The signs are good ..

Plans for The Culcheth Collection are coming along nicely, with more and more suppliers wanting to be involved. Let me explain..

When I moved into my studio I realised that I was surrounded by other Wedding suppliers. A cake maker, a stationery maker (or two..), a Wedding car company .. and so on. So, I thought it would be a good idea if we all joined together under one name to make Culcheth a 'Wedding centre of Excellence'. Well, it's finally happening, and we'll have a meeting in a week or so to mash out the fantastic discounts that we're going to be able to offer brides and grooms. Whether you need diamonds or dianthus, lingerie or a limo, we're going to be able to point you in the right direction. Oh, and there's a photographer in there, too ...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Bill's the best ..

Hello, this is Barry Norman. Today I want to tell you about a film Lesley and I watched last last night, called Bill Cunningham NewYork. It's a documentary about a fashion photographer who works for the New York Times, and it's one of the most heart-warming, cheery films we've seen for a long time. The thing about Bill is he's 84, and still rides the hectic streets of Manhattan on a push-bike, with a basket on the front, zipping between glitzy grand dinners and swanky catwalk unveilings in a jacket usually worn by the bin-men of Paris! Honestly! Now you might not have an interest in photography - or even fashion - but this lovely film is so worth watching for the sheer joy of life that this guy has! Joie de vivre and humility, but underlined with a determined purposeful drive to get the shots and have them shown in the 'paper properly! We loved it. We loved him! We want to be that happy when we're in our 80s. Thank you, Bill, you're the best!

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Canada dry ..

Pleased to say I've just been booked to shoot the Wedding of a couple who live in Canada. Unfortunately - for the traveller in me - their Wedding is at Manchester Registry Office, so I won't be needing any warm, woolly clothing for the Big Day! I piled into my archive to find a shot that would suit today's blog, but as I've never been to Canada I could only come up with this shot of a Greyhound Bus Station in somewhere like Cleveland, Ohio! (Ah, near enough, eh? .. and it's got a church in it!) If you're knocking about with nothing to do this weekend - and you live a little closer than Newfoundland - then why not come to see me at a Wedding Fayre in Altrincham on Saturday. I'll be at St Margaret's, Dunham, from 11 am. There's a free glass of wine, by the way! Or you could always drink Canada dry .. hahahahah..!

(Ps: I lied about not having been to Canada! I've been to Vancouver Island, but that's more British than the UK! You're greeted off the ferry by bagpipes and red London buses! I rest my case..)

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com   

Work like it's the weekend!..

 A relaxing two days with nothing in the diary turned into a real humdinger of a weekend, and I've got a charity dinner and a christening under my belt since Friday! Saturday saw me at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester shooting the charity event for a friend and picturing, amongst others, Olympic star Beth Tweddle. Then I spent Sunday at a family Christening, and have just dropped 272 images onto a web-gallery for them all to view.

I've also been working on an idea I've wanted to get off the ground since I moved into my studio. Around and about my unit are a number of Wedding related businesses - a cake maker, a jeweller, a florist, stationers, a Wedding car company and even .. a caricaturist! - and it makes sense to tie us all together to offer a better service to Wedding couples in the area. So, The Culcheth Collection has been born and, although it's in its early stages, I've designed a website to get us all off the ground and we'll be having a meeting soon to work out the discounts we are going to be able to offer to you all those lovely brides and grooms out there!

I just need two days off now!..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Double vision ..

I've been working hard on a project - or idly wasting time on the computer, as Lesley calls it - involving matching up pairs of archive photographs that I think work well together. Here's an example, and I hope you can see what I mean. Well, I've had another great double this week which means that, for the second time this month, I've become involved with a film. You may remember I was interviewed on camera for the forthcoming documentary about Chris Sievey/Frank Sidebottom and now I've been approached about having one of my shots used in a feature about Manchester in the 90s. Admittedly this one's only a quick flash of a night-club, which will be shown against the background of people who used to go there but, man, at this rate I'm never going to be out of a tuxedo! All those movie premieres, all those red carpets! Darlings, I love you all ..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Grub up! ..

Well, here's something to get your teeth into! I seem to be setting a trend here, based around food, glorious food! You've already seen that I spent Monday shooting PR pix in a sausage factory, and last week I was back at Smiths restaurant in Eccles to put up some new food-themed photographs from my Twelve for '13 archive. Today I'm returning to the Deli-Lama Cafe in Salford to put up a banner of Joy Division photographs that will form a backdrop to gigs during the Salford Music festival, but the BIG news is that I've just been selected to shoot the brochure for a new restaurant in Manchester. I can't tell you whose restaurant it is, although my pals James and Martin might be able to drop you the odd hint!! How exciting! Anyone for seconds?..

Stop Press: Had a portrait sitting at the studio this morning. The sitter brought me a bacon butty!!  Foodtastic!!....

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www.studiofivefour.com

Hard hat, hair net ..

