Heads up...

Just heard about another pal of mine being made redundant, this time from his job as a journalist with the BBC. My word, it's getting tougher out there! So, yet again, I can only offer the words "Keep your head held high and keep looking, because something will come along!" Seems to be advice that a mouse has taken in my greenhouse, because I woke this morning to find all my lovely new seedlings nibbled to shreds. Talk about making the most of every opportunity! Grrr....

And the winner is...

Late night last night, covering an Awards Dinner at The Point, at Lancashire Cricket Ground. Speakers Lembit Opik and Gerald Ratner were on fine form, and a good time was had by all, but it was good to hear that the old debates are still raging. Amongst the talk of Flotations, MBOs and Acquisitions, I heard three dinner-suited dudes discussing the important matter of who should be named Manchester's best-ever front man. It was a close call, but the winner was named as...
..Morrissey!

Makin' it!

I've just had the opportunity to experience 'real life' for a few days,  getting up at an un-Godly hour each morning and seeing what it's like to have no choice but to, say, work a night-shift or earn a pittance. It was a project that didn't quite come off, so I won't bore you with the detail, but it reminded me once more just how lucky I am to be a Photographer. It's no wonder that people sometimes can't quite grasp what a photographer does for a living. ("What do you do in the week?" I was once asked at a Wedding!)
With photography, there's nothing to build, or brush, or stack, or weld. It's just you and your eye! 
I read an article last night describing the raw materials of Photography as 'Time and Light'. Chuck in a lens and a bit of creativity and that's all a photographer has to work with when he throws his viewfinder around a subject. Times are hard out there, but a snapper who knows his onions will come up with the goods and make a product that everyone wants!

The things you hear...

Three great things I've heard since the weekend:-
1) 'Thrilled you'll be able to photograph our Wedding' - from a couple who've just booked me for their Big Day in December.
2) 'This photography package with bridal preparations and first dance..does it include the ceremony?'  - from a couple who also just booked me, and will probably hate me for teasing!
3) 'Where's Waterstone's?' - from a lady who passed my Florescence stand at the Leeds Artsmix event!

Good to have a laugh, eh?

Mine's a Pint!

Remember the couple I blogged about? The ones who had a 'Guinness' theme to their Wedding Cake?
Well, here's the cake, or should I say...cakes! Great fun, eh?
That's one of the cool things about being a Wedding Photographer - You get the chance to work with people's individuality. I only accept my bookings on that basis - there has to be a vibe between me and the couple, otherwise it won't work.
So what's 'it'?
It's the relationship I have with the couple on the Big Day: The Spark, The Connection, The Wavelength! Wow! What am I going on about? Another pint, please! Cheers, Happy Tuesday!

Barking up the wrong tree!

Gorgeous bark on a tree near Mount Fuji, in Japan. This is one of the prints I've donated to an auction to raise funds for the poor people in that lovely country. I shot it when I went over there with my Joy Division exhibition, and one of the prints from that show is up for grabs, too. The event's in Manchester on April 7th, and you can find details here! All funds raised will go to the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal. Now, speaking of trees, my main event this weekend was the Artsmix Event in Leeds, where I was plugging/selling my Florescence Flower Photography series. I'm gonna level with you, as you Yanks say. It wasn't the greatest success ever for me, and I think it might not be the way for me to promote my Florescence series. (By the way, if you have any suggestions for successful ways to promote it, then I'm all ears!)
On other matters, you'll be pleased to know my camera bag is all washed and dried, and doesn't smell of wee-wee anymore (See Saturday's Blog!), but speaking of photographers being p*ssed on..I drove past a Holiday Inn last night that's offering a free family portrait with every Mother's Day Lunch booked there! Oh, Mother!

It's Only Rock 'n Roll....

Told you they went for it!
This from yesterday's College Kids' Buskers Session in Manchester. Some real ballsy musicians on stage, and, this being Piccadilly Gardens, the usual mix of life's wonderful weirdos off it! Special thanks go to whoever p*ssed on my camera bag after I put it down behind the stage. Talk about embarrassing on the train..I stank!
Anyway, I made sure I got lots of shots of as many acts as I could, with a tale in mind that still hurts to this day! As you know,  I managed to shoot Joy Division early in their career, but there was once a day I had to shoot another 'gig' in Manchester, back in the mid-eighties. It was arranged with the PR firm that'd booked me that they'd take the film back with them to London after the show. No probs...except that the support band were a little combo called, erm...Take That!..and I had no shots to show it! Sigh!

Off to Leeds now for my ArtsMix photography stand.
Florescence. You know you want it!

