Shooting the Past... Part 2

Inspector Morse and Downton Abbey, this is what I thought when I first saw this Jaguar and the Rolls Royce.

Another world... enjoy...

I can imagine Inspector Morse driving through the streets of Oxford. I first saw the TV detective in the 80's and it portrayed to me what i thought was the quintessential English City; Oxford. 

It was a pleasure to shoot these cars, thought the Jag was a bit tricky. I was limited on space for the detail shots, but it was worth it in the end.

The Rolls was even trickier, its all angles and chrome, but what a Lady! This car just screams Downton Abbey!

Jerry Hall, a Tuba and some graffiti...

We had a blast down in Brighton last week with a photowalk organised by my good friend Glyn Dewis. A great photographer who is always ready to give to the community at large, go and see his work here... you can also see the excellent results of the competition he ran during the day. Well done to those deserving winners!

I was lucky enough to bump into Ms Jerry Hall...

An interesting Tuba Player...

And Brighton must be the capitol of the graffiti world; it is everywhere and very good too! 

A big thanks to Glyn for organizing a great day out and to James for being a great guide to Keith and myself!

The Olympic Torch Relay... Windsor

Its not everyday that the Olympic games come around, actually it's every four years... But it's a once in a lifetime event when it comes to where you live. How could I miss out on this. The Olympic Torch is continuing its relay all around the country and this week, last Tuesday, it visited Windsor. I took a late look, grabbed my camera and set out to find a vantage point along the Long Walk in the shadow of Windsor Castle.

When I first came to these shores, compared to the Irish weather, I thought it was tropical over here!  Well I must be getting acclimatized after all these years; it was cold and raining. Reminded me of home.

What a great sight it was to see the flame that embodies the Spirit of The Games! I can't wait for them to start!

The crowds that braved the elements were fantastic! There was an Army Brass Band, a choir, rides for children and of course the usual trinket touts.

Roll on the Games, I am one of the lucky ones with tickets!

Rules.... Not for me... really?

I am not one for rules, especially when it comes to my photography. I like to be spontaneouse, edgy and sometimes rules get in the way of that.

And heres the '...but'...

One of the first thing that a photographer is thought is the 'rule of thirds'. You know what it is... basically, split a frame up horizontally and vertically into thirds and where the line intersect you get the 'perfect' composition. Yeah, right.

Well, maybe, because I recently spent a week in Devon, and the one day we didn't get a downpour of water from the heavens, we spent an afternoon at Lyme Regis and I took a few shots. And this one stood out. Perfect example of the rule of thirds... it was also a grab shot.

Shooting The Past... Part 1

Some projects are more fun than others... and that's saying a lot because for me, all photographic projects are great fun. Way back in February, Wendy asked me to photograph her husband, Nick's pride and joy... not one, but a whole collection of classic cars!

Well I couldn't refuse! So I didn't! There was only one catch, it had to be a secret, and so for months there was a hive of activity going on behind the scenes. And we had to arrange for a driver for the day, get the cars washed and ready, sustenance... the odd cup of coffee and maybe a biscuit or two. You can imagine the planning that went into it.

Here are some of the shots...

The E Type...

The Fiat Bambino...

A big thanks to John for being a patient driver, Trisha for coffee and moral support, John's wife Carol for a wonderful lunch and to Hilary And Belinda cleaning the cars! You guys made my job so much easier!

Enjoy... more to follow...