Happy 2010?

Well, I guess we all made it through the night, and we are now in the reality of 2010. Having watched the celebrations in London, and having done our ritual of standing on the doorstep and turning our money over for better fortune, it is clear the world has slowly changed where I am. It used to be that we would stand, glass in hand, and wish our neighbours a 'Happy New Year' whilst we all listened to the ships hooters on the river. Now the neighbours do not venture into the cold night air, and the hooters are drowned out by the ever-increasing crescendo of fireworks exploding around us. I live in the dream of having things go back to as I remember them, but I am afraid it is a dream that will never be fulfilled, so I look forward to 2010 with little hope in my heart of any progress for the better. I echo the words from a recent radio broadcast, that there is only one commandment we need today and that is 'to do unto others as we would have done unto ourselves' and the rest will all fall into place!

New Year - New Wedding

As the year turns and we enter 2010 thousands of couples across the country will be thinking "It is this year we are getting married!" and finally their planning, which they have thought about many times through their engagement, will all come to fruition. At last they will join friends and family to celebrate the ultimate act of commitment and love which so many of us before have taken. They will spend hours excitedly choosing dresses, venues etc. for their big day - but what about a photographer? It is OK leaving it to Uncle Fred, but what if something goes wrong? Will he have a back-up camera? Can he cope if it is raining (hope not!) etc. etc? Weddings are stressful enough - trust me, I have been to over 1,000 in the 30+ years that I have been photographing them - without having to worry whether you are going to have memories to look back on. Whether it is St. Pauls' Cathedral (yes, I have photographed one there) or whether it is a small select hotel, you need a professional to record the first day of the adventure we call marriage. And remember, wedding photography is not expensive, it is priceless!

Standing up too close

In the words of Lerner & Loewe: "Have I been standing up to close or back to far". Yesterday I had the tremendous pleasure of photographing a young lady who I have known since the day she was born, but who has now blossomed into a fun and charming young woman. I have a feeling she will be in front of my camera again!

A big 'have' from Havant

Nice to see Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville gaining from the generosity of Tesco at Havant yesterday when they opened their new superstore. The Hospice does wonderful work caring for the terminally ill, and I am sure that the £1,000 donation from Tesco will help them carry on their much-needed work. I was there to record the happy opening, and captured this image. As the Tesco slogan says "Every Little Helps!"

Pudsey @ Calshot

Well, it is over but what a fun 24 hours was had. I can, of course, safely say that because I was not madly cycling around Calshot velodrome raising money for Children in Need, I was merely a photographer trying to capture the event. Pudsey was there of course (he would not have missed it for the world) and a lot of money was raised for the wonderful charity. Thanks to all those who took part, and to those who have downloaded my photos from my website to add to the Children in Need coffers. The photos will be there for 2 weeks so you still have plenty of time to contribute.

Catch me at Calshot

In case you hadn't noticed this weekend is Children in Need weekend and I am pleased to say that I will be doing my bit for the very worthwhile cause at Calshot Activity Centre in the very south of Hampshire. I will be there photographing the 24-hour Cycle Marathon and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. you will have the opportunity to be photographed with Pudsey Bear totally free of charge (OK, you will have to pay to download the image from my web site but with all profits going back to Pudsey I am sure you won't mind that!) Come along, say 'Hello' and have a cup of tea with the family - it will be a great day!

Screen Icon & Secret Crush

More years ago than I care to remember, or confess to, I fell in love (or was it lust!) with that wonderful French actress with the soft seductive accent, Leslie Caron. She made hearts flutter, mine included, in 'American in Paris', 'Gigi', and more recently 'Chocolat'. As far as female screen icons go she is up there with the best. Well, at the Cheltenham Literary Festival this year, I had the greatest of pleasure to snatch a few quick images of her as she rushed to get ready to promote her autobiography. I was there as an accredited photographer and was promised time to meet her, but unfortunately she arrived far too late due to travel problems and had to rush into her dressing room. The pics I took were more snatched than I wanted, but she was a star to the end and ensured I got what I wanted. One of the greatest of pleasures of what I do is meeting people I have long admired, and I was not disappointed!

BLATANT RIP-OFF?