Hello, Sunshine!

Was offline for the Vernal Equinox, so let me catch up and wish you all a happy new Spring!
I'm getting repetitive now, as I 'Facebooked' this shot last night, so apologies if you've already seen it, but it was the sunset yesterday evening, with a little bird returning home above it. Shot it on the day I ironically got another Christmas Wedding booking - 4pm kick-off in the middle of December,  when I'll kill for light like this! I'll enjoy the sunshine whilst I'm working in Manchester today, though, as I'm covering a Kids' Busking session in Piccadilly Gardens. Get down there this afternoon; they really put their hearts into their acts! Oh, and if you're in Leeds tomorrow I'm back at my Artsmix market stand on Albion Place. Come see Florescence! Sunshine in a photograph!

Thank You!

I'm back! Talk about frustrating! Six days without the internet! Aaagh!
Anyway, normal service is resumed and yes, I want to say Thank You to the BT engineer who took two hours to get to the root of the problem. I'm feeling benevolent because I received a Thank You yesterday, too..in the shape of a bottle of Bollinger Champagne! One of my couples sent me a gift box, with two glasses, as a way of saying how much they love their Wedding Album. Ooh, I do love a bit of feedback!
So, lots going on in the world of Martin O'Neill Photography, so I'll spend the next few days filling you in on the detail.
Cheers!

Busy day at the office....

Happy St Patrick's Day, but it's sandwiches at the ready 'cos I'm far too busy to stop for lunch! Had an amazing day on Wednesday, and it's set to continue today! Firstly, I took a Wedding booking from a couple in Dublin, who are getting married later this year. They were due to get hitched in May, but are back to square one as their venue has just gone bust, taking with it the couple's Nine Grand!! I'm on the list of recommended snappers at their new venue, the Town Hall in Manchester, so was able to give them a great deal and a bit of peace of mind. At least they have a photographer again!

I'm off to Manchester today, too, as I've been invited to make a presentation at one of the City's biggest PR firms. They found my work online and 'Think they can work with me!" Here's hoping!
I've also been approached by a major T-Shirt manufacturer who found one of my photographs on Flickr. They hope to use it to design a new range of shirts for the High Street's mens' shops. Here's hoping, Part Deux! Speaking of Flickr, I've had six of my images selected for the Street Photography  MOB event at the Format Photography Festival in Derby. The shot I'm using today is one of those chosen! I think that means they're printed out and put on display at the event, and they'll be hopefully be chosen for a project designed with them at the end of the festival. Here's hoping, Part Trois!
Now, where did I put me butties?

A spell at the top...

A little light-hearted relief today, and I thought I'd share this image with you. Just look how proud this youngster is with his lovely shaved head. 'Just Married".. it's supposed to say, but he either has a small head or a dyslexic barber, because there's an 'R' missing! Didn't have the heart to tell the poor fella!

Don't forget to have a look at the shots from my visit to Japan if you get the chance!

Bye, Bob!

Bob Greaves died yesterday! Probably bit of an unknown to a lot of you, but he was Big in Manchester!
He presented the local TV News programme Granada Reports in the '70's. You kind of grew up with him in this City! I met him quite a lot in my role as a press photographer, and here's a shot from way back.
Actually, he's not the only 'dearly departed' in this shot. The chap behind him is the late Salford Labour MP Frank Allaun, and the event they're at is a rally for good old Rock Against Racism! I can only pray that the lady in the poncho is alive and kicking. She sure was when I shot the picture..as you can tell by Bob's expression!

One other thing today... I've relaunched the Web-Page I made after I'd come back from Japan. I went there for my exhibition of Joy Division photographs. I called it 'I Remember Nothing'! Please have a look at some shots of a great country, and don't forget her at this time!

Thanks for dropping in!

Great day at the Artsmix Open-Air Art event in Leeds on Saturday, and thank you to everyone who bought something from me! I think I'm suffering from passive-smoking, though! Standing out on the street for six hours you notice just how many people smoke! Now we don't have to suffer the stink in our pubs it becomes all the more obvious when you're outside. I just wish smoking didn't cause that nasty side-effect of making people incapable of holding on to their ciggy ends and empty packets!   Rant over!

Couple of humourous moments from Saturday. (Bear in mind my whole stand was covered in photographs of flowers) ... One lady asked if I had any shots of Whitby .. and well done to the lady who looked at my photograph of a bright red rose, and asked if I had it in green!

Full Monty!

