Say what?

Last weekend I was at the Lovebox Weekender for Rizla. They had a natty wee area with an old van converted to mobile DJ booth, deckchairs scattered around and a roving entertainer who would cut out festival goers silhouettes from paper, 1920's style.
Anyway, I was in the booth with legendary DJ and film-maker Don Letts, and mildy in awe. Then he suddenly shouts " I want a silhouette!". "Oh" says I, "hold on, I'll go and find the guy". So off I trot to find the sihouette fella, drag him back and present him to Don.
Don looks at me, and repeats, slowly "I want a CIGARETTE".
I didn't do any more pictures after that.

It's all in the details

This is my favourite picture of the year so far, but not because of any skill on my part.
Last week I was working for Vodafone, covering some of their Somerset House concerts, and this was taken during Amy Winehouse's set.
It's a nice enough picture of the crowd and venue, but nothing special.
...but then I noticed the splash of light in the bottom left corner. I zoomed in, and found:



And she's even using her mobile phone to take her picture. I wonder if she's a Vodafone customer?

Cancer Support Group

I'd been asked to do some photography by a local cancer support group, for their fund-raising calendar. It was by far the most rewarding days work in a long time. All the subjects were or are cancer sufferers, and their strength, dignity, and sheer lust for life was an inspiration. I'm not knocking my day to day work at all, but it was nice to do something positive for others for a change.

Long time, no blogging

Where does the time go?
Here's a snap I took in India, of what was apparently a shrine to Ronnie Barker.

Elephant Anus & Kazoo

Among the many many highlights of Glastonbury this year, I present to you:
a) an anal surgeon attends to a large elephant made from recycled milk cartons.
and
b) the Kazoo Marching Band, who attempted to give away 2,000 kazoos in order to have a mass kazoo recital in the Stone Circle at 2am on the last night.

Glastonbury

Hoorah! It's back.
I LOVE Glastonbury. Can't explain why, maybe there's a bit of old hippy in me (no fnarr fnarr jokes), but it's one of the highlights of my year.
This year, for the first time, I was there independently, without a corporate commission. And despite just plodding around doing my own thing with no rush or agenda, I managed to get four pictures used in Sundays' papers - including the front cover of the Observer Glastonbury supplement.
So I took the Sunday off.
Because I could. Nice

Cannes 2007

Recipe for exhaustion:
Take one stag weekend in Hamburg, and immediately add in a trip to Cannes Film Festival. When part done, stir in a weekend in Ireland for a family wedding, and return to Cannes. When completed, leave to cool for 2 days then sprinkle a round-trip to Denmark and Lithuania on top.
Voila, you're done!

A day of contrasts

Job 1: a one on one portrait session with Tony Blair in the Cabinet room of #10 Downing St.
(I say 'session', but I mean 2 minutes tops)
Job 2: a live performance by The Horrors, a loud 60's garage rock inspired band, at Virgin Megastore.
- My biggest dilemma being what to wear that would be suitable for both jobs?

Flamenco

I recently accompanied a colleague to a photocall for a new Flamenco dance show. The main reason I went was that it was Friday afternoon, and there's a really cool bar near Sadlers Wells. But it's not often I get the chance to 'play' at jobs, with no repercussions if I cock it all up - so I thought 'why not?'. Here's the result.

Berlinale

I've just returned from the 57th Berlinale Film Festival, which was the best one in the last 5 years. Highlights included J-Lo, Bobby De Niro, Sharon Stone, Cate Blanchett and Antonio Banderas.

I had some trouble getting my camera gear onto the flight as hand-luggage on the way out, as bag allowances have been reduced. After much protesting, and filling my jacket pockets with lenses, they let me on.
So, while in Berlin, I bought a photographers vest, in order to wear as much of my gear on me for the return journey, and not have the same problem again.
The vest worked a treat.
But, the combination of alarm clock, laptop cables and a bag of jelly sweets in my hand luggage looked EXACTLY like page one of the bomb-makers handbook when it went through the X-ray machine - causing a security lock-down involving sniffer digs and men with guns, but thankfully no rubber gloves! Oops.

Inja

We went to India for a month, over Christmas. Work's fairly dead, so it's a good time to run away.
I didn't take any 'proper' cameras, just a digital compact - but wherever you look there's a photo opportunity.
On the one hand, I sometimes wished I had all my lenses etc to take the best possible picture I could - but on the other hand it wouldn't be a holiday if I did. If I had all my kit, I'd be sitting in one spot waiting for that perfect moment to happen. I'd enjoy it, but it might not be much fun for the rest of the family.

Carling Weekend Festival

The opposite of serendipity!

Two hours I spent on the phone, trying to get tickets for the Brazil v Argentina game at Arsenal's shiny new stadium. Two hours!
Then 30 minutes after I've parted with my money, a client rang up and asked "Can you come down to Arsenal tomorrow for a photocall to promote the Brazil v Argentina game? I can get you some tickets...."

Serendipity

V Festival 2006. Not the most exciting line-up of bands, torrential rain at times, and I didn't feel that I was getting great photos.
Yet, I managed to get 8 pictures in the papers over the weekend.
- Funny how that can happen sometimes.

Not a bad life

It's a sunny weekend and I'm at the Ben & Jerry's Sundae on Clapham Common.
It's a chilled atmosphere, some good bands, and as much free ice cream as you can make yourself sick on.
I rode the helterskelter, tried all the flavours, met Mystic Moo the mind-reading cow...
Oh, and I took 3,562 pics in two days.
Not a bad life really...

Summer's here

It's Summer Ball Season.
This was from the Conde Nast summer party.

So here's the brief:

Publicity shots for a Chinese Opera that's coming to London. It's about a woman from rural China, who finds herself lost and disorientated in modern day Shanghai. The pictures need to show a traditional Yue-Ju opera singer in an urban setting, BUT it mustn't look like London.
At first I thought this would be simple, and had vague ideas of concrete walls with graffiti, but that was no good because it wouldn't be Chinese graffiti.
So we went to Chinatown to find a busy backdrop - but Chinatown is more evocative of traditional China, not modern Shanghai.
Finally we tried using modern glass and steel buildings as a backdrop - only to see classical European architecture, red buses and London street signs in the reflections! Dagnabbit!
Here's what we ended up with.

Agony

Watching England take penalties is agonising enough, but having to watch OTHER people watching the penalties....

From the sublime to the ridiculous

Halle Berry & Borat (aka Sasha Baron Cohen) at Cannes.

Travelling Light

I can't do it. I can't just pack my gear and go to bed.
I have to potter around all night checking I've got everything, then I realise I've only got an hour or so until the taxi arrives, and it's not worth going to bed. So when I arrive at the Cannes Film festival I'm knackered before I've taken a frame!
Here's all the equipment I took. Cameras, lenses, laptop, video, tripod, chargers, step, tuxedo...
I was expecting an excess baggage charge at the Airport, but when they weighed my bag they told me it over the Health and Safety limit of what the baggage handlers could lift. - And that was WITHOUT all the heavy cameras, lenses and laptop, which went on as hand luggage!