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It was a disappointing start to the 2016 'tarmac season' after the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Sprint meeting at Vazon coast road was terminated early after the threatened heavy rain arrived.

Perhaps the only consolation was that it arrived late, allowing competitors to get in a couple of runs before the road was awash.

Even at the start, the conditions weren't perfect for record-breaking as there was a strong cross-wind that came into play near the finish line. This is not something you want to experience when traveling at top speed, particularly on a bike!

So we are going to have to wait and hope that the next events are 'spoilt' by ideal conditions.

As I write this late on Sunday evening I'm following the weather updates for tomorrows Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Hillclimb at Le Val des Terres... and they're not good! We might be experiencing more high winds and even heavier rainfall!

Perhaps this is the price we pay when Easter comes early. Roll on the summer I say :-)

The Sprint pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST SPRINT OF 2016

I had worried that the 2016 Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2-Day Trials meeting might have been a bit of a flop when compared to previous years.

In earlier years there has always been a sizable entry for this event. The numbers were usually boosted by many visiting French riders. These guys added a bit of fun to the two days. One got the feeling that they enjoyed the social side as much as the actual riding... all interspersed with a regular Gauloises or two ;-)

However the French contingent was unable to get across to Guernsey for the 2016 2-Day meeting because of the Condor timetable.

This was my worry. Would the event hold the same interest for everyone?

I really shouldn't have worried because the two days were just as much fun as usual. The Club had succeeded in attracting a good entry from Jersey and also quite a number of UK riders.

It was a shame that the sun didn't really show its face and the wind was bitter on the more exposed sections ... but the action was fantastic.

I've added pics of the competition to my Galleries. Follow the link to view the action:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2016 2-DAY TRIALS

I must apologize for the delay in adding this update and the links to the pics.

I actually completed the Gallery updates on Saturday night... then I got distracted!

I've been building a rather nice Summer House (officially known as 'Carol's Place' as it is for my missus) at the top of my garden and the project has captured my attention.

This all started after I finally got around to removing a MASSIVE Leylandi hedge that had not so slowly engulfed a part of my garden. Once this oppressive feature had disappeared my gardening 'mojo' seemed to return and I've been spending many hours trying to re-claim some of my gardens old splendour and features.

But I'm rambling. You don't need to to know all this :-)

In fact I am still keeping on top of the photo gallery updates... it's only the blogs that missed a beat.

Saturday's updates were for the Motocross championship (more of the 'regular' stuff) and another event that was a bit different. Mower Racing... yes it can be really entertaining!

Even though Guernsey seemed to have every Motorsport formula covered it seems that Mower Racing had slipped through the oil filter. But that has now been sorted!

All the weekends pics are now on-line:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOWER RACING
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

It’s a tantalizing thought and something has just grabbed my interest. :-)

Now that another MILLION MILESTONE of views has been shattered I can only look ahead to the next one….

13 MILLION VIEWS HERE WE COME!

My interest was tickled after I analyzed how long it took to jump from 11 MILLION views to hit the 12 MILLION mark… it took a couple of days short of three months.

After a few simple sums it suggests that the hit rate might just be on the way to a new annual total.

How does 4 MILLION views a year sound to you?

It sounds GREEAATT to me. :-)

As always I have to thank all of you for making it over to visit this website. The Google analysis shows that more than 50% of you drop in quite regularly, so I guess that you continue to find the occasional item and photoshoot that interests you.

I’m encouraged by the fact that I’m also finding a stream of new visitors. Now it falls on me to grab their attention whilst they are browsing with the aim of getting them back again too.

I know from my own Internet usage that if a website is to become one of my regular ‘haunts’ it has to be updated on a regular basis. I’m also aware that my own browsing usually includes sites that offer comments, advise, reviews and analysis.

As I’ve been receiving regular requests to pass on a few of the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along my photographic journey I intend to add an occasional Blog covering a variety of topics – from the software I use to the kit I hang around my neck.

Perhaps my first Info-Blog will cover my first impressions of the new Nikon D5 and D500 cameras!

I have these new range-topping cameras on pre-order with Grays of Westminster… right near the top of their list. :-)

As a registered Nikon Professional Services photographer I’ve been able to get my hands on the first UK delivery of cameras going all the way back including the D200, D3, D300, D3s, D4 and D4s. It has become a little perk of the job to play with the very latest kit… and I wasn’t about to break with tradition!