Ah, normality returns! Monty Don's back on Gardeners' World tonight! Some things just feel right, and I take it as an encouraging sign that my favourite TV Greenfinger is back to good health just as I blog about my Florescence flower and plant photography. It's a sign!

Quick funny story, just to get across how us pro-snappers are feeling now that everyone in the world thinks they're a photographer...

A photographer went to a posh party in New York. When he arrived the host said "I love your pictures - they’re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.’" He said nothing until dinner was finished, and as he left he responded ‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.’

Stop Press : Just heard about the Japanese Tsunami. My thoughts are with everyone over there, especially Nobu, Megume and all the friends I met on my trip!

Flower Power!

Everything's coming up Roses this week! (Oh, and Daffodils, Foxgloves and Irises!)
My focus today is my Florescence Flower Photography, as two exciting things are happening with it this weekend. Firstly, I'm delighted to say that I've got a new home for my three main acrylic panels!
These are four-foot long montages of a huge selection of my Flower Photography, and they're going on 'Temporary Permanent' display at a new Doctors' Surgery in Culcheth, near Warrington. This new clinic will have a huge 'foot-fall', so plenty of people are going to see the work, and I hope its vibrant colours and cheery subject matter will give a lift to people who might not be feeling too hot! Get well soon!
The work is also going on sale in Leeds on Saturday. I'm taking part in an event called 'Undiscovered' , an 'Arts' market run by Artsmix in the pedestrianised area of Albion Place, slap bang in the centre of the City. Artists have to be approved by the group before being allowed to participate, so now that I've had the 'OK' a great selection of my tableware, photographic prints, and greetings cards will all be up for grabs! So,  if you fancy a nice day out...

God Bless the MEN!

Remember I talked the other day about going to Libya for the Manchester Evening News? I travelled across to cover a story with a reporter, and only he got a byeline in the first edition! Well, I freelanced for the 'MEN', as it's called, for 18 years, and I think I can speak with some authority when I say they've never been particularly Photographer-Friendly! Byelines were only given grudgingly, and pictures were handled by people who didn't care about them. Example..shoot an image with four people on..they crop one guy off to fit the image into a smaller space! I had a great reminder of this ignorance the other day. I shot this photograph for a PR firm to plug a story on the coming together of a web-design company and a wi-fi supply company, so you kinda think laptops are going to be pretty important as props in the shot...yeah? Oh, no! Not for the MEN. They used it like this, making the whole point of the shot..erm, pointless! I wouldn't mind, but I supplied them with a horizontal shot as well! Oh, how I miss working for them...NOT!

The Word on the Street..

The Format Photo Festival is now in full swing after its opening weekend, and even if you can't get to  Derby you can still take part! They're running a 'Mob Format' event, inviting all you snappers to send in photographs on various street-related themes. This is one of my entries. Those realistic doll-babies used to give me the creeps, and I shot a set of images of them on my Olympus XA. One of the photographs was even purchased for the archive of the Viewpoint Photographic Gallery in Salford. Yes, imagine Salford having a dedicated photography gallery. Ok, stop imagining, 'cos it was shut down bloody years ago -although bizarrely it's still listed all over Google -so can I have my print back please!

Hands off, she's mine!

Great Wedding Fayre at The Park Royal Hotel yesterday, with lots of happy couples and some real interest in my work. I await a positive flurry of bookings!! Something I saw there, though, brought up the issue of Copyright, and I just wanted to say something about that! Coincidentally, a snapper friend of mine, who has shot a ton of fantastic music photography over the decades, has just stopped putting these shots on Facebook, because people keep 'nicking' them and using them on their own sites.
Anyway, my stand at the Fayre was opposite a Florist, and she had a book of photographs on display, showing her bouquets and flower arrangements at 'real' weddings. A couple of the shots caught my eye, and I realised they were my photographs! I asked the florist where she'd got them, and was told that the Bride had given them to her. She was using them in all innocence, believing that if the Bride had let her use them, then she was ok to do so! (I must add that she instantly understood, and told me she would put a credit underneath the images). Even though I issue a licence for  'my couples' to print images from a CD,  I must make it more clear that they do not own the right to use the photographs as they choose. Sadly, in the digital age, it's a problem that's only going to get worse for Professional Photographers.

Format PS...

