Archive for July, 2008
You Look Lovely!
Posted by: | CommentsI should be loving this. As an American I’m used to the heat. But today, its 27 degrees C (around 81F) and I’m hating it. Firstly, I’m working…which in itself isn’t such a bad thing. But what I truly hate is that every time I move my arms I have to peel myself off the desk. Its quite…well…disgusting in a way. On top of that my PC case fan is whirring at an amazing speed giving a rather dull torture-like hum to my working day.
Sorry this is so late. I had some unexpected appointments today and it threw things off kilter a bit.
Evan is learning all about charm. Us boys were ready and dressed to go out. Nicola was upstairs blow drying her hair etc…so we toddled off to see how things were progressing. Upon walking into the room Evan looks at her and says “you look lovely”. What a total ham! I can’t imagine where he gets all that wonderful charm from :)
Thanks to everyone for their kind words regarding the slideshow from last week. Its very much appreciated. I’ll keep you posted on how things are going.
Geronimo!
On exiting the ‘Fun House’ at the fair Evan when from total fear to complete exuberance!
Feeding the giraffe (duh!)
Malcolm spent most of the holiday trying to prove that 3G card really DID work
2 entertainers and an airport
Claire and David — Gatton Manor Golf Club — Saturday July 26, 2008
How to make a 3yr old girls day…makeup!
I was slightly frightened when I found this Blair Witch-esque symbol on the back of the toilet door
Spot the rings!
Sometimes I use Darren to test out light situations…he loves it. All I have to say to him is ‘Blue Steel’ and he’s on it!
Casino Royale (with cheese) — Fun for later
Time for one last sing song
The balcony door served as a 7ft by 4ft softbox!
Off to see the wizard (aka the Registrar)
Notice anything peculiar about the best man’s attire?
Claire sees the funny side to David’s clown-like buttonhole (however, she wasn’t pleased when she realised it still had a water pistol)
WEDDING LESSON Number 486 — If a venue says “you’re allowed confetti, but only one box” do yourself a favour…buy a really, really, really BIG box. A loaf of bread split 30 ways is still a loaf of bread!
The bridesmaid was more than a little surprised to learn the anti-gravity device she learned to build on Blue Peter really DID work
For the record…this is not my lens or my camera. I can hear the general sense of despair being uttered by other wedding photographers world wide :)
Damn you Michael Fish…got it wrong AGAIN!
A hot day deserves a frosty beer…and since I can’t really take part the least I can do is appreciate it.
When it still didn’t fall I gave up assuming that this game of Jenga must have been rigged!
I love something different … and speeches outside qualify
It seemed unfair, but David made everyone sing for their pudding
The Kojak Appreciation Society meeting is formally called to order
Once again…there is something a bit odd about the best man’s morning suit
Claire listens as David speeches (that doesn’t really make sense)
Amazing how 3 hours later the skies went blue
We’ve all seen Strip-o-Grams dressed as policeman…Darren likes to think outside the box
David…the living embodiment of cool
We’d all had enough of the heat by this point
For those who were wondering…the whole Best Man’s suit thing came down to a miscommunication. He thought they were getting the suit, they thought he was getting the suit. It made for a unique memory and I suspect he was quite glad given the temperture.
And Now A Few From Darren…who will be out on his World Tour during August with his Band, Twenty:Four Hour Affair
This photo cannot be explained
D loves playing with the Mark III
Catching that alternative angle…nice one!
Baby X waits patiently for her turn at the Rubik’s Cube
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Viva Espana!
Posted by: | CommentsSome folks may have been wondering where I was on Monday. It was my mother-in-law’s 60th (like you didn’t already know from the many previous posts) so the entire family jetted off to Spain for a weeks fun in the sun. Only back yesterday and no time to post anything big I do have a few shots of Evan. See you Monday!
Our very own Captain Hook…BTW, Nicola doesn’t usually wear her redneck truck driving hat…but it was a small compromise in the searing Spanish heat
That’s my thrill seeking son…yes, less than one year ago he was too scared to take his feet off the bottom of a 3 ft pool with armbands and a guardian…now he jumps willy nilly into 8 ft of water with a rubber ring
Today a pool a Spain…tomorrow a member of Acapulco Cliff Diving Team
There’s Something You Should Know
Posted by: | CommentsIts just over 5 minutes of your life. If you guessed that the kid saw dead people half way through The 6th Sense then you’ll probably guess what’s coming. If not, sit back and enjoy.
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Music and Passion Were Always the Fashion…
Posted by: | CommentsI suppose you’re wondering what this marque line from one of Barry Manilow’s most famous songs is doing on the blog. Well…last Monday was my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday. She’s a die hard Barry fan (even going to see him in Vegas when we were there in April). She’s had a week of celebrations starting on Monday with dinner out with the family. Now…what do you do when you want to take the entire family out and still cater for the lowest common denominator…that being Evan. So Frankie and Benny’s it is. Balloon, music and a kids menu. But then, how do you make that special? My sister-in-law came up with a plan. I have to admit, at first I thought…how cheesy! But in fairness it was a barrel of laughs. I’m sure you’ll figure it out shortly!
