Archive for September, 2008
Hey Junior!
Posted by: | CommentsHow ’bout them Skins!
Apologies for my senseless jibe towards my brother in law…it has to be done.
I really need to boogie so I’m just going to post some images from the weddings this past weekend.
Sarah and Jonathan — Lane End, Buckinghamshire — Saturday, 27 September 2008
On Saturday I did an ‘On the Day’ presentation. So the guests and B&G have seen a fair few images. However, I wanted to still blog a few for everyone else. In some instances I’ve selected different images than I selected Saturday night. So there’s something for everyone.
Also…a big thanks to Cheryl and Pascal who recommended me to Sarah and Jonathan (and I suppose Darryl and Sioban who recommended me to Cheryl Pascal…I’ll shut up now)
First…yes, she’s seen it and yes, she thinks its funny
Sometimes I even wonder how I get out of the reflection
My new image branding clearly doesn’t work on every image :)
Go on…just one verse from ‘The King and I’
My name is Michael Caine…and I am a nosey neighbour
Funny…I don’t remember everyone being so serious
One of my favourite shots of the year
The problem with getting ready too early…you can’t stop fiddling (her words)
Folks often look to me for advice on tying a crevat…at which point I feign an illness and excuse myself with great haste
I hate to use the same joke as a few weeks ago…BUT….Y-M-C-A
“Count to 10, then come find me”
Splitty arrives
Sadly the ride from the house to the church didn’t provide enough time for a fry up
As a final test the girls from FYEO arrive but Jonathan has none of it
Casper is escorted down the aisle by Dad and Pa
The Best Man, sadly, failed the FYEO test
I don’t often get a view point like I did on Saturday…interesting but not always unobstructed
Making a mad dash to the VeeDub
Had it been legal Sarah would have had a tough choice on her hands
Granny gets giddy
Ye Olde Daughter-Father Look
Smiles all ’round
Bagel!
So as not to leave the evening guests out the Best Man’s speech, complete with colour coding, found its way into the bar
GeeQueue from the Gents Loo
Right…so, the timetable was never going to allow us to do the ‘couple’ shots before the meal. I knew it would be dark but I figured we could do something. Inside I found the Gent’s loo…cracking (pun unintentional). But after that, well, doing the on the day presentation I hadn’t really had anytime to scope. So we literally went outside in the pitch black. I tried one thing and it bombed…I had seen the gazebo and when they mentioned I thought, “let’s give it go”. First shot was 1/6th of the second. I managed to get it down to 1/30th…but this would have been better with a bit of colour in the sky. 9:00pm at the end of September…no chance. The lights were flood lights at the venue so there’s shadows being cast. The story continues later on…
…there wasn’t much I could do for this scene to get rid of the banister shadow but…
….I could change the emphasis a bit…
So now we’re pretty well DOA. Why I was being so thick I don’t know but then Jonathan suggested a light on the side of the building. I don’t know if this is what he had in mind, but the second he said it I knew exactly what I wanted!
Yowza!
And this…well, I was in heaven!
DAMN YOU…NOT AGAIN! Chesney Hawks I HATE YOU! (not really)
Nina and John — Meonstoke and New Place — Friday, 26 September 2008
I suppose this one needs an intro as well. I first placed a card in a corner shop in Fareham in 2004. ‘Wedding Photographer for Hire’. Perhaps the most useless form of advertising going but within a few days I had a phone call. Jo and Ben, brave as they were, took a chance and booked me for their wedding. Clearly liking what I did I shot Ben’s sister’s UK blessing, a friend of Jo’s mum’s daughter, Helen and Dog (aka Paul), Vicky and Steve and I think a few more but its all got too complicated. Figuring that there were none left I was delighted to get a call from John asking if I was available. I saw so many familiar faces, not to mention Matt and his cool hat (he’s the dad of the little guy you’ll see shortly) — the hat is almost as famous as he is. So…to the whole clan it was great to see you all again and who knows, maybe we’ll see each other again sometime!