More from Format in Derby...and a nice shot spotted in one of the swanky shop windows in the lovely Cathedral Quarter of town. Glad to see at least one of the traders getting into the swing of it! (He had a nice Nikkormat hanging off one of the other mannequins! Trip down memory lane!)
Have to say I'd never been to Derby before this trip, and I thought it was a great little place, with really friendly people!
Spent yesterday walking between the various venues that house the images, thus getting the added bonus of a walk around the confusingly named Silk Mill, which actually houses a fantastic collection of Rolls-Royce engines, including a full-size RB-211 Jet engine. Brought out the plane-spotter in me, it did! Met Peter Dench at the opening on Thursday evening, too...really good photographer and writer of the very amusing and frank Dench Diaries in Professional Photographer magazine. Bought him a glass of red..it's his round next time! Fave pictures from the whole thing I would have to say are the shots by Richard Kalvar, who is actually speaking in Derby as I type..Aaaagh! How did I miss that??...and the shots by Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad, shown in the Deda Cafe.  I'm sure they've got to be set up...either that or the guy has the patience of a saint! I'd be happy to be corrected! All in all, a great event, and one not to be missed..and hey, I've not even been paid to say it!

 

 Finally, just a quick hello to another great guy I met on Thursday...Gabriel Thompson, one of the photographers with work on show. He's based in New York and we had a great time at the opening.

Now, I'm bloody keen on photography..you may have noticed!..but check out this guy's tattoos..

Now THAT'S keen !!

Oh, Joel...!

Mission accomplished! Met my hero Joel Meyerowitz at the Format Festival, and I think you can tell from my face that I was rather delighted!! He signed two of his books for me, and was gracious with his time and warmth. Thank you, Joel! The show itself is a 'Belter!'..well worth seeing! Give yourself lots of time, though, as it's spread all over the City. More tomorrow!

Oh, my hero!

One of my nice Kodachrome shots of the Florida Keys for you today, as I'm hitting the road again..all the way to Derby and the Format International Photography Festival.
Looking forward to seeing some great photography, hearing some interesting ideas and drinking some great wine, but the highlight will be if I can get to meet my hero!  Joel Meyerowitz is an American photographer whose work I've loved since I first found out about him in the early 80's. Check out his book 'Wild Flowers' if you can find it! He'll be at the opening event this evening, and I'm going to be like a google-eyed giggly teenager if I can get to chat to him! "I love you, Joel! Eeeek!"
Autograph book at the ready...Wish me luck!

The Springs of Joy!

My Joy Division photographs are 'on tour' again, and will feature as part of a special 'Wired In' event at Duke's Lancaster in April.  I've just had to supply them my images and they'll be made into a cool slide show accompanied by live music! Far out!
Off to a Steam Engine Museum in Cheshire today! I'm shooting  PR photographs of three apprentices and their MD for a Manchester company. Hope I can see 'em through the smoke!

Marching on...

A nice bright daffodil to mark St David's Day, for all you readers in Wales. It's from my Florescence Flower Photography series.
 And now for a list of things I read yesterday!
(No, I can't work out a connection there either!)

I read that Johhny Depp is part-Cherokee Indian! (This after my girlfriend and I had watched that lovely film Chocolat. She remarked on how beautiful his face was, and that he surely must have some Native American in him. Clever clogs!)
I read that there is a Wedding Photographer in LA who has been so hard-hit by the recession that he has cut his standard rate to a mere $8,500 a day (Oi Vay!)
I read a review of a pub restaurant that we ate in on Sunday. Somebody had raved about the fresh dressed crab saying "It does exactly what it says on the tin!"
And I read an email from a young couple who contacted me about shooting their December Wedding. They said "You sound like someone we'd like to invite to our Wedding!"
My kinda read!

Bring it on..

March tomorrow, and with a fresh month ahead, and the main Wedding Season approaching, I thought I'd change my homepage picture to convey the fun and excitement that is Wedding Photography. These guys really knew how to party, and even had pints of Guinness -icing! - on their Wedding cake!
My kinda couple!

Passports at the ready!

I must say this blogging mullarkey is rather exciting, and it's getting me all over the world...well, in word and picture form at least! Checking my stats for this week I see I've had readers from as far afield as the good old US of A, New Zealand, and Oz, but then from amazing and completely far-flung places like China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Russia and Israel. I don't know how to say "Thank you for your interest" in those languages..but I do, I really do!

An old shot from Manchester Airport for your delight today. A Pan-Am 727 and a British Airways VC-10..shot as I got into photography in about 1975. Talk about history!

Anyway, crossing the border myself, today...going to Yorkshire!

Great Weekend, everybody!

It's all happening!..

Thought I'd show you one of my favourite Wedding Photographs today. An odd one, you might think, but there's such a lot happening in there..from the mascara going on the scruffed-up bride, to the champers being poured, the bridesmaids getting ready behind and the inevitable mess all around. Just feels right, compositionally, too, but that's so difficult to explain to a non-photographer. How can a picture 'feel' right? Just another of the joys of being able to 'see' photographs.