Oh, yes, did I look the part yesterday, shooting sausages in a freezing cold meat factory! From Wedding photography to meat production in one fell swoop .. Ah, the glamour! Hard hat, hair net, hi-vis jacket, white overcoat and shoe protectors .. it's a wonder I could actually get my rucksack on my shoulders! I was on a day-long PR shoot for a well-known supermarket, capturing the 'essence' of sausage manufacture, the 'efficiency' of steak butchery and the 'integrity' of pork packaging! I'll tell you, vegetarianism seriously flashed across my brain at one point but, don't worry, a ham sandwich at lunchtime soon put paid to that! To be honest, I did have to do other shots, too. The warehousing, the maintenance, the HR team and then, finally, the Directors. Talk about packing it in! It didn't help that I was told, as soon as I got there, that there was no power for me to use in the 'meat' areas, so - technical note here - I shot it all on SB-900s, one of which blew over in the gales during an outdoor shot and still kept on working throughout! (An SB 900 is a flashgun to you and me! Thank you, Nikon!) And now I'm in the middle of tweaking 600 images! I could murder a sausage butty!...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Dry, dry, dry ..

How did that happen? The weather yesterday couldn't have been any further from what I was expecting for the Wedding. It was bloody glorious! After all that rain on Friday, too .. and before the 'storms' we're supposed to be expecting today! The God of Wedding Photography verily he did shineth down upon me yesterday! In fact, he shinethed a little too much, and I had all sorts of problems with the sunshine. It's been three months since I shot a Wedding at Willington Hall, and already the sun is noticeably lower. Lower as in, shining straight into the lens! Anyway, I think I did ok under the circumstances, and I'm sure Jude and Chris will be delighted with their shots! Have a look here .. see what you think!

Stop Press: I kid you not .. The Doors' Riders on the storm has just come on the radio! It's a sign...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Wet, wet, wet ..

And so to Willington, in what looks like a brief and very welcome break in the bad weather! Given the amount of rain that fell yesterday I'd think I'll be very lucky if I can shoot today's Bride and Groom down in the field with the venue's famous tree! I spoke too soon when I said that Friday the 13th was lucky, as news came in last evening that the Southport Air Show has cancelled its Sunday section .. the bit I was going to go to .. because of the predicted bad weather! Still, I know we'll have a fantastic Wedding come what may although I have packed my studio lights in case we have to work indoors!

Now, where are my wellies? ..

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www.studiofivefour.com

Lucky for some ..

Friday the 13th is the start of a really fantastic few days for me! I've got another Wedding at Willington Hall - one of my favourite venues - then I'm treating myself to a day off at Southport Air Show, and then on Monday I have a full day's PR shoot for one of the country's leading supermarkets!

It was mentioned quite a while back that 2013 would be a quiet one for Wedding bookings as it has the number thirteen in it! I think, on the whole, that's been true for every one of my Wedding contacts but the up-side to that is that it's now looking busier for next year. I already have bookings right up to Christmas 2014! There's a chance, too, that my music T-shirts will be marketed out to a large chain of shops across Tokyo, and I've started working on a new exhibition that will open soon in Altrincham. All that and I finally hit my mini-milestone of 300 likes on Facebook! 2013? Lucky for some ..

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www.studiofivefour.com

Food for thought ..

I now have two exhibitions going on at the same time in Salford - one in a café and one in a restaurant! At least you won't starve to death if you to see any of my work! I've got Joy Division shots at the Deli-Lama Café, along with a selection of my Twelve for '13 Eccles archive - and I've got 'food' themed photography at Smiths restaurant in Eccles along with a couple of .. er, Smiths shots from 1984! One of these days I'll have to try my luck with an exhibition in a proper grown-up gallery but, as they say, a wall is a wall! Food for thought ..

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www.studiofivefour.com

Fayre enough ..

Hurrah! I've finally been contacted after paying to have flyers put into goody bags at the Tatton Wedding Fayre .. in February! So, a new bride? A forthcoming Wedding enquiry? Nope .. a call from another Wedding Fayre organiser asking if I'd like to take part in their fayre later this month! I ask you!..

Thing is, I thought it sounded quite good, so I've booked a stand! September 28th! St Margaret's church in Dunham Massey. Saturday afternoon too, with a free glass of wine, so you can pop in once you've done your shopping!

Back to Willington Hall on Saturday for the funky nuptials of Jude and Chris, and I've got strict instructions from Jude's Mum as to what I should be shooting. She wants front and side views of the house and garden, lots of "funny" pictures and a selection of family portraits. Now I don't know about Jude but funny pictures and family portraits are the same thing in my family!!
Say cheese...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Double whammy ..

I've just come back from a meeting about a possible exhibition of my Freshies photographs, and I've come away scoring a rather tasty double-whammy! I want an exhibition of my photographs of Chris Sievey and his band to tie in with the opening of the 'Being Frank' film, but that looks like it's at least a year off yet so, to tide me over, the gallery I've been to has offered me space to show a selection of my other music photography - the director there was enthusing over my shots of Toyah! - so I've come home all excited about which shots to pick! Toyah? Siouxsie Sue? Henry Rollins? Ah, sod it .. one of everything! Why not?...

My shots today show The Freshies on the same stage at Bowdon Vale Youth Club, two weeks prior to the Joy Division gig. Makes me wonder now why I asked Chris and his cohorts to come out for a shoot rather than Ian Curtis and his gang! Damn!...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Turned out nice again ..

Wow, what a weekend! It started with a feature in a magazine and ended with me being filmed for a forthcoming documentary! In between that, another Wedding booking for next year and an enquiry for one in .. 2015!

Yes, I had one of my Weddings featured in 'Real Weddings' magazine and I'm really pleased with the results. They used six images from Dee and Ian's Wedding in June - made 'special' by the fact that an amazing thunderstorm caused all sorts of problems on the day but, ultimately, didn't spoil the Wedding or the mood of the day. Oh, and I was described as having a 'jolly personality'!

