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The annual tidy-up is still underway and I've found another folder of pics that seem to have missed the edit... but that's sorted now!

These pics are from way back in the summer when a David Bowie tribute act visited Guernsey and played a couple of outdoor concerts within the historic walls of Castle Cornet.

I was sent along by the Guernsey Press to take a few pics and enjoyed re-living my youth to a stream of Bowie hits. I was a great fan of the Starman and hearing so many of his hits during a two hour set reminded me of the time when I wore flares, platform boots and had hair down to the shoulders. Thankfully not too many pics exist of that very questionable period of fashion!

The Bowie Experience did a good job of 'time-travelling' us back to the days of cassettes and no mobile phones. Those were the days :-)

This is a link to my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE

Guernsey's Baliff, Sir Richard Collas, conducted the opening ceremony of the new Sarah Groves Room, a refurbished children's library, within the Guille-Alles library.

He welcomed the children as he opened the new facility and encouraged them to charge up the stairs to be first into the beautifully designed and constructed room.

Everything has been laid out specifically for children with places to explore and many little nooks and bolt holes for the young ones to hide and find a quiet spot to read.

I photographed the ceremony and a few of my pics can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE OPENING OF THE SARAH GROVES ROOM

European Tour Professional Golfer Robert Rock visited La Grande Mare Golf Club where he coached the Guernsey Island Junior Golf Team.

Robert had lots of good advise and tips to offer after many years playing at the top level. He first joined the European Tour as an affiliate member back in 2003.

Since then he has played all around the world against the biggest names in the sport. Impressively he can add two of the all-time greats to his list of opponents that he has beaten... Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy no less!

Let's hope a bit of his magic will rub off on our local juniors!

I was sent along to take a few pics. View them here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROBERT ROCK

There was no map needed by me to find my way to The Captains Hotel. In fact once I'd got near I only had to listen out for the live music.

I'd journeyed 'down south' to listen to Jim Delbridge launch his new album 'The Navigator'. When I entered the very packed bar it was clear that Jim's devoted fans had come out in bus loads!

There was a fantastic atmosphere with people just wanting to absorb the new tracks... just as well as it was near impossible to find a way to the bar for a beer!

Once again Jim has produced a mature, well crafted and memorable collection of songs. As always much of Jim's work could stand alone as poetry as he is a great wordsmith.

Seeing the size of the crowd that filled the bar I'm not alone in my enjoyment of his work.

I (somehow) managed to capture a few pics of the evenings performance. Take a look at them here:
CLICK TO VIEW A FEW PICS OF THE NAVIGATOR LAUNCH

If you're not a Guern you probably won't understand what I'm talking about but just believe me this does make sense to us!

My edit of last nights gig at St James is now complete and online. The two new galleries feature pics of The Cor Damme Lars (get it?) and The Recks.

Follow these links to view my pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST PICS OF THE COR DAMME LARS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST PICS OF THE RECKS

The Baghdaddies headlined a mid-week gig at St James in Guernsey where they went down a storm with the crowd who managed to raise their spirits despite it being a Wednesday night and miserable weather outside.

This is a great party band... catch 'em if you can!

I popped along to take some pics for the Guernsey Press and was pleased to see my favorite lighting tech behind the desk... Lloyd Helyer.

Now before I upset all the other lighting techs around and jeopardize any of their gigs I photograph in the future (I love all of your work too... I really do!) it is just something in the way Lloyd lights a stage that makes the job of photographing a performance so much easier.

I've noticed this very often. Lloyd's lighting makes my processing of the pics so much quicker and easier... he saves me time, what's not to like!

I should clarify this a bit more... and I accept that I'm seeing this just from a photographers point of view.

From an audience's viewpoint I'm sure they would never have a 'preference' for any good lighting tech.

But back to the photographers viewpoint. I don't know if there are 'technical' terms for this but I notice that Lloyd tends to 'layer' the lighting. He uses colour really well and generally doesn't 'flood' a stage in a single primary colour. There's often an element of subtle white light too. Another factor is that I find I can predict his timing better than some other lighting techs.

All these elements combine together to assist my work... in colour.

But I have to admit that I do have a love for the black& white print. There is a strength and dynamic in that traditional format. Many of my favourite pics are indeed B&W and I will always continue to produce (lots of) B&W work.

However today's lighting and cameras offer the chance to capture colour better than ever before. So when given a beautifully lit and colourful stage it is maybe a sin not to use it to its best effect!

Hence, if you look at my gallery of The Baghdaddies pics you will see they are nearly all in colour. Lloyds lighting means that I don't have to turn to B&W just to 'save' a pic.

Also on the bill were The Cor Damme Lars and The Recks. Their pics will follow shortly.

I hope you enjoy looking at my Baghdaddies pics. Drop me an email Email me if you have any comments... agreeing or disagreeing with my thoughts.
CLICK TO VIEW MY PICS OF THE BAGHDADDIES

The perfect combination of sun, sea and surf. There was a strong and chilly wind on this autumn afternoon at Vazon Bay in Guernsey but it was still a fabulous place to be.

