Queen Visit - Scarborough

The Queen visited Scarborough today I was there to photograph the event for the National Newspapers.

E-Training Feature - Liverpool

I was in Liverpool this week to do some photos for a feature which was published in The Publican Magazine (above).

I was commissioned by Lisa Harlow and the pictures were taken in Liverpool's Revolution Bar of a new on-line training method called e-learning by CPL.

Links...

CPL Training NEWS
CPL Training NEWS II
CPL Training BLOG
Morning Advertiser

Red Kite - East Yorkshire

Also stopped on way back from Pocklington, East Yorkshire when I noticed a lone Red Kite feasting on some fresh road kill in the middle of a quiet country road.

I slowed the car down and watched as this beautiful bird of prey settled in a near by wood. I parked the car and slowly made my way to where it was perched, it didn't take long for it to be alerted to my presence again and off it went again into the distance, but not before circling me once - almost giving me permission to get just one shot.

I haven't got the longest of lenses but this was done on my trusty Nikon 70-200 f2.8 AF-S VR Lens. (D300 magnification making it 300mm).

Out and About

This scene caught my eye while driving back from a job.

I felt impelled to stop the car and take some picture of some sheep who were being reflected in a flooded field in East Yorkshire whilst on my way back from a magazine job near Pocklington, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Not very often us press photographer get time to stop due to deadlines etc, so was nice to have a bit of time to spare.

The Boathouse Tewkesbury for Waverley TBS

Published Feature with my photos from my recent Waverley Feature in Tewkesbury, Glos.

The Boathouse Feature - Tewkesbury

We were commissioned to do some pictures for a feature to be published in 'The Wineseller' section of the Morning Advertiser.

Link...

The Boathouse
Wavereley TBS

Waverely TBS - New Financial Director Portraits

We were asked to photograph Waverley TBS's new Financial Director in their Edinburgh offices.

GMC Shoots x 6

I have been commissioned by the GMC to photograph six different subjects across the UK for featurs in there annual report.

The shoots were in Norwich (above), Edinburgh, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Manchester and Leeds.

SNOW JOKE

One thing the Papers Love is Weather Reports.

Been busy this week doing Snow scenes around the North & East Yorkshire areas.

Above is one picture I did in Stamford Bridge.

Rowers set sail in bid to break Atlantic record

ROWERS set sail in bid to break Atlantic record

TWO Yorkshire rowers have finally set off on a 3,000-mile challenge to cross the Atlantic Ocean after months of practice off the Whitby coast.

Alex Macdonald (23) and Luke Grose (24) from Settle, have raised more than £50,000 in sponsorship to buy and equip their handmade 23ft wooden rowing boat, JCT600 Yorkshire Challenger, and have trained for over two years in preparation for the epic Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race.

Known as the world’s toughest rowing race, the race has been completed by fewer people than have climbed Mount Everest and Alex and Luke are hoping to break the world record of 40 days for the crossing. “The lads have prepared well and these delays to the race start have been hugely frustrating, but we are delighted that Alex and Luke are finally under way in their bid to win the race and record for Yorkshire,” said Team JCT600 sponsor John Tordoff.

The rowers are equipped with state of the art satellite phones and data devices and have hundreds of followers on their Facebook pages on the social networking site.

They are planning to send blogs via their Team JCT600 website directly from their boat during their challenge.

PHOTOS: I was commissioned by their PR Company who wanted us to do some action photo's of the pair in the Sea off Whitby. They Wanted a selection of pictures, some showing them in rough seas, and some showing Whitby in the background to for a more local angle.

Here are some links where the story has been used...

TeamJCT600
Their BLOG
JCT600 Photo Gallery (My Pictures)
Whitby Gazette
Craven Herald
Craven Herald
Just Giving
Woodvale Challenge
The Wharfedale Observer
BBC
FACEBOOK

London Chess Classic - London Eye

London Chess Classic - London Eye Dec 2009

Two of England’s finest chess players, Nigel Short and Luke McShane, went head to head in a game of blindfold chess in the Merlin Entertainments London Eye before locking horns in the London Chess Classic at Olympia from 8-15 December.

We were commissioned by a new client of ours, PITCH, to officially cover a London Eye Press call & Launch for the London Chess Classic.

