Dreamboats and Miniskirts

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of being part of the photo shoot of Dreamboats and Miniskirts which took place at Carry on Vintage in the Brunel shopping centre. What lovely people they were as well. So helpful and did everything they were asked to do. It was fun. Then last night (Friday) I went to see the show at The Wyvern. Wow, it is was really really good. Two and a half hours of 60’s music was great. But more than that all of the cast looked as though they were really enjoying themselves. Which to be honest I would if I were them. It was more like a party and clearly they put heart and soul into it.

I for one (well actually all the audience did) really enjoyed it and congratulate the cast and production crew as well, the sound and lighting was just great.

A tough day at the office Swindon Wedding Fayre at the Marriott

Wedding Fayre at the Marriott

Wedding Fayre at the Marriott

Wedding Fayre at the Marriott

Wedding Fayre at the Marriott

It was a tough day in the office yesterday. Taking photographs at the Marriott Hotel at the Wedding Fayre that was being held there.

Surrounded by pretty ladies, yep it was a tough day.

Swindon Big Summer Session The Audience

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Summer Session Swindon

Just a small selection of images of the audience from the two days of The Big Summer Session in Swindon.

Now I am not going to repeat what I said in the other post. But I am going to say I thought the audience were absolutely great. Despite all of the weather problems all of the people I spoke to were happy, enjoying themselves and having a jolly good time. It is so nice to watch people enjoying themselves.

A success if you ask me.

Jessie J, Paul Weller, Jools Holland a good weekend at Westonbirt

Jessie J

Jessie J

Jessie J

Jessie J

Jessie J

Jessie J

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Paul Weller

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

Jools Holland

I spent a very enjoyable and tiring weekend covering the Westonbirt Arboretum Forest Concerts.

Friday was Jessie J, Saturday was Paul Weller and Sunday was Jools Holland. All of the concerts were excellent but for me Jessie J and Jools Holland take top spot. Both were so good and both interacted with the audience so well it just made it them so much better. Paul Weller I have to say didnt interact with the audience very much at all.

It was also very interesting to observe the audience over the three nights. Jessie J was very much mum’s and daughters, Paul Weller was very much middle aged men with hair cuts made to look like that of Paul Weller and quite a bit of drinking going on. Jools Holland was very refined mixed sex, mixed age group.

I took close to 1600 images and found it really difficult to choose which ones to use so these are a fairly random selection from the collection.

All in all a good weekend and lots of lessons learnt being a photographer at big gigs rather than the more local ones I usually cover.

PALOMA FAITH Performs at Westonbirt

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Paloma Faith

Lola Lennox

Marques Toliver

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Paloma Faith concert at Westonbirt and as I had a media pass I was shooting from the ‘pit’

Now I have to say I was a little disappointed at all of the restrictions placed on photographers at the concert, probably the most I have ever had to sign up to (at least I didnt refuse to go like I did with Blondie)!!!!
However I did really enjoy it, she sounded wonderful, looked wonderful and performed wonderfully. She was indeed very very good. I am also please with a lot of the images I got, only some of which are on this blog post.

I also need to mention the warm up act. Marques Toliver was also very very good and as I found out from one of his crew the backing singer is Lola Lennox, daughter of Annie Lennox.

The weather was awful and there were several heavy downpours but it didnt dampen the spirit and enjoyment of the concert by the audience.

Bar Riva in Swindon Opens for Business

Well not quite as last night was the VIP Trade night opening and tonight is the real opening. It was a nice couple of hours with nice people. Generally I try to avoid the Fleet Street area, well at night anyway, but it wasnt that bad. (Reputation worse than reality)??? Anyway despite my clubbing days being well over, I liked the place, music was great (I am a big lover of music), customers were really nice and very friendly hence the atmosphere was really nice.
What I also think is really important is in the present state of the economy and austerity it is really nice to see a new business starting up.

These are just a small selection of images I took whilst I was there.

Bar Riva Go Visit

Swindon when one door shuts another door opens…….

Peacocks Clothing Swindon

Peacocks Clothing Swindon

Peacocks Clothing Swindon

Swindon HMV Store

Swindon HMV Store

Swindon HMV Store

Well, this post just reflects what I believe to be true in life in general.

Today a new store opened in Swindon Town Centre. Peacocks the clothing retailer opened up a new store. Nice and clean and warm, with plenty of stock and nice staff. Whilst only a few doors down HMV is closing down, selling off all of it’s stock at hugely discounted prices. What a shame for not just the staff that work there but for Swindon Town.

I believe in progress and new technology and the internet etc but I also do not want to see the High Street become a ghost town and I will support it as much as I can. However what I do believe in is:-

When one door shuts another one opens …..

Boogie Nights Swindon Wyvern Theatre Photo Shoot

Gareth Gates

boogie nights

Chico

Louisa Lytton

Andy Abraham

Shane Ritchie Jnr

One of the jobs I had last week was the photo call at The Wyvern Theatre Swindon for the show Boogie Nights. What fun it was and what a nice group of people. Chatted to them all at some point and they were all so nice. And I have to say I really do think it is going to be a must see show. From what I saw it was sooooo funny and of course the 70’s was my era anyway I just think I will have to go. And I would encourage anybody out there to book up and see it.
The cast consists of Gareth Gates, Chico, Louisa Lytton, Andy Abraham and Shane Ritchie Jnr
Boogie Nights Swindon a Must See

Republic Retail Clothing Stores May Be Going into Administration

republic clothing store

republic clothing store

It is generally thought that the Republic Retail Clothing Chain will be going into Administration tomorrow (Wednesday 13th). Country wide this could mean up to 1000 job losses including those in Swindon. These two images are of the Swindon Branch of Republic clothing and despite when I was taking these images there seemed to be a fairly good and steady foot fall through the store, countrywide the trading figures are poor and from what I can see the trade seem to think that the clothing chain will be going into administration.

Watch this space I guess.

Sunday Project – No More

Well no photo of Sunday anymore. Why? I have been carrying out quite a bit of research and despite it being only the 4th Sunday of the year I have decided to bin it because it is not providing any benefit to me or anybody else. Stats are showing very few hits on those posts and to be honest I can understand why. There is no theme and is therefore completely random and unless I am on another assignment then I am just taking an image just for the sake of it with very little thought behind it. With very little information around the photo, why it was taken etc then why would anybody actually be interested in reading it.

What I should be doing more of is explaining things and why I do them, how I do them etc.

So as a start, I did a small photo shoot this morning. It was only mug shots for the person to send off as part of his profile as part of a competition. It was carried out in a gym, (in the squash court to be precise) where lighting is just awful. And short of getting the flash and umbrellas out it was a case of the ISO at 3200 and hope for the best. I just did not feel happy with the results which prob will suffice for what it was for but I just did not feel satisfied. Which at the end of the day is what it is all about for me. I have to feel emotionally involved in what I am doing and I didnt. Is that true of all professional photographers? I dont want to just earn money and not feel as though I have not done a good job.

So this blog is going to go back to the Swindon News/Photojournalism and I am not going to try to combine other things with it.

Likewise I am going to re-design my website to provide a better experience, better show case for my better images from both the UK and Spain and try to make it more interesting.