I have been looking at noise reduction software, and basically there are two products on the market, namely Noise Ninja and Dfine from Nik Software. I opted for Dfine because it is slightly easier to use, and I use other Nik Software products BUT HERE IS THE CATCH. If I could buy the download in the USA it would cost me $79.00 which is just below £50.00. Because I live in Europe I have to buy from Germany, and it is €119 which is around £107.00. We are talking about exactly the same product which is downloaded from the same place - I am not talking about hard copy, but a computer download. I have contacted the company by telephone, but they can offer no explanation at all to me, and I they refused to take a message for the sales manager to call me back. I think this is a blatant rip-off - I don't know about you!

Fixed Price Sales

I am pleased to tell you that I have a growing number of images with a new stock library 'Clustershot' where I am offering great photos at a fixed price. Because of the way these things work, the process of uploading images there is ongoing, but t the moment there are 240+ available, with more being added virtually every day. If you don't see something there you want, then please email me at gwpics@me.com. Enjoy looking!

Books by the bucket load!

Scarthin Bookshop in the small Peak District village of Cromford is one of those gems which come as a total surprise. Named as one of the top ten bookshops in England, this Derbyshire shop is crammed to the gunnels with books to satisfy every taste. I found a couple of photography books I have never seen before (and which have now been hidden away ready for my birthday), and I had trouble getting my wife out of there. The even rarer treat these days are the friendly and knowledgeable staff who to have the ability to to disappear into various nooks and crannies, only to reappear just as you need them. Top all this off with a small first floor vegetarian cafe that serves great coffee amid the jumble, and you have heaven for any book lover! It is certainly a 'must visit' for anyone in the area.

You meet the nicest people!

One of the great pleasures of my work is that I get to meet the nicest of people, and today was no exception when I met and photographed Paul Hayes of televisions "Cash in the Attic" programme, amongst others. Paul was encouraging people at the Tesco Extra superstore in Winchester to bring along their valuables for free information and valuation, and Venetia Wheway was pleasantly surprised at what he told her about her antique riding crop. I find celebrities like Paul can sometimes be a pain in the proverbial to work with, but he was the sort of person I felt I could become friends with, making my task so much easier! Thanks Paul, and I look forward to seeing you again sometime!

Happy Birthday Ronnies

Today is the 50th anniversary of the opening of Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club - Britains greatest jazz club that has hosted just about anybody who is anybody in the jazz world. I wanted to add my name to the list of people world-wide who will want to congratulate this tremendous venue. I must confess, I have never been through the doors, but I am very proud to have a letter in my files inviting me to photograph there any time I want personally signed by Ronnie himself. I met Ronnie at the one and only Southampton Jazz Festival back in 1974, sent him some black and white pics, and received the invitation in return. The shot above is from that session. Sadly Ronnie is no longer with us, but his memory endures in his great club, and long may it do do. Congratulations Ronnie Scotts!

Peak Practice

The title of today will be remembered by my UK readers, and I am here in Crich in Derbyshire with the Peak District high on the shooting list for the week. Today I started with a visit to the first stately home highlighted for the week, Hardwick Hall. For the historians, it was the home of Elizabeth Shrewsbury (Bess of Hardwick) who was Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth 1 in the Tudor period of English history, and the second richest woman in the Kingdom after the Queen. The home is truly grand, with some of the finest rooms I have seen. Luckily it was also a re-enactment day so plenty of people in Tudor costume which made some fine photographs to be posted on my web site next week. In the meantime here is a quick (uncorrected) sample.

New Gallery Launched

Following many requests, I have just launched a limited series of individually printed and signed images on my web site. The gallery is still growing, so please check back soon and take a second look!

'Signature' Art prints - Images by Gerry Walden

Willy Ronis 1910-2009 RIP

It was with tremendous sadness that I heard yesterday of the death of Willy Ronis, one of the great photographers who have been a tremendous influence on my black and white photography. Ronis was born in Paris on 14 August 1910 to a Jewish photographer father and a Lithuanian piano-teaching mother, and music and photography played a major part throughout his life.