So, I then met with Liz and Ben, who've booked me for their Wedding in Rochdale next April. I knew I was dealing with 'my kind of couple' when Ben suggested to Liz they had Slayer's 'South of Heaven' as the music to their first dance!

After that it was off to Static Records in Wigan, which had been turned into a 'movie studio' for the day. I was being filmed for the forthcoming documentary film 'Being Frank', about the life and times of Timperley's own Chris Sievey! I photographed his band The Freshies in  ... ah, you read all that in Sunday's blog! It was a really enjoyable experience, and the director described my piece as 'self-deprecating and humorous'!

So, as the magazine says, it all turned out nice again!

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All roads lead to ..

Well, how exciting! I'm off to Wigan this afternoon to be interviewed for the forthcoming film 'Being Frank'. It's all about the life and times of Timperley's finest - the late, nearly great Chris Sievey, who you'll more likely know as the character Frank Sidebottom. Before he donned the papier-maché head Chris had a band called The Freshies, who I photographed at Bowdon Vale Youth Club a couple of weeks before the Joy Division gig. Chris and a couple of other band members then came out with me for a shoot around Sale one afternoon and Steve Sullivan, the producer of the film, saw the contact sheets of the session when he was going through all Chris' memorabilia, describing one of my shots as 'one of the best pictures of a band I have ever seen' .. !!

Hopefully I'll get some of this work shown in the film, then I aim to get a little exhibition together once the film is launched. Quite a few of the pictures have never been seen! By anyone! Well, apart from Chris and Steve, but you know what I mean!

Right, hair .. make-up! I'm ready for my close-up, darlings ..

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www.studiofivefour.com

The icing on the cake ..

I hadn't even had my breakfast this morning when I got an email from a local gallery asking if I'd be interested in showing some of my work! Erm .. yes, I would! Too bloody right, I would! I've got so many different projects and archives that I'd love to get out there, so it's off to Altrincham for coffee on Tuesday and watch - as they say - this space!

My pal Ed Blaney, the organiser of the Salford Music Festival, rather surprised me when he announced on Facebook last night that my Joy Division exhibition at the Deli-Lama cafe will be a great backdrop to the gigs that are coming up there over the period of the festival. I didn't realise it was actually a venue for the festival! That's handy!

Today sees the publication of Pure Weddings magazine, featuring one of my Weddings from the summertime. Ironically, it's pouring with rain as I write this, and it was the heavy downpours on that June day that made Dee and Ian's Wedding day so .. er .. interesting! Can't wait to see it!

The icing on the cake, though? This message from Lucy, who picked up her Wedding album the other day."Our beautiful wedding album has arrived and it's wonderful... all thanks to Martin O'Neill. Pictures are stunning  - absolutely made up!"

I like that!..


#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com  

 

Me and my good camera! ..

Well, there's a first time for everything and yesterday I had a bride who, amazingly, forgot to come and collect her Wedding album! Yep! Had me waiting an hour and in the end she had to come to my house where I'd taken the album back home with me! In her defence she did have to finish work, collect three young kids on the school run and get across to my studio from the centre of Warrington but .. flippin' 'eck! Only joking, Lucy!

My nephew has announced he's to get married next year and I'm delighted I've been able to offer my Wedding photography as the couple's Wedding present. It occurred to me that Stevo must be one of the very few people that can actually say, with complete justification ..

"My uncle's doing my Wedding photography. He's got a good camera!.."

Bum, bum ..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

 

The Hook Line ..

And so the mystery is solved! I was back working with Hooky yesterday evening - that's Peter Hook of Joy Division fame to the two of you out there that haven't heard of him - and I took along my copy of his book to get it signed. I'd bought it as soon as it came out and hoped I might be mentioned as I feel my little set of pictures of the band do have their place in the history of the group. Well, I am mentioned in the book, but I'm mentioned as - get this - "a very young Martin Ocomin" .. !! Ocomin? Oh, come on! Where the hell did Ocomin come from? Well, I asked him last night. "Eh?" .. he said "Who? What?..." Turns out .. it's a typo! Plain and simple as that! Seems there's apparently at least one line of text missing from the O at the beginning of my surname to where Hooky goes on about "kicking me up the arse and telling me to piss off!!" (One of my claims to fame but answers on a postcard, please, as to what that line might say!) So, anyway, there we are. He emailed the publishers there and then and says they'll have it corrected for the next print run.

After that, he signed the book and then there was nothing left to do but pally up and have a picture taken!..

Oh, he signed it "Thanks for the tip" ..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Old growlers ..

Children and animals! I don't know why they say you shouldn't work with either, 'cos we had a blast yesterday shooting Lucy and Molly and that furry ball of energy they call Fergus! The key is to work fast! As in .. I got about ten frames before the dog'd had enough, and set to barking for Britain until we took him outside! (Actually, maybe I do know why they say that about animals!) Some lovely shots, though, and I'm pleased that my first studio shot with a pet went well. Really looking forward to Mum coming back for her viewing, now!

Bass players! I don't know why they say you shouldn't work with them 'cos .. Only joking! The old PR hat goes back on again this afternoon and guess who I've got to photograph .. me old mate Hooky, that's who! Let's see what he moans about this time! (Still joking, Hooky, honest!) I'll fill you in on the detail tomorrow.