So the count-down to delivery has started. Hopefully in about three weeks I’ll have a new Nikon D5 to play with. This time I intend to share my thoughts. Pop back soon to see what I make of the latest upgrade. :-)

You can read some of my previous 'MILLION VIEWS' Blogs here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PREVIOUS MILLION VIEW BLOGS

I've already posted an update with links to my Saturday evening's work....
Pussy and the Dirty Johnsons

However, earlier in the day I had to spend some time in a far less comfortable place!

The south coast cliffs can be brutally exposed at this time of year when a chilled wind blows straight up from the sea and into every part of your body that isn't wrapped at least once in thermal clothing. All credit to the Marshals who stood around all day on their posts... at least I was able to arrive late and then leave before the end!

I did have a good excuse though. The Guernsey Press Sports desk required my pics earlier than usual. That was the only incentive I needed to return to my nice warm studio :-)

I've now completed the full edit of the Motocross pics. You can't even tell that I was shaking like a leaf whilst trying to capture all the action! The pics are now online:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF MOTOCROSS ROUND-3

Maybe the shortest Blog ever?

It's late and I've just added today's pics to the Gallery.

Autocross racing and Trials.

I did say it was going to be short :-)
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST TRIALS PICS

My weekend turned out to be Windy, Salty, Sandy, Rainy & Muddy... oh, and there was some music in there too!

So, as you can see, it was business as usual for a winter's weekend.

Just to elaborate that a little more... 'the wind', well everything I did included a bit of that.

'The salt and sand'... that'll be Autocross racing at Chouet.

'Rainy'... well like the wind it was hard to avoid for the whole weekend but it was the Karting championship that pulled out all the stops... but the pics were GREAT!

And the 'Mud'... Motocross racing of course!

I'll cover the music side in a later Blog.

The resulting pics are now online featuring Motocross, Autocross and the wet Kart meeting:
VIEW PICS OF THE WET KART MEETING
VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS RACING
VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS RACING

The last 24 hours has seen this web-site record over 32,000 views.

May I thank you for the interest in my work.

Whilst this isn't a record number it actually illustrates the interest in the events that I have been photographing... not really my pics.

This small island, as I've said so many times before, offers countless different activities, gigs and motorsport meetings to visit that no-one has any excuse to be bored. Heaven help you if you moan about there being nothing to do near to me!!

I only manage to photograph a few of these events (you will notice a personal bias) but it seems to be clear that I'm not alone in having these passions.... they are Motorsport and Music gigs,,, if you haven't worked that out for yourself!!

Happy days :-)

Some of my weekends work can be viewed here:
VIEW PICS OF ALFIE BARTON'S BALLROOM EXPERIENCE 25th ANNIVERSARY GIG
VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC MOTOCROSS MEETING
VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS CLUB BANGER RACING

You'll have to read the previous Blog to find out why, but I'm rarely so keen to complete an edit as I have been with this one :-)

I've just uploaded about 180 pics of Saturdays Motocross racing. Round-1 of the 2016 GK&MC Championship.

The conditions were pretty miserable to stand around in - wet and windy!

They were even worse when you had to keep camera lens and glasses clear of the rain and drizzle.

But that is to be expected for January. And I did have a great evening to look forward to in a nice warm place... read the previous Blog ;-)

Now I've got to go. I've another edit to complete!

The Motocross pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

The short quiet period has definitely come to an end... and I haven't even managed to catch-up with all of the backlog of edits yet!

But it was back to normal shooting over the weekend with two Motorsport events which offered me plenty of action to capture. I'm trying to complete the edits as quickly as I can as I'm really looking forward to the editing of another event I photographed on Saturday night.

That one was REALLY special :-)

The occasion was Alfie Barton's Ballroom Experience 25th Anniversary Special at The Fermain Tavern.

As expected, the night was quickly sold out. Expectations were VERY high... this can sometimes lead to a gig not quite hitting the mark!

The other outcome can be for the night/atmosphere to reach into the all-time, best-ever, top-gig short-list... and this one made it. It was that great!

So the reason I'm trying to get the Motorsport edits out of the way ASAP is that I can't wait to browse through my 'Alfie Barton' pics.

Keep a check on this website for my Ballroom Experience uploads... they won't be long ;-)

First up though, the Autocross pics:
VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS - WINTER ROUND 7

Motorsport in Guernsey barely pauses to take breath over the festive season before it is revving up again in the New Year.

So today I was also back in action photographing two championships.