It was almost easier to send a text message to the other end of the limo
Monday…boy did it rain!
“Can’t smile without you…da da dum dum” — Barry’s biggest fan!
Evan was hoping for a bit of Tweenies song time
The family’s own Alan Sugar
My greatest regret (not so much of a regret as I had no control over it) was that Evan never got to meet his other grandparents. Luckily Diddy and Granddad love him enough for my parents as well.
We looked for a larger badge…but in the end settled for this diminutive version
Happy Birthday to Josh as well…he was 6 on Saturday
Blurry and OOF but still good fun
Quite contemplative eh?
Nicola enjoyed it
and so did Evan!
Sadly, on returning to Karen and Malcolm’s house the same old routine started. Karen: “let’s do Karaoke”
Fast Forward to Friday Night…Father-in-Law throws a Not So Surprise Party
..and guess what came over from Karen’s house
PLEASE….NOT BRITNEY AGAIN!
Karaoke night wouldn’t be the same unless Malcolm (aka, the Lone Scotsman) sings 500 miles!
..accompanied by his lovely assistant!
Now its wedding time. Andrew is a photographer from Surrey. Keeping up my ‘photographer wedding a year’ streak (well, actually its 2 this year) seems to be going pretty well. I had one for next year all lined up but she’s moved the date to 2010. So I still have an opening!
Louise and Andrew — Fetcham Church and Tyrrells Wood Golf Club — Saturday 12 July 2008
Willy Wonka briefly escapes from the Chocolate Factory
Louise arrives at 12:02…unforuntately she doesn’t get out
of the car until 12:34 (mild exaggeration) thanks to an over excited dress
Andrew, after previously getting way to excited about the vicar, is relieved to see Louise…
…and from the looks of it, she’s pretty pleased too
Sadly, I was ‘forbidden’ from shooting in the church. Its ironic really,
civil ceremonies (generally) allow photos galore but you must never go
near the register with a camera. Churches often do a 180 on the whole affair.
The FrontStreet Boys play Tyrrells Wood GC
Everybody was Kung Fu Lighting…
I never tried for the (slight) reflection…but its there all the same
Sharp Suit? Top Hat? Hmm…every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man!
A Lesson in the Best Uses of Photoshop
If I see an image that I feel needs a bit ‘photoshoping’ I don’t hesitate to give it a whirl. Heck, I’ve always felt that I have this great tool at my disposal, the least I could do is put it to good use. Case in point below. There’s something not quite right about this photo. Look closely…its possible you won’t spot it. It may be something only a trained, experience professional might notice.
Still stumped. Best look at the ‘corrected’ version below
Photoshop Lesson Complete
Receiving lines…used to hate years ago. Now I get all giddy!
Any who can blame me?
Louise was amazed at the size of the quiche (or the magician just did a wicked trick and I didn’t really get it in shot…but heck, the expression is still worth it)
Ahh…that’s better. Learn from thy mistakes!
Blast! This time I’ve got the wrong character in focus! Nice lemon though!
Tyrrells Wood…so posh even the equipment dresses for the occasion
Dad starts his speech. Amazingly it was the same room that 20-something (he did say but my brain is mush) that him and Louise’s mum had their wedding breakfast in
Andrew’s brother, and Best Man, is just a ‘little’ nervous knowing his speech is yet to come
Yes, I know…same guest in two entries…but goodness, look at the light. Sadly I couldn’t move any further over to get a un-eclipsed view
This is what you new Mother-in-Law does when you mention Homer Simpson and ‘Boobs’ (his words, not mine) in your Groom’s speech
Fortunately for him, he had taken good notes
No Loitering either!
Straight off the cover of “Great Garage Doors Monthly”
Lucy (and Andrew) in the Sky with Diamonds (name changed for artistic integrity)
Dancing by the Skylight…(everybody, feel alright)
Andrew’s mum…thought she got away with it!
You got to move it, move it, move it!
A few from Darren…the wonder boy
It had been a few weeks since I had given Darren any real constructive comments. As a mentor (nice word, but I suspect he calls me something altogether more colourful) its my duty to encourage and direct. So this week, whilst hanging out in the BP Wild Bean Cafe car park on the A3 northbound I took the time to give him some of my wisdom (BS). All I could say was “eyes”. Concentrate on the eyes. When the eyes make a connection you’ve got a chance of a great photo.
And then…I sift through the files and with great joy and pride I find this…
and this…
Even this…heck, everyone’s eyes are poised on me
However, I wasn’t as impressed when he caught me laying down on the job
See…there are those eyes again!
Magic D!
He even thought outside the box…the eyes, whilst closed, still made a wonderful connection..this time to the viewer
THIS PHOTO CANNOT BE EXPLAINED
Great work Darren!
Incidentally, if you want to learn more about Darren’s band (the reason he’s not with me every week) go to their MySpace page here.
