You lookin' at me? ..

One of my favourite Christmas shots .. the bizarre sight of Father Christmas eye to eye with a fully-grown lioness at Chester Zoo. It was taken at the launch of some new Christmas stamps, back in the days when I used to shoot PR Photography for the Royal Mail, and was a hastily grabbed shot with my Olympus XA ..

A chap sent me a text last night, enquiring about the possibility of a voucher for a portrait session as a Christmas present. Trouble was, his predictive text changed 'photo' to 'potato'. Was it possible, he asked, to get a voucher for a potato shoot? It sure is, my friend. Just £50. Cheap as chips ..

One for the album ..

The idea of having a Wedding 'album' seems to be fading into history. I think I've only made three this year. One of my faves is this one, from a Wedding back in July, that involved a boat trip on the Manchester Ship Canal and a walk through Salford Quays to the Imperial War Museum North. It was so laid back, so 'different', and so unconventional .. it was just made for good photography.
Click on the pix to see what I mean ..

Off for drinks with pals today, and time to count our blessings. Of the six of us meeting up, all are still working photographers apart from old fart Jim, who has taken early retirement. You can be sure that - as always at our get-togethers - the changing face of photography will be a dominant theme of our conversation and then - as always, especially after the third pint - it'll deteriorate into a 'fings ain't wot they used to be' blub-fest. Photography sure has changed a lot in 'my time' but, whatever its challenges today, I'm still bloody lucky to be a professional working photographer.
Cheers!..

Light work ..

Santa came early to the O'Neill household, plonking a great big camera 'Roller' bag under the tree for me. You know you're getting old when you keep getting backache from carrying your rucksack-style camera bag, so I've treated myself to a gorgeous pull-along bag to spare myself a few aches and pains. It cost a small fortune but it'll save me as much in Deep Heat and Voltarol ..

Speaking of making light work, I shot some images of our village decorations yesterday. Our 'local life' magazine wants one for its front cover and I couldn't have picked a better day to take it. There was not a breath of a breeze anywhere, and the lights stayed stock still for my whole 25 second exposures ..

Santa's due again today. His little elf at Amazon is delivering a lovely new lightbox for me today - in time, I hope, for me to shoot a couple of portraits this afternoon. I won't get chance to use it tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas party day. Tomorrow I'll just be light-headed ..

Downhill to Chrimbo ..

It's downhill to Christmas now, as I shot my last Wedding of the year in a rather dank and soggy Wilmslow last weekend. Good fun was had by all, of course, though thoughts of sunset shots at 9.30pm seem a long way off for the time being ..

Yesterday the PR head was back on again as I was shooting head-shots at a firm of solicitors in Altrincham, though I can see the diary is thinning out as we approach the festive season. It's certainly not like my 'old days' on the newspapers when I even worked on Christmas Day, photographing new-born babies. Not to worry, I'm glad of the slow-down, especially as it'll be 'Beer o'clock' again on Friday when I meet up with a handful of other freelance photographers for our annual Christmas bash. Thank God there's nothing in the diary on Saturday ..  

My favourite Punk Pensioner ..

You'll have to speak up a bit today. My ears are still ringing from a UK Subs gig in Manchester last night. They're one of my fave bands, still going strong after almost forty years, and it was a trip back in time to be thrashing about in the mosh-pit at The Star and Garter. That's my idea of a gig .. no barriers, no separation between artist and fan  .. and no 'three songs and you're out' crap if you're a photographer. I know I say it every time but I can't help but feel smug when I compare punk to the kind of dreary dross that 18 year olds are listening to today. Where's the power, excitement and energy in the manufactured garbage of people like Adele? Oh yes, I feel so superior. Punk keeps you young, too. Lead singer Charlie Harper here? He's 72 !!...

One last thing ..

My whole American trip seems a distant memory already and I promise I'll stop going on about it after this blog. My feet are firmly on the ground again .. it's time to think about tomorrow's Wedding in Alderley Edge now .. but I'll leave you with this small montage from New York (Click to see it larger) and a couple of thoughts. Why can't Americans grasp the name 'Martin' and why, when I was told I was getting a meal with chips on the side did it arrive with .. a bag of crisps? Oh, those Yanks ..

Me and De Niro ..

