Las Vegas 2011

OK! Once again it's too long since I last posted to my blog but now I've got something you may find interesting!

I've just come back from a trip to Las Vegas. This was a Christmas and Birthday present for my daughter. We've been on a number of these trips since her mother and I divorced, Paris, Rome, San Francisco & Los Angeles and last year New York. We have a very special father/daughter relationship and I love going away with her. As I do most of my travelling alone it's especially nice to have some company!

A little hiccup before leaving home, I checked my email to find a message from Delta Airlines saying that our first flight into Atlanta had been cancelled and we were now booked to go to JFK, New York. This message timed at midnight!! Another message at 6.15am to say that the flight to JFK was also cancelled and we were now going to Detroit and from there to Las Vegas!

All went well from there on but we arrived in Detroit in a snowstorm! Boarded the onward flight to Vegas but had a delay whilst the aircraft was de-iced!!! Arrived safely in Las Vegas at the orginally scheduled time!! Well done Delta Airlines!!

Weather in Vegas lovely, wall to wall sunshine and 20 deg C! Good two days exploring The Strip, third day picked up the hired Ford Mustang convertible and headed out for Hoover Dam. The new bridge is now complete and quite awesome! On then to The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West.

This is quite something even if it is expensive (about £45 to get onto Indian land and the Skywalk). If you suffer from vertigo don't bother to pay the $29 to get on the Skywalk, it's one helluva drop!!!

OK, enjoy the pics.

Weekend Warriors.....Again

Yes, I'm off on my favourite hobby horse again!! Yesterday I was referred to the website of a new photographer offering their photography services to would-be brides and grooms.

I am appalled at the dreadful quality of the pictures in her Gallery. Pictures from only two weddings were on show and it is quite obvious that she was only a guest at them. At the first wedding the only pictures displayed were all of the evening reception, guests on the dance floor, etc. At the second wedding she had even included the official photographer in some shots and no one was looking at her camera in any of them!!!

I find it reprehensible for someone with so little or no talent to be representing herself (or himself) as a professional wedding photographer. I have no idea what her charges are but I have no doubt that whatever she charges will be a waste of money for bridal couples. They will be so disappointed if the samples shown are indicative of what they get for their wedding photos!

As a wedding photographer with many years experience I resent these people coming into the business with no idea of how to take good photographs. Their incompetence can reflect on us true professionals.

Another requisite is having people skills and ensuring that guests at weddings are having a good time while fulfilling the bride and groom's expectations for wonderful photographs that capture the magic and romance of their big day.

The last thing I want to be remembered for is spoiling an enchanting occasion! But unfortunately this is what happens when you hire a less than competent photographer to record your day!

So again I say, "Be careful out there"!

Hong Kong trip

A few pictures from my recent trip to Hong Kong.

I flew Singapore Airlines(the female flight attendants are spectacular!) on the new Airbus A380, the biggest passenger plane in the world, and that was quite an experience.

Hong Kong was amazing and somewhere I had wanted to go for a long time time and I wasn't disappointed! I have never seen so many high-rise buildings, everybody seems to live up in the sky!

Took an all-day trip to Guangzhou in mainland China. That was a fascinating experience, the whole place is booming! Visited Guangzhou Zoo to see a panda. Having lived in South Africa I don't really like zoos, I much prefer seeing wild animals in their natural habitat but it's very difficult to see a panda in the wild so this was next best.

Now looking forward to going to New York with my daughter in January. But it's going to be b..... cold!!!

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Guangzhou, China

(1st president of republican China)

Hong Kong & Kowloon from The Peak

Symphony of Lights laser show, Victoria Harbour, Hon Kong

Buddhist Temple, Guangzhou, China

Floating restaurant, Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong

The end of portraits

Well, Christmas is fast approaching and with it the end of my career shooting portraits! Yes, as from 2010 I will be concentrating on photographing only weddings.

Now some of you may consider weddings to be a pain-in-the-proverbial but I love 'em! It's always a happy occasion and I get a real kick out of capturing images of people having a good time, meeting friends and family they may not have seen for a while.

Having said that, it doesn't follow that portrait sessions aren't fun occasions, it's just that I want to take things a bit easier and having a high street studio means that you have to be open to the public for a good part of the week.

I gave up the Cherubs baby portrait franchise in June this year and it's gradually receded until now I have only a handful to complete. Cherubs has been very good for me and I would like to thank all past customers for their business.

Those of you who are present or even future wedding clients can rest assured that I will still be around and can always be found at this web address and through the contact page on my website.

As mentioned in my previous post, my friend and colleague Les Holder of Cheltenham passed away recently and that has served to reinforce my decision to take a step down in my career and give up the studio work.

Thank you to those of you who have taken the trouble to read this latest post.

Weekend warriors

I have just this week taken a booking for a wedding next year for a bride-to-be who has read my blog on part-time photographers.

I met Joanne last Sunday at a wedding fair at The Cheltenham Thistle Hotel and she told me she had read my piece on my blog and had checked out loads of photographers websites so I am particularly pleased that she has taken note of what I had to say and booked me to be her wedding photographer!

Thank you Jo and Andrew.

Be careful out there!!

As a footnote, I attended the funeral on Tuesday 27th of my friend and fellow photographer Les Holder of Cheltenham. Les passed away suddenly on 19th October at only 58 years old. I shall miss his sense of humour and the chats we used to have.

Daniel & Tracy's Wedding

I've known Daniel for some 14 or 15 years as I used to live opposite his parents in Churchdown.

I was very pleased to be afforded the privilege of photographing their wedding on the 6th June this year at St. Bartholomew's Church on the top of Chosen Hill in Churchdown, Gloucester.

The weather was overcast and rather windy but at least it didn't rain.

After the wedding ceremony we all proceeded to the Whitminster Hotel south of Gloucester for the wedding reception.

I wish Daniel and Tracy all best wishes for their future life together.

Matthew & Rebecca's Wedding

Okay, true to my promise to to do better in keeping my blog up to date, here are some pictures from my latest wedding.

Matthew and Rebecca were married on 7th March, 2009 at St. Barnabas Church in Gloucester. The weather was kind to us if a little windy. Their reception was held at the Jarvis Bowden Hall Hotel in Upton St Leonards, Gloucester.

We wish them all the best for their future life together.