Leek is full of great buildings, it’s also full of cars, so when I saw The Roebuck without anything blocking the view I just had to grab a picture. When it came to working on the picture I was struck by the fact that this great building was still a bit cluttered up with a lamp post and street sign.

With the wonder of photoshop and years of experiance, I set about cleaning up the view, first to go was the lamp post and street sign. Then I saw the TV aerial which then just had to go. The little square vent on the right was easily dealt with leaving the building looking much better, job done.  But it still looked a bit dull, so a quick touch up on the paint work, brightening the white bits, removing some of the marks and darkening the black wood work. There was a temptation to remove more, like the A boards and signs, but they are part of the pub and add to the picture. read more

At this time of year that is a question that runs through my mind a lot, why go professional.

January is a strange month for me, it follows the busiest period for my business, 4 months work in 6 weeks, it’s the anniversary of me going pro, it’s the time of the year you plan forward and review what has been, it’s tax return time and it is normally the quietest month work wise. All in all a time to reflect on life and the choices you have made.

This January finds me tired, stressed, thinking too much and with time on my hands, not the best combination. So back to the big question, why go pro. The case for not going pro is stronger so lets start with that. read more

Well I’ve finally had time to sit down and finish the pictures from Saturday night and Sunday, I just need to post them all on Facebook and my work is done.

I loved taking the pictures, going to the gigs, meeting some of the artists and enjoying the atmosphere in the venues, but I was not so keen on having to leave so many gigs 1/2 way through so I could catch more bands and having to drive meant spending more time sober in pubs than I have since coming of age.

All the shoots were technically challenging and all for different reasons, too dark, too crowded, bands that won’t stand still and lead singers that don’t open their eyes. Given all that I’m more than happy with the results and I think the whole set of photos gives a real insight in to the feel of the festival and what it was like to be there. read more

As a business or an event organiser, how do you go about hiring a photographer from amongst the 100s that are out there, well the short answer is to call 07801 058345, but for those in a different time zone or for when I’m busy here are a few tips.

Look beyond the hype. Anyone can set up a web site, facebook page and get business cards from vista print, you have to look deeper to see the real story.

• First start at the beginning, how long have these pages, facebook, linked in and the web site been running for, it takes years to build up the skill to do any job well.

• Google the photographers name, not only will you get a good idea of who they are, but complaints have a habit of showing up in searches. If they don’t use their name, as in the web site just refers to the photographer as “the photographer”, think very carefully before you book, most photographers I known are proud of their work and want their name on it, with no named photographer you could get anyone turning up.

• Look at their photos, like the skills involved, it takes time to build up a portfolio, check the pictures to see how many different shoots were involved, what looks like 10 weddings could really be just 3, a big conference could really be just an event his boss sent him to with his day job and all those portrait sessions could just be a model night at the local camera club.

• Check out their customers, I’m happy to list some of mine on my site, I would list them all but by only listing some I don’t upset anyone by missing them off a full list. Then give a few a call, would you mind if someone called you to check out a builder you had hired in the past, I would be happy to recommend or warn them off, depending on the work done, most people would do the same.

Talk to the photographer

• Ask to see details of their insurance, not only should this cover you from faulty work, but if they cause damage to your property, the venue, your staff, customers or visitors then their public liability cover will pay out any claims. If not, you as the hirer could be responsible for any damages. My cover is £5 million, a figure insisted on by most councils before you can work on their properties, this amount reflects the size of claims they can foresee, could you afford to pay it?

• Ask to see work that reflects what you want done, it won’t be the same as your job, but it will give you an idea of what they can do and also what they understand about what you want.

• Ask for a written quote and a time scale for the whole job.

• Ask how images are stored and for how long.

• Ask about their emergency policies, extra equipment, off site back ups, sickness cover, most professional photographers know of a few contemporaries that they would trust to step in, their insurance should cover this or they will sort out any extra costs.

At the end of the day it is your responsibility to hire the right person, there are loads of people out there who would be happy to take your money and would produce good photos, most very good serious amateur photographers would do an adequate job and cost you a lot less, they may even do it for free, but people turn professional for a reason and its not the easy life and long holidays. read more

As a kid I always looked forward to the weekend, as an employee I hated having to work the weekend, now I am my own boss I find that even getting 2 days off a month a challenge. So this post is about how I spent Saturday and I will point out that although it was a bit special it is closer to the norm than you would expect.

6:30 am   A bit of a lie in, but only because some of the prep was done last night. First job to check all the kit for the shoot is ready, lenses clean, cards formatted and batteries charged, all this times two as I carry a complete back up set of kit. All this is done first as I’m 1/2 a sleep and as I’ve been doing this for so long I can really do it with my eyes closed. read more