My pics don't really tell the full story as the lovely quality of the sunlight deceives us into thinking it was warm. But remember this was a November afternoon. Clearly surfers don't feel the cold.

There was some impressive surfing to entertain the spectators who had wrapped up and lined the sea wall.

I've added a picture gallery featuring some of the pics I captured of the enthusiastic surfers. Follow the link to view my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE SURFING AT VAZON BAY

Sadly, but thankfully rarely, the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club suffered from disruption of their latest event.

The evening's bouts were disrupted by fog at Guernsey's airport which meant that the visiting team of Welsh fighters didn't make it to the island.

To the credit of the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club and the Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club the diners still had eight bouts to enjoy. The competitive element was missing as the bouts were only sparring but everyone seemed to understand the difficulty and it turned out to be another enjoyable night.

Let's hope it is many years before the weather messes things up again.

I enjoyed taking pics as I captured some unusual 'pairings'... Casey De La Mare v Billy Poullain... compete with a bit of wrestling by Casey's corner!

View all the bouts here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE SPARRING BOUTS AT THE DINNER BOXING

The idea behind the SOUND at St James Festival was to showcase the best of the Guernsey Bands and Musicians within the warm, dry main hall and adjoining rooms of the historic venue.

For this first time the event was organized it immediately proved that an indoor festival is the only way to go in late October as the festival goers knew nothing of the torrential rain outside!

There were two full days of live local music spread over three stages with barely time to take a breath between acts. Those who attended enjoyed what must be the best value achievable for just ten pounds a day!

My edit of pics will take a few days but a gallery has already been added featuring some of the acts who played on Saturday.

Keep a lookout on this Blog for future updates.

Click on this link to view the first pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIRST PICS OF SOUND AT ST JAMES

It was a toe-to-toe Slugfest at Beau Sejour last Saturday evening.

I had a good idea what to expect as I'd photographed the 2017 edition and knew that a competitive program of bouts was guaranteed.

This year the visiting team was a Northern Counties Select lineup. The spectators were entertained by fifteen bouts featuring Minimum Weight, Bantamweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Light-Heavyweight, Heavyweight and Super Heavyweight. That must have covered most options!

By the end of the night the local team had pulled off a hard-fought 8-6 win (the first bout of the night didn't count towards the overall total).

The bout of the night award went to the Lightweight fight between Niall Adams and Liam Riley, well done guys.

I've now uploaded a full gallery of pictures featuring every bout. Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2018 OKTOBER SLUGFEST

A new charity event for 2018 was the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.

A large group of riders congregated outside the White Rock Cafe before heading off for an Island tour.

The majority of riders had entered into the spirit of the ride by dressing as 'Gentlemen'.

Money raised by the local event was for Men’s Shed and Male Uprising Guernsey.

Before the riders set off, Jack Mourant was named as the best turned out rider, while Colin Robin’s 1959 Triumph Tiger 110 was judged to be the best bike.

I was sent along to St Peter Port to capture a few pics for The Guernsey Press. You can view them here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMEN'S RIDE

The 2018 H.M.S. Charybdis & H.M.S. Limbourne weekend was marked by the formal ceremony and remembrance of those who lost their life.

The Royal Marines Band Plymouth were in attendance and were as popular as ever with the crowd. They played in Market Square on Saturday and provided the formal marching music at the remembrance service at the Foulon Cemetery.

This Gallery features pics of the two main events of the weekend.
CLICK TO VIEW MY PICS OF THE CHARYBDIS WEEKEND

Sadly I only had a few minutes to photograph some of the Dressage riders at their recent Championship event at the BSJA grounds before they took a break for lunch and I had to get to my next assignment.

That was a disappointment as it is a while since I've photographed this sport and I was looking forward to 'getting my eye in' again. One of the things I most like about my photography is that it is so varied with each genre requiring some understanding of what 'action shots' present the sport in the best style.

I would certainly need more than the few minutes that I had this time to get a 'proper feel' and understanding of Dressage but it was still fun.

Hopefully I'll be given more time if I'm sent to photograph the event again.
CLICK TO VIEW A FEW DRESSAGE PICS

I hadn't expected to find the time to take pics of the Channel Island Mower Racing Association's race meeting last Saturday.

However the opportunity appeared between two of my assignments and it was to good to miss.

I'd already spent an hour or so getting layered in dust up at the Motocross racing and had to brush myself down before popping along the the Dressage Championship. Luckily I was early enough to capture pics of a few riders before they took an inconvenient (for me) break for lunch!

But this opened a small time-slot before I had to get to the Fairfield for the Dog Show... I bet you'd love my busy life, eh!!!

So it was more dust for me at the Mower racing where the guys obliged me by running a race so I could quickly grab a few pics. Thanks lads.

