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!