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I decided to try a different viewpoint whilst photographing the Guernsey Rowing Club's lockdown beating rowing event.

The Club came out of the forced lockdown to hold their first event of the year over the B course totaling 5,200 meters of open sea.

After starting at Havelet Bay the rowers headed south to Fermain Bay making a turn amongst the anchored leisure boats before heading back to St Peter Port.

I had positioned myself on the cliffs surrounding the picturesque bay in the hope that it offered a new viewpoint. The effort to get there was more than I remembered as I trekked down from the Jerbourg monument... there are a lot more steps than I recall!

But the reward was an open view looking down 300 feet on to the competitors... luckily I had taken my Nikon 180-400mm (560mm with the built-in extender) lens. With this lens I could see right into the boats.

I've added a small gallery of pics which can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST ROWING PICS

I can't help but look forward to the coming summertime.

Whilst we are bogged down at the moment with the Coronavirus issues we have to remain positive and optimistic that by the time summer arrives life will return to normal. All fingers crossed!

This year, after being starved of the social scene (hopefully) there will be a pent-up desire to party and enjoy the live music and festival season. Locally the Vale Earth Fair and the Greenman Chaos Festival will have a role to play in uplifting our spirits.

But all that is to come. I've been catching up with some editing and for now you can browse through my pics of last years Vale Earth Fair.

Follow the link below to view the latest updates which include:

The Cor Damme Lars
Karl Phillips & The Rejects
RentOClean
The Sacred Hearts
track not found
Baron Denden and the IL Sound System
and BlackTopTales
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST VEF 2019 UPDATES

With so much happening in the world at the moment and the seemingly endless wet weather it is easy to be distracted and maybe a little downhearted.

This is why I've turned back to some of the more uplifting memories from last year to bring a little sun and good cheer to my working day.

I also have to face the near endless task of catching up with the interrupted edits that are sitting on the hard drives waiting for attention.

There's no more uplifting edit awaiting than the wonderful Vale Earth Fair.... 2019 edition.

The VEF is certainly one of my highlights of any year... but it always leaves a huge edit in its path... probably as a few real ales makes me a bit trigger happy!

However in these changeable and dismal times (damn Coronavirus) it has been a pleasure to browse through my memories. I've started updating the 2019 VEF Galleries and first bands up are The Electric Shakes, The Recks, The King Blues and Festival headliners Neville Staple Band.
CLICK TO VIEW THE FIRST UPDATES TI THE 2019 VEF GALLERY

I fear that I'll probably never quite catch up with the backlog of editing from last year.... but I'll keep trying.

Last year wasn't quite a 'normal' one. There were quite a few distractions taking large chunks out of my work time. By far the most demanding was overseeing the modernization of our new home. This is now nearing completion but I think I was a bit naive regarding how much chasing and management would be required in getting the 'trades' to complete their work.

However we have now settled into the new place and the move has worked out brilliantly. We have renewed everything from ceilings, heating, electrics and networking to 65" TV's, flooring, driveway.... well just about everything! Oh, and I mustn't forget the great new kitchen too!

Whilst all that was underway I found myself emergency medivaced to the UK after Doctors found blood clots on my brain and I had a mild stroke. Thankfully the outcome has been much better than first feared and I've nearly made a full recovery.

So that's the excuses for the missed edits!

But I continue with the catch-up. This link takes you to a missed Autocross Banger event from last March. More will follow:
CLICK TO VIEW THE AUTOCROSS CATCH-UP

Last week was book-ended by two major sporting events... leading to two major edits. Oh what fun!!

The first event (weekend) was the February Fury boxing at Beau Sejour. With TWENTY bouts the number of pics taken topped 500! I'm glad to say that the final edit is complete and all the Galleries are now online.

The second of the weekends featured the Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally. As you will see from the previous Blog that event edit was turned around in super-fast time and pics can now be viewed.
CLICK TO VIEW THE FEBRUARY FURY GALLERIES
CLICK TO VIEW THE RESOLUTION-IT GUERNSEY RALLY GALLERIES

Well it just shows that if you put your back into a job you can finish it in record time!

I decided that the Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally pics had to be edited as soon as possible to clear the deck for a busy week ahead.

So I'm pleased to say that the jobs a good 'un. Over 300 pics of the action together with a 'Rally Scene' Gallery for good measure.

Click the link below to view all the pics.

It was enjoyable looking through my pics of the Rally. I've mentioned before that sometimes it's like seeing the action for the first time as the actual shoot can be intense and non-stop.