How lucky have folks been these last few weeks with the weather?
A true piece of art…and the painting ain’t bad either
A new concept in shoe shots…get’m whilst they’re on!
Dress Noir
Seeing the dress for the first time…but hey, the Bridesmaids dresses were pretty cool themselves
Mr Black, Mr Orange and Mrs Green
The Best Man — apparently
Mum greets guests on arrival
Every time I got near him, he ran away…fine then!
It looked cool but it only a 1 horsepower engine
Ah…I do admire the effort that some folks make!
John gets his first glimpse
Now man and wife, the vicar stops a certain 6 with a leaping over head catch
Its always a bonus when the reader makes eye contact with the B&G
According to the EXIF data I’m something like 25 meters away…it made for, surprisingly, some of the more interesting signing of the registers shots this year
Off on the long ride to the pub…all 150 meters of it
Finally got him!
A pre-reception, reception at the Bucks Head, Meonstoke…check out the boozers bottom left
Now moving on to another form of transport I think they were a little surprised to see me
With time to kill before the guests arrived (and with John in the loo), I got to work
Having been to New Place before, I knew that would happen
The receiving line is now in full swing
As you can see, I’ve got a little somefink for the entry way…
I dunno
I had never seen a hornet in real life before…I’m just glad it wasn’t my beer!
Writing wedding wishes on the back of the placenames…hadn’t seen that before
Is that not Tommy Lee Jones in No Country for Old Men?
Clearly, its not just Evan who loves a bit of Van Halen!
I couldn’t quite get the best view during the speeches…but I reckon it worked out OK in the end
I wouldn’t want to watch Bambi with John’s mum I can assure you!
The cake stand reflection on the ceiling rather amused me
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Solid….Solid as a Rock
Posted by: | CommentsNo, I’m not referring to the 80s pop song by Ashford and Simpson but rather…well….read the last post and work it out for yourself. In the end it all worked itself out (quite literally). The doctor (and by the way the text for the doctor story pn the previous entry was written on Sunday night) said there was little they could do and that he was happy in himself, not dehydrated and had a good SATS (which is quite amazing as he’s only just in pre-school — or have I got that wrong?).
Anywho…just a quick to share 3 pictures I really loved from a portrait shoot I did with Helen, Dan and Oliver on Monday.
Helen, Dan and Oliver — Old Portsmouth — Monday, September 22, 2008
He was best when asked to be ‘active’
With a live wire like Oliver, its best to have as many eyes on the situation as possible
Mini-Clooney!
I Don’t Feel Tardy
Posted by: | Comments4 days now…that’s 4 days of Evan and the Hershey squirts. So tomorrow we’re off to the doctor to see what the heck they can do for diarrhoea in children because according to the chemist — nothing. Funny that you can buy children’s Imodium in the US but not in the UK.
I hope everyone (this side of the pond) is enjoying our beloved summer albeit 3 months late. I think I actually got a sunburn on my forehead. It would be like me to carry a hat all summer when it rained and then forget it once the sun actually did shine.
Evan’s back on to “I want a girl baby” this week. But don’t get too emotional about it, next week he will be back to wanting a boy again.
Time for a haircut
One of the few times he didn’t wince
I love the falling hair
Off to the park after fiddlesticks
He’s graduated to the big boy swings
The very first shot of the day…oh, after Darren and I enjoyed a rather lovely Magnum ice cream with the family
No…honest…I really hate shoe shots
Shortly after they also pulled a rabbit from a hat
Lately I’ve been into classically bad compositions that actually work…here I love the ghostly reflection of Charlotte on the left and bottom of the actual reflection
ZZ Top once sang a song about the above
Like 10 seconds before there were at least 8 people in the room…then it was just us
Proof you can do it…even without Live View
On tonights episode of ‘Beneath the Veil’….
“I’ve got a 10er on Man City 6, Portsmouth 0″ — “It’ll never happen”
Darren: “Where should I go”, Rob: “Um…go up in the gallery” — famous last words…don’t worry, the magic of Photoshop will undo those most unwise decisions
So begins a rather strange infatuation with Evan’s (that being Evan as the Best Man Evan) shoes…when I first realised that his name was Evan he asked me “What should I call you?” to which I replied “Daddy!”
Fortunately the church has installed rumble strip traffic calming to alleviate the risk of a multi-bride pile up
The low September sun…magic
No great shot…but I really do love the “Sorry about that”
You know you are onto a winner when you show a B&G a grubby alleyway with muck, cobwebs and rust and they say “sure…that’s why we hired you”…ah, Heaven!
“Camera 1, Camera 2, Camera 1″ — Wayne from Wayne’s World
Martin had a certain aura about him all day
I learned all about Charlotte’s A-Level in photography and the many weekends her and her Dad spend in breakers yards…a woman after my own heart!
See…that even lower warm September sun
Toast! Not really, its champagne…its funny, because in certain shots Evan looks a dead ringer for Lewis Hamilton
I rarely ask a couple to ever do anything else once they sit down..but golly, if I find something really tasty…just trust me!
I’m convinced that B&Gs could say anything and the table would still be captivated during the ‘Greet the Table’ sessions
The meal looked filling to me so why a 4th course of bubbles were required is beyond me
A friend of mine sent me a shot a few weeks ago of the after dinner mint challenge…start it on your forehead and wiggle your face to eventually get it to your mouth….I never thought I would actually see it myself
…once it starts, you can’t stop it!
Taking ‘Greased Lightening’ a little too far
Chesney Hawks has a lot to answer for!
Shake your money maker!
Last week I wasn’t able to pop up Darren’s images. I felt really bad. So today I’ve made sure I got some of the boy wonder for everyone to enjoy. So…without further delay…
A Few of Darren’s from Saturday Awell (that’s how Evan — my son, not the Best Man) says As Well
I get overcome with joy when I see things I say to him come out in his work
Uh oh…
Great shot of the Bride
Proof that its not what you shoot but how you shoot it…did somebody make a booty call?
Another Lewis Hamilton groupie just before she discovers the truth
Catching the other (and some may say better) angle of the bridesmaids Sorority girl squeeze
They are all from South Africa…which perplexed me when I started to sing ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ and Martin joined in
I love this angle of the ‘everybody’ shot — Nice work Darren!
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Just B’cause
Posted by: | CommentsIts been ages since I posted something that didn’t lead to a wedding. So today I post…just because.
Being a Dad is great fun. I mean there’s the teaching him to ride a bike, or pronounce words more clearly…or perhaps expanding his musical vocabulary. Case in point, on the way home from nursery on Tuesday he asked for ‘the airplane one’. ‘Buddy, we’re almost home’ I reply. ‘OK, can I have the disco one?’. Knowing I already had a CD in the player from Sunday night (I didn’t leave the wedding until 11:15pm with a 1:50 ride home…I needed some ‘juice’) I suggested we listen to Van Halen. Initially I get a blank stare but eventually I get ‘OK, let’s listen to Van Halen’. To say he enjoyed the open drum sequence on ‘Hot for Teacher’ would be an understatement. He enjoyed, even more, my air guitar and the two of ‘jammed’ the rest of the way home.
I now own a piece of Apple kit that integral to my business. Yesterday, with my contract on T-Mobile expired, I’ve moved to O2 and an iPhone. What a nifty gadget. In many ways I was bummed to leave T-Mobile. I mean, my phone did what it needed to do…email, calendar, text…sadly it didn’t do one important thing….actually work in my house. T-Mobile were even going to offer me another £5 of a month. But ultimately I had to go with something that did and the iPhone won. I’ve downloaded a few things from the App Store…at the moment my favourite App is Shazam…hit listen whilst a song is playing in the ether and in about 20 seconds it will tell you the track, the title, the artist and a give you a link to buy.
After Evan and I had out Hot For Teacher jamathon it was time for bath…and a quick phone call to Auntie Sandy. So here’s some pics. See ya!
Talking to Auntie Sandy
You can get an idea what the left hand is playing with…and to my surprise shortly after this was taken I got the message “wow Daddy…its big now!” Crikey!
3…Its the Magic Number
Posted by: | CommentsAbsolutely no time to chat. 3 weddings this week…I know, I said I wasn’t going to do 3 in a weekend. But when Claire and Richard rang with the chance to shoot my first Jewish wedding I really couldn’t say no. I had, as with all my weddings, a brilliant time. I enjoyed seeing the differences and the parallels between what I usually see and what I saw on Sunday. One thing I can say is, folks at a Jewish wedding know how to dance and have fun. If dancing was like that at every wedding I shot I would probably have lost at least a toe by now. It was kind of like taking your life into your own hands with all the movement and action.
For my regular blog readers, most of which I’m sure won’t have been to a Jewish wedding, I have put a few comments to help them understand…not that I am in any way qualified to understand it.
But before that…2 pictures of Evan…so that my sister doesn’t disown me!
A new, continuous bubble gun (that sadly leaks)
Helping Mummy make star biscuits
Right…3 weddings…go get’em!
Claire and Richard
Posted by: | CommentsClaire and Richard — Manor of Groves — Sunday, 14 September, 2008
Richard arrives, mostly suited and booted, but its not long before the first….
…spreadsheet check!
According to the aforementioned spreadsheet “15:07:23 Adam check Richard’s tie”
Being near enough to Stansted’s landing pattern meant that Ariella was always captivated
I quickly became captivated by the lights in the lobby…also I learned that the hat/Rabbi thing wasn’t just something I had only seen in the movies
See…there’s those lights again
By tradition the Groom comes to meet the Bride to confirm to the Rabbi and a witness that she is, in fact, his bride of choice…this is called Bedecken
Both parents walk the Bride (and the groom incidentally) down the aisle
Naturally I was captivated by the cultural symbols. I was also given a skull cap to wear. Being the ever astute photographer it only took my about 5 minutes to realise that everyone on the left was wearing one…thats because everyone on the left was a man. It all made sense once the light bulb turned on!
The B&Gs Brother-in-law Sha’anan does a ‘reading’ (not sure if readings the right word as it was sung)
But, no matter what type of service, theres always a receiving line — YAY!
Ariella misses the warm Israeli sunshine
Wine?
The B&G weren’t much into couply shots…this is number 1 of 2
I’m not sure if this is the Hamotzi or whether the act of cutting it is called the Hamotzi — either way I was something different for me
The fabled Israeli dancing…everything I expected it to be only faster!
Shortly before Hamotzi guests can participate in the Washing
Ariella (quite a star in the blog as well as a star for the entire family) sits in the middle of the Israeli dancing
Father’s for Justice are taking it all a bit too far :) I took Spanish in High School so I have little chance with Hebrew
Fortunately, for the boys, all that dancing had made Richard about 4 pounds lighter
“Oops up-side ya head I say oops upside ya head”
On a day when Torro Rosso won their first Grand Prix it was only fitting that Rabbi Davis did a great bull imitation…what you can’t see is the chap holding the serviette awaiting his charge
The entire room — all 178 guests — toasts the bride. No pressure.
When giving the speech you are all on your own :)
Richard’s dad
Dancing with Dad
The chaps in the most amazing band, Creation, take to the floor to stir things up
You’re being a bit greedy don’t you think?
Blue tone
Regular blog readers will know that I predicted this!
It certainly wasn’t New York, New York
Many thanks to everyone for a genuinely unique experience. I felt privileged to be a part of it.
