Harder than I thought

A large communications company was moving from it's hum-drum, industrial estate offices to some swanky new premises, and they wanted some before and after shots to highlight what an improvement their new offices would be. To this end, my brief was to make their current offices look as scruffy and unkempt as possible. This is the complete opposite to most of my jobs, where I spend all of my time making things look their best, and finding angles to avoid including distracting clutter (fire escape signs and red extinguishers constantly try to creep into my pictures, like some kind of fiendish Dr.Who baddies). Try it - taking a 'bad' picture is harder than you'd think.

Where's Wally?

I'm a bit humbug about the ever earlier start of Christmas festivities/marketing opportunities, in that I really believe Christmas shouldn't be mentioned until the 1st of December. Until the first door of your mouldy chocolate Woolworths advent calendar is opened, I don't want to know.
But the switching on of the Bond St Christmas lights is one of those annual jobs that mark out my year. They close off the street, pump out fake snow, and draft in loads of entertainers to create a proper festive atmosphere. It's almost enough to make me swallow my humbug for the evening.
It wasn't till I downloaded this picture from the camera that I noticed Santa and his Elf waving at me from the crowd.
Sarky git - he still hasn't brought me the Lone Ranger figure I've been asking for since I was 8!

Quick & dirty

I got a last-minute call from Maybach saying that Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, from the TV programme Dragons’ Den, were having a meeting at the Grosvenor Hotel in London - could I pop down and do a quick profile photo of them with their cars?
As is often the case when dealing with high profile businessmen, I was warned I'd have a couple of minutes tops to do this in
(in my early days I once had to do a portrait of the head of Dixons DURING a board meeting, because he couldn't possibly spare a minute for me before or after. In my fluster, I forgot to load any film and started snapping away. I realised my mistake just as he motioned that he'd had enough of me. Mumbling something about having to change film from B&W to colour, I loaded a fresh cartridge into the empty camera and snapped 3 frames before he barked me out of the room. Luckily one frame was all they wanted, and I got away with it. Just.)
Anyway, while Theo and Peter were in their meeting I asked their drivers to put the cars into a V in front of the hotel. I knew direct flash would just reflect off the cars' bonnets and licence plates, so got my client to act as a mobile light stand, holding a remote flash up and off to my left. I metered the ambient light, setting it slightly under on my camera, and made a few test exposures for the flash.
When the boys came out to play I shot some variations on this theme, changing my angle of view and height - but, as briefed, was all done in under 2 minutes.

Just because

I went to Warsaw to shoot Soulwax/2ManyDJs. This pic was shot using a remote flash perched on the edge of the record decks.
I'm struggling to think of something clever to say about the trip, but can't because nothing particularly clever happened. I can't even say "I saw Warsaw", because I barely did.
The real reason I've posted is just to show this picture below, because it makes me smile.

GQ Awards

It's the GQ Awards at the Royal Opera House. A big event, at a big venue, with some big name celebrities. Elton, Madonna, Kanye, and so on.
I'm shooting in-house, running backwards and forwards between the speeches on-stage, and the 'boards' - the area off-stage where presenters and winners go for their post speech pics and interviews.
But the boards room isn't big. In fact it's tiny. It's the only area close enough to catch guests coming off stage, yet separate enough to conduct interviews, but basically it's a small lobby between the banquet room and the stairwell.
If you look at the picture below, of Lily Allen with Kanye West and Kaiser Chiefs, you'll get an idea of how small the 'room' is.
Note the disabled toilet door on the right, which periodically opened while we were taking photos if some lacky accidentally leaned on the automatic button!

I never thought I'd say it.....

.... but I'm glad that Festival season is officially over!
I love music fezzie's, but by the end of summer (especially when we haven't really had one!) I do start to feel a bit jaded.
And I've just landed a gig doing 10 nights as set-stills snapper on a live music programme, at various venues all over the country. So I'm swapping mud, rain and damp tents for a warm studio and hotel bed.
I think, this summer especially, I've earned the right to a few creature comforts.
Now where's my slippers......

p.s. the snap above is Kate Nash, from the first episode of C4's 'Transmission with T-Mobile'. No story, I just like the picture.

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.