PS: The photograph today is of Fergus .. not Hooky!
Just making that clear !!
Don't hit me, Hooky!
Down, boy!
Aaagh!..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Bye, buy ..

I've certainly hit the road running this week, as I've woken to an email from Japan letting me know my range of T shirts is now on sale in Tokyo! Joy Division, Devo, The Smiths and The Human League all feature. Quick, get over there! Buy, buy ..

My picture today is from a Wedding I shot in June, and I'm pleased to say that it's going to be featured in Pure Weddings magazine as a 'Real-Life Wedding'. It was certainly a different day to your 'average' Wedding, as the weather caused havoc with all the bride's plans. There was an absolute cloud-burst just before the newly-weds came out of the church, meaning they had to wait inside until the storm had passed. Then, there was ..  oh, what am I doing? You'll have to read the magazine. Quick, get out there! Buy, buy ..

I'm being filmed for a movie in Sunday! Oh, yes .. touch my hem! I'm being interviewed for a film called Being Frank, about the life and times of the late, great Chris Sievey. He used to have a band called The Freshies, which I shot a couple of times in 1979, but then he subsequently morphed into the 'cartoon character' Frank Sidebottom and never came out of his, erm, head .. again! Anyway, my shots of the band are hopefully to be featured in the movie along with my quirky, amusing reminiscences about the band (It says here!)

Before that there's one other big event in my diary. For the first time since I opened the studio I'm going to be shooting a dog in there! (Sorry .. photographing a dog! Don't go phoning the RSPCA!)
Better go get set up! Bye, bye ..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

You will always find me in the kitchen ..

 Party, party .. September's Twelve for '13 installment is here! P is for Peel Green, Pink Panther and even .. Patti Boulaye!

Perfect!...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

P is for peep ..

September beckons, and if you have a quick peep behind the curtain you'll see that the next installment of my Twelve for '13 project is all ready to go. This time we move through subjects as varied as pensioners, Patricroft Railway station, parades and - as you can see - passport machines! There's a plane crash in there, a couple of funny phone box photos, and the old Piccadilly Radio DJ Pete Baker. Yes, we're mostly on the letter P, although I do do a bit of 'Nose-picking', 'Old dears' and 'Ooops' too! Pop by tomorrow and have a peep. Please!..

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www.studiofivefour.com

Taxing ..

Come in, Martin. Take a seat ..

Oh, Lord! I've got a meeting with my accountant this morning! Tomorrow's blog may be brief, as I slope off to some remote, far-off hideaway! Or not ..

Holding my breath (again!) as I await the outcome of a quote I've been asked to give for a brochure shoot next month. I've already got a great shoot coming up for a major supermarket chain, so I'm hoping September will prove to be a good month all round.

Hang on, an email's just come in. Are you sitting down? ..

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Get me my fix ..

Man, I'm exhausted! I've been pulling ivy off the walls of the house, then scraping away the clinging tendrils and repainting the walls. It seems a long time since I was chillin' in Greece with a tasty can of 'Fix' lager! However, on with the show and let's get this job done! It's like I was saying the other day when I was photographing inside a factory... I could not do that all day! My dear old Dad used to put in 12 hour shifts as a Maintenance fitter in some of the noisiest, smelliest factories I've ever seen. He'd come home, hands rough and ingrained with oil, and tell me straight that I'd never have hands like his. Well, he's right .. I'm a photographer .. a right old softie .. and long may I stay so!
Cheers, Dad .. you fixed everything! X

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www.studiofivefour.com

Download as wallpaper ..

If you're a Joy Division fan you'll have almost certainly seen the Anton Corbijn film 'Control'. It's about the life and times of the band and their lead singer, the late Ian Curtis. Anyway it was, once again, the DVD of choice for Lesley and I over the Bank Holiday although, as usual, she had to plead with me not to cry at the end. I know, I know ..

Much to Lesley's annoyance, though, I still get a kick out of pausing the film when they show the band supposedly playing The Hope and Anchor in London. The top shot is a photograph I took of the screen. Look familiar? Yes, it looks uncannily like my shots from Bowdon Vale, and I'm so flattered! When I went to the film's northern opening at Cornerhouse I met Orian Williams, one of the producers of the film, and he told me that yes, the scene was based on my photographs. Seems the late, great Tony Wilson took him to see my exhibition when it was on at The Rampant Lion pub in South Manchester, and he got his inspiration from my shots! Let's hear it for dodgy wallpaper! ..

(PS: If you'd like to see some of the self-same prints from that Rampant Lion show, they're on at the Deli-Lama cafe in Salford for the next two months!)

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Up and at 'em ..

Gosh, I've managed a whole Bank Holiday weekend without a blog! I'd like to say that's because I've been so busy with Weddings and work and so on, but the truth of it is that I've more or less had the whole three days off! Unheard of! Ok, I did do a family shoot on Sunday afternoon - today's piccy is an image from it - so there's been a little work done since Friday but, other than that, I've done sweet Fanny Adams for a change! Little bit of Ikea, little bit of Garden centre, even a spot of sunbathing in the garden! It's been great, but now I want to be busy again. I'm looking on this last week of August as a sort of calm before the storm and really expect the studio to kick in Big Time once everyone's back at work and school. The season is a'changin' - the garden centre's selling Christmas cards and Ikea's garden furniture is in the Sale section! Like the little doggy in this picture, I'm gonna be up and at 'em come September!.. 