Normality is finally returning to the O'Neill household. I'm back from the States, more or less recovered from my jet-lag and hard at work editing the amazing Wedding of Jill and Dan. I was so lucky to be able to go over to Salem, near Boston, to photograph their Big Day. I managed to take over all my gear - give or take the odd tripod and lighting stand - and so was able to work just as I do in the UK. Well, not exactly, as Wedding photographs in America are taken before the ceremony, which worked out really well as that was at 5pm, and already dark ..

It was also rather amusing to know that I've now worked in the same room as Robert De Niro! Just days before I went to America I watched a really good film called 'Joy', starring Jennifer Laurence and our man Bob. An interesting fact in the hotel's info pack was that some of the scenes from the film were shot in the same room as our Wedding, and I couldn't wait to put the film back on and find out which. Well, check out the mirror in The Grand Ballroom. I'd had my eye on that for a shot - two becoming one and all that - and there it is, slap bang in the middle of De Niro's drunken 'Wedding toast' scene! Thank goodness Jill's Wedding went off better than Jen's ...

Done it! ..

It's the morning after the day before. I've finished my first Wedding shoot in America, and what a fantastic day it was. Thank God the Yanks do things the 'wrong way round' because, with the ceremony starting at 5pm, I'd have had no chance of getting any daylight pictures of the bride and groom. Fortunately for me the Americans shoot their photography before the Wedding ceremony so we had plenty of time to get out and about on the common adjacent to the hotel ..

The whole experience has been amazing and now it's time to head home and edit the work. Obviously I'll be sharing pictures as soon as I can but, in the meantime, have a nice day, y'all ..

Cheers! ..

Apparently it's been rather cold at home, but I wouldn't know as I'm finally over in America to shoot my long-awaited Wedding. I've had a few days in New York and a couple in Boston, and today it's a short trip to Salem and the Wedding before heading home at the weekend ..

I'm feeling quite the jet-set snapper, too. Whilst I've been over here I've had an enquiry to photograph a Wedding in France. How exciting! Tres bon, mes amis ..

So, it's all eyes to the weather gods now. It's been hammering down all the time I've been in New England though, as I write this at 7am, there are slivers of blue sky reappearing after two days absence. The only other disappointment? I went to Cheers Bar last night and nobody knew my name .. though apparently that's the Norm. Oh ha ha ha ...

Thanksgiving ..

Thanksgiving Day in America, and I'm giving thanks that I'll soon be over there shooting a Wedding. It's time to start thinking about what gear I'll need to take over. I think I'll be able to take most of the stuff I normally use, bar studio lights and brolleys, and I've already arranged to borrow a tripod, so that's half my luggage allowance recovered ..

The Wedding is at 5pm - not good for light in December - but I've been told the American 'way' is for the photographs to be taken before the ceremony and for that, America, I give thanks ..

Ps: This shot was taken on Kodachrome in the 80s, during a Greyhound Bus trip I took around the USA .. 

Here's to the God of Photography ..

Some great projects on the go at the moment, including the design of a Wedding album and the editing of a Portrait shoot I did with this little sweetie and her sisters ..

Looking at such lovely shots it's easy to forget that, despite it being July, it poured down at the Wedding and the little 'angel' was a minx, constantly refusing to look at the camera. Still, that's the beauty of photography because, without the rain, I wouldn't have the lovely shiny floor that I got in this shot, nor would I have had the dreamy 'sweet' shot I got because my 'model' wouldn't play ball ..

See, there IS a God of photography! I pray to him all the time ..

Arse ..

I wrote about the signpost dates we've passed this month that let you know we're on the way to Christmas, but I missed one out and was reminded of it yesterday ..

The Taylor Wessing Portrait Photography Prize comes around each autumn and, in fact, opens today at the National Portrait Gallery. It's always a good opportunity to moan and grumble about the depressing photography it shows but this year's winner was the worst ever. It was announced earlier this week and I cannot bring myself to cut and paste the winning shot so have a look at it here. Folks, the photographer who took this has won £15, 000 ... fifteen thousand pounds! Can you believe it? What a pile of arse! What an insult to professional photography ..

Now, I don't know if the judges pick crap like this to be controversial or to stir up pissed-offyness - like they have with me - in an effort to promote the show, but it beggars belief when they say “This year’s winner stood out for its simplicity and powerful directness, and was commended by the judges for its ability to create something beautiful out of the everyday.”