The first of the day was a very wet affair. Round 1 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Winter Kart Championship at The Track. As I have said before, it is well worth wrapping up against the elements to capture motorsport action when the track is flooded. This adds real drama to the pics.

After that damp start things improved by the time I arrived at Chouet beach for the Autocross Clubs Banger racing championship.

It looks like 2016 is going to be another busy one. I look forward to it.

These Galleries present todays action:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE WINTER KART CHAMPIONSHIP
VIEW PICS OF THE WINTER AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Technology..... It's a Love/Hate thing for me.....

I'm about to use the word 'fail' again in a 2016 Blog and it's only the 2nd of January! Read on to have a chuckle at my expense :-)

I think I come out of the 'boys like toys' mould and have been spending on technology since I first collected pocket money. Back in those days Lego was cutting edge!

However as the years have passed I've trained myself to consider purchases more maturely.

But every few years the itch starts again and the Internet draws me to something special.

A few months ago I decided that I deserved a new cutting edge computer. Weeks were spent researching and the day came to press the 'Buy button' for a system that is now the envy of NASA. I think there might be a Blog to come later on the specs!

The thing is, past experience has shown me that computer upgrades never go quite as smoothly as you hope. These days software registrations, passwords and many other things try and trip you up at every turn.

This is why I planned on making the move over to the new speed machine a slow and measured affair. Even then there have been several hiccups and late nights. I think there's another Blog there too!

Now let me tell you this little story.... It actually relates to yesterday's Cross Country Blog.

As you may have read, I'd been asked to photograph the run for the Guernsey Press. Part of the brief was making it VERY CLEAR that there was an EARLY print deadline. I also knew that the back page layout had already been planned and my shot had to be an upright. A blank hole awaited. No problem I thought.

I spent an enjoyable hour or so taking the pics down at Mont Cuet tip whilst chatting with the Guernsey Press Sport's Editor... he really is passionate about sport and journalism in general.

When we parted my last word to Rob Batiste was that I was going straight back to the office and the pics would follow ASAP.

Forty-three minutes after my last photograph (aided my blisteringly fast Super Computer) I had selected, edited and tagged my pics ready for e-mailing.

I was enjoying the warm feeling of being on top of a job.... Little did I know!

I probably qualify as a 'belts and braces' guy. This outlook means that I always submit my work to two different client e-mail addresses. I also BCC copy them into another one of my own accounts. This is checked to ensure the e-mail has 'left the building'.

It was only when I received a remarkably calm phone call from Rob that I realized something had gone wrong... he asked 'When can I expect to get the pics Andrew'?

Oh, heck. The print deadline loomed!

I told Rob the e-mails were sent nearly three hours ago to his xxxxx@guernsey-press.com e-mail address. 'But that one hasn't been active for years' he said 'there's no hyphen in there now'!

Due to my belts and braces mentality I had saved a copy of all the pics on to a USB stick (just in case of problems) and I offered to pop down to Rob's office immediately but he suggested that I simply 'try the correct e-mail' and of course this worked first time!

But what had gone wrong? I had to try and find where this ancient e-mail had appeared from.

Well, what I have found out only re-enforces my Love/Hate of technology.

I think that the move to a new computer and the installation of new e-mail systems were the problem. It seems that the 'helpful' software takes a look at your old 'Sent' folders and lifts all the e-mail addresses out into a new Contact list.

Now I'm sure you are like me, few of us remember actual phone numbers or e-mails any more as the phone/computer does that stuff for us now.

So when I started to enter the Guernsey Press e-mail addresses the 'helpful' computer finished them for me... I didn't realise that the 'old' e-mail address had been filled in - I just pressed send!

When I double-checked that the e-mailed pics had arrived back into my own backup e-mail, I enjoyed the warm feeling of success thinking that the job was done.

FAIL!

A word I hope won't feature in another Blog this year :-)

BTW, a blank back page was averted and my reputation has survived - but only just!

3am EDIT: I've just watched the Jules Holland Hootenanny and realized how many of the artists on the show I've been lucky to photograph.... then I got hooked by the BBC coverage of Glastonbury 2015..... MASSIVE & MAGNIFICENT... and I want to photograph it :-0

So to the Blog>.................

I warn you, this is going to ramble.

It's New Years eve and inevitably, like so many of my previous Blogs, it'll be late by the time I manage to upload this update. Also, as is often the case, I've partaken in a couple of pints of Real Ale and a few glasses of red wine. (3am EDIT.... add a couple of Whisky's to that list too). What could possibly go wrong!

I'm sitting here at years end (I guess like many others) thinking both about the year that is about to become history together with the future... 2016, here we come.

These moments of contemplation will always be individual and personal. But allow me to share my own thoughts.

Inevitably my mind goes back through the previous busy year of photography. Once again I have enjoyed almost every moment of my 2015 photographic year.

But things could always have been done differently... and certainly there is always room to improve and change. So that begs the question 'What could I have done differently and where did I go wrong?'

So I will allow myself to expose (nice little photographic reference there!) some of my photographic failings to you, just as long as you promise not to tell anyone else!

So where did I fail?

Well, just yesterday, I was updating a picture gallery for one of my favorite local bands... Thee Jenerators. THIS IS A LINK TO THE GALLERY

The latest gig I photographed them at was a photographers nightmare. When you combine a band that will not stand still for a moment together with light levels akin to candlelight it will always be a challenge.

I'm pleased to say that I ended up with quite a few keepers (33 out of the 49 pics taken), but could I have done better?

My personal 'style' of photography encompasses taking as few pics as I possibly can (born lazy, eh). I try and limit the shutter presses to the peak moments of action. My belief is that you give yourself a massive editing workload by being 'trigger happy'.

This was highlighted for me during 2015 when I shot an indoor sporting event alongside an ambitious young local 'photog'. He was using his camera in machine gun mode and must have gone home with 1000+ pics. I took 251 and had 170 keepers after the cull.

I have also had this experience whilst working off-island alongside top pro motorsport and festival 'togs. Some, but by no means all, fire off endless pics - seemingly with the idea that 'One of 'em has to be a keeper'! So maybe it's me who is completely wrong on this but one thing I'm sure about is that my editing time is a lot shorter than theirs!

But back to my point. I still think that restraint is a good thing. I believe that I should consider the timing and composition of each image before I press the shutter release button.

Even after taking this stance the final part of the photographic process is still to come... the edit. This is the time extra discipline and ruthlessness is needed and I think I'm failing in this area and could complete most assignments to a better standard by taking a less 'precious' view of my pics during the edit.

Although I attempt to restrain myself at the capture stage I then go on to 'fail' when it comes to the edit. I think I'm not ruthless enough when deleting the rubbish.

So let me take one step back, I mentioned that I've just updated the Thee Jenerators Gallery. This led me to be distracted by looking through some of the old pics in the Thee Jenerators gallery. Some going back five years. This was quite enlightening.

Remember that I said that Thee Jenerators were one of my favorite bands. This is because they take 'performance' beyond simply standing behind a microphone.

This then is where my lessons started and my current 'mantra' of trying to be vicious with my picture editing revels itself as still needing a bit (OK a lot) of work!

There are quite a few pics in the gallery which, I think, capture the full character and performance of this energetic band... but too many pics have crept in that are nothing more than average... or worse. These should never have seen the light of day... or the Internet! Thankfully most of them are from several years ago, including the 5 year old example below. Maybe this proves that I am getting a bit better at what I'm doing ;-)

It's clear that I still have loads to learn but take this New Years tip from me and short-cut your own scholarship. You can borrow my own New Years resolution that 'In 2016 I will try and make my picture edits more ruthless'. The delete button on the keyboard is there for a good reason..... to help us improve the quality of our work.

I'm resisting the urge to delete my 'fails' from the Thee Jenerators gallery to give you the chance to see what I am talking about here. I'd love to know which pics you think are the 'fails'. Please let me know what you think and we can compare notes.... This is my e-mail CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL ME.

You can be as ruthless with me as I like... I need the help ;-)

Oh, and one final tip from me (for FREE).... and it's one that I use myself sometimes.

I still have some old 1GB cards that only hold 36 pictures. It really focuses your mind when you shoot with one of those - just like it did when I started taking pics on real film and it cost money with every click!!

3.15am EDIT: Time for bed I think ;-)

Variety is the spice of photography... just as it is in life itself.

I am able to mix many genres of image taking into most of my working weeks and this keeps me interested and motivated... although maybe I should find a better way to describe what I do as the term 'working' doesn't really portray how I feel about my avocation.

My Blog often states how much I enjoy what I do and after more than a decade of life spent exclusively looking through a lens my luck, good fortune and opportunity to pursue photography full-time still feels as special as the first step I took on this amazing journey.

It is also rather special that so many people have joined me along the way by occasionally popping along to this web-site to see the latest updates.