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The writing's on the .. floor!

I've been given the nod, so can now show you the PR shoot I did last week in Manchester. V2020 is the name of a new project being embarked upon by the staff at this company, every one of whom downed tools - and phones - to come outside for the photo. It was four months in the planning, involved 200 members of the workforce, and had to be shot within 15 minutes so that the phones could be re-manned! Talk about quick! I still managed to shoot a fun stop-motion film of the whole thing, though! Watch it here! I love the flailing arms. If only you could hear all the bawling and shouting I was doing at the same time!

Another large group shot to take at the weekend, albeit a family of 14 rather than a workforce of 200. And talk about easy-peasy, I don't even have to make 'em spell anything out against the backdrop!

Oh, yes .. it's the Bank Holiday, so get out there and enjoy yourselves.
I might write the odd blog or two before Tuesday!!...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

The subject is ..

I'm flying high today! Subjects for my blog have been battling it out in my head all morning! I was going to write about some fab retouching I've just done, rescuing some images of a church from faded, dusty 1903 photographs! But then I wanted to tell you about just how good the Fuji X10 is, as I actually shot some website portraits on it yesterday and they're beautiful! They're on my Head-Shots page! Check 'em out! Then I saw the news item about the two 9 year old girls who've just had a go at wing-walking on the Breitling biplanes, and I thought I'd show you a shot from this year's Waddington air-show. Then I wanted to tell you that today I'm putting some new photographs up at Smiths restaurant in Eccles. A new selection from my Twelve for '13 Eccles archive. But .. I've decided to go with the news that, at 7.30 this morning, I got an email from a Wedding magazine saying they'd like to use one of my summer Weddings as a 'Real-Life' Wedding for their Autumn edition. I'm desperately trying to contact the bride to get her permission. It's all up in the air .. on a wing and a prayer, you might say! Stay tooned!

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Times are 'ard ..

Well, lor lummy, me old cock sparrer .. the bleedin' recession's only gorn an affected their Right Royal  'ighnesses, aint it!? Seems they're as 'ard up as you an' me, arfter all !

See, I thought it was only the budget concious couple who'd be so stupid as to trust their bestest memories to a family member! Well, seems not! Will and Kate are now the latest loonies to go down the 'photographer-bypass' route. "I say, Kate.." says Wills "How's about we book one of them there right royal snappers to get some new piccies of the baby?.." "Oh, Wills, you daftie.." she simpers "We don't need to book a professional .. My dad's got a good camera!.."

The results are here for all to see ...

What a load of rubbish!

Hmmmppphhh....

PS: Thanks to a pal of mine who's reminded me that some of the most sycophantic drooling over these pictures was done by my namesake Terry O'Neill! Oh, Terry, you wazzock!...


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Get a head ..

Well, I've been so busy today I've not even had chance to blog! I'll just squeeze one out before lunch!! My main focus this morning has been to get a web-page up and running to promote my new Head-Shots NW service. I'm offering a great new facility for actors' and musicians' to get some fab publicity shots done, and my new studio is perfect for the job as it's right across the street from a park. We can shoot a range of images under the lights, and then go for some available light/full length stuff beneath the trees. Did I mention the great rates, too? As I was reminded the other day, most actors are skint! .. so my charges are realistic and affordable. The only rider is that any new actor has to remember me when they're famous! Ok?

Note to editor: Sorry, that wasn't a blog, it was a full-blown commercial !

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www.studiofivefour.com

Yes, I am ..

The Book of Face tells me that today is World Photography Day, a day to "embrace your love of photography"! Now, I don't know if you noticed, but I do that every day! I embrace it, squeeze it, hug it .. squish it 'til its f-stops pop! I just couldn't do without photography in my life and so you'll excuse me if I look down my haughty little nose at the suggestion of having 'a day' of passion for the art! I know I'm lucky, though. Somehow photography found me, circa 1973, and we've skipped through life, hand in hand, ever since! I was talking to a young student who's just off to Uni this September  and asked him what he wanted to do at the end of it. He didn't know! Yoiks! Me? I wanted to be a photographer from the age of 13! Stuck to the plan, persevered and .. well, the rest is history! Here I am in 1981, Olympus XA in hand and wearing my bestest, favouritest jumper! (I still have it! Check it out ..) The good thing about this photograph is that at least two of the other guys are still professional photographers! (I hope Nigel is, too, but I've kinda lost touch with him.) For the first time in a while I was asked the proverbial question last week .. "Are you still a photographer?"  .. as if it's some passing phase and I'll grow up and get a 'proper' job any day now! The answer .. I am so flippin' pleased to say is ..
Yes, I am!...

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

Kick - off ..

It's the first day of the football season and, for the second year in a row, I have made a concious decision not to follow the beautiful game. I'm sick of the pansying, overpaid, whining little brats and their pathetic fake-foul roly-polying! So, no footy for me! So there!..

One thing that did kick off last night was my Joy Division/Eccles exhibition at the Deli-Lama cafe in Salford. Many thanks to everyone who came, and to Linda and Lincoln for getting the show off to a great start (So great that I missed my train!)

My picture today's from my Twelve for '13 project - shot in about 1975 on the fields at the back of our 'ouse! I remember there was an electricity pylon in the middle of the running track, and the grass always grew high there because the mowers couldn't get in between the stanchions. As kids we'd see this grass rustling and swaying, and we'd sneak up on a guy from down our street who used to take his latest fling there for a bit of .. well, back o' the net!    