In this case it was amusing to recall the 'Star of the Rally' or at least the one that entertained the spectators the most. Sorry Dale, it wasn't you this time!

No, the star was definitely the death defying chicken who seemed oblivious to the speed of a rally car at full chat. If it's true that a cat has nine lives this chicken tops that with at least thirty!!

I also noted that the App on my phone that records my steps put my mileage over the day and evening at nearly seven miles. This was traveled with a very weighty backpack and three cameras slung around my neck. It's not surprising I feel fatigued today.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 RESOLUTION-IT RALLY

It was nearly third time lucky for the local crew of Dale Crowsley and co-driver John Vaudin in the 2020 Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally.

They were straight on the pace at the start of this years one-day Rally and topped the leader board before being hunted down by the vastly experienced Jersey crews of Ros la Noa with co-driver Domonic Volante and Jeremy Baudains with co-driver James Ollivro.

The visiting duo were both racing more powerful Ford Escort MK2's and ultimately they showed a bit more speed. Maybe next time Dale?

Whilst I proceed to edit nearly 500 pics that I took during the twelve hours of coverage I made at the 2020 Resolution-IT Rally follow this link to view the submission I had to make over-night to the Guernsey Press for Monday's paper.

Full coverage will be added to this website over the next couple of days...
CLICK TO VIEW THE FIRST PRESS EDIT OF THE 2020 RESOLUTION-IT RALLY

The Guernsey Boxing calendar starts the year with a highlight event.

Aptly named 'February Fury' the 2020 edition has just taken place at Beau Sejour with a hectic evening of non-stop action.

This year featured contests between Guernsey and a UK Select team that included a team of RAF boxers.

Twenty bouts in one night meant there was no moment of rest for photographers. The work then continued with the edit!

I've now uploaded my pics to a new Gallery which will be completed over the next couple of days. You can view my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 FEBRUARY FURY

The 2021 Island Games '500 days to go' special event was held at Beau Sejour on the 19th February 2020.

Whilst this date was significant and starts the countdown to when thousands of sportsmen, teams, supporters and organisers arrive in Guernsey for the 2021 edition of the Island Games much work has already gone on behind the scene to build the foundations of the games.

The '500 days to go' launch represents the start of a process to enroll the vital team of 'Game Makers'.

Key organizers and supporters were at Beau Sejour to hear the latest updates and there was a measurable sense of anticipation and excitement for the challenges ahead.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 500 DAYS TO GO LAUNCH

On the face of it you probably wouldn't go out of your way to see a Terrible Stuntman. Would you?

However if that is the name of Big Bobby Battle's latest band that should be enough to tickle your interest.

Unfortunately not many people saw it that way on Saturday when Terrible Stuntman headlined a gig at The Fermain Tavern organized by Havoc Events.

The lineup was strong and the variety of acts should of had something for everyone but sadly the audience numbers were small. First act on stage was The Crowband. Next up were Kings adding a more Pop influenced sound. Lifejacket then laid down some heavier tones.

Then it was left to the Terrible Stuntman to bring things to a close. It will be fun following the development of this project during the year. I think the potential is already showing.

By the way I love the band name Bobby... somehow it's just a perfect for fit you, ha ha :-)

I've added pics of three of the bands to my Galleries. Sorry I didn't see the Crowband due to an earlier assignment.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF TERRIBLE STUNTMAN
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF LIFEJACKET
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF KINGS

The Independent Venue Week is a great initiative aimed at supporting and promoting independent live music venues across the UK.

The hope is that the trend of these unique places closing can be slowed and halted. This is an important goal which any scholar of the history of popular music would tell you.

Small venues have been the making of almost every major act to emerge on to the scene for decades. Without these 'seed beds' where young artists and musicians can meet, network and develop their personalities and performances the future of modern music would be stunted.

So it was fantastic to see the support given by musicians and gig supporters to the Guernsey edition of the Independent Venue Week at St James.

I photographed three of the bands who performed, The Tarantulips, Stone Cold Fiction and the headliners Beach Riot.

Follow these links to view my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BEACH RIOT

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF STONE COLD FICTION

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE TARANTULIPS

The Guernsey Athletics Chertsey House 5 Mile Road Run from L'ancresse to St Peter Port is always fun to photograph.

The entry is made up of the top local athletes combined with the more gently paced 'fun runners'.