Perhaps it's just me - perhaps I'm too thick to 'get it' but I'll tell you this, next year I'm going to submit this shot of me shooting a PR job in a Virtual Reality North Pole. How's that for powerful directness? Arse ..

Always look on the bright side ..

I got paid this morning .. for a PR job I did in July! Hurrah! Time to break out the booze! Only I can't, as I'm on tablets for a stomach bug and must avoid alcohol like the plague. This is my ninth day 'on the wagon' but I can hit the suds from tomorrow onwards, so the end is in sight ..

Pretty bad though, eh? Four months to get paid! I know I'm only a one-man band but it's no wonder companies go to the wall when big clients hang on to their dosh. Anyway, let's look on the bright side, to clients like those I worked for last Thursday. They paid me on Tuesday! Hurrah! Time to break out the booze! Only I can't, as I'm on ..

Motorbikin' ..

The autumnal landmarks are flying by. Hallowe'en - Tick .. Bonfire Night - Tick .. Remembrance Day - Tick ..

That leaves only one more big date in the diary before we plunge headlong towards Christmas. (Yes, I know there's still that ridiculous concept of 'Black Friday' and, if you're American, Thanksgiving Day, but they don't count) ..

No, the last big circle in the diary is on November 19th, when I head off to the Birmingham NEC for my annual PR booking at the National Motorcycle Live show. A whole day of pistons, fuel tanks, forks and lycra-clad lovelies! No, I'm not being sexist there, it's just a part of the Bikers' world so hey, I gotta do what I gotta do! Anyway, Lesley needn't worry .. my pictures are a lot more about handlebars and gears than .. er, anything else!..

I can only pray ..

Another week, another blog and although there's plenty to write about, my Monday morning news has been overtaken by an email that came in first thing this morning. A pal of mine - we go right back to the Warrington Guardian days, and I left there in 1982!! - has a big meeting this week with the CEO of an American IT company and he's told me he's pitching for me as their UK/Europe website photographer. Now that's exciting! I thought a picture of these 'praying' hands on the cross-Channel ferry would describe my emotions exactly!..

For the first time ever I was asked to shoot some video on a PR job last week. Nothing too taxing, just kids reading from a book wot they wrote (You have to be a Morecambe and Wise fan to get that).
Anyway, despite me being a total believer in 'the still image', I have to admit I enjoyed the experience and got straight online to order a professional microphone for my camera. I know I'm new to the idea of shooting 'movies' at a stills job but I thoroughly expect to nominated for an Oscar any day now ..

I can only pray ..  

News Flash ..

I was in Photography Heaven yesterday. I'd just received a fantastic message from last Saturday's bride when I got an email saying I'd been nominated in a Wedding Industry competition. Then, just as I'm basking in all of that, the local news comes on and I get a name-check and two of Monday's PR shots shown on telly ...

To fill you in on the detail ..

Emma, pictured here with her cheeky kilt-wearing hubby Tom at their Wedding at Willington Hall, sent me a brilliant message saying they were "amazed" by their photographs - yes, of course they're already edited and online for them - and that they 'couldn't have asked for anything more". How lovely ..

Then .. Hollin Hall Hotel sent me an email to say they'd nominated me in the 2016 UK Wedding Awards. In the photography section I hope. Ha ha ..

Then .. A PR job I shot for the Intu Trafford Centre on Monday got featured on North West Tonight, replete with tasty byline. Stonking ..

Ronald McDonald ..

Please not Trump, please not Trump! I'm trying to think pleasant thoughts - autumn colours, John Lewis ads - to distract me from the fact that Donald Trump could today become the next President of the USA. It can't be any coincidence that he's named after a fart. Lord help us!..

I have an old cartoon - which I've been desperately trying to find - which shows Ronald Reagan sitting on a sofa in his lounge, clutching the TV remote. "This one's for Channel four .." he says, pointing at the buttons "This is Channel Seven and this .." he says, smiling "launches the nuclear 'missals' over Yoorp!"

Know what I'm saying? .. 

Sunny prospects ..

The low seasonal sun was dazzling as I set off to Saturday's Wedding at Willington Hall. I was determined to get an Autumnal shot for the happy couple and delighted I came away with this picture. The pesky sun was in and out all day, causing me all sorts of problems with the light but still, it was better than the hammering rain we'd had the day before ..