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On a high ..

Well, it worked! My pr shoot came off spectacularly yesterday, and we successfully arranged 200 people into the shape of a new company logo on the staff car-park, and had them back in their offices again .. in 15 minutes flat! Happily, the sun came out, as you can see, and I even managed to make a one-minute stop-motion film of the event as it unfolded! Unfortunately I can't show you any of it at the mo, as I've not yet had the ok from the company, so you'll have to make-do with second-best .. a picture of me! I'd given a spare camera to the marketing lady, and asked if she'd pop off a shot or two whilst we were still arranging the group. It's a shame it's framed like it is. It's so nearly a good photograph, and a perfect illustration of how a 'non-photographer' can't see a shot. This would have been great if she'd just worked a little on that reflection in the window, but she cropped it thus and so I'm stuck with it! Anyway, one of me is enough for anyone!...

One of me is all you'll get tonight at the opening of my new exhibition. If you're at a loose end this evening come down to the Deli-Lama cafe in Salford to check out some of my work. I'm showing some of my Joy Division pictures, and a wall of shots from my Eccles archive. There's beer, cheese and crusty bread up for grabs, too!

Off to the studio now! Matthias' parents are coming in to view the work we shot last week. He's the little fella that peed all over my floor, and that's him you can see in the link! Aw!..

God, I'm on a high ...

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Clear sky thinking ..

Today's the day folks! I'm having my hair cut! No, seriously .. this morning, come what may, I'll be shooting 200 people standing in their staff car-park spelling out the name of a new company project! Pray to the Sun-Gods for me, people! Pray! We have 15 minutes - an exact 15 minute window during the morning - when we can take the picture, as the whole firm is shutting down - phone-lines/transport/warehouses -  so that the staff can pile out to take their places in 5 big numbers and letters we're going to map out across the park. Think Halifax advert if you're reading this in the UK! The idea was first mooted by the firm about four months ago and I've already had two visits to the site to check everything out. I'll be three floors up and the scene will - if the sun comes out - be backlit. I just hope I remember to put a film in! 

If you'll allow me one more GOMM (That's Grumpy Old Man Moment, in case you missed yesterday's blog) The Perseids! A veritable feast of shooting stars and meteors! I saw one! One in all that time, and that through the tiniest gap in the cloud that seems to have set in since .. well, since they said let's hope we get clear skies!

You spotting a theme here?
I thought my picture of Ayers Rock - Ooops, Uluru - would set the scene nicely.
Oh, and I am having my hair cut today, too!..

Stop Press: YES!!! 200 people, 15 minutes .. DONE! Thank you, thank you to everyone that prayed to the Sun-Gods this morning! The sun came out with a vengeance and really made the shot come to life! The shoot was a fantastic success and as soon as I get the nod from the company I'll be able to show it to you.
Phew ...

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Grrrrrrrumpy! ....

Welcome to today's blog! From now on you'll never again need to watch another episode of Grumpy Old Men!
I will fill that space in your life for you!


Question! Why do people go to gigs, wait 'til the band is hitting full stride .. then choose that exact moment to have a good old catch-up chat with their mate? We went to see the B-52's last night, and damned fine they were, too. At least, the bits I could hear were. The two guys bellowing into each other's ear'oles behind me made sure I didn't exactly catch the band at their finest. Oh, and the lady who held up her iPhone to video large parts of the gig made sure I was only able to view a big part of the show through her wobbly bleedin' phone screen! And the grunt and his girlfriend that plonked themselves right in front of Lesley and I half-way through the gig ensured that the bits I might have otherwise seen were suitably obscured, as well! What a world it's becoming! Where did consideration go? Thought for your fellow man? When I got back in the car I gave Lesley an exasperated sigh. "Don't worry..." she said "I know exactly where you're coming from!"

So, I'm a grumpy old man and I yearn for 'the good old days' .. daft as it sounds! I photographed Wilf at the studio yesterday - 85 and still going strong! Look at him! Look at the pride, the manners, the morals, the dignity! I know I've just hit 53 but to Wilf I was still a "youngster" - a description I'm perfectly happy with, by the way! Wilf is the opposite of a grumpy old man! Alright, he was telling me about his tinnitus and his high blood pressure, but they were just minor inconveniences and were in no way stopping him getting on with his life. I envy his calm acceptance ..

Now SHUT UP !!!!!!.........

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www.studiofivefour.com

Where you at? ..

Off to see The B-52's tonight, though I'm getting a bit tired of everyone bursting ino 'Love Shack' as soon as I mention it! For me that was the worst song they ever did so yes, of course  - what do I know? - it becomes their most popular, getting played ad infinitum at discos, parties, etc., etc., etc....

A tin shack in Sumatra was as close as I came to finding an appropriate blog photograph from my files this morning, but the 'human scarecrow' is playing the flute, so it's got a musical connection, at least...

God, I've love to be travelling again! I once spent six months going around the world, and I actually used a lyric from a B-52's song as my mantra.
"Wherever you go .." it said "That's where you are!.."

And, having said that, where I need to be is the Love Shack ..  er, I mean the studio!

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In the pink ..

What a weekend that was! Started out with a lovely photo-shoot on Friday afternoon when I welcomed little three-week old Matthias into the studio. He reciprocated by peeing all over the floor .. and his dad's shoes, and my trousers!  Fab pix, though, Matthias!

