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Like many 'old school' photographers I started my career shooting on black & white film.

Now more than five decades later I find that my 'first love' has stayed with me throughout life. It seems that there always remains a place in our heart for the 'first one'.

So having completed the edit of the 46th Guernsey Chess Festival (in colour) I allowed myself to indulge in a little nostalgia by selecting a few of the images to develop into black & white.

I have to admit that I loved the exercise and I could so easily give up on colour for the clarity, focus and purity that a mono-tone image produces.

Seeing these images has re-awakened the young photographer in me... from fifty-three years ago. You can expect more B&W pics from me in the future...

Take a look at this small edit of Black & White Chess pics. I hope they grab your attention as much as they do for me:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BLACK & WHITE CHESS EDIT

Not many words this time!

Just to give you a link to pics of Round-2 of the Guernsey Autocross Club's Banger racing at Chouet Beach.

Round-2 of the Winter Championship can be viewed by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 2 OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Whilst the show has to go on whatever the weather there is nothing wrong about enjoying when the sun is out and it is a warm early autumnal morning.

So it was very nice to visit The Track to photograph Round 9 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Karting Championship on Sunday... in bright sun!

Motorsport has a tradition of using colourful graphics and of course the sun makes these colours more vibrant. A photographer will grasp the chance to work when things are so good!

If you want to see the result I've uploaded a new Gallery featuring Round 9 of the GK&MC Karting Championship.
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 9 OF THE KART CHAMPIONSHIP

I'm sure I'm simply re-stating some previous Blog when I say this... but that must mean it's true, surely?

But I do love my job when it involves spending time on a beach... on a bright and sunny day. Add into the mix a bit of motorsport photography and the noises and smells that go with this sport and I've ticked most of the boxes!

I was down at Chouet Beach for the return of the Guernsey Autocross Winter Championship. There is always a summer break for those who just like to lay around on the white sands. But as Autumn arrives it's the petrol heads who reclaim the beach... at least for a few hours on occasional Sundays!

It was Round 1 of the new Winter Championship and you can view the pics I captured of the action here:

CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 1 OF THE NEW AUTOCROSS WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP

After missing a couple of the 2022 Motocross race meetings due to being assigned to cover other events it was great to be on the top of the Pleinmont cliffs again on Saturday.

Of course it might not have been so pleasant if the weather had produced the rain that had been forecast.

But as it turned out it was most enjoyable. There had even been some, rare for this summer, rainfall in the past couple of days to dampen down most of the dust... so a dip in the bath wasn't required once I got home!

However it was disappointing to see how small the entry was - leaving seven of the eight classes with three or less riders! This must put at risk the viability of running these events. It's a real shame as when I chatted to riders in the pits they were all saying how much fun they were having.

Maybe later in the season some of the MX riders will return from their 'summer holiday' riding the sands at Vazon Bay?

I've added a new Gallery featuring my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS PICS

We headed back to the beautiful... normally quiet... Island of Sark on Friday for the first event of a 'double-header' Lawn Mower racing weekend.

The two days of action started with the hillclimb at Sark Harbour hill.

The racing doesn't start until the final boat of the day has docked and the passengers have been transported to the top of the hill by the unique 'Sark trailer bus'. An experience that has to be taken if you ever visit this Channel Island!

But the wait for racing is never boring or wasted as the Bel Air pub is placed adjoining the finish line.

Surely every race track should be designed in this way?

I multi-tasked and managed a few beers together with a few pics. Nice.

There is a new Gallery online if you want to check out my pics
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 SARK HILLCLIMB PICS

There was lots of Motorsport action at Vazon Coast Road for the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Sprint meeting on Saturday.

Entry numbers had been boosted by the addition of a 'Race What You Brung' class which saw the return to the tarmac of some old faces and a line-up of new Sprint virgins!

I've uploaded a new Gallery of pics featuring all the racing. Check it out here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE VAZON SPRINT GALLERY

All things seemed to align for perfect hillclimbing on Saturday at Le Val des Terres.

I don't know what hidden forces need to come into play to make a perfect hillclimb but something special was in the air for the GK&MC event.

The action left competitors with both PB’s and new Class records written into the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club archives.

I enjoyed capturing the racing and a new Gallery features my pics is now online...
CLICK TO VIEW THE GK&MC HILLCLIMB_06-08-2022

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club organised a special summer Sandracing event for its members. This offered them the chance to log up the laps during two days of intensive racing.

The format to combine two days of racing - back to back - clearly had a lot of support.

The number of entries showed that (many of) the racers were prepared to take a Friday off work for day one knowing that Saturday's racing was to follow.

It was great to see such a full line-up on the start line for the bike races. Also there was a larger number of spectators lining the beach wall than for a 'standard' event. This made for a fantastic atmosphere.

All this combined to make a great event and maybe one that will feature in the calendar in future years?

I've added a new Gallery featuring some of my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2-DAY SANDRACING EVENT

The Avon Tyres Motorsport UK British National Hillclimb Championship returned to Le Val des Terres for the first time since 2019... and expectations were high.

The two local rounds were numbered 21 & 22 so there were plenty of reference points established in the earlier rounds and the bet was on that racing would be close and competitive and there was a feeling that the outright hill record would be lowered.

And it was a safe bet on all counts! Hundredths of a second split the competitors and sure enough Alex Summers was the one who left the Island with his name in the record book with a time of 26.56 sec.

Maybe the high temperatures were less that perfect for engine performance but the dry hot surface enabled records to drop in several other classes too.

Well done to all who participated and a BIG thank you to the Guernsey Motor Cycle and Car Club for organising the event. Roll on next year!

This gallery features my pics of all the racing:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 GUERNSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB

Jersey welcomed the 'top guns' back to Bouley Bay hill for rounds 19 and 20 of the 2022 Avon Tyres Motorsport UK British National Hillclimb Championship.

As happened to most sporting events Covid had disrupted this exciting motorsport spectacle. So there was a great sense of anticipation ahead of its return to the Channel Islands.

The first rounds of the 2022 championship had already suggested this years local competition was going to be close.

Many of the earlier rounds had already produced new records. Could Jersey join the list?

But, perhaps surprisingly, the record book wasn't re-written this time so we will have to wait twelve months for another try.... or maybe Guernsey's Le Val des Terres will get the new fastest time?

The Bouley Bay gallery is now online and the Guernsey pics will follow after Saturday's racing.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JERSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB PICS

After leaving the fun on the beach at the Autocross end of season meeting I headed on to The Track.

Cars were swapped for bikes, sand for tarmac.

The GMC&CC Twisty Sprint is always non-stop action as the organising is really good... this provides track action without any holdups. Riders benefit from having multiple runs. But they must need a rest... or at least a beer or two by the end of the day.

I made good use of the vantage points and took a load of pics. Follow this link to view the Gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC TWISTY SPRINT

Tradition was followed at the last race meeting of the Autocross season.

The Guernsey Autocross Club organised an 'end of term' fun day on the sand at Chouet beach. This offers club members a chance to have a laugh as the pressure of chasing championships is over.

Various different races were organised including the Media race where Press, TV and Radio personalities had a chance to go head to head in battle. Well done to Luke Webb from Island FM for crossing the finish line first.

And a special mention for Sophie Rabey - one of my mates at the Guernsey Press - as she got third place and a podium finish.

I was able to spend a few more minutes at Chouet before going on to the next job. This enabled me to take a few more pics of the 'Chained' race. Two cars are literally tied together... and it looked like fun!

Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 AUTOCROSS FUN MEETING
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What happens when a photographer has too much time on his hands.... well I now know!

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club organised a two-day Hill Climb at the Val des Terres last weekend and I decided to cover the events. I thought I'd factored in the excess of time by finding other events to cover on each day. The plan was to limit the time at the hill.

It seemed logical that if I only spent two half days capturing the action that (simple maths!) that the time would add up to one day... just like a normal one day event. Simple!

But somehow it didn't work out. Don't ask me to explain as I have no idea why. I ended taking more pics than I planned!

So since they are now 'in the can' it would be a waste not to upload them!

Here they are if you're interested:
CLICK TO VIEW THE MANY TWO-DAY HILLCLIMB PICS

It was a Bank Holiday.... so how do you think I spent my time?

A quick search of my picture galleries would soon give you a clue!

Bank Holidays in Guernsey usually give an opportunity to the Motor Sport community to dust off their machinery and get out to play.

And so I found myself track-side at the first Le Val des Terres hill climb of the 2022 season. This Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club event had a good sized entry and as I wandered through the pits at the start of the day there was some interesting new kit on show. There were also a few new faces.

With it being nice and sunny too I really enjoyed getting back around the noise and action that feature in this sport.

I've added a comprehensive Gallery of pics for you to explore here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE GMC&CC HILL CLIMB GALLERY

Well done to all those who organized the Guernsey Round of the 2022 CI Moto-X Championship.

Also our local riders who did us proud by leading from the front! Nice one guys and gals.

Another big thank you (ha, ha) goes to whoever filled me in with sticky mud on Saturday.... note to self: Stand further from the track next time 🙂

I was at the holeshot and probably didn't take my normal interest in the condition of the bend. I had a very short time available on the first day as I needed to get away to photograph two football games.

I made the rookie mistake of not allowing for the bigger than usual number of bikes heading into the holeshot. Inevitably some had to take a wide line hitting the puddle of very sticky mud on the outside of the track launching it in my direction!

The outcome of this splattering was a very muddy photographer including two cameras and lenses. I had to leave the racing early and make a quick return to home for a change of clothing and a hose-down of my kit!

But luckily I have a short memory and on Sunday I was back trackside for more pics. This time there was less mud too!

I've added a full Gallery of the pics I took on my website if you are interested. Click on this link:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 CI MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

All sports photography makes special demands on a photographer.

The challenges may take different forms with so many sports available but there is always a similar thread running through the photographic work.

Unlike filming sports action (digital video nowadays) a photographer has to rely on capturing a 'peak' moment of action telling the story of the activity in a single frame.

What isn't perhaps obvious to those who don't spend their days photographing sport is that to capture the pics that a photog wants there is often a lot of work beforehand to create the 'luck' to reliably come home with the pics!

Getting the shot needs the photographer to be in the right place at the right time and to be ready with a camera all set... exposure settings, correct lens, positioned to give the most dynamic angle for what is about to happen... then to maintain attention during the boring moments to be poised and ready when the action kicks off as it is usually over in fractions of a second!

Luckily, like most skills, practice really does help.


This ramble comes after I've just photographed a two day Trials Bike event. I only had limited time to spend at the event so I really needed to work hard to get the pics that I planned.

I like to make use of the setting that trials bike sections are laid out in as realistically many of the riders will not offer me the dynamic action that I know they think they perform. My job is to make the competitors look amazing and a bit of help from the background can help!

However there are always a few elite riders who really provide an opportunity to get great shots. But even capturing those is a problem as Trials sections are spread over a wide area (miles apart) and it is all too easy to miss them completely whilst moving around.

I'd studied the various sections (you make your own luck) and I had earmarked one steep granite rock climb as the most promising for the 'shot of the day'. I now had to hope that I would be in place when the elite riders came to the obstacle.

Luck was with me (just) as with just minutes left before I needed to get to the next assignment the top guns turned up. All the planning came together, I was in the right place, the lens was correct, the settings all dialed in, I just needed the action to happen as I hoped.

And it did! I got the planned shot and there wasn't really any luck involved! I love it when a plan comes together!

I've added a gallery featuring all my 2-Day trials pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 GMC&CC 2-DAY TRIALS PICS

Here comes the summer.....

Well I might be a bit premature with this comment as it's is only April the second but when an assignment is on the beach and it is sunny it's easy to get a bit excited!

I'd found myself down on the white sands of Vazon Bay to photograph race one of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2022 Sand Racing Championship and this was a great start to the year.

Whilst I'm sure there will be some pretty horrible and mucky meetings before the championship reaches the end I'll enjoy things whilst the going is good!

I've uploaded a few pics to a new Gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW RACE 1 OF THE 2022 SAND RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2022 Petit Bot Hill Climb was held in March this year. Perhaps the aim was to achieve a dry event for a change. If that was the plan it all worked out well. The contrast to the previous year couldn't have been greater!

It was nice to be able to photograph this event without waterproofs on. However I did miss the dramatic shots from last years torrential rain.

You just can't keep some people happy, eh!!

The pics from this year are now online. Take a look at them here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 PETIT BOT HILL CLIMB

To check out what a wet (normal) Petit Bot hill climb looks like click on this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A WET PETIT BOT HILL CLIMB

As the F1 cars take to the track at the start of their 2022 season the Guernsey Motorsport racing community have also dusted off their machinery to get back to racing.

The opening event of the Guernsey tarmac season started today with the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Vazon Sprint.

I made two visits to photograph some of the action. Between the two I popped off to Footes Lane to cover the GFC v Uxbridge football. More about that later.

Click on this link to see my first edit featuring the Vazon Sprint which is now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC VAZON SPRINT