Our objectives for the client were to capture creative branded photography of English Grandmasters Nigel Short and Luke McShane playing blindfolded chess in the London Eye, and to achieve press coverage of the images in national and London regional press

We had to ensure that an iconic background of London is captured in the images.

I have a fear of hights, and so being 443ft above the City of London is not my idea of fun - But in saying that. You feel so safe in the Glass Pods, and the view is really breath taking and something not to be missed.

When you are concentrating on doing your job as a Photographer you tend not to notice it as much, but I didn't feel uneasy at all.

Press Release...

For the first time in 25 years the UK will be hosting a world class chess tournament at London Olympia from 8-15 December.

The best chess talent in the world will be up against England’s four leading grandmasters: Nigel Short, Michael Adams, Luke McShane and David Howell. Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and Norwegian Magnus Carlsen are joined by Hikaru Nakamura, aka ‘H-bomb’ for his destructive style of play.

Links...

• Chess.co.uk
• PITCH
  
• ITN
• ChessBase.com
• ChessDom.com
  
• London Chess Classic
  

Pictured above is Norwegian Magnus Carlsen next to his portrait, and Nigel Short & luke McShane playing on London Eye.

My Halloween Discovery

I made an eerie find last weekend. I was in Gloucestershire visiting relatives, when I discovered a rare find indeed. There hanging on a twig at the side of my parents garage was the skeleton of a Bat.

It must have died, then fallen from the roof and managed to get hooked up on a twig of a bush on the way down.

My children were really excited with the find, when I asked them what it was my youngest asked if it was a Dinosaur - when you see it's teeth on the photos you can understand why he made this assumption. The head looks like that of a Miniature Tyrannosaurs Rex.

I have found many skeletons in my years but never a Bat. Another unusual thing was there curled up in the Bat's rib cage was a Spider using the torso as a shelter or home.

I decided to do some photography of this strange find. It turned out to be a very tricky customer to photograph. Unfortunately the body had been twisted a little out of shape which made it harder to capture on camera due to the unusual shape.

I used a cheap close up lens I had in my bag for photographing small subjects like this and varied the direction of the flash to try and show off the teeth the best I could. I could have really done with a proper close up lens or some bellows to do it real justice.

Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

Dobson Agency signs up 100th photographer

The Dobson Agency are celebrating this week after registering our 100th professional photographer.

We are based in Scarborough, recently crowned as Britain's most enterprising town, and provide photographers for PR agencies, magazines and corporate businesses around the clock - and around the UK & Ireland.

Director Keith Meatheringham said: "This is a fantastic achievement and shows that we provide an innovative and reliable service to our clients. They appreciate the standards we set in PR and corporate editorial photography."

Instead of clients facing hours of trying to track down a photographer in many locations, one call to Keith can fix that in one go.

Keith said: "Once we get a job from a client, I arrange the photographer/s, brief them and organise getting the photographs back to the client.

We've established ourselves as one of the country's leading agencies to provide this service - we are cost-effective, efficient & give a friendly service which is why clients keep coming back to us.

“Every photographer that works for me has to keep to the high standards I set and therefore they produce high quality creative photography.”

Recently we were commissioned by a major supermarket chain to shoot portraits of 34 managers throughout the UK.

“A bespoke-designed website means that our clients have access to their images very quickly after a shoot or event. Our secure client login area enables our customers to view and download their photographs themselves.”

For more information about The Dobson Agency - whether as a potential client or as a photographer looking to sign up and get some rewarding work, go to dobsonagency.co.uk or call...

Tel: (01723) 860770 or mobile: (07802) 530583 or contact us by email: pix@dobsonagency.co.uk.

Press Release by Urban Media PR, York. More information contact...

Steven Lumley

Director

Urban Media PR

Clifford House,

7-9 Clifford Street,

York YO1 9RA.

Telephone: 0845 833 0716

Mobile: 07939 114313

Email: info@urbanmediapublishing.co.uk

Web: http://urbanmediapublishing.co.uk

Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

Pickering War Time Weekend 2009

Picture of my family and I when we got dressed up for this years Pickering War Time Weekend.

We had a great time, and I would recommend this event to anyone. There is a really good atmosphere and it was so interesting to see everyone dressed up. There is plenty to see and do, and the event is getting bigger and bigger every year.

I managed to pick up an old uniform from the local saleroom and my wife did a great job trawling Ebay for outfits for my Boys and herself. The outfits might not be totally correct for the era, but we did feel more involved.

Pickering War Weekend

Great time at Pickering War Weekend.

Pickering in North Yorkshire held it's War Time Weekend, 16-18th Oct, and I was there with my camera. I even got into the spirit of things and got dressed up with my Wife and two Children.

Pickering in North Yorkshire recaptured the spirit of the second world war, with its annual War Time Weekend. It is a tribute to the men and women who kept Britain's railways running throughout the war. Hundreds of skilled re-enactors helped create the authentic atmosphere that has earned it an international reputation for authenticity. Other North Yorkshire Moors Railway line villages including Goathland, Levisham and Grosmont took part with wartime signs, notices, sandbags and taped up windows, and re-enactors everywhere, showing how life was during the war years.

On saturday, there was a parade through Pickering of period civilian and army vehicles and in the evening, a superb costume dinner dance, complete with NAAFI canteen and Glen Miller type orchestra.

Links:

Gazette & Herald
Glendale House - B&B Goathland, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Pickering Online
Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

What Links do I have?

I decided to do a search of Links I have to my web site today on google. Here are my results...

• FreeIndex
• NUJ Directory
• The Guardian
  
• Photobox Gallery
• Best Photographers.co.uk
  
• Science City York
• 192.com
• Dalesman
  
• HotFrog
• The First Web Site on the Internet
  
• Scoot
  
• Facebook
• Yell.com
• Press Gazette
  
• The UK Star North Yorkshire
• YorkshireNet
• Yorkshire Business .net
  
• NewsDesk-UK
• Smile-Local.com
• The Newspaper Society
• Yorkshire & the Humber Business Directory
• Yahoo / Photography / Photographers / Agencies
  
• ePhotozinev - Useful Web Sites for Photographers
  
• Glendale House B&B - Heartbeat Photos
• Directory Excite
• Zettai
• Scarborough Homeless Support Services
• The Friends of Royal Albert Park
• Access Place
• Qype
• ephotozine Me
• 123People
• Mandy
• PortraitPhotos.co.uk
• Hold The Front Page
• Kate Mallender
• Tony Hardacre Photographer
• News Desk UK Photographers
  
• The Agent UK
• Colin McPherson Photographer
• Stuart Pennykid Photographer
• Kelly Search
• The BPPA
• Create.UK.net
• Photographers.co.uk
• Journalist Directory
• Studio49 Photography
• Cyclex
• Business Globe
• Thomson Local
  
• Sheriff Ratings
• Do Business
• iNorthYorkshire
• Searchme4
• CreativeMatch
• WeddingSolutions4u.com
• BView
• Touch Local
• Kompass
• UFindUs
• Finder
• Photographer Locally
• Opendi
• MoreUK
• Prestige Wedding Photography
• The LinkFinder
• Radio London
• PhotoWebsPlanet
• Northern Exposures
• Fraser Band
• Kyotee
• Icitta
• Neil Denham
• Sean Hernon
• Photography Directory Project
• SRS Events

It's surprising how many Search Engines are out there.

In September I was commissioned by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to Document their recent trip to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

Pictured: Families and MSPs at Scottish Lobby in September 2009

Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, yesterday evening pledged that people with muscle disease in Scotland will receive the care support that they need after announcing a thorough review of neuromuscular services.

Campaigners had called for an urgent review of health and social care services.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Building on the Foundations in Scotland report revealed that the 5,500 adults and children living with muscle disease in Scotland face a ‘postcode lottery' of specialist services.

The announcement of a review was made as families and supporters gathered at a lobby yesterday at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. One of the crucial issues raised was the fact that there are currently only two part-time Muscular Dystrophy Care Advisors (RCAs), which is inadequate to care for the 5,500 people with muscular dystrophy in Scotland. The Regional Care Advisor posts are a vital resource for coordinating services and providing support, especially during the transition to adulthood.

Links..

Major neuromuscular services review in Scotland announced

Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

Barcelona Bangers rally

I was commissioned by a PR Company recently to do some pictures for SAAB one of their clients.