There'll be plenty more water at today's PR job, as I'm off to catch a Waxi this morning! That's a Water Taxi to you and I, in which I'll be travelling on the Ship Canal with Father Christmas to launch this year's 'Santa's Grotto' at Manchester's Trafford Centre. I just hope the sun shines ..

Hats off ..

Time to put the Wedding hat on again, as I'm off to Willington Hall tomorrow for a bonfire cracker of a Wedding ..

I was looking for a suitable photo to accompany today's blog and came across this one, from a Wedding a while back in Blackpool, and it occurred to me that I've not seen a top hat at a Wedding for absolutely ages. I guess they're finally out of fashion .. at last. The last time I saw one it had 'Do not throw for photographs' printed on the label inside. Perhaps those pesky photographers have bashed all the hats out of shape. Good ..

(Please God, don't let tomorrow's groom wear a top hat!!)  

No way ..

They say writing a book is the easy part - you just have to market it after that. Well, I'm trying my damndest and it's finally paid off. Someone's bought a copy of 'The Boy who missed Next Year' from Amazon Kindle. No way!..

I was on a PR job yesterday, photographing the famed singer Russell Watson, and discovered that we grew up less than five miles from each other and that he went to a school that was my high school's 'deadly rival'. No way! (Although I'm sure I never had a scrap with him!!...)

I bumped into a guy that I haven't seen since photography Night School in 1977. Despite that he'd somehow heard of the time I dropped a Nikon MD-12 motor-drive from the top of a 300 foot high building. No way!..

Drove past this sign outside a new building site in Manchester. No way!..

Gone ..

Funny old day today. I'm not feeling at my best - it's Man Flu at least - and I've had to go to the Apple Store in the Trafford Centre to be told my dear, faithful iPod is dead! RIP! Gone ..

Still, at least they offered me a solution ...
Buy a new one!
Cheers, Apple ...

Something that spurred me back into life was a phone call about an hour and a half ago. I'd been gearing up to photograph Russell Watson tomorrow when a PR chap comes on and asks if I can shoot a conference in the morning. 8am start ..
"Can I leave by 11.30?" .. I ask.
I can..

Job booked, blood flowing, flu symptoms .. gone!...

Hollin a day's work ..

Time to load up the wheels and head off for my last Wedding Fayre of the year. I'm at Hollin Hall Country House Hotel from 10 'til 3 today and I'm pleased to say I am now the only photographer they recommend ..

See ya there?..

On fire ..

Autumn is here and the foliage is ablaze.
Shame we can't throw the litter louts on it ..

Dancing Queen ..

I had a lovely day yesterday, shooting PR at a 'Retirement Village' for its new brochure and website. I needed a volunteer to pose for a photograph and up stepped Iris, a lovely lady with gorgeous twinkly eyes and the energy of a 15 year old. When I photographed her on a fitness machine I actually had to ask her to slow down! Next time I saw her she was boogying to Abba with the keep-fit class, and then I spotted her dancing around the dining room with one of the other residents. She never stopped! Ironically, I'd no sooner written yesterday's blog about 'growing old' when I was asked if I'd be interested in playing 'Walking Football'. Ye Gods, I'll bet they wouldn't dare ask Iris!..

No country for old men ..

I'm being put in an old folks' home today. Man, I hope I get out alright! I am, of course, only going to take PR photographs - I'm shooting a new brochure for a Sheltered Housing scheme near Preston - but the way, at 56 years old, that I'm bombarded by 'old person' spam you'd think I was about to hang up my camera for good ..

'Cash your pension'; Try this new Walk-In bath'; join this leisure cruise for the over 55s; take this new arthritic joint supplement ...

Just eff off will ya! I'm 56, not 76! I've already been playing the UK Subs on iTunes this morning, for goodness sake!..

Truth be told, I like being this 'old'. I feel I've done stuff. I feel I know stuff, and I sure as hell know I've got lots 'left in me' .. as they say. I just spend a bit more on Deep Heat. That's all!...

*Today's picture is another from my archive - taken when I was 'young'! I was tempted to put it on Facebook, captioned 'Two more children escape from the Calais jungle ' .. but I didn't!

Word of mouth ..

