Posted on June 28, 2010
It’s been so hectic in the past week that I’ve not been able to update the Blog! I spent a great couple of days in Somerset last week on a model shoot – we had a fantastic location and some brilliant models … Chloe, Sarah and Fran. The weather was brilliant and not too hot – just as well bearing in mind the number of clothes changes they had! Got some great images and it worked out really well.
I’d only had time to unpack, sort out the gear and do some initial editing before I went off the cover the Prom Ball for one of the area’s top schools – the kids were great fun and were queuing up to have their photos taken (we even had to delay the meal slightly and then start shooting again between courses to fit them all in – I never knew you could get so many permutations of children in photos!).
I’ve now been able to get the Prom photos on the website and can start working properly on the model shoot images, a taster of which are below.
Posted on June 28, 2010
Here’s a couple of shots from a portrait session I did a couple of months ago – I’d been taking photographs of this little chap around the house, and thought it would be nice to get some shots in the garden. The dog in the garden next door came to investigate and stuck his nose under the fence to see what was going on, but by the time the little boy got to the fence the dog had gone.
A little later the dog reappeared and the boy sat down and just for a few seconds their eyes met – who knows what was going through their minds. And then it was all over, but I got the shot, and that’s what counts!
Posted on June 18, 2010
It’s often said that you should carry a camera with you at all times – after all, you never know when that prize-winning shot’s going to appear, do you? Anyway, yesterday I looked out at the late evening sky and saw the moon partially obscured behind wispy cloud that was reflecting the fading sunshine – prize winning it might not be, but I like it! 
Posted on June 14, 2010
A fantastic day at Guards yesterday, with action all the way! Dubai edged out Les Lions II to take the Harcourt Developments trophy, and Adolfo Cambiaso (probably the world’s best player) celebrated his record-breaking 7th Queen’s Cup victory!
The event’s part of the social calendar, with a lack of formality but an abudance of glamour and is a perfect stepping stone to Royal Ascot which starts on the 15th.
The subsidiary final for the Harcourt Developments cup was between Enigma and El Remanso. Enigma never really got into their stride, and El Remanso came out winners 11-6.
The stage is now set for the Dubai and Les Lions II teams to battle it out for the Gold Cup at Cowdray in July.
To view more photos, please click on the Galleries above.
Posted on June 11, 2010
The final of the 2010 Queen’s Cup will be played on Sunday 13Jun 2010 at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor Park at 3pm – the finalists are Ali Albwardy’s Dubai and Max Gottschalk’s Les Lions ll. The game will feature the talents of the Merlos brothers (Sebastian and Agustin) for Les Lions ll against the talents of Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo Macdonough for Dubai. Cambiaso has the opportunity to win a record 7th Queen’s Cup victory.
Photos from the game will be posted on this site.
Posted on June 9, 2010
Cowdray Park is set in a beautiful location at Midhurst in Sussex, and was host to the annual battle for the Argentine Ambassadors Cup. This competition is keenly fought between Argentinian teams and the crowd is full of very vocal partisans cheering for their favourites!
Sumaya ran out victors 10-9 over Loro Piana.
For more polo images, please check out the Galleries above.
Posted on June 5, 2010
I’ve posted on my Blog before about not taking things for granted – our family, friends, health etc. and that applies our work as well. The other day I was reminded of a story I heard previously about one of the USA’s leading children’s photographers, a lady by the name of Lisa Jane:
Many years ago she took a portrait of her best friend and his little boy, but a day or two after the shoot, they were both killed in a car accident. Hers were the last photographs ever taken of this father and son.
She printed and framed an image and wanted to personally deliver it to her friend’s mother. On boarding the plane to fly to the funeral, the flight attendant wouldn’t allow Lisa to bring the print on board, as it was too big to fit into the overhead locker and violated FAA regulations. Lisa explained the position but the attendant wouldn’t compromise – however, the pilot overheard the story, took the print and said, “I thought I had an important job flying all these people around, but my job is nothing in comparison to the importance of yours”. He took the print and put it behind his own seat in the cockpit.
Photographers are in a privileged position of being able to capture some of life’s most memorable occasions, such as weddings and christenings. In today’s digital world we’re all looking to do things quicker, being encouraged to take shortcuts and make compromises by the “I want it now generation”.
The moral of this story is that as photographers we never know how important our images may become later on, and for that reason, we should never compromise on the quality and the effort that we put into every shoot. In Lisa’s own words – “In our business we can’t afford to compromise, you just never know when a portrait you take of someone may be all a mother has left to hold on to….”
Posted on June 3, 2010
It must be said that planning a wedding ranks high on the list of stressful situations that we encounter through life. As a wedding photographer, I know all too well how difficult the planning is and the problems that can occur – so why not let someone else take that pressure from your shoulders and co-ordinate everything?
The idea of wedding planners hasn’t really taken off in the UK yet, but it’s big business in the States and the majority of Brides over there use a planner to help them through the process. I met recently with Melanie Kiani, who runs Bellissimo (www.bellissimo-weddings.co.uk), an event and wedding planning business. She offers a range of services, including a full service where she’ll even be part of the day itself, co-ordinating all the vendors and making sure everything runs smoothly, so that all you need to do is enjoy the day. Why not check out her site and get in touch – it could be one of the best decisions you’ll make (apart from getting married and booking your photographer of course!!).
Posted on June 1, 2010
Another fantastic day’s action at Guards yesterday in the Queen’s Cup – two excellent games involving top teams.
The first was between Talandracas and La Bamba De Areco, with La Bamba running out winners 12-11. There was a particularly nasty incident involving Jean-Francois Decaux – his horse stumbled and J-F went over it’s head landing heavily. The horse’s legs then got caught with another who tried to jump over. J-F was unable to continue play but is OK, and thankfully both horses were OK as well.
The second game was between Les Lions 1 and Dubai, and Dubai came out on top 11-10. End to end action and some great shots.
The draw’s been announced for the Quarter Finals of the Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup:
Sat 5 Jun
Les Lions 2 vs Enigma at Guards Polo Club at 3pm, followed by La Bamba De Areco vs El Remanso at Zacara at 5pm
Sun 6 Jun
Piaget vs Lechuza Caracas at Dubai at 12 noon, followed by Dubai vs Zacara at Guards Polo Club at 3pm.
For more polo images, please check out the Galleries above.