A local team of adventure rally drivers has completed one of Europe's toughest driving challenges, raising money for charity in the process, with the help of car dealership Alexanders Saab York.

The team, comprising drivers Neil Gulliver and Mark Dennis, competed in the 2009 Barcelona Bangers rally - an event which saw 50 teams gather in Calais on 10^th September before embarking on a three-day cross country journey to Barcelona, travelling in a car purchased for less than £200.

In order to successfully complete the rally, each team had to drive this vehicle over the 920 mile route - during which they crossed the French Alps - to the finishing line, completing several challenges along the way.

The team selected a classic Saab 9000 to transport them across Europe, which they purchased for just £10. Local dealership Alexanders Saab York then checked to ensure the car was roadworthy and also made a generous contribution towards the cost of the team's fuel, allowing the team to complete the rally and raise money for their chosen charity - Macmillan Cancer Support.

See the Story Here...

Alexanders Saab - York
Barcelona Bangers Rally - 2010
Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

WWII Bomb - Detonation

Spent today photographing a story, for the Daily Express and other Papers, about a 500lb WWII Bomb which was discovered while someone digging up a second world war bomber which crashed in the village of Ebberston near Scarborough.

We had a Press briefing this morning at 10am and we were told their was a 1,600 meter exclusion area - which was not going to be perfect for photography. I decided to set up a video camera at the edge of the field just in case. I was glad to find that the camera was still in perfect condition on my return, so too were the ITV & BBC Cameramen's more expensive Cameras.

Unfortunately I have a problem with my old manual Tamron 300mm f2.8 and so I had to rely on my Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 without a 2x convertor! So I had to crop it quite considerably. If only I could warrant buying a £7500 400mm f2.8. In my dreams.

Interested in the Story see below...

Yorkshire Post - I'm in this video.
DAILY MAIL
Newstin
BBC

Press & PR Photographers Throughout the UK - Editorial Photography
Yorkshire Press & PR Photographer

Seaham Hall for our Wedding Anniversary

Our wonderful stay at Seaham Hall, Serenity Spa Hotel in Co Durham.

Last week I booked a surprise Hotel & Spa for my wife and I for our 11th wedding anniversary, we had a fantastic time, and we enjoyed every minute. It's not very often I stay in a 5* hotel, and I was very impressed.

First impressions are that the hotels exterior needs a good lick of paint. Unfortunately the Water Vortex Sculpture 'Charybdis' in front the building could also do with cleaning up too, such a pity you don't get to see the best of the great work of art by William Pye.

Once inside the Hotel, we were made to feel very welcome and special and the porter was really helpful. The Hotel interior is fantastic, there are a few places here and there which need touching up, but unless you are looking for faults you really don't notice them.

We had room 11, which was a lovely large room and the bathroom is equipped with Double free-standing Bath, Shower and his & hers basins. The room was lovely and had a view out over the beautiful gardens. The Bed was the most comfortable bed we had ever slept in. The room felt like a suit not a bedroom.

We had an a la carte meal in the White Room for dinner (Michelin Star Restaurant). The Chef is Kenny Atkinson from the TV series the Great British Menu. It was a 3 course meal with canapes in the lounge, and extra dishes thrown in between courses, and special treats with your coffee too. We even took our own bottle of wine and they didn't charge us corkage. They also wrote Happy Anniversary on our desert plate in chocolate, which was a lovely touch. The meal and service was truly exquisite and the only small thing that let it down was the Pan fried Confit of Pork Belly was very fatty all the way through even for belly pork, and we were not keen on the Pigs Ears in batter canapes. Pushing the boundaries a little too far I thoink. ;-)

The Spa was great too, and so relaxing. We made full use of the Spa on the day of our arrival and on the day of departure. I think it's so nice of the Hotel to let you use the Spa facilities, before you have checked in and even after you have checked out, for the whole day if you like. I also think the 12pm check out time is perfect too, this really lets you relax and unwind before you vacate your room.

All in all I think there are a few things they need to address, but overall it is a fantastic Hotel, and I would love to stay there again, and I would really recommend it to anyone who is not over critical.

Thanks Seaham Hall - My wife loved it.