An old pal of mine is setting up as a 'Bespoke' Wedding celebrant, and asked me for a quote to put into her first blog. My heady advice was that couples planning a Wedding shouldn't get "too worked up" and  .. oh, you can read the rest yerself! Very pleased that she thought of me, though, and I wish her well in her new venture ..

Maybe I'll get to recommend her in return when I do my next Wedding Fayre. On Sunday I'll be at Hollin Hall, near Macclesfield, for my last event of the year. I'm now the only photographer that the hotel recommends, and very much hope that brings in the bookings for next year. There's nothing better than good old 'word of mouth' ..

Straight outta me Jim-Jams ..

I was barely out of my Jim-Jams this morning before the phone had rung and I was booked for a shoot with 'People's Tenor' Russell Watson. I burst into song immediately. Something is going on in the world of PR, and I like it!..

I'll be the first to admit that my PR work has taken a dive over the years, I guess because I was focused on my Wedding and studio photography. Just lately, though, it's really been on the up and I'm thrilled. I mentioned on Friday how much I love this kind of work - how I thrive on being in control and thinking on my feet. In actual fact it's no different to Wedding photography, except that modern Wedding photography has become so stereotyped and similar that it's .. oh, don't get me started on that! No, the scope for creativity is fantastic .. nay, expected .. when you work for a PR client. I've just got to get meself a few more of 'em! Perhaps I should send them this montage of work I've shot since September.
Now there's an idea ..

Thunderbirds are go ..

I had a great day yesterday, working for ITV to promote their new series of 'Thunderbirds'. A fleet of taxis will drive around Manchester this weekend, promoting the show with branding all over their doors, and the idea of the shoot was to get that message across to the local press. I worked with five of the 'Thundercabs', photographing them first at the iconic 'Rovers Return' pub on Coronation Street, and then in front of the spectacular entrance to the mecca of shopping that is Trafford Centre ..

I absolutely love being in charge of a PR shoot like this - having to come up with angles and poses, positioning and lighting - all on my own, from a standing start and all at breakneck speed to get the shots out to the press.
All that, and I got to meet 'Virgil' too ..
FAB!...

Twang!!..

I guess you're asking for it when you wear bright orange braces but I do feel sorry for this groom. His new bride just couldn't resist giving them a twang. Click on the shots and look at the pain on the poor guy's face. Yowch!!..

No pain for me, as I have another fantastic PR diary this week. So far I've shot accountants - no jokes, please - an Insurance company, a literature festival, and a library closure protest meeting. And today? Thunderbirds are go! I'm at Granada Studios to shoot the launch of the new kids' TV programme, involving branded taxi cabs and the Rovers Return. Twang!!...   

The year rolls on ..

The shots from last week's conference are in the post to the client and I can finally take a moment to show you a flavour of the event. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing, and hope I've impressed enough to get the booking for next year's shebang. One regular booking I do get is already looming in the calendar, and it won't be long before I'm heading off again to the NEC in Birmingham for the annual Motorcycle Show ..

Trouble is, once I've shot that job, I always feel it's downhill to Christmas, and I can't believe I'm already advertising gift vouchers and portrait sessions as suitable gifts. Just where has the year gone?..





   

Ta ra, chuck ..

I met Jean Alexander once - at a Kevin Cummins' exhibition at Salford's Viewpoint photography gallery - and I wore this actual t-shirt for the occasion. Eeeeh, our Stan .. she gave me such a dirty look when she saw it, and wouldn't pose with me for a photograph. Perhaps she wasn't happy about her image being used like that - who knows? Anyway, like my meeting with Victoria Wood, it's a slightly unpleasant memory that sticks with me as another of our 'heroes' bites the dust. By sheer coincidence, I'm booked for a PR shoot at the 'new' Coronation Street next week and, although she was never based there, I'm going to use the visit to say a formal 'Ta ra' to 'our Hilda' ...

Over the moon ..

Back ache, sore legs, 1818 images to edit .. and a bloody great sense of a job well done now that I'm back from covering a conference at The Lowry in Salford. Fantastic keynote speakers, a brilliant dinner with the surprisingly hilarious Steve "Interesting" Davis - who even knew he swears? - and a fascinating insight into a side of business I don't usually deal with. Then, just when I thought I'd finished work on Wednesday night, I saw this fantastic view on the walk back to the hotel. One of my clients, The Imperial War Museum North, reflected in the moonlit waters of Salford Quays so, tripod up, gear out and a chilly 20 minutes waiting for the cloud to disappear just long enough to catch this.
Click the pic for a better view. Man, I love my job ..  

