer. He's 18..the same age I was when I got my first job as a snapper, so I really wish I could help him, and indeed the others who write asking if they can assist me at my Weddings. Truth is I'm such a perfectionist I'd be chasing them up all the time and never getting any of my own work done...so...sorry everyone!

Speaking of Weddings..off to Lymm today for my latest. I've done office business portraits and industrial shots of a huge generator this week, so it'll be nice to tog up and put my Wedding Head back on.

Couldn't resist this shot when I was looking for a school-based image. I shot it for the Manchester Evening News to illustrate the start of the summer holidays. That little nipper? He's now 32 !

You're Barred!....

Poor Viraj Mendis! He's just been in the news because he can't get back into Blighty!
Remember him? He was given sanctuary in a Manchester Church after he claimed he'd be killed if he went back to his native Sri Lanka. Anyway, the priest who harboured him, Rev. John Methuen, has sadly died. VM wanted to go to the funeral, but it turns out the 'authorities' won't allow him to do so.
Bit of a difference to 1989, when he didn't want to go back to Sri Lanka, but HAD to! Boy, doesn't he look happy!! I was there to cover his arrival 'home', and shot him at the airport then at this press conference with Rev. Methuen. It was so hot there I remember drying my film by simply holding it up to the sunlight, and then I had to 'wire' it back using the big old wire machine of AFP. Made the front of the Independent if I remember rightly.
Oh, and guess what...nobody tried to kill him !

Join the club...

Just thinking of new ways to get my name out there...I'm reviewing the way I advertise and have updated a couple of magazine adverts, like this one for a Cheshire publication; I've rejigged my website keywords...and last night met an interesting bunch of Cheshire-based Wedding photographers who I'm going to pal up with to form a new 'Society' of snappers. Our website links should help get us all up the Google doody thing..and we'll be able to provide cover for each other should one of us be unable to get to a Wedding. It'll be fun to meet on a monthly basis to swap tales, ideas, laughs and hell, yes...moans!
(Seems I'm not the only one who still has a Wedding Album waiting to be collected .. after two years!!)