My pics from this one race are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MOWER RACING PICS

After taking a short break Cage & Stage Productions returned with a sold-out Lock-In Guernsey - Round 6 at Beau Sejour.

The packed hall of spectators at Beau Sejour was entertained to thirteen hard-fought bouts which included Boxing, K1, Muay Thai and MMA. Much beer was drunk and as the evenings combat progressed the atmosphere built.

Every fighter should be proud of themselves for the bravery they showed by stepping into 'The Cage'. There is nowhere to hide once the cage door slams shut and I can tell you that after spending the evening photographing the action literally inches away from the bruising 'hits' everyone of the combatants did an amazing job.

I'm now working through my pics and the first Galleries are now online.

I hope my photography does justice to the fast moving, brave and committed action taking place in the cage. Make your own mind up by checking out the picture galleries:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIRST PICS OF LOCK-IN GUERNSEY-ROUND 6

After a very long, hot and busy night at the Lock-in Guernsey, Round 6 at Beau Sejour I'll admit that a 5.45am alarm call wasn't entirely welcome on Sunday morning.

But there was no chance to have a lie-in as I was booked to photograph the Island Games qualifying Triathlon at Rocquaine bay which had a 7am start time.

As is so often the case (if you make the effort) the competitors and myself were rewarded with a lovely early autumnal morning beside the sea on the picturesque west coast of Guernsey.

This early assignment was just the first of a busy, but enjoyable day. The pics of the Triathlon race are the first to hit the Gallery. You can view them here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE ROCQUAINE TRIATHLON

Every few years the end of summer weather conspires to try and spoil our fun.

Sadly 2018 was one of the years that the clouds and rain featured more than the sun during the twelve hour long Vale Earth Fair in the historic Vale Castle in Guernsey.

However, after forty-two years of practice, nothing can dampen the spirits of the small band of VEF organizers and the show goes on regardless. It's a great shame that many potential festival goers are so easily put off attending and all the work put in is wasted on them. I'll call them 'light-weights'!

But... there is always a 'hard-core' who are the real deal and they seem to 'raise their game' in the face of discomfort and the 2018 vintage of the VEF will hold many great memories for those who joined the other stoic music lovers in Vale Castle.

I too endured the drizzle, struggling to keep all my camera lenses free from mist and water... this is an added challenge when you wear specs! As I edited the pics in this gallery I was reminded just how special the VEF is. I hope you enjoy my work.

It will take (more than) a few days to get all the VEF pics online as I'm just off to Jersey to photograph the WEEKENDER Festival for more of the same... that is great live music - NOT rain!!

Keep a check on the VEF galleries for the extra updates:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST VALE EARTH FAIR PICS

The School of Popular Music's Summer Party at The Fermain Tavern brings a week of intensive music tuition and practice to a fitting climax as the students get to show off their new skills to friends and family.

They are given the chance to perform on the famous Fermain Tavern stage... just like Elton John did, and they get to enjoy having professional technicians working the sound desk and lighting rig... and I pop along to capture their performances and the atmosphere.

The SoPM Summer Party gig has become one of my favorites of the year... and I photograph a LOT of bands!

The enthusiasm shown by the students and tutors is infectious. Everyone involved puts every effort into creating memorable performances.

It is fantastic that no judgments are made on any performers - they are just enjoyed for the simple pleasure that live music brings to the world.

Whilst for some students this adventure into playing an instrument and singing will be a short experience before they move on to explore other interests. However I'm certain that for many the foundation is put in place for a lifetime's involvement in music. What a great start in life!

This gallery displays pics of the nine bands that were formed by students for the 2018 SoPM Summer Party. There is also a Gallery featuring Last of the Light Brigade who headlined the night giving students an idea of what the SoPM tutors can do....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE SoPM SUMMER PARTY GIG

I only had about fifteen minutes to spend photographing the OSA All Terrain Challenge on Thursday evening at Footes Lane where a Steeplechase run featured in the ATC.

This meant that I only captured action from the first of the races... Division 1... before I had to dash off to my next job.

This was a shame as a water-jump is always entertaining for spectators and photographers alike.

I also guess there was more of a chance of one of the lower division racers getting the leap wrong and maybe falling flat into the water... making a great action shot!

Not that I want to be seen as 'preying' on anyone's misfortune ;-)

The pics that I managed to capture are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE OSA ATC STEEPLECHASE

The 2018 edition of the Guernsey Motorsport Seafront Sunday Festival was even more popular than the previous year!

Once again the St Peter Port seafront was closed to traffic allowing a huge display of all types of vehicles.

The entertainment spread along to the North Beach car park where a full day of motorsport action took place.

The weather played its part by encouraging thousands of people into town and the day provided a fantastic end to the 2018 MSA National Hillclimb weekend.

This gallery features some of the displays and entertainment...
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2018 MOTORSPORT SEAFRONT SUNDAY