From the archive... #12

Certain shots simply fall into place right in front of you. You only have to press the button...

This shot was several years ago at a private residence; a gorgeous house near Liverpool. The shoot sticks in my mind because the original booking was to have been in Marbella - but we ended up on Merseyside - a long story.

Here you can see the Toastmaster, let's say 'urging' the little flower girl back to the reception after she had wandered away, no doubt looking for mischief. The shot really benefits from the walkway - a makeshift white tunnel which linked a chill-out lounge to the dining room. 

The crisp simplicity of the surroundings and body language of the people in-frame tell you what's happening. I really like the playful feel to the shot and the way the vivid uplighting pulls the eye into the centre of the photograph. 

More proof that the best photography is simple and without fuss...

From the archive... #13

I’m a huge advocate of simple, clean photography. I don’t like fuss or endless set-ups. I love to try and search out little moments and do my best to capture something other people walk right past.

There is a lot going on here, but I have stepped-back from the chat and used the long Autumn evening shadows to illustrate a time of day and not really focused on any one guest in particular. The wonderfully relaxing outside space at Hedsor House provides the stage, and the lens of choice is a 28mm F1.8.

It always makes me smile to see it because it was a great wedding and a very pleasing little image which is gentle, non-specific and thoughtful... 

From the archive... #11

Walk into this room - wow - you're rocked back on your heels by the opulence. 

I had been asked to shoot a catwalk show in the ballroom of The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Knightsbridge, organised by the market-leading magazine Brides. The client was Mirror Mirror Bridal, with whom I'm developing a terrific working relationship. The London Atelier would be showing some of their stunning couture designs.

On display were the best couture dresses from the country's leading designers - the cream of the cream. It was a terrific opportunity to really nail some atmosphere and record the wider scene. 

I've picked this example from the set because it not only shows a gorgeous gown, but also the style of the room. And, I feel, you can really sense the anticipation of the audience as some truly beautiful dresses were unveiled.

A brilliant night. Perk of the job...

From the archive... #10

This caption should read "a slightly nervous groom".

The location is Somerset House and our man in question is Nabeel, who just went with the flow, like so many of us guys on their wedding day.

I particularly like the loose composition of the shot. While the picture is all about the facial expression, it's not too tight as to deny the viewer of the proximity of the best man, and the fact they're clearly seconds away form the bride's arrival. 

A simple moment caught forever. One of many on a lovely summer's day in town... 

From the archive... #9

Wow. That was my first impression at the recce and then double wow come the wedding. Even more remarkable when you consider this is only the side chapel of Westminster Cathedral, not the main body of the church.

The lush nature of the lamp lighting gives this shot so much depth - with the ornate decoration and late ceremony time compounding the sense of atmosphere for Paul & Maria's gorgeous winter service. 

You would struggle to think this is just down the road from the everyday bustle of Victoria train station; it feels like you're firmly ensconsed in Rome.

It was also a bit of a spine-tingler for me because the Cathedral is an oft used location for feature films. This very same view can be seen during the opening minutes of Elizabeth, The Golden Age (trailer link), doubling for Lisbon Cathedral in the mid 1600's, filmed just a few weeks before my shoot. 

Amazing location, amazing view, lovely wedding... 

From the archive... #8

This is probably best filed under 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.  They say photography is all about capturing the moment - and this was about capturing somebody else's.

Smartphones. I couldn't live without mine, and they just get people shooting more pics, which makes them brilliant in my book. To the many photographers who moan about wedding guests whipping them out at every opportunity, I say: get over it.

I really think this shots sums up the fun side of a wedding reception. When a few friends get together and smile for somebody else, it's a shot. But this example came at the end of the day and my work was almost done after a terrific shoot at The Renaissance Hotel, St Pancras. With this in mind it was just nice to get into the huddle and create something a little different..

From the archive... #7

I have always really like this moment. Unless you force children to pose, something at which they aren't any good at, you know shots displaying kids are completely honest. 

Here we have some rather late bridesmaids! The bride and her father were already on the landing waiting nervously to enter the ceremony, but the girls had been faffing about in the gardens and lost track of time. All quiet amusing. 

What I love is the body language of each - something only a still photograph can show. The little girl leading the way is clearly in a hurry. To emphasise this point you can see she's almost dragging her younger sister behind her. Lastly, we have the eldest of the three who is more concerned with her dress on the stairs.  Three totally different concerns.

The moment was there... and then gone again, made even stronger as nobody is looking into the lens. It preserves the genuine rush and mild panic, yet it still slightly playful.

Thirty seconds later it was all OK...

From the archive... #6

This shot could easily be a caption competition. For now I'll leave it as a little preview to a post I'll upload soon after a really enjoyable shoot with Team SKY Pro Cycling.

The rather uncomfortable looking gent in question is Aussie rider, CJ Sutton. The various lumps and bumps around his person are actually water bottles, about 25 if I recall correctly. 

In between TV and stills set-ups they were practising swapping bottles from support car to rider and then back again. On event stages where the support team can't be near the rider (usually they are in a chasing pack), fluids needs to be carried and readily available. This was an extreme test to see just how much the poor guy could manage. Rather him than me! 

A proper overview of the day to follow very soon... 

From the archive... #5

his shot has always been a personal favourite and brings back so many memories. Not just of the shoot, but of a previous career path and also of a time when working as a photographer was very different.

I'm going to write a post soon about the way working as a pro has been transformed y technology, so don't want to touch on that too heavily here, but this photograph feels like something from a bygone era. And it was only 1997! 

Not to dwell, but this is a colour transparency - remember those? That funny age when a hinged back opened up on a camera and you had these little cassette things(?) Weird. However, interestingly, it made you think more because of the limited frames on a roll. Plus there was no instant checking on an LCD, we never needed it. When a picture is right you just know.

The setting is Macau, southern China, and the event is a season-ending weekend everybody is motorsport loves : the Macau Grand Prix. Here motor sport fans are enjoying some late afternoon track action from a lofty grandstand viewpoint.

Your eye is first drawn the spectacular sky, very typical for Asia at that time of year. But as you look closer you see various different sub-scenes : a father and son, a guy with his binoculars, wo people leaving, and a few other random little mannerisms.

The photograph is simple, easily composed and for sure a moment in time. All those things timeless photography should be...

From the archive... #4

This is a nice little shot that's always been one of my favourites. But while it's simple, the picture also says a lot about the day in question. That 'photo is worth a thousand words' thing.

Without knowing the couple or anything about their wedding you can instantly tell it was a relaxed affair with a rustic feel - hence the chairs. We also know they have a sense of humour and thought it would be mischievous to coordinate shoes and socks - the focal point of the shot. The brogues tell you the groom is his own man and not swayed by the need to conform totally to the occasion. And you sense the bride loves the idea of being little daring with scarlett shoes. 

The wedding was in Shoreditch Town Hall, with the emphasis on fun, and the couple are as laid-back as they come. It was a tiny, personality-rich affair - which is always brilliant to shoot.

This shot has also directly led to more than one subsequent commission. The image sticks in people's minds and has even led to one couple copying them (see second shot). It just goes to show that you can chuck all the marketing and strategy you wish at your business, but it's the smallest things to which people respond...

From the archive... #3

It always intrigues me why people like certain pictures within a set. This little sequence is one on which clients always linger in my portfolio. Here's a little background...

The commission was a Christmas wedding last year with the drinks reception in a private residence. I had worked the room a little in search of off-beat and candid portraits, but kept noticing the little flower girl nipping away into one of the downstairs rooms.

didn't really pay much attention to this until I heard the piano certainly not making a great sound. After putting two and two together it was suddenly obvious that the little rascal was making her own entertainment...

Adopting my very best stealth approach, I let her just play around nd tried to shoot frames as she hit the keys, so as not to disturb the scene. It wasn't until she'd finished that my presence had been sensed, and she immediately scurried from the room. It's the last image and the look on her face which absolutely makes the set.

(Canon 5DMK2 body, 85mm lens, 1600asa, 60th @F2)

From the archive... #2

I'm often searching through my photographic library and repeatedly stumble across files from jobs past. Most of the time I just drag them back into the folders, but sometimes they have a little story attached...

Since 2004 I have enjoyed a brilliant working relationship with SEAT UK. Initially it was on the motorsport side, but this soon spread to studio portraits and event coverage. Great people with get-ahead ideas. They're also fabulously collaborative, which is always nice.

So it tickled me a little to come across this image, mainly because it was the very first thing I did, now almost exactly 9 years ago. I recall a perishingly cold Rockingham race track; the brief to shoot car-to-car shots for publicity material to promote the marque's one make championship.

Such shots are truly hair-raising to produce. You are strapped into a people carrier (with the back door wedged open) or, as in this case, put in the boot of a car with an assistant holding the boot lid open.  Either way the racing car is under your control, via various graphic gestures. Enough said.

Technically this is hand held at about 1/10th of a sec, which is slower than you'd usually opt for. But it's essential to obtain the feeling of speed so the track feels like it's rushing past - which is kind of is anyway! I chose to shoot this at the end of a January day because it was a lovely sky and the closing light added to the effect.

From the archive... #1

And this is literally a blast from the past. In a previous life I whizzed around the globe shooting motorsport in many shapes and sizes. Various commissions for motor manufacturers and sponsors took me to the US, Asia and countless European cities.

This is a particular shot which always sticks in my mind. It's an Indycar (US answer to F1) during practice for an event in Miami. Many stories from the trip... almost losing my credential, death-defying freeway driving and stumbling across a drug deal in a McDonalds! Maybe things for another post... Anyway, I've always quite liked the shot.

(Canon 1V (film camera) body, 200mm lens, 100asa, 20th @F22)