Newcastle

Newcastle - 14th March 2025

Heading up to Newcastle for the weekend was a nice activity. 

The fact it was a Friday and I took a day’s leave and put my ‘out-of-office’ on, made it even more special.

This was a planned trip to see my old friend Joe, whom I’ve known since April 1994. We met in an old school film editing facility in Wardour Street, which was run by Tom (whose passport job description was “Movie Mogul”... but that’s another story and not relevant here). Tom had a rostrum camera in the basement and I was employed to use it on pre-production animated commercials called ‘animatics’. 

Joe was freelancing for the company at the time and showed me the ropes. Since then, we’ve spent a lot of time together both professionally at different times and long story short, we are very much lifelong best friends.

This was a trip to go up and discuss a film project that Joe is planning, but also a good opportunity to spend a little quality time together. We only see each other 2 or 3 times a year and that is often as part of the larger group of ‘old fellas’ so this was a nice change. I also wanted to pursue an idea I have recently been cultivating; a portrait project of lifelong friends. I started this a few weeks back, with a visit to Ipswich to see another old and dear friend, Piers. Mike (another lifer) came along and some of these photographs appear in the portfolio pages.

Similar to Piers’ house, there is a lovely big dining room window at the back of the 19th century terraced house and the light from the afternoon sun was just perfect for some informal conversational photographs. 

I ended up taking more than 250 over the space of about 30 minutes. I was super excited, particularly as I’d taken some the day before and the light was a little disappointing and I kept messing up the exposure. This second set was just great, as I pulled the exposure to create deeper shadows and it seemed to work! What also worked well was Joe’s movements and the inclusion of his hands in many shots. I am trying to include hands where I can, as they lend a lot to the expressiveness of the images. 

Anyway, the whole situation seemed to work and some of those results you can see on my portfolio pages. 

I’ll be up again to see Joe in the summer and hopefully a second sitting will take place :)

Sheen and a Vinyl Cycle

Mind, Sheen - 1st March 2025

“Do you fancy heading to Sheen on Saturday morning?.. about 8.30? The Mind shop is doing a vinyl sale and it’s probably going to be quite good”. So said Mike, and we had a plan. It was a gorgeous foggy morning with the sun trying to burn through. As we cycled over Kew Bridge the fog lifted and everything was bathed in that lovely morning light that you only get in early March. When we arrived at the charity shop there were already a couple of regulars, waiting. “Hello Mike!” (Mike’s done this trip many times). And a friendly bit of conversation started.

It’s amazing really, how the pursuit of old and sometimes obscure vinyl is a such a joy to so many. After only 10 or so minutes there was a queue outside and an air of excitement. I took a few snaps on my camera and, as I’ve become accustomed to, it isn’t always popular.

The shop assistant asked me, in a rather curt manner “are you from the press?! Why are you taking pictures?!” I assured her I was nobody she need be concerned about, and with some assurance from Mike. “He’s alright, he’s with me”

I was able to look through some boxes of vinyl and picked myself up some great music for the month: Public Enemy - It take a nation.., The Clark / Duke Project, and Richie Havens - Mixed Bag.

Oh, and I got a couple of nice photos and a heart pumping 15k ride. Hoorah!