London Landscape Photography

This is why I LOVE my job! My brief -  'Shoot some Iconic London Landmarks and Cityscapes along the London Soutbank'. NICE DAY AHEAD! Although i had to rise at 5am to get down to Tower Bridge to catch the sunrise, it was worth it! Every time I have to do a job which involves getting up and out in the dark, I am reminded that there is nothing better than being in London as the sun rises. it really is the best time of day to be in London! Still, calm and truly beautiful ... until the hoards arrive and the buzz takes over again. So, as I was going to be walking around all day long, I didn't want a trailer load of backbreaking gear with me, so opted for my evermore popular choice of kit - my Fuji X-Pro 1 ... in a tiny bag with 3 lenses and a spare battery, a very small Manfrotto tripod and I'm done! LOVE IT! discreet and light allowing me to crack on without feeling depressed each time I know I have to pack up and move on! I started by shooting east towards Butlers Wharf from St Katherine's Dock at sunrise and then spent the day strolling and exploring the Soutbank from Rotherhithe to Westmisnster Bridge...

I'd never been up the OXO Tower and had this in mind for the end of my day. It was thoroughly worth it. I was a bit worried about rocking up there in my jeans and North face photographer kit! ... but the staff were very lovely and guided me to their free public viewing balcony outside - where I was able to wait for the light to drop and the magic of the city lights to come to life!  I wasn't sure how the Fuji X-Pro 1 would cope with long exposures on its small sensor ... but i am very impressed with its clarity and low light noise levels. Not to mention again its sooooooo small! Chuffed!

I hope you enjoy the images as much as i enjoyed my day taking them! :-)

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An 'ExEvent' for a Rendezvous

My good clients ExEvents got me down for a great job last night!! .... The Chambord Rendezvous 2011 The venue; One Mayfair! Built in 1825, One Mayfair has recently reopened its doors and is set to be London's newest and most spectacular venue. After years of neglect this historic Grade I listed building has undergone months of refurbishment bringing it back to its former glory. As one of the largest event spaces in the Mayfair, it has already attracted a range of high profile events.

Guests were wowed by the excellent transformation the space took on under the expert handling of the ExEvents team. The winning drinks were served throughout the evening along with a wonderful dinner, again with the winning chambord recipes. I unfortunately was working ... but then even when i'm working its not work! The guests were great and it was good to be in amongst this happy crowed ... DJ Philly was on hand spinning up some excellent tunes before Comedy act Mr Russell Kane introduced the evenings events. BBC Radio 1 Celebrity DJ Edith Bowman then took over on the decks and things really hotted up ... drinks were flowing and butts were shaking! My trustee Nikons were also working their own little butts off as you can see from a selection of the shots here. Enjoy!! :)

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Canal side Capers with my new Lumix

Well, its been a while since i posted anything here, simply because i have been too busy! :-)

So excuse the dates all being off from the actual events, but thought it best to get it all done and up, out the way before its the end of the year! wow, this year has flown!!!!!

Anyway, this little update involves my new Panasonic Lumix snapper i wanted to test out!

I'm only 10 mins from the canal side, so took advantage of the weather and got on my bike for a 26 mile ride from Enfield to Hoddesden and took a few snaps on the way with the Lumix. My main reason for wanting this camera was for casual days out like this where i wanted to get some good 'snaps' but them still be crisp and of good quality... The Lumix has a Leica lens so i was interested to see how it compared ... in all honesty i think its only 'ok'. Thats more down to 'noisy' sensor than the lens quality .... its fine in bright weather but anything 800 iso above gets reeeeeeally fuzzy!

Still, its only a snapper, but at £350 i was actually expecting more...

Screen on the Green - Comic Strip LIVE

Last week i had to whizz down to Screen on the Green ~ one of the everyman Theatres, based in Islington, London. This super funky Cinema have decided to break the mould and start presenting late night comedy on a Friday night for 2 months ... so you can go have a few bev's along Upper Street, get in a jovial frame of mind then park your bum on their quirky sofa's for some hearty giggles.

Mr Drew Barr ~ Comedian is your resident host and compare. There will also be a burlesque show and music provided by the most fantastic band in the world, 'Tankus the Henge'

A few of my shots here that are being used to promote the events .... So if you fancy a chuckle ... see you Friday!!

Latest Project 'BBC Documentary ~ My Life: KARATE KIDS Saturday 13th March BBC2 11.30am'

Karate Kids follows the friendships of two children with cerebral palsy. Tim cannot speak, so best friend Francis is his voice. However, when Tim embarks upon marital arts training his life changes forever. Karate Kids is a unique glimpse into a world that is ignored by mainstream society and often misunderstood by many children. This film challenges the perceptions around childhood disability. From award-winning and BAFTA nominated film-makers Walsh Bros. I worked during the making of the film, producing all the stills for use to promote and document the show.

The whole experience of working amongst these kids was very humbling.I'm very grateful to John Walsh and his production team for giving me the opportunity to work with them on this, and hope now to be doing more of this work and eventually some movie set stills...

Watch this space! ... [gallery]