Archive for the ‘Festivals, Concerts & Events’ Category

A little birthday tearsheet to help me celebrate!  One of my favourite ever fire photos is published in today’s Bournemouth Echo.

The subject is Simon Chainey at his Southern Lights Festival back in June.

I had a comment on this photo on Facebook last night.  He said it was one of the best fire photos he’d ever seen.  It got me looking at the photo more closely, and you know, it’s quickly becoming one of my favourites as well.

The man playing with fire is more often found putting them out, fire fighter, and 1 of 4 of the guys behind the Southern Lights Festival, Mr Simon Chainey.

I’ve seen Simon’s act a few times, so I knew to be ready for this.

I love how little bits of the fire are left behind seemingly burning his hair as he throws the staff up into the air, and how there is a small pocket of fire on the right of the photo.

I’ll be posting many more photos over the coming days from this years amazing Southern Lights Festival.  For now though here’s a shot of the breathtaking performers from Saturday nights fire show, along with the festival organisers, Matt, Simon, Reza & Lee.

I’d met 1001 Magic Nights organiser Samuel Kasrani at the Southern Lights Festival a couple of years ago.  So when I noticed on Facebook that he was putting on an event in Bournemouth I got in touch and asked to be a part of it.  He say yes.

There was some amazing talent in the room at Hamptons bar/club.  Including Chris Brown who spent most of the night walking around the room with a large crystal ball on his head.  James Brown who for me stole the stage show because he managed to “take” a watch from the wrist of a woman when that same woman was earlier in the evening demonstrating to me how difficult her watch was to remove and how he’d never get it off without her knowing.

Dr Balloon Man was creating some balloon works of art, better than anything I’ve ever seen before.  Clare Herbert captivated the room with her skills combining belly dancing and hoop.  I think I may have fallen in love with her!

Simon “Southern Lights” Chainey did an all too brief fire show, and Rudi the psychic somehow managed to “die” on stage for a minute by stopping his heart.

All of this was made even better because the performers were all working the room and doing their stuff to the audience while in the audience for a couple of hours before going on stage.

Lighting in the venue after it got dark was horrible, not helped by the stage spotlight failure.  I needed light so I had to use on camera flash with slow-sync for most of the evening.  I think it worked fairly well.

A brilliant night Kasrani!

On Friday 28th May 2010 I’m going to be running a business portrait day in central London.  Unless someone has a better idea for a location it’s going to be based at The Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf.

You’ll get a photoshoot from yours truely.   We’ll probably take around 100-150 images, so if you want to have a couple of different looks – maybe a more formal and then changing into a more casual outfit.

From those images you’ll get your choice of 10 photos which you’ll receive as high resolution images.  Those images are yours to do with as you please – use them for profile photos, magazine articles, business cards – there are no restrictions on how you can use them.

All of this for just £99 (plus a small Eventbrite booking fee).  A bargain I hope you’ll agree.

I’m only making 10 places available and I’ll be staggering the bookings throughout the day so everyone has time and nobody feels rushed.

To book please visit my Eventbrite booking page.

The last time I photographed Peter Gabriel in concert was at WOMAD last summer.  That time I had my big camera and big lens.  This time all I had with me was my little Panasonic GF1 with 40mm lens.  It’s a great little camera, but its hardly the right choice of kit for photographing from half way back in the O2 Arena.

I’d been at the O2 since lunchtime, bargain price parking by the station for just £3 for the whole day.  I’d had a business meeting, seen the soundcheck, met up with some friends who I always meet at Gabriel concerts, got rained upon, had a couple of pints, a bowl of chips and some cheesy garlic bread.  It was a good day.

It was my first visit to the O2 since 2000 when I’d visited the Millennium Dome experience, I’d mostly gone because Peter had done the music for the main show and I wanted to see it as it was intended.  They’ve done lots with the Dome since then – the arena is a great music venue, there’s a multiplex cinema, and loads of restaurants, pubs and clubs.  I was quite impressed.

The concert was something quite different for Peter.  Just him and a big orchestra.  The first half of the concert were all the cover songs from his recent Scratch My Back album.  A life long Gabriel fan described the album as “not as bad as it could have been“, and that pretty much sums it up for me as well.  There are a few good moments, and I admire the fact that he’s been original and tried to make the covers sound different, but ultimately I can take it or leave it.

The second half the concert however was pure brilliance.  It was all the songs we knew and loved, but all played with the orchestra.  A magical evening of music.

The photos…  more just a few snapshots than anything but they are a good memory of a great day.

I appear to have become the resident photographer at Jan Jacks Laughter House.  This is a good thing.  I get to see some of the top comedians in the country, and I don’t have to pay.

On the bill last night were Juliet Meyers, Andrew Watts and Steve Day.  They all put on great shows, but my favourite had to be Mr Watts.  The lady with her head in her hand was being picked / hit on by Mr Watts.  Superbly funny.

In the photo we have the famous and very talented Bob Mills alongside the not quite so famous but equally talented Jan Jack.

The photo was taken shortly after Bob stepped off stage after his performance at the Laughter House in Salisbury last month.

Jan thought it would be a fun idea to run a little caption competition.  The winner of which wins two tickets to the Laughter House in Basingstoke on the 25th March.

Leave your comments here in the comments area.  The competition runs until 21st March and Jan will pick the winner on Monday 22nd March.

So come on peoples, the chance to win a free night out at one of the south’s best comedy clubs…

It was a rainy night in Salisbury and it was the second time this year I’d left home with the sole purpose of laughing at people for the evening.  The event was Laughter House in Salisbury which was taking place at the Milford Hall Hotel.

On stage were compare Phil Dinsdale, with comedians Jan Jack, Andi Osho and Mr Bob Mills.

The audience was partly filled by local business networking people.  A fiver from each of their tickets was being donated to the Pash4Cash fund.   Pash aka Sarah Howells is a local business woman and friend to many of us, founder of “The Passionate PA”.  The fund has been set up by a couple of her close friends so she never needs to worry about money again.  For those who don’t know Sarah’s story you can find her blog here.

Okay, back with the fun stuff.  Another fine evenings entertainment was had.  Although I’m still not quite sure I liked it when the compare picked on the photographer!  It’s funny really.  A few years ago I used to hide at the back of the room in comedy clubs, the thought of being picked upon almost scared me enough not to go into the room in the first place, now I’ve got so much more self confidence I’m up there towards the front shooting away.

Enough with my words, and on with a few photos from the night…