Off to Leeds this weekend to check out a new Arts Market there. (New to me, anyway!) I'll be running a stall there in the Spring,  offering the good people of Yorkshire the chance to buy my flower and documentary prints. Just another of the joys of being able to let people see my photographs!

Who do you think you are...David Bailey?

Takes a lot to become known as a Photographer in the UK, unlike, say, America or France. I was watching an interview with the maestro yesterday - the one and only David Bailey - and he said the trouble with England was "People think the camera takes the picture!" Well put Mr B!
Nothing wrong with people taking their own pictures, in fact, it's brilliant..but there's a big difference between taking a photograph and making a photograph. Times are hard but I do wish more young Wedding couples would take that fact on board!

You Gotta Laugh!...

My God! No sooner do I write about Libya than we get the earthquake in New Zealand. My heart goes out to everyone, especially my pal in Wellington who knows a photographer with a studio right in the centre of Christchurch. No news yet!

*Stop Press: News just in. All safe but building rather battered!* Thank God!

Anyway, I've been invited to give a presentation to a Manchester PR Company, who are keen (I hope!) to work with me. To that end, I've been ploughing back through my archive to get a few images together, and completely randomly came up with three images of comedians I've shot in the past. I don't want to make light of the awful things that are happening out there, but I just thought I'd throw these up as a reminder that there is just as much joy and laughter in the world as there is anything else.
Keep Smiling!

Tripoli!

Terrible things happening in Libya at the moment, and I hope things work out for the best very soon. My blog's just about photography, though, so without wanting to be trivial I just wanted to tell you about the time I was on assignment there. A reporter and I travelled to Tripoli for the Manchester Evening News to cover a story back in the 90's - during the 25th anniversary of Gaddafi's rise to power, actually! You couldn't fly directly to the country, so we had to first fly to Malta, where we caught a cockroach-infested ferry from Valetta for a 14 hour journey across the Med. Once in Tripoli we firstly had our Duty-Free whiskey confiscated, and were then collected by our 'minders'. It took a couple of days for us to get settled, find the subject of our story and arrange a meeting. That meeting happened briefly, one night, in a crowded bizarre 'holiday camp' on the outskirts of the city. It didn't go quite to plan, and I ended up having to snatch shots with a telephoto and flash..in the dark. Pretty obvious where the photographer was! All the time we'd been there, though, there were jets zooming overhead and tanks rumbling down the streets. Not as dramatic as it sounds! They were rehearsing for the 25th Anniversary celebrations of Mr G, and I decided I would stay on to cover them. Our minders, however, decided that, no, I wasn't going to stay on to cover the event, and as we'd finished the story we came for we were politely pointed to the boat, and off we went back to Malta! Of course, this was still back in the days of film, so once back in Manchester I zipped into the darkrooms, desperate to see what shots I'd got. Well, the pictures were fine, and the paper rushed to get the story out. I went home, happy and unwashed, then dashed out at lunchtime to buy the first edition of that day's newspaper. There it was - a front page picture- and a story all about how "Our Reporter" had returned from Libya with his exclusive story! No mention of me at all! Tut!! More on that tomorrow.....

Making a stand...

So here's a shot of my stand from this weekend's Wedding Fayre, my wares on display for all to see!
Some great people passing through the lovely church of St Laurence, in Frodsham, and I can't wait to shoot there, as there was lots of interest in my work from couples getting married there.  As usual with Wedding Fayres, though, it's a waiting game to see who checks out my site and gets back to me. Rather encouraging then to see an email enquiry in at 4.25 on Saturday afternoon..when the show only finished at three..though I know one young lady who won't be contacting me...The bride who has a "keen amateur" shooting her Wedding. So far, so bad I hear you say. but wait for the punchline, guys!..It's her DAD !! Call me old-fashioned, but isn't the Father of the Bride supposed to be doing other things on the Big Day. Very odd, very unusual..and slightly worrying for the young lady, as far as I'm concerned!

Right, the site...

Yep, you gotta put the footwork in in this game, so here I am about to hit the road for my first Wedding Fayre of the season. Come on down to St. Laurence church in quaint old Frodsham town! Any time up 'til three and I'll be there. Any time after that and I'll be haring home to watch THE match of the FA cup so far..Man U v Crawley Town!  Don't you just...wouldn't it be good if...Ooooh! Hey, for once I can shout 'Come on you reds' and support both teams at the same time!

Anyway, promised to tell you about the Website I'm on! I've just joined UKBrides, the largest Bridal Website in the country, so hopefully I'll be discovered by even more of you lovely brides and we can get together to plan your Big Day! Have a look..there's tons of useful stuff on there. Just don't check out any other photographers, Ok! Well, why would you? You've found me! ;-)

Anyway, off to Frodsham...Have a nice weekend!

Out in the field..

I'm putting myself about a bit this weekend! It's time to let all you lovely brides know all about me!
I'm involved with two Wedding Fayres this weekend, and I've just signed up with the biggest bridal website in the UK. Saturday sees me at St. Laurence Church, in Frodsham,  for their annual Bridal Event. I'll have a stand there with a cool slide-show presentation and a nice selection of my fab albums. On Sunday it's the first of the bi-annual Fayres at Chester Race Course. I was actually supposed to have a stand there, too, but due to .. erm, let's say an admininstrative error by the staff there, that's not going to happen. I'll be there in 'spirit' though, as  they've offered to put my flyers into all 1, 500 goody bags. Not a bad prescence, eh? Why not pop down to either event and take advantage of my Wedding Fayre Special Offer. If you book me to shoot your Big Day I'll thank you with a free Engagement Portrait session and a  card-mounted print for your guests to sign at your reception! Ooh.. is that the time? Tell you about the Bridal Website tomorrow!

Spice of Life...

Variety, that is! The Wedding head was off and the Commercial head went on as I had to shoot some Industrial units yesterday for a Business Park's Brochure. Steel shuttered doors, dark brick walls and signs hanging off their screws..it was what you'd call a photographic challenge! Not helped by the fact that after 30 minutes's shooting the sun went in and dull became duller. I knocked it on the head and shall return when the nice light does! The shot above is from my archive, taken during the rejuvenation of Salford Docks..so by my count I was three when I took this shot ..yeah, yeah!!

The Emergence of Convergence!

So, if I was Paul Whitehouse, I'd be walking along now with a woolly hat on shouting "Aren't digital cameras..BRILLIANT!" -  I mean, the things they can do! I remember when they were first appearing alongside us film boys and the proud owners were smugly announcing that you could change the ASA (Sorry, ISO..I'm still on old money!) in between shots! I fancy some of that, I thought..and plunged headlong into a Fuji Finepix S2 (There's one on Ebay right now for £51...Bless!)
I loved the ISO capability, and now almost subconciously flick it up and down during Weddings. White balance, too...who'd have thought you could flit from room to room to exterior without a bag full of filters, grey cards and tungsten film! Oh joy, oh joy! And now video! Two of the bodies I run have HD video capability though, I'll be honest, I've not entirely taken advantage of it. Now, for the first time, I've had one of my clients book me for a shoot, and ask if I can shoot some video alongside the stills. How exciting! Convergence, they're calling it..stills and video in one!
Now I just need to buy an HD-DSLR rig, Z-finder, Editing suite, microphone.....aaaagh!

Hard work never hurt no-one!

Terrible grammar but you get the point! Lots on at the moment...and I'll start by telling you about a Corporate shoot I had yesterday, photographing new appointments to a Manchester company. Had to shoot them individually - suited and booted - and then they each had to get changed into the company's branded shirts. Problem there being the shirts were branded just above the left nipple..which leaves a lot of blank space between the faces and the company logo, but the PR chap insisted I shoot it that way. We downloaded the shots straight to his laptop, and by the time I was back here the first image had gone live...and they'd had to crop off the logo! Told you, told you!!
Anyway, back to making a rather large Wedding album - 150 images! - and in between that I'm preparing for the first of my season's Wedding Fayres this weekend. Just designed and taken delivery of a new banner and 1,500 flyers to go in all the goody bags! Oh, and I'm going live on the website and newsletter of Birchwood Business Park in Cheshire today. I've come up with an introductory offer for all the firms on the site to get some PR images shot economically.
Erm, what else did I have to do..? Oh, breakfast..must eat breakfast!

My first love!

Well, Happy Valentine's Day, everybody, and here's a picture of my first love!
She's called Paulette! The Halina Paulette Electric, my first ever 35mm camera! Cost me £16 in 1975, and I had to pay the whole price in weekly installments before I could get my sweaty hands on her! She guided me through the basics of photography, and I've been passionate ever since! What fun we had, what lovely days out together. Oh, we were inseparable, until I dumped her for a Yashica FR1!
Have fun !

Colour me up!

I was listening to an internet radio station based in Dallas yesterday, and they played a band called White Lies. Now here's me writing about old duffers Iron Maiden and completely missing this new band...!
I hastily googlified them to find they're playing Manchester next week..and it's sold out! Oh, sob, sob..but at least it's an encouraging sign. My mates reckon my musical education stopped circa 1985 ! Anyway, on the subject of white, nice to see snowdrops instead of snowflakes this morning, tinkling their little heads in the breeze. White band, white flowers...new beginnings...oh, calm down Martin!

No denying that Spring is on the way, though. There are buds appearing, the daffodils are coming, I watched a robin collecting nesting material, and I swallowed a fly whilst out walking yesterday! It's time for a bit of colour again.

Now, speaking of colour (tentative link #365), I've just finished making a Wedding Album that's a bit of a first for me. After all these years it's the first one I've ever done completely in colour. All the reportage, that I normally print in sepia, was requested in colour. It brought up an amusing moment, as I was trying to correct a colour cast on a bridesmaid's hand. Obviously not a problem in black and white, but I couldn't understand where this weird orange glow was coming from. Then it dawned on me...it was the remnants of the poor girl's fake tan!

Right, only one colour to talk about now...Come on you Reds !!!!

For those about to rock..

Did you ever see the film Flight 666? It was a fun, rock-filled documentary following heavy-metal band Iron Maiden as they flew themselves around the world so that they could gig in 'hard-to-reach' places. Excellent film, and this from one who doesn't own a single Iron Maiden song (I don't really like most Heavy Metal, it's too slow for me!) Anyway, the buggers are at it again, and they leave today to do it all over again! They'll gig right through into the summer, and you can bet your sweet wotsits they'll put 110% into every night.
That's what I'd be if I wasn't a photographer...a rock drummer! I just love the passion of musicians. The effort and energy and ability to move people. How could you not be passionate about that?
Just thought I'd mention it in passing, as that's a word that was used to describe me this week. I was also called wacky, colourful and quirky, and I'm happy with all of those descriptions...particularly as every one of the people who described me thus..booked me as their Wedding Photographer!
Rock on!

The Fame Game

Now here's a nice picture of Meryl Streep for you. Oh, no...it's really Maggie! I thought the resemblance was striking! (Streep's playing Thatcher in a film, if you're still baffled!) I photographed Our Maggie for the Press way back in 1978, whilst she was still 'trying' to become Britain's first lady PM. I shot her a few years later at a private event in Manchester. Now it doesn't matter what you think of her politics..long silence..but you have to admit she's famous! So, I did what I always do when there's someone 'BIG' standing in front of me...I asked for her autograph..and she gave it me! She wrote "To the best photographer in the world, love Mags!" No, she didn't..she just signed her name, and it still sits nicely in my little book next to signatures fom heroes like Mohammed Ali, George Best and Morrissey. Funny old thing, fame, isn't it. My pal doesn't get it, but I love the fact that I've met these amazing people, and I suppose the autograph is literally the proof that I did so. It has to be in person, though. For example, I have a book signed by the great photographer Joel Meyerowitz. Fair enough, but it's just a signed book. It wasn't me that got it. Now I find that the great man is giving a talk soon in Derby. I could meet him and get his autograph, but  I've got a Wedding Fayre* on the same day. Aaaagh, what to do?  Guess I'll just have to wait until he's back in the UK! At least another great snapper, the fab Terry O'Neill, is now following me on Twitter!

Fame!

*Commercial Break...The Wedding Fayre is at the Park Royal Hotel, Stretton, Cheshire on March 6th...See ya there?

Bear with me, dear reader!

 Sorry to intrude..this has nothing to do with anything current. Well it does, but only if you like motor-bikes! It's just that a client of mine, Carole Nash Insurance, is running some editorial on the Carole Nash Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show and their little PR chappie asked if I had a pic of one of the Carole Nash Babes they could link to. I’ve photographed these young ladies a good few times and this is a typical shot. Taken at their big November UK show, Motorcycle Live, at the NEC, I HAD to go around the show with the gals to show the kinds of bikes Carole Nash insure. Why’s it here? Well, my Wedding and PR blog is the easiest place to post to give them that all important link....apparently! Search Engine Wizardy and all that!  The PR whippet tells me the Irish Show’s worth a visit so if you’re in Dublin early next month....

I've been Framed!