I first heard of Ronis many years ago, but a visit to an exhibition of his work in Oxford had a great influence on my own work. For me his images of French life will always rate up there with Robert Doisneau, and the Oxford Companion to the Photograph describes him as 'the photographer of Paris par excellence'. His wife featured often in his work, and an image of her bathing in front of an open window in a cottage in Provence (taken in 1949) went around the world as a 'classic' amongst monochrome photographs. You can read more about his life, and his passing, here at the Associated Press web site.

Au revoir Willy, you will not be forgotten.

Bill's Place

The seaside town of Brighton on the south coast of England is renowned for its fine beaches, party conference hosting and bed and Brighton rock, but explore the back streets north of the main centre and you uncover an exciting world of small shops and galleries missed by many of the tourists. Just up North Road leading from Victoria Gardens and within a stones through of the wonderfully ornate Pavilion you will find the old tram station now converted into one of the most vibrant cafes in England and known as Bill's Produce Store. Apart from fine food and coffee, you will find a mind-numming array of ingredients to tempt even the finest chefs coupled with fresh fruit and vegetables to die for. If you are in the area be sure to drop in, and I guarantee you will not be disappointed - then take a stroll around the small lanes before returning for a cup of tea and gateau whilst watching Harry trim the seemingly ever-growing raffia. I was there recently and I hope captured the atmosphere with these images.

Riveting Riffs Webzine

I am pleased to say that I am now a contributing photographer at Riveting Riffs webzine and two of my galleries are featured this month, Van Morrison and Corrine Bailey Rae. You can view Van Morrison on the home page and Corrine Bailey Rae on the Interviews page. The webzine is best viewed using Firefox or Internet Explorer.

Sample Wedding Album

I have photographed weddings for the last 30+ years in all kinds of locations from St. Pauls' Cathedral to small (almost minute) parish churches, and over that time I have seen a great many changes. Now the digital revolution has swept through photography people anticipate a different, freer approach then when a standard 'coffee table' album of 30 prints was all that was offered. Today the approach is far more relaxed than the traditional concepts, and I can shoot unobtrusively to capture many more 'moments' and put them together in a bookshelf style book rather than the bulky leather-bound coffee table version, thus keeping prices lower. Thanks to the Internet I can now also share a sample album with you as a Quicktime movie at http://ping.fm/RXJfE - please feel free to download and look!!

Tram Tracks & Cycle Wheels

I remember as a very young boy travelling through the streets of Southampton with my father, and watching a cyclist get his front wheel stuck in the tracks of the tram we were on. He had little choice but to keep peddling down the track furiously, all the time hoping not to fall off before the tram caught him up. So what has this got to do with my photography? Well, before I changed to digital I used to shoot a lot of black and white, an important component of which is what photographers call 'previsualisation' - the art of seeing the final image before pressing the button, or being able to see the black and white image whilst looking at the colour one nature gives us. I found this immensely difficult with digital capture because it is necessary to previsualise twice, once prior to capture and then again when you see the image on the computer screen. It even took me a long time to realise what the problem was but carried on shooting stock in colour. Well I am pleased to say that I think I have finally managed to get my head around the problem and can now 'see' again in black and white! What has all this got to do with the man on the bike? Well, he eventually managed to get the wheel out of the track and go off on his own way! You can see my black and white gallery here.

Honshu to Hindustan

Last weekend I took another foray into my increasingly interesting world of what is known in the UK as 'World Music'. I worked at the Asian Music Circuits' Summer School at Kingston University in south London. This great summer school is now in its 12th year, and this is the first time it has been residential, giving a diverse range of students the chance to interact in a way that only residential schools can. The atmosphere was tremendous, with an international group from as far away as Canada and Austria taking lessons from Masters of various genres of music including classical Chinese and Hindustani singing. There was tremendous energy from the Japanese drumming group (which included a rock drummer looking for new expression) tempered by the gentle melodic sounds of Indian stringed instruments, with the teaching being in very small groups, sometimes even at a one on one level. One non-residential Indian lady told me she had set the alarm at 4.30 a.m. just to get in to school in time for a private 'concert' from her tutor, and another confessed to missing a major family event just to fulfil this chance of a lifetime! Me, I just had a great time interacting with some great masters and photographing musicians from a world apart from the norm.

Judy for extended London gig.

American stride pianist and singer has just told me of her up-and-coming London gig for next month. In an email she said “I can’t help myself, I love England and I’m going back. If you’re in the area, please come hear me at the wonderful Boisdale of Belgravia, August 3-15 (except for the 9th). I played Boisdale for two weeks last August, and happily, they’ve invited me back. This is a convivial spot, with spectacular food and a wonderful history of hiring great musicians. I’m pleased to be included. I’ll have some fab guys with me, so please come by.” If her recent gigs at the Concorde Club in Eastleigh (Southampton) are anything to go by, these dates promise to be very special. for our international readers, she is back in NYC on August 31st at Feinsteins at the Regency in that city.

Omar Punte and Wife in Court Battle

Omar Puente, the Cuban jazz violinist well known to audiences through his superb playing with jazz saxophonist superstar Courtney Pine, goes to the High Court in London today to support his wife in their fight to clarify the law in the United Kingdom on assisted suicide. Debbie Purdy (Omars’ wife) suffers from multiple sclerosis and wishes, at some date in the future, to travel to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland to end her life in a dignified way with assisted suicide. Under current U.K. law if her husband travels with her he will be liable for prosecution for assisting her. To date no prosecutions have been taken under this statute but prosecution is possible, and at the very least Omar will face arrest and questioning by the police, coupled with the emotional stress of the threat of court action at a time of severe emotional turmoil caused by the death of his wife. Currently the offence of assisted suicide carries a sentence of up to 14 years imprisonment. “There is strong support for a change in the law,” defence lawyer Lord Falconer said. “Most people would think compassionate assisters should not be prosecuted for taking their loved ones to Switzerland.” This writer wishes them success in their fight.

The changes I have seen

A lot has happened in photography in the 50 years since I had my first camera as a birthday present from my mother, but nothing has revolutionised things quite as much as the digital image. As a photographer who is often photographing musicians in poor lighting, using high iso speeds and trying to balance light, these advances have served to make it possible for me to work in a way that was never possible before. At first it was a steep learning curve because I (and many like me) assumed in innocence that because I could take a good photo with film I would be fine - all I were doing was replacing the film with a chip wasn't I! Ha, how wrong I was, and how much I had to learn abut the new medium, but I think I am now pretty much there. However, what about all the images I have on that old faithful (and now gone) Kodachrome? Well, I have been scanning and playing with a few of my old images lately and found they are still very usable and now are beginning to have some historical meaning , however small. Above is just one example of a shot taken in 1992 of the great blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon. I converted it to black and white to get rid of the horrid red colour cast of the original which was shot in a red lit marquee, and I think it works just fine!

Carmichael & Allen at the Concorde

On Wednesday that great stride pianist Judy Carmichael made a very welcome return to Eastleighs Concorde Club, this time accompanied by the American tenor player Harry Allen - and what a great evening it was! The superb playing of Grammy-nominated Judy was a wonderful counterbalance to the super-cool Harry, and the evening was a real treat for the audience at this welcoming venue which now celebrates over 50 years of presenting a range of artists any club would be proud to be associated with. It was the second appearance of Judy at the club in less than 6 months, which is fairly unique at the Concorde, and I was fortunate enough to be there to capture the moment. You can see the two of them here.

No haircut here!

As winners of the Best Live Act at the BBC Folk Awards, "The Demon Barbers have gained major recognition for their original and imaginative approach to traditional music and song. They take mainly traditional ballads, strange tales of myth and magic and coil them, twist them, make them stranger, darker, becoming tales of Gothic danger; they don’t so much make folk rock as make traditional tales quiver and pulse with electricity." I caught up with their amazing performance at the Eastleigh Music Festival, and was not disappointed. They are an incredibly visual band, and you can view my images of them here.

I managed to catch up with Eddi Reader at the Eastleigh Music Festival on Friday night. This great little festival in southern Hampshire played host to a number of great bands including British Sea Power and Kissmet but probably greatest amongst these was the Scottish singer songwriter Eddi Reader MBE. Although small, the audience gave her a enthusiastic and well-deserved reception and she did not disappoint in any way. You can catch up with a small selection of my photos here.

I Shot Ben Zander

Yesterday I was pleased to catch up with Ben Zander again, and renew my acquaintance with the Liverpudlian who is now principal of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Mr. Zander is a very talented cellist, and I did feel a little sorry for the student who had the maybe onerous task of accompanying the great man during his lecture at the grand Pittville Pumproom in beautiful (if traffic clogged) Cheltenham as part of the Music Festival that the town holds every year. I last met Benjamin Zander at a masterclass for conductors in London some 12 years ago, an event I found totally fascinating as a non-musician. You can see the more of the results of my shooting here!

Fancy an open-topped sports car?

6-04526
Originally uploaded by gwpics

We are caught in these hard economic times. One part of us says that we should cut back, but the other part says we still want to feel the wind in our hair as we rush along the highways and byways. Maybe this is the answer! No road tax (too old), good fuel economy and only 3 tyres to replace, what else could you ask for? this model was photographed at a rally in Dorset, and you can see other examples in a myriad of colours on my stock site.

Courtney Pine on saxophone.

Courtney Pine on saxophone.
Originally uploaded by gwpics

Courtney Pine playing tenor saxophone at The Opera House in Bournemouth. No one better embodies the dramatic transformation in the British Jazz scene over the past twenty years than Courtney Pine. The saxophonist heads a new generation of exciting and innovative musicians who have chosen to turn their talents to the demanding requirements of jazz music, in all its shapes and forms. Courtney Pine was awarded an O.B.E. in recognition of his services to music.

Flowers to brighten your day!

_9GW5905
Originally uploaded by gwpics

Photographed in Monets Garden in Giverny, and part of my French collection, I wanted these poppies to brighten your day. Have a good one!

_9GW6039

_9GW6039
Originally uploaded by gwpics

You may think your company van is well sign written, and will sell your business, but how about this very graphic example from the northern French town of Amiens. Simply the fun of it all would make me want to try the restaurant!

Taking a punt ...

For me the beauty of Monets Garden has always been exploring the small hidden areas. A fellow photographer commented to me whilst I was walking around that there were thousands of people there looking, and none were seeing. So here is a little of my seeing, two punts tucked under a tree in the midst of everything yet probably unnoticed by most people there looking. One of the biggest attributes a photographer can have is the ability to see whereas others merely look. As it says on the heading of my web pages "your world, my vision."

Enjoying the Gardens

One of my greatest pleasures is to photograph in black and white, and for some reason the results are very often (in my opinion) humorous. Edward Steichen, the great American photographer, once said "The mission of photography is to explain man to man, and each to himself". I am not sure what this explains, but I found humour in the fact that these four visitors, whilst totally surrounded by the colour and beauty of Monets Garden, seem totally indifferent to all that is around them. You can view the rest of my black and white images, including the French policeman with a Band-Aid on his tyre, here.

Simon Smith and his amazing ....

sand sculptures (no, not his dancing bear for a change). Le Touquet in north eastern France is renowned for its beautiful beaches and gardens, but a less well known feature every year is its festival of the art of sand sculpture created by the British sand artist Simon Smith and a team of fellow artists from all over the world. This year the theme is the Kings of France. Starting with a pile of sand of mind-boggling proportions, the team create works of art to rival any stone sculptor with the certain knowledge that there work will cease to make it into any art gallery, or even last until the end of the summer. - and yet they travel all over the world bringing joy to seasides in every continent. When I met Simon he was about to depart for Poland to work in the Russian Embassy! The work shown in my photograph is maybe 8 meters high and is surrounded by countless others around the 2 meter size, so these are no bucket and spade jobs! If you get chance it is worth the trip to Le Touquet just for the appreciation of a very unusual art. You can view my images of the sculptures on my French gallery.

Money and Monet

Well, as stated in my last blog, here I am in sunny (or as it has been, not so sunny) France, and thought I ought to keep you up to date with what I have been doing before I get back tomorrow night and sort out the various photos that I have been taking. We have had a reasonable trip although we have been astonished how expensive France now seems with the weakness of the pound. Believe me, £3.50 comes as a bit of a shock for a cup of tea, as does a lunch bill approaching £40 for something very modest! But we have visited Giverny again and found it just as beautiful as ever despite the ever-increasing hordes of tourists and school children, and despite the rain. Whilst writing, I can thoroughly recommend the wonderful Chambre d'Hote of Stephanie and Gerard and their eclectic mix of animals including wallabies and ostriches. Situated within walking distance of Monets garden, this old mill is a great place to stay. We also stumbled by accident across celebrations of the national day for firefighters (we did this before in eastern France) and got some great shots of firemen with their shiny helmets (that will get my daughter excited!)

I have posted one image here to whet your appetite, but as I am doing this on my laptop I cannot guarantee the quality. You will have to wait a few days for the next post and a link to the gallery I am afraid.

It's Over!

It has been a long but very enjoyable time, and finally I have completed by gallery of work at the Salisbury International Arts Festival. I have photographed serious philosophers and bhangra bands, jazz players from New Orleans and just about every other point of the compass, and now you can see my best efforts on my web site in my Festival gallery. On to the next shoot, and I am off to France for a few days to help increase my French stock images. This time I am concentrating on a fairly small area of Normandy and the Pas de Calais. See you when I get back!

Chosen as Featured Photographer

Again this month Photoshelter, who host the work of 40,000 great photographers including Art Wolff and Amy Vitale, have featured one of my images on their home page and in their blog. They also feature my web site design. This is not the first time I have been honoured in this way, and I am both delighted and honoured. You can view the image here. Last time they featured me it was for one of my music images - a shot of Isaac Hayes.

Spaghetti Shoot-Out

Sometimes as a photographer you get the "... and don't forget your camera!" type invites to things friends are doing, and Saturday was no exception. I normally manage to join a hairdressing friend for coffee at the weekend, and we put the world to rights. This Saturday he had challenged a colleague to a spaghetti cooking contest to prove that he was a better cook than she was, and I had to be there with the camera! Needless to say he lost the bet, but he did get to cuddle the pretty girl from VK Hair Designs in Southampton (which is more than I did!)

Five Rivers flow in Salisbury

The five rivers of Wiltshire met the five rivers of the Punjab at Salisbury Festival yesterday and the confluence produced a flood of great music. Andy Sheppard (tenor and soprano sax) and Kuljit Bhamra (tabla and percussion) bathed the audience in a wonderfully exciting blend of Western jazz and Indian rhythms which brought back, for me at least, memories of the Joe Harriott/John Mayer Indo-Jazz Fusion albums of the 1960's. Using a blend of cyclic breathing and computer playback, Andy gave his work a new depth which was echoed in the superb playing of Kuljit. Certainly not a combination to miss if they come your way. My photos are my Salisbury Festival gallery.

Django meets Gumbo

Last night Salisbury International Arts Festival played host to that great New Orleans (or 'Nawlins' as he called it) clarinet player Evan Christopher and his Quartet, and treated us to the wonderful melange of music which features on his latest album 'Django a la Creole'. Combining the music of Django Rheinhardt with the delicious flavours of creole from his hometown, the audience enjoyed Evan playing such favourites as 'Nuages' and 'Djangology', all with tremendous solos by Australian guitarist Dave Blenkhorn whose virtuosity left nothing lacking. Fellow Djangologists Sebastien Girardot (bass) and Dave Kelbie (guitar) rounded the Quartet out to leave the assembled fans wanting for nothing except maybe encores. You can a selection of my images here.

Bath Time

Queen Victoria famously said that every one should have a bath at least once a year whether they needed it or not. Well, Bank Holiday Monday was the day for me to have my bath - and what a glorious soak it was. I am, of course, talking about my annual visit to the wonderful Bath MusicFest to enjoy the tremendous variety of music on offer, and to savour the splendour of the great city that hosts it.

There is always an eclectic mix of music events to enjoy over the 9 days of the Festival, and the day I chose was no exception. I earmarked the wonderful American saxophonist Branford Marsalis as my main course but, by way of an appetiser, I got chance to sit in (and photograph) on the rehearsal of a long-time favourite of mine, the jazz pianist Bobo Stenson from Sweden. You can rely on Bobo for thought provoking gently challenging piano, and this was no exception.

For those with alternative tastes, I also had the great pleasure of meeting and photographing Freddy Kempf (pictured above), the classical pianist renowned for his interpretations of Beethoven and Chopin. This extremely pleasant young man made every effort to co-operate with me as far as my photographic wishes were concerned and I really appreciated that, together with his fine playing.

You can see all three of my musical courses in my photos here, together with tasters of the many others present including British saxophonist Nathaniel Facey. the gallery is still being added to so please come back again in a day or two!

The Visitors to Borders

I travel a long way to photograph musicians, and hang around a lot at sound checks etc. to get the images I want. It therefore comes as somewhat of a surprise when I drop my wife at the local bookstore and find myself in the middle of a gig by a talented local group promoting their latest CD and single outside on the pavement, but that is exactly what happened today! 'The Visitors' (and their were only three of the normal line-up there) were giving a fine performance despite the shoppers making their way past, and their mix of self-penned numbers made a worthwhile distraction to the otherwise stressful occupation of the Saturday hordes which are now a seemingly necessary part of shopping in any major city. Seen here are songwriter Ross Murphy (left) with his fellow songwriter James Dyer on alto sax (he doubles on rhythm guitar) and Ed Hogston who also plays a good rift on pedal steel guitar. You can catch up with them at The Orange Rooms in Southampton on 4 June but if you can't wait that long try their web site. Oh, and that new single is on Angry Badger records!

Mica Paris to release new album

Next month will see the release of the first album from Mica Paris in ten years, and features the music of BRIT award winner James Morrison. I had the tremendous pleasure of making photographs of Mica at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, and I can tell you that lady is HOT! Despite suffering from a cold, she gave a performance which was outstanding and showed that she was at the top of her form. Her first album, released a staggering 21 years ago when she was only 19, went platinum for Ms. Paris and it would be no surprise if the latest offering were to join it. Look out for the new album, called 'Born Again' which will be in the shops on June 1, but the new single 'Baby Come Back to Me' is getting airplay now. In the meantime you can see Mica on my web site here!

Mali Latino rocks Southampton

That great new amalgam of world talent aka Mali Latino had the audience rocking in the aisles and pleading for more at the sometimes sedate Turner Sims Concert Hall on the University campus in Southampton last night. With stunning new compositions like the ballad 'Voyage' and the vibrant 'Congas' (featuring Colombian Emeris Solis) they certainly took their rightful place on the stage of world music. Featuring Malian stars Madou Sidiki Diabaté (kora) and Ahmed Fofana (balafon/flute/guitar), together with vocalist Doussouba Diabate, the atmosphere on stage was electric. Alex Wilson (piano/composer) brought the group together for this tour and a new recording is on its way. Personally I can't wait to get the album! Check my web site for photos from the sound check. Also watch Alex Wilsons' Myspace for videos of the event which are to be posted shortly.

I have finally finished the editing of my Cheltenham Jazz festival photographs and posted a 'Best of ..." gallery on my web site here. It was, as always, a great festival and I always look forward to returning there! Highlights for me have to be Hugh Masakela (see above), Imelda May and Mica Paris. The Alex Wilson Salsa Band were great fun to work with, and I am looking forward to meeting them again very soon!

Nigel Kennedy

Nigel Kennedy and his Polish quintet appeared at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and I was there to photograph the event. He performed to a packed house, and the concert was well received, but I am always a little unsure about the validity of 'cross-genre' musicians who try, usually unsuccessfully, to have a foot in two camps. The two things I would say is that firstly the audience enjoyed it (including a charming young lady of maybe 10 in the front row), and secondly the Polish performers who backed Mr. Kennedy gave a great performance. I felt this image captured the atmosphere of the concert - but can Nigel play jazz? As far as I am concerned the jury is still out on that one!

Madeleine Peyroux

After a very fraught day yesterday in which 3 concerts were cancelled at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival I finally managed to photograph Madeleine Peyroux in concert last night. The plan was that the assembled photographic 'pack' would work through the sound check, but this was not to be and we ended up working the first two numbers of the concert. Ms. Peyroux likes very blue lighting which (in my opinion) does not suit her performance and can be very difficult to photograph in, but the name of the game is I have to work with what I can, and I had to shoot at 3200iso which is pretty damned dark! The results can be seen on the gallery on my main web site, but here is a taster.

Imelda May is hot!

I think if ever I write an autobiography I will entitle it 'People I have had the Pleasure not to Know' as I have photographed many famous people from Royalty downwards, but seldom do I ever get the opportunity to talk to them, much less 'connect' with them. Last night I had the great pleasure of photographing that tremendous jazz singer Imelda May and not only did I get the opportunity to talk to her but we actually connected during a brief conversation. What a lovely lady who 'played' to my camera so I got some great shots with a personal input. Photographing on stage is always difficult because you are relying on available light, which is far darker than you would think, whilst using long lenses and struggling with apertures and shutter speeds. For the technical readers, I was shooting at around 1/50 at f2.8, and that was at 800iso! You can see the full Imelda May gallery at my web site very shortly.

Sarah & Alecs Wedding

Yesterday I was honoured to be photographing the wedding of Sarah and Alec in Southampton. I must admit that when I was woken early in the morning to torrential rain and high winds, I was more than a little worried but the weather was very kind to us as we met together at St. James Church in Southampton which is the church where I shot my first wedding at least 30 years ago. Both it and I are still going strong!

After a great service we all set off to the wonderful Winslowe House at West End on the outskirts of Southampton. It was my first time at this venue, but what a great inauguration it turned out to be. With uninterrupted views of the Hampshire countryside, and bluebell woods within a few yards of the front door, what better venue could you have and it was a very relaxed photo session for everyone. The wedding breakfast mixed both English and Armenian cultures celebrating the bride and grooms mixed heritage to perfection. A pretty perfect day all round!

Late nights and great music

I will be photographing at many of the concerts at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival next week so requests taken! As a jazz fan this is one of my favourite events of the year as much for the friendship of other photographers as for the music and the general pleasure of being in Cheltenham. Every year I get great shots, and these are posted on my web site. Whilst I am in the area I will hopefully be shooting the "Blossom Trail" through the Vale of Evesham orchards. All this adds up to a busy week,but with good weather it could be very productive. Can't wait to get started!

Don't get too hungry!

I have just added a gallery of various food photographs to my stock library, most of which have been taken in markets throughout Europe whilst I have been on my travels. You can view them here but I warn you, they may make you a bit peckish!

Freedom to Photograph

I am getting increasingly worried by the interference by the police when people are going about the perfectly legitimate act of taking photographs. This week we read in The Guardian that two Austrian tourists have been interrogated in London for taking photographs of a bus station because they may have been planning a terrorist attack. They were ordered to delete their perfectly legal photographs. These actions have a tremendous effect on tourism as the story echoes around the world (I first learned of it from the USA.) Whilst I accept they could have been terrorists have we totally forgotten the law of probability, and thrown common sense out of the window? Why am I getting heated? Because virtually every day I take images that could be used by a terrorist, and I them offer them for sale on various web sites around the world. The chance of a terrorist buying one of my photos is about 99 million to one, but it could happen and therefore the police could stop me at any time going about my legitimate business. Do we want to live in this type of society? Personally I don't!

I am in a sandwich!

With the declaration of the South Downs National Park this week, I am in the fortunate position of being neatly sandwiched between the two newest National Parks in Great Britain. The New Forest to the west and the South Downs to the east, and both within 30 minutes drive from me, will form the basis of much of my stock imaging this year and I have already set up two new galleries to feature images from these areas on my web site. These will be added to as the year progresses, and I hope to be able to especially feature lifestyle and crafts within the area.

Memory

There is something about photographers and old cemeteries which makes us just want to go to them for images. I don't know what it is but we just have to explore. I was at Southampton's Old Cemetery today with my camera, and you can see the results here.

Didn't we have a lovely time ....

Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to Bognor! At the weekend we had a great day at the Bognor Regis International Clown Festival, which is a great annual event. It is little publicised but normally on the Sunday of the meeting the clowns parade through the streets of this small seaside town, and some great fun images can be captured. I met this fellow professional there who, to the delight of my wife took her photograph and then pulled an image of a camel ot from behind his camera 8>) ! What a great shame the support of the Town Council could not even run to opening the Tourist Information Office. You can see the rest of the images on here.