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Hampton Court House Wedding Photography – Lexi and Pete
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A quick toast to Pete and his job…whatever it is he does
This photo cannot be explained
8 glasses of champagne later Pete falls asleep standing up
Dedicated bloggers will know that I love Clandon Park and Cain Manor
for ceremony light. Well, let’s add Hampton Court House to that as well.
See what I mean!
It all gets emotional (as it should)…
…but Mr Suave dives in and saves the day
Interestingly, this is a totally spontaneous moment. Pete had to
get in there one more time as they left the ceremony room
As a photographer, mingling shots can sometimes be daunting. However, my ace
up the sleeve is simple. Just mention the movie Zoolander and watch the guests pimp it up.
Zoolander knows no boundaries!
Hampton Court House…it’s a mere 5 miles south of Miami Beach…honest!
Papping a guest group shot
This photo CAN be explained. Chap A (out of shot on right) hands over £20
to Chap B (above) after realising that the sunglasses that Chap A ridiculed and
subsequently tossed over the boundary wall were in fact stylish and slightly
more expensive than first believed. I see it all, I do.
Sexy Lexi
I spent half the day trying to figure out who Pete looked like…
…I never did figure it out…but luckily Lexi spilled the beans
Like you had to ask
From my special trouser-cam
Not just fish…..!
…but chips and mushy peas! Excellent wedding breakfast choice!
Lexi’s Dad scores major brownie points with his speech
Even Pete found it all a bit overwhelming
He kept the crowd all gooey inside
So much so he even earned a big son-in-law hug
It says 01.20.09 — Bush’s Last Day
No fancy flashwork here…it was as bright as day with the glass roof
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New Balls Please!
Posted by: | CommentsAnyone else still recovering from the Wimbledon men’s final last night? Like most folks, for two weeks of the year I’m an avid tennis fan. Generally more so when Andy Murray (and in years past Tim Henman) are still in the tourney. However you couldn’t not be taken in by a Federer/Nadal final…especially given last year’s epic 5 setter. How bad did the AELTC wish they had the roof on for this year. I suppose, in a nostalgic sort of way, we’ll all miss rain delayed finals that have been a bit of trademark of Wimbledon. Sadly for Nicola that means less Boris Becker waffling on…she is still in love with him even after all these years.
Of course, I can’t mention sport without mentioning Lewis Hamilton. What a cracking GP. Why can’t it rain every week :)
‘Round our house we have a bit of routine. For some strange reason, Evan still enjoys sitting in his highchair for tea (dinner). Maybe its because he eats alone (not alone as such, but we don’t eat tea at 5/5:30pm). The routine goes like this. Highchair comes out, Evan climbs in by himself (surely a sign he’s a bit too old but no mind), the tray goes on, the bib goes on, the food goes down, one bite is taken and then … “Mummy (or Daddy)…I need a wee-wee”. This is generally met with something less than jubilation and often the words “Evan, for goodness sake” come streaming out of his mother’s mouth. The other day, it was a bit different. Highchair comes out, Evan climbs in by himself (yep, still a sign he’s a bit too old but no mind), the tray goes on, the bib goes on, the food goes down, one bite is taken and then … “Mummy …I need a wee-wee” Nicola stops, looks at him…but before she could speak Evan says “I know…for goodness sakes”.
Emma and Paul — Coltsfoot Country Retreat — Friday, July 4, 2008
Shortly before they disappeared into the black hole
A great example of “holy cow, he got me diamond earrings…quick, how do I not cry!”
Kids today…and their mirrors. Huh..
I don’t like to repeat things in the same blog post…but I couldn’t decide between this…
Or this….
Just hanging out…in a barn…as you do
This Photo Cannot Be Explained
Own up..who used the door?
That damn mirror again :)
As you can see, the forecast of heavy rain and wind put quite
a damper on the day proceedings
Coltsfoot has, perhaps, the most interesting ceremony space I’ve seen lately.
The guests are ‘outside’ in a marquee. However, UK (or English) law states
that the ceremony must take place in a permanent structure. As such the
witnesses as well as the Bride and Groom must remain within that structure
for the duration of the ceremony.
Paul’s Dad has the “that’s my boy” look on his face
Just a quickie, hold out the camera, shoot and hope shot
The thunder and lightening were at 3 second intervals at this point in the day
Gran simply won’t admit she has a Pimms problem
You know..it all starts out so innocent…
…then someone has to lower the tone!
Emma, however, doesn’t seem to mind
Say it with me…”WE WOULD!”
Ye Olde Daughter-Father-Speech-Look
Paul’s Dad doesn’t hold back
Paul delivers an impeccable speech despite hecklers from the mezzanine table above
You have to know the pain it took for Paul (an Everton fan) to present
a Stevie G shirt to his best man (a Liverpool fan)
I say smoulder…she laughs…hysterically.
But then gently calms in the presence of Paul
My very own ball of sun
These guys took 6 weeks of lessons (a lesson a week) to wow the crowd with a kick-butt
choreographed dance routine. I was well impressed!
..and it didn’t look half bad from the other side either
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