Leave it out ..

Looks like we're set for a wonderfully colourful autumn, with the leaves already showing some fantastic shades of yellow and red. I'm minded of the one time I went to The States in 'The Fall' .. when I visited a pen-pal (yes, it was that long ago) in New Hampshire and got to see the trees in all their glory. The countryside was breath-taking although, as you can see from today's shot, the leaves in the city didn't let their concrete surroundings stop them coming up with the goods too ..

Landscape photography is way down on my list of photographic faves though. A tree on a hill? Big deal! Give me PR and people every time. I'll be in my element tonight when I cover a dinner that will kick off a conference I'm photographing tomorrow. A late night, and an early start tomorrow morning, mean I'm being put up in a hotel by the client, and they've sent me two full A4 sheets of shots they want me to get during the event. Obviously don't want me to 'leave' anything out!..

(See what I did there?..)   

Crowd scenes and close-ups ..

I had a couple of lovely photo-shoots at the 'studio' over the weekend, including one with these two cheeky chappies and one with a crowd-scene of 23 family members. Both were a case of shoot, shoot, shoot. I kept on shooting with these two 'cos they, together with their 10 week old brother, just would not keep still .. and I kept shooting 'cos, with 23 people on one group shot, there's always going to be someone who blinks on any given shot. Thank the Lord for digital, eh?..

A few interesting PR jobs in the diary this week, including a shoot at a refurbished hotel, a job at the Manchester Literature Festival and a conference that involves so much work that the client has booked me a room at the same hotel as all the delegates .. and it's only in Salford! Something tells me I won't be writing a blog that day ..

Crossing the line ..

People ask me if I still photograph gigs and the answer, I'm afraid, is no. Ok, I might shoot a few snaps when I go to see someone, but nothing that you'd call 'professional'. Probably because I don't actually go to many gigs anymore. There aren't any new bands that I like, and I hate to sit through a gig when it's somebody I don't like. The main reason though, is access. Three songs and you're out. That's all a pro snapper is given these days. None of that hanging around and walking on the stage like I did with Joy Division. I hate the way groups are kept so separate from the fans - those big metal barriers that say 'Stay away' from us ..

Today's shot is from the gig I went to in London a couple of weeks ago. Believe it or not a steward told me to 'get back behind the line' when I was standing thus that Saturday. Rock 'n roll? I think it died and went to Health and Safety school ..

London Portraits ..

Busy day in London yesterday, shooting PR portraits before the inauguration of a new firm of financial advisors. As luck would have it they were all deep in a meeting by mid-afternoon, giving me some time to wander over to the William Eggleston 'Portraits' exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. That's a lot of portraits for one day ..

Couple of grumbles, if I may. Virgin Trains' coffee machine was broken on the train down. No coffee! Can you imagine? Then, on the way back, the 'tilting' bit of their tilting Pendolino trains broke too, meaning we couldn't do top speed and ran late. No tilt! Can you imagine? Buck up, Virgin ..

So now, a day of editing before two more PR shoots tomorrow. This time they're in Manchester. No coffee or tilting required .. 

Darn Sarf ..

Off to London today for a corporate PR shoot at a firm of solicitors. According to the brief I'm to photograph every member of staff as they gather for a meeting at their new offices. The meeting starts at 2.30 and they're arriving for their photos at ... 2pm!! Sounds a bit like buses. You wait all day for one, and 15 turn up at the same time ..

Which brings me nicely to today's photograph. A long row of London buses, lined up in front of a hotel in .. Sri Lanka! I was over in Colombo to cover the Viraj Mendez story - and if you can't remember him then don't worry, nobody else can, either! Anyway, I came out of the hotel one morning to find all these iconic red double-deckers lined up on the green. It was one of the most gob-smacking double-takes I've ever done. Apparently, they'd been shipped over to join the ranks of public transport in Sri Lanka. I just had to take a photo. Aldgate East please, guvnor ..

Oh, la la ..

Another great weekend ticked off! We flew to Paris on Friday - as you do - then had our hire car upgraded to a Jag for a drive down to the Charentes region of France ..

Oh, and then we bought a Gîte!!..

I know! Unbelievable! Our heads are still spinning, although that might be from steering that swanky Jag down the Périphérique in the rain on Saturday night after our 550 mile jaunt. Anyway, if you're thinking of a French gîte holiday next year then we can help. Get in touch for details, and watch this space for more news ..

Oh, la la ..

Can I quote you on that? ..

"I'm so happy for you .." said one of the guests to this lovely bride.
"Yes .." she replied "I'm so happy for me, too!"..

What a great reply, and what a fab sentiment. Happiness is what Weddings are all about - the happiness of 'tying the knot' with the one you love - and it's something I never forget. That's why I always try to shoot the Wedding in as much of a natural way as possible. In fact, that reminds me of another quote I heard from a bride who came to see about booking me. "We're looking for a photographer who'll take the shots we want .." she said "Not just the stuff they want to add to their portfolio .."

Well said ..

Sex on the beach ..

Well, this is the life! Another cocktail, darling?..

Actually, I'm not lazing on a hot Greek beach today. In fact, right now, I'm between PR jobs, having shot some corporate portraits in a Cheshire office this morning, and getting ready to cover an Open Evening at the Imperial War Museum North. Not quite Halkidiki but, with the autumn sun warming my chops, I'm quite happy in good old Manchester, thank you very much ..

I could still go a cocktail, though ..

Nice weekend, Martin? ..

What a crazy couple of days ..

I had a Wedding at Leigh Golf Club on Saturday and a Wedding Fayre to exhibit at on Sunday and, in between, I went to a gig in .. London!

I've liked Nina Hagen since her first album came out in 1978, and when I found out she was playing a one-off gig 'darn sarf' I just knew I had to go. The thing was, could I fit it into my already busy 'Wedding' weekend? Well, dear reader, I did! I got to Shepherd's Bush Empire just 25 minutes before Nina came on, and got back to the Wedding Fayre at Lymm's Statham Lodge hotel a whole 20 minutes before it opened to the public. Result! ..

Even more of a result is the fact that I've already had two enquiries from couples I met at the Fayre and, if I get their bookings confirmed, I'll have Weddings to shoot right up to September 2018. Wow!..

Ps: What do you mean, you've never heard of Nina Hagen??...

And a ribbon-cutting, too? ..

I'm showing this little montage to let you see the variety in my work. One minute I can be photographing someone's pet dogs, the next I'm working on a half-a-million pound house for an estate agent. Another day it's a big PR shoot for an American 'tech' company then a nice portrait session at my studio with two brothers .. oh, and a Wedding .. and a portrait shoot with an author for a shot to go in the biog section of her new book. See how much fun it is to be a professional photographer? Click on the shots to see 'em larger ..

Thing is, I've shot all of this since last Friday. This is just seven days' work. The only day I didn't take any pictures was Sunday .. and that's 'cos I had a stand at a Wedding Fayre. On the 'office' side I took a booking to shoot a new Solicitor's offices in London, had an enquiry for a Wedding in 2019 (!!) and successfully chased, for the second time this month, another blatant unauthorised use of one of my images (that I know of!) On Saturday I have another Wedding and, on Sunday, another Wedding Fayre ..

Oh, I forgot about the pictures at the top of the montage. They're from the opening of a new laboratory test facility that I did for an engineering company and yes, I'm afraid that is a ribbon-cutting you see. In the PR world some things never change ..

Ps: I'm having today off ...

Here comes the sun ..

 Ah, the first day of Spring. Well, it is if you're my pal Simon in New Zealand (Hi, Simes!) but, for us, the equinox marks the day when we officially 'plunge' into Autumn and Winter and, suddenly, the thought of hot summer Weddings seems a long way away ..

Of course, being colder doesn't mean it can be any less sunny .. it's just a 'different' kind of sun. A lower sun, a dazzling and squinty-making sun that casts long, fab shadows across the ground. I've already had cause to 'battle' with it. At last Saturday's Wedding it was so bright and sunny that I could see it causing flare in the lens as I shot my group photographs. I moved the camera position, of course, but it's funny how fashions change. Flare is now 'in' and, after years of avoiding it like the plague, I'll quite happily point my lens straight at it for a dreamy, romantic shot like this .. 

The good thing of course, is that as the nights draw in, the 'golden hour' for this kind of shot gets earlier and earlier, so there's always more possibility of shooting it at Winter Weddings. A bit of a sunnier outlook, you might say ..