Today I'm amazed to see that the total views on this web-site have reach another Milestone with ELEVEN MILLION VIEWS being logged!

May I say a BIG THANK YOU to you all.

As it has become traditional to mark these Milestones you might like to view a few previous Blogs:
CLICK TO VIEW A FEW PREVIOUS MILLION MILESTONE BLOGS

The day after the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club's Annual Dinner Dance can be quite a fragile place to be. Motorsport guys know how to party!

I guess that after a bacon roll for breakfast the next thing you need to effect a full recovery is a dose of fresh air.

As it happened, the fresh air was supplied in over-dose levels by gale-force winds. Maybe this was the amount of medication the doctor had ordered?

Anyway, the remedy was having affect on the Trials boys who were down at Petit Bot for the latest GMC&CC meeting!

All the sections were quite close together meaning that things were wrapped up nice and early... now that's what I call good planning. I reckon a few competitors were heading back to bed to complete their recovery ;-)

Pics are now online:
VIEW THE LATEST TRIALS PICS

Guernsey seems to be almost unique in allowing Trials bikes to ride around on its beaches. This helps to make the Guernsey 2-Day Trials Open events so popular with Jersey, UK and French riders.

Today I just managed to get to a section of the Trials meeting laid out on rocks in the pretty Bordeaux Harbour.

The rocky sections were a challenge as the Guernsey granite takes no prisoners. Its not a fair fight between Guernsey's finest 'hard stuff' and a bike frame... or worse, a riders bones!

However there were no mishaps whilst I was there :-)

That was not the case at the Autocross meeting at Chouet. We had roll-over after roll-over including a 'hospital run' for one unlucky passenger. All this drama meant the meeting had to be cut short and was also the reason I was late getting to the Trials.

But that's Motorsport, eh.

Pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS
VIEW PICS OF THE TRIALS

Why do they do it?

What possible enjoyment can there be?

When the Motocross season arrives, so does the wet and windy weather!

The riders who enter the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Motocross events must know what's in store... but they still arrive, keen and eager to mix it in the mud.

Perhaps my question should have been... Why does a photographer turn up, get wet, get blown about by the cliff-top winds and get covered in mud?

Well, of course, I happen to think it is great fun also!

So that is the scene set for last weekends GK&MC Motocross race at Pleinmont.

I did my wet and windy duty and took a few pics :-)

Check 'em out here:
VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS RACING

It's always surprising how quickly we forget what the weather was like just days before.

I've been sat in my office today looking out at a very miserable and wet day. I was quite pleased to be tucked away in the dry.

But it is only a couple of days ago that we were revelling in the glorious Guernsey weekend weather. The sun was out and the very last place anyone wanted to be was indoors!

However I suppose today's nasty turn has encouraged me to catch up with some work!

The end of month accounts have all been sent and a couple of major assignments have received their final edit. And now the evening has arrived I've completed the edit of the weekend's Motorsport.

Two new Galleries are now on-line. One features the final Round of the GK&MC Summer Kart Championship. The other is of the GMC&CC Trials meeting at The Pines.

Take a look at the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND 9 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP
VIEW PICS OF THE TRIALS AT THE PINES

When Ozzy Ozanne is beaten in a straight fight on the sands of Chouet beach it is the stuff that makes headlines!

Ozzy is a multiple champion and seems to be almost unbeatable.

The multi-champ combines his talent for beach racing with a knack of selecting and preparing fast, competitive and reliable cars.

There is no doubt that Ozzy has earnt his championships and it is not for him to slow down but for his competitors to raise their own game to his level.

Well, just maybe, we have the first signs that there is a driver and car combination that can challenge Ozzy?

Tony Le Prevost has found himself a four-wheel-drive Subaru that is clearly fast enough as he took the top spot in Sunday's Race of Firsts - well ahead of Ozzy.

As a spectator this is great news. I think we will see some great racing for the rest of the season. I recommend that you make a diary date for 15th November when the fight continues.

My pics are now on-line:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS

The conditions were near perfect for Round-6 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's 2015 Motocross Championship at the Pleinmont track.

The racing was close in most of the Classes making sure the spectators were kept entertained :-)

The conditions also allowed the more confident riders to get a bit of air... I guess the theory is that there is less resistance to slow you down when your head is in the clouds!

Or maybe it's just a bit more fun?

This pic shows just how close some of the racing was!

Check the full Gallery here:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-6 OF THE GK&MC MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP