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I must thank the Guernsey Power Boat Association and specifically Robin Ashworth, MD of Vapormatt, who allowed me to photograph from his boat during Race-2 of the 2012 Championship. It was very pleasant out on the Little Russell today.
This race was held in conditions that I can only call 'glorious'! Maybe I have been waiting for a day like this for too long (after all that rain) and the perception was exagegerated? I don't think so!

I did managed to remember that I was on the water to do a job and not to just 'chill out' and I made my cameras earn their keep ;-)
Shooting from an unstable platform, even in good conditions like this, is one of the hardest challenges for a photographer when using long lenses. I was using between 400mm and 600mm most of the time. But there is a sense of satisfaction when you get a few shots that record the best of the action that are pin sharp in focus and well composed.
I think I captured a few. Please take a look and see what you think:
RACE-2 OF THE 2012 POWER BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Anyone who follows this blog will know that too many of the recent Motor Sport events that I have photographed have 'featured' more than a drop of water!
In fact, even photographing the live music at the Albert Pier on Liberation Day had too much of the wet stuff.
Well, today there was even more water - I was surrounded by it! But this time the sun shone and the water was very well behaved and quite at home. It made the setting for the first round of the Guernsey Power Boat Association's 2012 Championship.

The first race was held over the Havelet Course which brought the field of thirteen boats close inshore and spectators enjoyed some good racing. There has been a fair bit of 'splashing the cash' over the winter break and there was some very flash new kit on show. This season should be the best Championship for years.
Make sure you try and catch a few of the races.
I have added a new Gallery featuring the racing:
VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE GUERNSEY POWER BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

I don't think I have to explain any further!
How long do we have to wait before we are given perfect racing conditions?
The latest Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Hill Climb at Le Val des Terres was another one spoilt by the wet and changable track conditions.
Frustratingly, there were only short periods when the road dried enough for some outstanding performances - but the 'wet stuff' soon returned and took the edge off all the competitors efforts.
Darren Warwick has to be congratulated for making the best of one of his timed runs when he lowered his own Class record in the Racing Cars 1601cc to 2000cc Class. This was a superb result which I witnessed in the 'esses' and was achieved when the road was in less than perfect condition. Well done that man..... awesome!
I have added pics of the Hill Climb to a new Gallery. Check it out here:
VIEW THE GMC&CC HILL CLIMB AT LES VAL DES TERRES

Yuk, yuk, yuk.
Got that off my chest then! One more for luck, yuk.
I was very wet on Vazon beach for Round-3 of the GMC&CC Sand Racing Championship. I can't say much more about it - other than the early weather forecast for Monday's Hill Climb is for more rain!
Yuk!
Pics of the Sand Racing are here:
A RAINY DAY ON VAZON BEACH

Today saw Round-2 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Kart Championship at The Track... and it poured down. After the wet first Hill Climb of 2012 I don't get good vibes from this!
But, the year is long and surely the tarmac racers can hope for some dry racing... soon?
All is not wasted for a photographer, though. The wet conditions add a different element to a picture and getting a bit damp usually pays off with some good pics.
The conditions also lead to some challenging racing for the young Karters and they use the slippery track to hone their skills.
So you could say that it is a win, win!
I've dried off the kit and clothes, the discomfort is already forgotten. I'm ready for the next events... bring 'em on :-)
PICS OF THE WET KART RACING

I have often joked to people when I'm asked why I spend so much time photographing the things I do - 'well it beats gardening' I say!
It is probably 'the norm' in most marriages that if the husband loiters around the home for too long then a paint brush or spade will be placed in your hand and you won't get parole until after dark!
This is always a good motivation to get me out shooting more pics - 'gotta go to work love, bills to pay'! Try it, it might work for a while ;-)
So once again I found myself on the sands at Vazon shooting Round-2 of the GMC&CC Sand Racing Championship.
If you want to view the results of my lawn mowing avoidance click here:
SAND RACING 2012_ROUND-2

The weather was back 'just the way we like it' today for Round-10 of the GMC&CC Bike Trials.
This round was over the North sections and included an old seaside quarry at the northern end of L'Ancresse. This features a mix of loose stone and jagged rock. I managed to photograph many of the competitors and the pics can be viewed here:
ROUND-10 OF THE GMC&CC TRIALS

What a difference a day makes, only twenty-four hours....
Don't worry, I'm not going to sing to you!
But how come the weather in Guernsey went from dry to wet to dry again and it was the one in the middle that we had the hill climb?
So I enjoyed a soggy weekend along with the racers who turned up for a bit of slippery fun.
It is understandable, I guess, that some competitors will not bring their precious kit out in such aweful conditions. The same can be said for many photographers. Standing around in heavy rain trying to keep things dry is not nice.
However, it is also an opportunity to capture a different shot from the norm. Try it.
The low light levels help with slow shutter settings and of course the 'roosters' that the open wheeled cars throw up add some drama. It is also possible to make use of the reflections on the wet road.
The results of my discomfort are now online. If you like what you see don't forget you can click on the BUY NOW button. Your support is appreciated ;-)
VIEW THE HILL CLIMB PICTURE GALLERIES

Saturday saw the return of the Sand Racers to Vazon beach.
This was the first Sand Racing event in 2012 organised by the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club. The weather was fine and there was a reasonable turn-out of competitors.
This year will see the Club running a major championship race meeting on the beach at Vazon when the Condor Ferries sponsored 'British Sand Ace Championship' will be held on June 23rd.
I know that a top class group of riders (sliders) and sidecar crews are signed up to compete in this prestigeous race meeting.
We are all looking forward to that day.... bring it on!
My picture galleries have been updated with pics of the first race of 2012. Take a look here:
SAND RACING AT VAZON PICTURE GALLERY

Does this sound like a cracked record?
It does, doesn't it?
Well a dry and dusty track was what greeted the competitors and this photographer at yesterdays Motocross meeting in Guernsey. This was 'more of the same' as other recent mettings.
Parts of the track had been well watered before racing began which helped improve the conditions but it was always inevitable that I would return home with a 'sand tan'! The cameras didn't escape either.
It wasn't all bad though. I was able to position myself for some of the racing in places that captured the 'roosters of dust' that were being thrown into the air.
A new Gallery has been added. If you like what you see maybe you will consider pressing 'BUY NOW' beneath your favourite pic. There are various options for prints and canvases. You can even buy a digital file for Facebook.
By supporting your local photographer you will encourage me to maintain the commitment I give to local Motor Sport - end of the big sell ;-)
Pics online here: VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS PICTURE GALLERY

I'm often asked by fellow photographers and clients about the 'kit' I use.
There is no doubt that for many photographers part of the enjoyment in taking a pic is the equipment they get to use. There is also no doubt that some photogs take the choice of their kit to an extreme level! They can become unreasonable, agressive and perhaps blinded in their allegiance to a favourite manufacturer.
Right at this moment there is a (sometimes heated) debate in progress about the two leading Professional brands - Nikon & Canon. Each Company has two 'top-of-the-range' bodies already available or due shortly. The Nikon D4 & D800 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III & EOS-1DX.
I try and steer clear of this debate - I am heavily committed to the Nikon system (with a large collection of lenses, flashes etc) and don't really have a choice ;-)
  ....... but I do think that my choice of Nikon has been a good one over recent years. The D3 and D3s have been fantastic for my low light gig photography and have perhaps 'given me an edge' over the competition. Always handy, eh ;-)
The next few months will reveal if Canon have got closer in performance... the debate will continue.
  So perhaps it was inevitable (wasn't it?) that a Nikon D4 & D800 would be added to my kit! I am now in the process of getting to know them and they are VERY GOOD! I will bring a few updates on my findings during the next few weeks.
Having said all of the above, I think one of the most important pieces of kit is often overlooked by many photographers. This is their monitor. It is the interface between you and your finished work. It is where every judgement regarding colour and contast is made. However I have been amazed at some of the screens I have seen in use.
My advice to you if you are embarking on the pastime of photography is for you to allocate a decent part of your budget to a quality monitor. There are plenty of web sites offering helpful advice.
  This brings me to the real reason for this post. I have used a dual monitor set-up for many years and when one of them became difficult to calibrate I decided to buy a replacement. After looking at Eizo and NEC I decided to go with the NEC Spectraview REFERENCE 301. This is a 30" High Gamut monitor and it calibrates superbly with the X-rite i1 Display.
I am also loving the 2560 x 1600 pixels in 16:10 format which give plenty of space and an enlarged vertical compared to the more common 16:9 proportions. I highly recommend this superb monitor.
  My new desk layout is shown above... nice!
Whatever monitor you use it is normally possible to improve its colour and tone reproduction using the built-in utility or graphics card program on your system. Give it a try.
This graphic will help you judge if you have a reasonable calibration.

There was no argument in the pits when competitors were asked about the weather - only about the words used to describe it!
Brilliant, fantastic, unbelievable, superb, mega.... you get the idea!
The afternoon was as good as a summer's day and the conditions bought out a nice selection of new machinery and 'winter modifications'.
Needless to say a few Class records were broken and the tone was set for the rest of the seasons racing.
Undoubtedly we will see records lowered throughout the year... if we can have more brilliant, fantastic, unbelievable, superb & mega weather, please?
I have added a new Gallery of pics featuring the first GK&MC Sprint at Vazon:
GK&MC VAZON SPRINT PICS

There were a couple of other Motor Sport events held over last weekend and I popped along to both of them. The only similarity between the two is that they are both 'circuit racing' events.
Like I said, that is the only way they come close in their formats!
The first meeting was the latest round of the GK&MC Kart Championship at the Track. Karting is Non-contact (in theory) and races are held on a nice clean tarmac surface.
  In complete contrast, the second event was the Guernsey Autocross Club's 'Banger' racing on Chouet beach.
Down on the sands the gentle nudge of a fellow competitor is all part of the fun and when this is combined with the loose sand surface which deteriorates as more races are completed the end result is perhaps the best Motor Sport held in Guernsey for entertaining the crowds. Passengers are also allowed in the cars - if you can find one mad enough!
I love the circuit racing classes as it opens up more opportunities for a photographer - but you do have to keep both eyes open when racing cars are hurlting past you with their drivers blinded by the sand!
The Galleries have been updated with the latest action:
THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS
THE LATEST KARTING PICS

I've said it before, but I can't help mentioning it again.
The Motor Sport of Motocross is meant to be a winter sport in Guernsey but you would never guess it! Meeting after meeting the weather has been fantastic. Am I tempting fate by talking about it? Watch this space!
So once again I found myself in a very pleasant place on the southern cliffs of Guernsey capturing the action.
Unfortunately the day was split by other photo jobs which were indoors, I guess nothing's perfect ;-)
The Gallery has been updated with the latest Motocross pictures. Follow this link to view them: MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 10-03-20122

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club held their annual 2-day bike trials meeting this weekend. Sections were laid out on the south coast cliffs, some west coast beaches and on a hillside inland from Vazon bay.
The event remains really popular with visiting riders and once again had a good turn-out from France, Jersey and the UK.
On Saturday we were spoilt by the beautiful, sunny weather. It all went 'pear shaped' on Sunday morning though when heavy rain arrived. Yuck.
I was not impressed by the wet muddy conditions but I was assured by several competitors that 'it is perfect for trials'... strange bunch!
The Galleries have been updated with a selection of pics... you will note that there is a lack of pics in the torential rain... OK call me a wimp!
Follow this link to view the pics: 2-DAY BIKE TRIALS PICTURES

I have just been watching the national news and one of the headline stories was highlighting the lack of rainfall in some areas of the UK.
This got me thinking about Guernsey and how long ago it is that I had to endure working with my camera kit in heavy rain. It was a good while ago!
The odd thing is that, whilst it can be pretty miserable standing out all day in torrential rain trying to protect delicate and expensive camera equipment, when I get back to the studio and edit the pics it is often that the resulting pictures feature high up my list of favourites!
Quite why this is can be argued. Perhaps the pics really are more dynamic and special... or maybe it is just that I recall the 'suffering' that went into their capture?
But I have digressed. The last weekends Motor Sport was - once again - held in unseasonalbly nice weather and standing on Guernsey's south coast cliffs taking pictures of the Motocross and Trials was a nice experience.
Of course, the alternative was to 'tick-off' one of the 'things to do around the house' that my missus has pinned to the fridge door!
I think you have worked it out why I love photography so much ;-)
The Gallery has now been updated with some new Moto-X pics. Click here if you are interested:
ANOTHER 'FAIR WEATHER' MOTOCROSS RACE

The GMC&CC held the latest round of their Bike Trials Championship over a number of sections at Petit Bot today.
I was able to pop along in the morning to the Junior section which was set-out in a small copse on the south coast cliffs. The sections used all the gradients and water features and really challenged the young competitors. Mud, mud, mud was the order of the day!
The afternoon saw the seniors out to play. Once again the water sections proved to be the most entertaining. I managed to get a bit too close to the action and got both the photo kit and my clothes splashed with the brown goo. I was definitely a lot cleaner than the riders though!
The fruits of my labour are now online... check-out the new Gallery here:
PICTURES OF THE MUDDY TRIALS AT PETIT BOT

Photo Montages continue to be popular - both as a gift or as your own unique and individual record of a seasons racing or perhaps a live performance of your band.
I received a number of requests for Montages over the Christmas period. Off course they couldn't be added to the Gallery at the time as this would have spoilt the suprises!
So I have now uploaded a few more to the Montage Gallery for you to take a look... it might even tempt you into asking for your very own version!
The way this works is that you can select your favourite pictures - either from this web site or I can meet up with you and you can select the pics from my laptop database. The second option is the recommended one as I will probably have many more pics of you than the web site can display.
Once your choice is made I go ahead and make a design. This is then e-mailed to you for comment and approval before the final print is made using Professional quality pigment inks.
Sounds easy doesn't it... why not give it a try?
VIEW THE PHOTO MONTAGE GALLERY

The latest updates featuring Guernsey Motor Sport have been added to my picture galleries.
I popped along to two events on Sunday and captured a bit of the action.
The local petrol heads don't all retire to the garage just because it is a bit chilly!
Both of the Guernsey Clubs were in action over the weekend.
The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club held Round-1 of the 2012 Motocross Championship on Saturday (already added to the Galleries) then it was the Winter Karting Championship on Sunday morning.
The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club held another round of their Trials Bike Championship which I photographed on the windy coast near Lihou Island.
My Galleries have now been updted and you can take a peek using these links...
GK&MC KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP
GMC&CC TRIALS BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

Well it might have been a bit chilly... but it was dry! That'll do me.
I can't remember the last really wet Moto-X race on the Guernsey cliffs at Rue de la Trigale, it certainly was a while ago.
So the scene was set for the first round of the 2012 Championship and the action began.
Due to other photographic duties I was only at the track for a couple of hours but things were running smoothly with no serious 'offs' so my pics represent action from all of the Classes raced.
A new Gallery of pictures has been added. Check 'em out here...
MOTO-X CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND-1 2012