Open House London

Post length: 632 words, almost 3 minutes.

The 20th and 21st of September was the weekend of the Open House London event for 2014. I had been to a previous Open House event with some friends and enjoyed it, even though we’d only managed to see one property, so I thought it was about time I went back and did it again. This time I went with Monica and we planned the day a little better. We had a few different places on the list of buildings we wanted to see, most of them around Westminster. We only managed to get to three in the end but I was pleased with the selection, and there’s always next year. The full set of photographs can be seen here.

The first building was the Royal Courts of Justice. It is a large Victorian Gothic style building built in the late 1800s on the Strand. Once through security you find yourself at the front of the 238 feet long Main Hall. [read more]

Posted on Tuesday 30th September, 2014 at 9:15 am in Photography.
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London 2012: Photos and Chocolate (and a little money)

Post length: 1,064 words, about 4 and a half minutes.

The year 2012 saw the Olympics heading for London for the third time in modern Olympic history. For two weeks London was taken over by the games and all the infrastructure which comes with it. Not living in London meant the games didn’t affect me directly (except with the TV schedules, and knowing that the Team GB Synchronised Swimming team train the the pool just down the road), but I still felt that I wanted to at least have a little to do with it — after all I can’t imagine London, or anywhere else in the UK, being awarded the games again in my lifetime. So, last Saturday, I headed into the capital with my cameras to see what I could find down on The Mall where the walk races were taking place.

I took the tube from Waterloo to Green Park and walked down through the park to the exit by Constitution Hill. I spent quite a few hours around the course, snapping away at what was going on before hand, before finally taking a place at the barrier right outside of Buckingham Palace, just in front of the misting shower, to watch the race. [read more]

Posted on Thursday 16th August, 2012 at 12:27 pm in Obiter dicta, Photography, Photos.
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Aldershot Live Music Day

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Aldershot Live Music Day

Last weekend saw Aldershot Live Music Day — an event held across three stages in the town centre showcasing a range of live artists and bands. As I didn’t have anything else on this weekend I decided to take my camera out and have a look.

I have added a full straight colour edit of my photos to my gallery, but thought I’d also produce some more ‘rocky’ style black and white images. [read more]

Posted on Tuesday 24th July, 2012 at 10:34 pm in Arts & Ents, Photography, Photos.
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Wedding

Post length: 1,157 words, just over 5 minutes.

Now I know I haven’t finished with the second half of the stag weekend posts so forgive me, but I wanted to write this now before I go away.

I’m heading back from Scott and Jess’ wedding this weekend. They had a handfasting ceremony and asked me to do their photos for them. While I was, of course, honoured that they would ask me and trust me to shoot such an important event, I was more than a little nervous. While I’m comfortable shooting live events and theatre, I had actually never previously shot a wedding. Wedding photography is not something that I have ever really wanted to get into, but I have known Scott since we were very young and Jess a few years now, so I agreed on the understanding that they know my style and they knew what they were getting.

I travelled up on Friday morning and stayed with my dad for the weekend. (I’m not sure how long I will have that luxuary now my mum has started her new job. Their house is up for sale and I guess it all depends on how long that takes to sell.) [read more]

Posted on Monday 22nd August, 2011 at 2:14 am in People, Photography.
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London Marathon 2011

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Barnados Balloons at the London Marathon

Sunday 17th April saw the 2011 Virgin London Marathon. As in previous years I ventured out with my kit bag to shoot the event. This year’s plan took me from Charlton to Mudchute on the Isle of Dogs, then to Poplar High Street and Limehouse, and on Westminster bridge. [read more]

Posted on Tuesday 26th April, 2011 at 1:46 am in Photography.
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ISTA High School Festival, Calderdale, 2010

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So that’s it, it’s all over. It’s been hard work, but great fun. I’ve met a great bunch of people, and never seen such a dedicated group of young people working towards a common goal before. If anyone feels the need to do down young people I’d invite them to spend the week at one of the ISTA festivals and then re-evaluate their opinion.

I did discover one thing though – I’m no good at networking. This causes something of a problem in my industry.

[read more]

Posted on Tuesday 2nd November, 2010 at 12:40 pm in Arts & Ents, Photography, Theatre, Work & Career.
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It's a passion

Post length: 444 words, almost 2 minutes.

There are a few things I’ve done in my life which I hate while I’m doing it, but keep coming back for more.  One was the sporting results website I ran while at university — for one long weekend every year I’d work 24 hours a day on the site, collating results, piecing things together, and doing some statistical analysis to predict what might happen, as well as being involved with the radio station, and even doing some overnight broadcasts.  I’d finish the weekend and collapse into bed for a few days swearing I’d never do it again.  Yet come the next year there I’d be there to do it all over again.  In the last year or so I thought about it  and came to a conclusion: I must enjoy it, even if I didn’t realise it, because otherwise I wouldn’t keep going back.

And I think sometimes it’s the same with my photography.

[read more]

Posted on Monday 21st June, 2010 at 11:40 pm in Obiter dicta, Photography.
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The Year of the Tiger

Post length: 1,135 words, just over 5 minutes.

The following weekend saw the annual Chinese New Year celebrations in London and another day out with my camera.  This one proved to be much more successful and significantly less painful.

[read more]

Posted on Friday 19th March, 2010 at 2:43 pm in Obiter dicta, People, Photography.
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Valentine's Day

Post length: 790 words, about 3 and a half minutes.

I was trying to sneak this in before the end of February so as to have posted something in February, but I failed.  I’ll have to make do with having started it last month, even if I only managed to finish it this month.  I was going to blame my lack of updates on a quiet month, but in actual fact there have been a few things I’ve mean to post about and just never got around to. In fact I’m still a blog post missing from Christmas: I had started writing something about Chrismas in Windows Live Writer — the offline editor I sometimes use when writing on the train — but that seems to have gone missing so I’ll have to start again.  I think I’ll make an effort to write a load of stuff this week. But enough of excuses, let’s write something worthwhile!

[read more]

Posted on Monday 1st March, 2010 at 1:52 am in Obiter dicta, Photography.
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London Marathon

Post length: 1,086 words, almost 5 minutes.

The 2009 London Marathon took place on the 26th April and I decided I’d go for a day out with my cameras (apparently I do the same thing for fun as I do for work).  It’s the second time I’ve been to the Marathon.  After my pretty successful visit last year I decided I’d try to catch it in different places, so on Saturday night I sat down with a map of the route, the estimated runners times, and a bit of paper and planned my own journey for the day. [read more]

Posted on Thursday 7th May, 2009 at 12:08 am in Obiter dicta, Photography.
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