Bazzin' ..

Just spent the morning taking tablets in an ambulance! It's ok, there's nothing wrong with me - although some of my pals might argue otherwise - no, it was the last part of a PR shoot I started on Friday for an American tech company. I had a brief to photograph their 'Industrial Strength' tablets in situ in various 'workplaces' - the ambulance being one of them. Last week I photographed them in factories, storage depots and on building sites and, after a rush to beat their initial Friday evening deadline, was treated to a text from the PR company saying they thought the shots were Bazzin'!

If any Americans are reading this, that's a bit of Mancunian slang meaning they thought the shots were "really good".

That'll do for me, our kid ..

On yer bike ..

I have a sign above my desk which says 'Deadlines amuse me'. Well, I certainly laughed in their face yesterday. I had a PR shoot for an American IT company, photographing their 'industrial strength' tablets for a new UK website. They needed the shots ready by last night. The hardware arrived at the PR company at 10.30 yesterday morning! 300 shots later, from an afternoon spent in a very noisy factory, and a frantic editing session as soon as I got to my office, and I had a selection of 37 images sent over by 6.30pm. Today's Wedding is going to be positively sedate by comparison ..

As it happens, things are moving so fast I haven't yet had the Ok to show you an image, so here's a lovely picture from my archive of another form of speed .. and I just thank goodness we didn't have any 'punctures' during yesterday's marathon! ..

Phew ..

A pause for breath .. I have such a busy few days ahead of me. Fresh from shooting a house for an Estate Agent yesterday, I'm off to shoot some website pix for an American IT company this afternoon, and then I have a portrait shoot at the studio and a Wedding tomorrow. Sunday? That'll be time for my first Wedding Fayre of the season, at the lovely Willington Hall in Cheshire and then, on Monday, I have a PR shoot at the launch of a high-temperature facility for the nuclear industry, with further jobs in the diary for both Tuesday and Wednesday. Looks like I can have a breather on Thursday ..

Phew ..

Job done ..

I've only gone and flippin' well done it! I've published my book at last!
I am sooooooooooo happy!..

A project I started in about 1985 but which got put on the back-burner until five years ago is finally, finally finished and out there for all the world to see. My book - The Boy who missed Next Year - went live on Amazon Kindle yesterday evening and has already sold its first copy. Ok, Lesley bought it, but it still counts! It's an adventure story, written for older children upwards ..

Anyway, this blog supposedly being about photography, I'd better tell you about today's photograph. One of the main characters in the book is a little shubunkin called Cedric so, on Monday afternoon, I went out and bought the little fella you see here and set about getting a shot for the front cover.
Easier said than done. This picture, dear reader, is frame number 258! Yep, you heard me right. It took two hundred and fifty eight shots to get the one where the fish 'looked' at the camera.
I was exhausted ..

The skull, on the other hand, was the perfect model and never moved an inch all afternoon ..

Anyway, did I hear you say you wanted to read it? Well, just go here and dive in.
Buy it for your teenager, and have a sneaky peak yerself! Enjoy!  
 

Now we're cookin' ..

I had a great time on a PR shoot for a Thai restaurant earlier this week. Food, chefs, cooking, flaming woks, layout, raw ingredients, staff training, drinks, decor .. I shot the lot. And I got fed! I also got into a lot of funny positions ..

Gearing up for my fantastic 'Steam Punk' Wedding on Saturday. I cannot wait! This is going to be so different to anything I've ever shot before. It's going to have everything from pink hair to a '57 Chevvy and a cross-dressing chief bridesmaid. Now we're cookin' ..

Like, international ..

Just back from THE MOST fantastic week in France. I love it! I've never been to the country 'proper' before - just a couple of weekend trips to Paris - but Lesley and I have put about 2,500 miles on the clock as we pottered up and down les autoroutes. Great weather helped, as did the warmth of the people, the beautiful scenery, the complete and utter lack of litter, the amazing - and very polite - driving, the food, the .. oh man, I could go and on ..

Speaking of food, I'm straight back into it this week with a PR shoot for The Chilli Banana, a fantastic Thai restaurant in Wilmslow. I'll be working with renowned chef John Benson-Smith to produce all the images the restaurant will need for the coming year's menus and promotions.
Tasty ..

A bientôt, tout le monde ..