Saturday saw me at the fantastic Wedding of Nichola and Lee. Nichola has Cerebral Palsy and brilliant taste! The theme was Fifties Rock'n Roll, with Nix in a genuine vintage bridal dress and the bridesmaids in stunning floral summer frocks and .. pink Converse Allstars! We got great weather, too! Many congratulations, guys!

I then spent Saturday evening in our local social club watching my mate play in a punk tribute band! Big up to Glam 69, who can make even the most stoical grannie get up and boogie to the Sex Pistols! You rock, guys!

Sunday? Well, Sunday was my birthday, so it was time for pizza and beer with mates in Manchester. One of 'em managed to knock off this shot of me whilst I was trying to photograph a hoarding around the Central Library! Cheers, Mike! Speaking of Big Words, I've got a great pr shoot coming up this week involving 200 staff from a Manchester firm spelling out a logo on the company car park!  So, all in all, everything's in the pink and here's to the first day of my 54th year!

54? Hey, now there's a good name for a studio...

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The stars are out ..

Keep an eye out for The Meteors tonight! No, not the band .. the Perseids .. the annual shooting-star fest that never ceases to amaze me. Well, it would if I could bloody well see it! There's not been one clear evening yet as we lead in to the main event! Mind you, I don't think I'll be able to vouch for my eye-sight at 11pm tonight, as I have both a barbeque and a punk gig to go this evening .. and that's after a day shooting a Wedding! It's not a case of being drunk later on .. I think I'll be asleep! Well, I am 52 you know!

Stop Press: 52 year old becomes 53 on August 11th! Donations/beer gratefully accepted!

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Bats! ..

So, it's the fourth test, eh? Come on, England! Or not! Hardly matters, does it? I mean, I confess I don't quite understand cricket - obviously! - but let me get this straight .. England have won The Ashes by drawing, 'cos it rained, with two games to go, which won't make a blind bit of difference to that decision so .. the point is? Reminds of the time that England played Argentina in a World Cup match (Footy, not cricket!) It was back in the day that one had to 'video' programmes if you wanted to watch them later (My, how quickly that seems dated!) so, as I had a Wedding to shoot that afternoon I 'videoed' the game and made absolutely every effort to avoid the score. Even the bride told the hotel that their staff must not mention the game! Anyway, I was almost home - radio off and eyes front so I didn't receive any clues - but it was a hot day, and there came a point in my journey when I just had to pull over and buy a can of pop from a garage. '80p..' said the cashier 'And isn't it great that we won!' Aaaaagh!.....

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On the tip of my tongue ..

 Yeth, it'th a lot better, thankth for athking ...

If you don't follow me on Facebook - and if not why not? - you won't know that on Saturday, whilst sitting in the garden with a beer, I was stung right on the tip of my tongue by a wasp. The little bugger had gone on a bender at the bottom of my can of Stella, and took exception to me trying to drain the dregs whilst he was still drinking 'em! Ping! Zap! Ouch ..

Anyway, four days on and it's finally starting to feel like I don't have an inflatable life-raft stuck in my mouth so, thank goodness for that .. and there's a lesson learnt! It's beer in a glass from now on!

Tell you what, I've had more than just a wasp sting on the tip of my tongue, lately! Things I've wanted to say to prospective pr 'clients' but, instead, have had to keep my gob shut, smile .. and walk away! I've quoted for three seperate jobs in the past couple of weeks, and all have come back to me with 'Thanks but No Thanks' as they don't want to pay what I've quoted. As 'good cameras' have become more ubiquitous, so peoples' perception of any required skills to take photographs has gone down the pan. 'You're just the photographer..' as one company said to me! It's a fact of life now. People just do not want to pay for good photography anymore! Digital is killing the pro!

Makeths me sthpit ..

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CD OK ..

Lovely to be reminded of shots you've done when you go back to a Wedding after a while. Here's one from earlier this year and I'm so pleased that Lucy, the bride, has selected it to go into her Wedding album. Hers is the second album I've designed in as many weeks, and it makes a refreshing change because, to be honest, most couples these days just settle for a CD of their images and I never hear from them again! Designing an album 'rounds off' the creative process for me, as it makes the pictures actually 'tell the story' of the Wedding in a chronological and attractive way. It makes them make sense, if that makes sense! Coincidentally, I was endorsed this week on LinkedIn for 'Creative Direction' -  CD! Ha....

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Soft lads ..

Earlier in the summer I shot a whole series of pr portraits for a company in Cheshire, then took it upon myself to 'photoshop' a portrait of one of the ladies. Nothing drastic - just a bit of skin-softening, a bit of wrinkle removal - that sort of thing. I added the retouched photo to the folder of images I sent to the client, and mentioned that I'd be happy to do the same for any of the other ladies involved in the shoot. Skip forward two months and the marketing chap has just come back to me. 'Er, still able to retouch some of the pix?..' he asked. 'Sure..' I said 'Which ladies?' 'Erm.. ' he paused 'It's actually three of the men!...'

I had the 'pleasure' of shooting a birthday party for an 11 year old last night. Thirty-five eleven year-olds in one room and a DJ with what sounded like only two records! Sorry, CDs - er, ipod tracks! Hell, doesn't matter what he was playing, he played 'em loud! Add to that the screaming of all those kids and I came away with my ears whistling better than any punk gig I've been to lately!
Little darlings!