I was asked to photograph this years event and remembered how easy it can be to miss the final action completely. The brief asked for me to capture pics of the start, mid course and finish line.

One previous year I had waited for the last of the runners to pass me along the first section of the course before I then tried to drive in the direction they were heading. The problem was that the race is along an open public road and with the slow pace of the back-markers and oncoming traffic it was very hard to overtake to catch up with the fast front runners.

So this year I was better planned and I used a short cut to gain a position ahead of the field and I had a relaxed time arriving at the finish line.

I've added a small Gallery featuring a few pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 CHERTSEY HOUSE ROAD RUN

Everything is slowly getting back into its routine as we complete the first month of 2020.

The Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club held their first evening of 2020 at St Pierre Park last Friday.

Their intention was to showcase ten bouts but due to the late withdrawal of boxers the night was reduced to just eight fights.

There was still plenty of action though and I enjoyed trying capture the highlights. The Gallery of pics featuring all eight bouts can now be viewed online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST DINNER BOXING EVENING OF 2020

The Betway Channel Islands Sports Awards ceremony is held annually with the venue alternating between Guernsey and Jersey.

It was Guernsey's turn to host the 2019 event and the David Ferguson Hall at Beau Sejour was turned into a Television Studio to enable the live transmission of the highlights.

This gallery showcases my pics the winners....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2019 BETWAY SPORTS AWARDS

Now I really should know better. I’m the bloke who is paranoid about backing up Computers, Images, Databases, Emails…. everything really.

But we all drift off the right track sometimes, don’t we?

My latest excursion off the straight and narrow was at the weekend.

I was trying to write a new Blog. This is something that rarely produces anything of note. They are usually just links to the latest Galleries or they only feature my bland comments. I know my limitations!

However last Sunday afternoon whilst writing a new Blog I felt inspired (in my dreams, eh)!

I’d added a Gallery that featured some shots I’d taken of the Guernsey Snooker Masters Finals at the Gremlin Club.

As I was editing the pics I was remembering how difficult the sport can be to capture pics of.

Now you have to remember that I photograph many, many different Sports. I should be used to whatever challenge each one throws up. But when analyzing my Sports shoots there is a trend… most Sport photography is about split second timing. Nothing unexpected there. Then the environment is usually noisy and the play is fast paced. The skill is in being able to follow the action, anticipate the moves, make sure you are in the best place to see the highlights and keep your concentration.

It was with those thoughts in mind that I was intrigued by how different the skills need to be when photographing some Sports. As I mentioned above I was completing an edit of an important Snooker competition.

I’ve photographed Snooker several times before and you soon realize that being in the ‘arena’ and trying to work is unlike most ‘playing fields’.

A photographer is at risk of ‘getting in the way’ and distracting players as they make frame winning shots. There is no doubt that a photographer will soon be asked to leave if they interrupt the hush with a CLATTER. CLATTER just as a player lines up a crucial shot.

Also a photographer must not, cannot, move around trying to find ‘their’ perfect composition. That movement might again distract and influence play. The important work is being done by the players, ideally a photographer should not be seen or heard, we are very low in the pecking order!

So Snooker is nothing like most Sports to photograph… and I haven’t even mentioned the lighting. OK the table might be brightly lit but there is usually a difficult green colour cast from the baize and the ‘background’ of the room is often as black as a coal mine.

All problems added together it is a great help if a photographer can enroll a little assistance from modern technology. I did this at the Masters Snooker.

But firstly, getting back to how I started this Blog. I’d spent quite some time writing a text on this theme (I’ve already said that words don’t flow easily for me) when my wife called me for the evening meal. I was disappointed to break the flow of ideas but the aroma of roast beef saw me step away from the creative process. The plan was to let the PC go to ‘sleep’. I would simply continue from where I was after the meal. There was even a chance that a couple of glasses of red wine would lubricate the creative juices. However when I returned I discovered that all those wonderful words had somehow disappeared. I was raging… the work was awesome, inspiring, wise and could have changed a generations ideas about photography, ha,ha!

Could I ever articulate such wisdom again? Of course not. That’s why this is all you get to read!

Back to the storyline ….

You will remember that I was limited to the dark confines of a Snooker room with little control of what I could do to give myself any sort of advantage to get the shots. Oh I forgot to mention that I’d only been assigned a short time to get the shots before moving on to the next assignment… a rugby game. No problem taking pics of that Sport! The pressure was on!