Had a great day yesterday! Took another Wedding booking for this year, and got a cool set of portraits of a little lad in Cheshire! I've decided to shoot my portraits on location this year, so went round to a lovely converted barn on a huge farm a few miles from here. It was like walking into my own private gallery!
I'd shot the Parents' Wedding a few years back, so there were framed photographs from their Big Day all over the house, but in pride of place in the kitchen was a huge framed print of their first son, giggling gorgeously in black and white! I'd taken his photograph about two years ago, and now it was time to put the new arrival on the wall next to him. The session couldn't have gone more sweetly. The nipper laughed and gurgled and dribbled (Sorry Mums..it looks so cute!), but he was most in his element when we let him play with his big brother's train set (Sorry Big Brother!). Numerous bits of train later, I made my exit..a great set of shots in the bag! Lovely to be part of the family!

Time, gentlemen!

Another one bites the dust! This pub's called The Harrow, and now it's shut. Harrowing! Mind you, I'm not surprised. I was paying £3.25 for a pint of Guinness at the weekend. (Not in there, obviously!) It's getting too expensive to go for a pint! And I notice price becoming more and more relevant in all aspects of my business, too. Brides ringing me for the first time often begin their calls with "How much?", and I've just had one chap looking to have his Wedding photography costs reduced by suggesting he does all the 'tweaking' if I just hand over all my images to him!! Only yesterday a PR firm called with a list of three press jobs they needed shooting. Their fee was..£75! Seems I've been saying 'No Thanks' a lot lately. Get me a drink!

Oh, just great!

I've just spent good money advertising in a local magazine's Wedding supplement. The ads look great and one of my photographs was used as the cover shot. Very happy! Then I read their article "Weddings on a budget"! It says "Look for a student/new photographer who's starting up in business. Not only will it be cheap, but you can almost guarantee they will put ALL (Their capitals!) their effort into capturing the right pictures." Well, thank you very much!

Now, I'm not going to quote this article out of conext..it does go on to say "Hire the photographer for a few crucial hours and ask a trusted friend to take more informal pictures"..but what an image to present to a newly engaged couple! It even uses the word "cheap!" Ugh!..although my favourite part is the giveaway line "You can ALMOST (My capitals!) guarantee they'll put all their effort into capturing the right pictures!! Ah, relief..I'm a professional! You can DEFINITELY guarantee I'll put ALL my effort into capturing the right pictures.

Heard a line the other day. "If you think it's expensive to hire a Professional to do the job, wait 'til you hire an amateur!" How true! Rant over!

Stop Press..It wasn't me, Guv!...Whoops!! 

Trouble with the wind!

I thought we'd talk about wind today! Not that kind..the gale force stuff that's been whipping round the country. Fortunately it's not the terrible kind like the Australian cyclone, so we can smile at this nice tale!  When I was laid off from the Warrington Guardian, it was a real hard time as I couldn't afford a car to get me  'on the road' to freelancing. I ended up with one camera and a bicycle! One windy day, a lorry blew over on the M62 high-level bridge, close to where I used to live. From my window I could see the traffic backing up, and eventually the motorway was closed, as the lorry was causing too much of a blockage.
I grabbed my one camera, (Yashica FR 1, if you're interested, with a 35mm lens!), and got on my bike. Eventually, headlong into the gusty gale, I cycled right to the top of the flyover. A policeman watched my progress. When I reached him he said "I've watched you cycle all the way up..I haven't the heart to send you back!" So, I got my shots, and headed back to the Manchester Evening News with my film. Two shots in that night's paper and a satisfying glow of a press job well done. But the really best bit?  Cycling down the flyover with the wind at my back! Felt like 100 miles an hour!

Sing it, baby, sing it!

You'd swear this little baby was joining in with the hymns at this Wedding, wouldn't you!
It's one of the shots on a slide show I present to couples who are thinking of booking me to shoot their Wedding. There's been a real flurry of enquiries lately, though it's a funny time as I'm still dealing with at least four Weddings from last year.  I'm currently working on an album from a Wedding last September, and rather oddly the bride has asked me if I can remove everyone else from one particular shot, to leave only herself and her Mother on the picture. Only problem? The Groom just happens to be standing between them !

Pick of the Day !!

Happy February, everybody...and goodbye January..Phew! A shot of good old Robin Day to start the month, from an event in Manchester many moons ago. He was giggling because I'd got Paddy Ashdown to hold my reflector..though I don't know why he was picking his nose!!

Still working on my Google Optimization here, and pleased to see I'm nosing up to the top of the second page now. (When did being a photographer involve so many other disciplines??) Hopefully that'll allow more people to find me and I'll be able to shoot even more Weddings!  Funnily enough, it was a great day for bookings yesterday, and I also received a rather unusually large number of enquiries. Has somebody opened a Wedding gate and you're all flooding out looking for a photographer?
Brilliant ! Pick me!