Speaking of music, I'm pleased to say that Phil Oakey's made it onto one of my T-shirts! A new designer fashion shop in Tokyo has just opened, and is featuring four of my music images on its shirts. The usual suspects - Joy Division and Morrissey - are in there, as well as Devo and, for the first time, the lead singer of the Human League. I photographed the band in 1979 - back when they were a proper group, not with any of those girly girlies in there - although I certainly suspect Mr Oakey would have been the first in the queue for a little bit of photo-retouching...

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There ought to be a law against it ..

I must confess I didn't actually catch the official announcement itself but, it seems, there's been a ground-breaking change in some of the laws of this country. From - well, who knows when? - it has become ok again to use your mobile phone whilst driving. I mean, wasn't that a silly law anyway? Fancy 'them' trying to stop you making a call whenever you wanted, even if that meant dialling a number whilst doing 75 in the outside lane, or texting whilst doing the school run of a morning (Hey, you'd know when to stop 'cos you'd feel the kid bump into the car!) No, the thing that's bad now in this country - really bad, tut-tut, shame on you - is .. taking photographs in public! I mean, what is it with all these fecking photographers, walking about taking photographs on the street whenever they bloody well feel like it?! Jeez!...

So, here's today's story. I'd just finished hanging my photographs at the Deli-lama cafe and Linda, the owner, was chatting with me about the work. We were looking at my old shots of Eccles. 'Do you photograph anything like this now?' she asked. I shook my head, sadly. 'I'd get lynched if I tried to take some of these pictures now..' I said 'People just have completely the wrong perception of photographers these days.' (Ironic, when every Tom, Dick and Harry is now carrying a camera with them on their phone!) Anyway, off I went, and just happened to be walking past a guy who was using his phone whilst driving. I lifted the camera, pointed it at him. The guy carried on down the road, turned round, and came back after me. 'Oi..' he grunted through the open window 'Are you a paedophile?' I couldn't believe what I'd just heard and so, against my better judgement, I smiled as I turned back to face him. 'Why? What are you?.." I said 'THREE?..' 'What you taking pictures for?..' he snarled 'Because you were using the phone whilst you were driving.' I said 'It's illegal in this country!' 'Are you a paedophile then?' he repeated. 'Do you actually know what a paedophile is?' I asked 'What you taking pictures for..' 'Because you were ....'

I'll stop there. The conversation became rather predictably repetitive after that. I walked off and the ape drove away, probably looking for somewhere to whack off after proving his manhood (Apehood?) so boldly! I've joined a Facebook Group called 'Taking photographs is not a crime'. I hope another one starts soon called 'Driving whilst using your phone is definitely a crime! It's dangerous, it's inconsiderate, it's selfish and it's yet another sign of how standards are slipping in the UK!' God knows, there should be a law against it!...

Life's essentials ..

A gorgeous Saturday morning so, even though I have a lot of things going round in my head, I'll just keep it simple and show you a beautiful rain-dappled dahlia from earlier this morning.

Just to let you know that Joy Division and a selection of photographs from my Eccles Twelve for '13 project are now up on the walls of the Deli-Lama cafe in sunny Salford, and they look great! Get down there! Grab a sarnie and a glass of something tasty whilst you're at it!

Ah! Rain, sun, good grub, wine, interesting photography ... life's essentials!
Have a great weekend... 

#culchethstudio
www.studiofivefour.com

The Generation Game ..

My Dad, and my Dad's Dad, for no other reason than I found these negs whilst going through yet more boxes of film the other day! The shots really strengthen my memories of both men. My Grandad always seemed to be sitting in that chair, puffing his pipe and picking horses that he never bothered to bet on, and the apple-core key-ring that my Dad's wearing as an earring sums up how he was always good for a laugh - always hamming it up for yours truly and his new-fangled Zenith E!

Off to Salford today to put my latest Joy Division exhibition together, and it's funny to think that Ian Curtis has been dead even longer than my Grandad! I was listening to Jeff Buckley last night - another artist taken - or purposely gone, depending on your views - before his time. Younger people often say to me they wish they'd seen Joy Division but, of course, they weren't born when the guys were doing their thing. Jeff Buckley is my 'wish I'd seen'  .. though that's entirely my fault. I just wasn't into him when he played Manchester. God, I'm into him now!

I think I've lost the thread with this blog! I'll stop now ..

My time of the month ..

The first of the month! Happy August, everybody! And, of course, that means it's time for the next exciting installment of my Twelve for '13 project!! Ta ran ta daaaaa! Running alphabetically, as it does, means this month we go from Mac stores - which was a general seller of tat in Eccles - through Maggie (Thatcher) to Man buys Wine, Market Boy, Morrison's, Mosh, Neil with kitten and .. finally ..  Nightclub! This was actually the social club at Manchester City's old Maine Road ground, and I love the beam of light from the spotlights at the back, highlighting just how smoky those places were back then! So, another 80 belters from the seventies and very early eighties .. and there's even another colour shot just to show I was right up there at the cutting edge of technology!! Click here to get there!...

I'm surrounded by prints and picture frames as I type! I'm getting a collection of images together, ready to hit the Deli-Lama cafe in Salford to hang my latest exhibitions. I'm showing Joy Division and a selection from the show that was 'Salford - Down the line' at Eccles Community Art Gallery earlier this year. It opens on Saturday and I hope you can pop down there at some point. Hey, go for the gorgeous grub, if nothing else ..

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