So I used experience from previous Snooker shoots to decide that one of Nikon’s latest cameras might help me out. I’ve owned a Nikon Z7 from the day it first went on sale. I was immediately impressed with the quality of files it produces, the detail and dynamic range are as good as it currently gets. But I confess that it is rarely taken out of my bag as mirror-less technology really can’t yet match Pro level DSLR cameras when it comes to photographing fast action. For how long? Who knows as I’m sure the Nikon ‘Z’ range will quickly develop into an ‘all-round’ system. Watch this space.

But as the saying goes… ‘you should always use the right tool for the job’ and maybe I’ve found the perfect one for photographing Snooker. My Z7 stepped up to the mark big time. The dynamic range of the RAW files enabled me to edit for the lights and darks and the colour cast could be balanced with ease. Also the completely silent shutter allowed me to capture moments of play that my D5’s shutter clatter would have got me chucked out. There is a gallery online where you can view a few of my latest Snooker pics. Click the link below.

To summarize. This Blog has become an extended ramble as I made an attempt to re-write my thoughts. The points to note are:

1: Always backup your work as you go along. You don't want to lose your words of wisdom!
2: Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the aroma of roast beef.
and
3: Always use the right tool for the job!
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY SNOOKER MASTERS

We must all acknowledge that recent generations including ourselves have little to be proud about when it comes to how we have treated the Earth... the only planet that can sustain life.

Any of you who like me are of near pensionable age will probably be departed before the true horror of the seeds we have sown manifest their worst damage and change.

Thankfully there are groups of people of all ages who a least attempt to undo some of mans short-sighted excesses. One such group is the Guernsey Trees for Life who aim to increase tree and hedgerow cover throughout Guernsey.

The planting is made using native species which should offer the best habitat to other native plants and wildlife. They must be praised for taking a long-term approach and hopefully future islanders will be grateful for the endevour.

I was able to spend a short time talking to some of the volunteers whilst taking a few pics for the Guernsey Press. There was a good turnout even though the weather wasn't great... maybe the promise of a bacon butty helped!

A few pics are online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY TREES FOR LIFE PLANTING

I was reminded how our small Island punches above its weight (using a sporting analogy!) whilst photographing the 2020 Guernsey Sports Commission Awards evening at Beau Sejour tonight.

Sometimes it seems that there is an endless stream of young talent coming through the system. We are lucky to have many, many committed Coaches and Officials putting hours into supporting their chosen Sports. They work incredibly hard behind the scenes and it was good to see that this work was recognized at the Awards night too.

But it was the individual stars and teams who enjoyed the acknowledgement of their achievements when receiving their trophies from Andy Priaulx.

I have added a small Gallery to this website featuring the presentation of awards:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 GUERNSEY SPORTS COMMISSION AWARDS

GFC and Whyteleafe FC were closely matched when they faced each other at Footes Lane in a BetVictor South East League game. A nil-nil score probably reflected the run of play but I did fancy our local side to sneak a win as they did conjure up more chances.

This was the final GFC game of the decade and they seem on course to maintain their ranking in the league. Another short run of their best form could get them into the playoffs.

With over one thousand supporters at Footes Lane on Saturday the side has all the encouragement it needs. Good luck GFC with this latest challenge.

My pics of the GFC v Whyteleafe game are now online here:
VIEW PICS OF GFC v WHYTELEAFE

The School of Popular Music's annual Christmas Concert is always full of seasonal good cheer and anticipation of what is to come.... both Christmas Day and the ongoing development of the young talent.

The relaxed atmosphere which is shared by students, SoPM tutors, family and friends is often the first time the younger performers stand on stage in front of a room full of people.

It is a credit to them and their tutors that they always rise to the occasion and produce many memorable performances.

I've photographed the concerts many times and there have always been 'stand-out' young people who I'm sure will already feature during next years many SoPM events. I think that the SoPM's modern teaching structure is fantastic at building confidence within the youngsters as there seems to be a healthy balance between the required formal practice and discipline which is combined with having a 'target' set on future events where new abilities can be showcased.

You can view my latest pics of the School of Popular Music's 2019 Christmas Concert by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW THE SoPM 2019 CHRISTMAS CONCERT

One of the more enjoyable Press assignments of 2019 was being sent to photograph the Accent Language School singing Christmas carols in Market Square.

I was getting into seasonal good spirits whilst driving down to town but this was soon tempered when I saw that I literally had only torchlight to work with!

In the end I was quite pleased with the results.

Click the link to view the Gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW THE ACCENT LANGUAGE SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGING