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I'm just back from Folklore Festival in Jersey.

My overall impression was a good one with a couple of disappointments... but until we can control the weather there was not a lot that the Folklore organizers could have done to change things.

The positives include the fantastic secluded Festival setting in a valley below a high reservoir dam.

Folklore also has a very friendly, family vibe. This is re-enforced by the line-up of bands which played sets chosen to build a fun, party atmosphere... nothing too dark or heavy. This is a summertime festival after all and the Folklore site is within a few hundred meters of the expansive sands of St Ouen Bay.

All the ingredients were in place for the perfect summertime festival.

But then the weather had different plans!

This led to the other disappointment. Unfortunately two of the bands that many of us were longing to see didn't manage to land at the fogbound Jersey airport.

There was a lot of reorganizing, rearranging and negotiation behind the scenes to bring the whole festival back from disaster with the headliners, the Levellers, graciously agreeing to play an earlier set to allow time for the guitarist from another of the bands, The Charlatons, to make a delayed appearance.

In the end the goodwill shown by many allowed Folklore to run smoothly and most people I spoke to were more than satisfied with their day out.

However the members of one of the bands were walking around with grins from ear to ear. Buffallo Huddleston were the proof that every fog bank has a silver lining.

The band had opened the festival in the heavy drizzle with only a few die-hard fans to play to. But after the fog affected the arrival of Slamboree and Showhawk Duo, Buffalo Huddleston were offered the chance to play again - this time to a much bigger crowd... and in the sun.

Buffalo Huddleston fully justified their opportunity and I reckon they were the band that got the party going.

Maybe you could even say that the Guernsey band came to the rescue of the Jersey Festival! Proof that we are all part of the same Channel Island family :-)

I'm working through my pics and the first galleries featuring Levellers, The Charlatons, Dubioza Kolektiv (a really great band), Buffalo Huddleston, J-C & the Loony Tunes and The Smooth Hounds are now online. Others will follow:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF FOLKLORE FESTIVAL 2016

Guernsey Velo Club welcomed visiting MTB riders from Jersey for two Downhill races in two days at two completely different venues.

This led to two enjoyable and very competitive events and ended in the Guernsey team actually winning an Inter Insular... we haven't won many of those against Jersey this year :-(

Day one's race was set within the historic walls of Castle Cornet. This was the second time that the 'Conquer the Castle' Downhill racing has taken place along the narrow, ancient pathways.

The whole thing works really well and attracts a sizable crowd. Let's hope it's now established as an annual event.

Then for day two it was a complete change of scenery with the roadshow moving to the picturesque Petit Bot valley and the narrow pathways with specially built jumps and bends.

Once again the good weather encouraged the supporters out and there was a fantastic atmosphere at the top of the hill. It was also notable how much help was being given by competitors at the end of racing to strip down the track markers. There is a commendable 'spirit' in the Club.

I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the racing and judging by the smiles on competitors faces I think they had a good time too!

I've added two Galleries to my website featuring all the action:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF CONQUER THE CASTLE
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE PETIT BOT DOWNHILL

I'm sorry that this website has been completely down for a large part of the day and when the technical issues were identified it eventually re-appeared but in a VERY SLOW form :-(

This was all out of my control and my website administrator has been working hard to return things to 'normal service'.

The whole event is VERY frustrating but Photium... the web admin that I use, have a very, very good record of reliability and are extremely quick to respond to problems. Indeed they come with my full recommendations.

But sometimes these things are out of all our control and patience and understanding is all we can ask for.

I'd be feeling a little bit pleased if the 10,000+ daily views that this website gets had bought the internet down but I can't make that claim to fame!!

Please bear with us while we get things back up to full speed.... thanks.

UPDATE: The website has returned to normal and speedy service. I would like say a big thank-you to the Photium team for keeping me up-to-date with the problems... which were out of their control. These things happen but thankfully are extremely rare!

Andrew :-)

The Inter Island Kart Championship proved to be exciting and entertaining for the large number of spectators who lining the track. They were treated to fantastic close racing on the newly re-surfaced and extended 'Track' at Victoria Avenue.

Tarmac Services had completed the job in time to allow the running of the Inter Island competition on the new layout which proved to offer extra overtaking opportunities. This promises to maintain the interest of drivers... and maybe even tempt a few to return to the sport?

The majority of the days racing was of a high standard showcasing the talent from our two Islands. Only a rather poor incident near the end tarnished what was a well run, exciting and competitive meeting.

Oh, and to top-off the historic day..... Guernsey won the trophy :-)

Afterwards I spoke to many of the local and visiting Jersey drivers and support teams and the overwhelming feeling was that the event was a great success and is a 'grower'. Bring on 2017!

Channel Island Karting is going to be the ultimate winner.
:-)

I've added a gallery featuring the Inter Island Kart Championship...
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE INTER ISLAND KARTING

Well, after yesterdays complaining about the fog, things got a little better for today's second Powerboat race.

This time the sun showed up and suddenly there was far more life in the whole event.

There was still a smaller entry than we had been promised but that is sure to be sorted as I know that several extra boats are having the final touches and tweaks done ready for next months race weekend.

Powerboating certainly seems to interest people enough for them to line the harbour walls to enjoy the spectacle.

It must also be the best incentive to photographers to invest in a long lens or two... the telephotos were out in force. It makes an alternative from taking pics of birds, eh :-)

I've added a gallery featuring pics of Race-2. I think you'll agree that a bit of sun helps the colours 'zing' :-)

Follow this link to view the galleris:
VIEW PICS OF RACE-2 OF THE POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

If you like a bit of noise and action (and FUN) when you visit the beach then a highlight of your year must be the Annual Autocross Fun Meeting at Chouet.

2016 was a vintage year for the Bangers with a monster entry including a good contingent visitng from Jersey. It was also quite nice for Guernsey to win at least one Annual Inter-Insular sports event this year! Well done to the winning Guernsey Banger team :-)

However, for once, the racers didn't take to the sands with the one intention of beating all-comers.

No. On this one day it seems that the 'red-haze' is left in the tool box and everyone decides that fun is the new top step of the podium :-)

So with more 'smilies' than is healthy I announce that the Autocross Fun Meeting pics are now online.....

:-) :-) ;-)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BANGER FUN MEETING PICS :-)

On May 22nd 2016 The Bill Green Memorial Rally saw perhaps the biggest gathering of motorbikes ever seen in Guernsey.

The ride-out start at Vazon and proceeded around Guernsey's northern coastline on route to La Vallette.

Every make of bike - old and new - seemed to be represented on the ride-out and the event was a tribute to the popularity of Bill and motorcycle riding in general.

Bill's widow sounded a horn to announce the start and Roy de Jersey was given the honour of leading the ride-out on Bill's old AJS.

I've added a small gallery featuring the start of the procession:
VIEW PICS OF THE BILL GREEN MEMORIAL RALLY

After one of my busiest ever 'togging weekends I've taken the first few steps along the long road to completion of the picture edits:-)

Over the weekend I've photographed:

the opening of the new Kart Track
the impressive British SandAce Championship
the intense Full Boar Cage Fighting Lock-In at Beau Sejour
the Bill Green Memorial ride-out,
the massive Autocross Club Banger racing fun meeting
+ a couple of other smaller jobs....

The SandAce Championship gallery is already finished and online... see the previous post.

Now I'm working through the twelve bouts of Lock-In fights.

This sport is one of the most challenging to photograph as the action is so fast (and close!). The lighting is rarely perfect and of course you have to contend with shooting through the mesh of the cage. However when you successfully capture the height of the action it is very rewarding.

I've just added the first galleries featuring the main bouts from the Full Boar Cage & Stage Lock-In... the others are on the way.

Take a look here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIRST LOCK-IN GALLERIES

There was just one single thing missing from the 2016 Condor Ferries SandAce ACU British Championships on Vazon beach last Saturday... the sun!

However once the racing started no-one even noticed the damp. There was far too much excitement and entertainment to be seen on the Vazon Bay sands to think about the discomfort!

The line-up of competitors was an International affair with quality and experience running down through the entry.

But it was an 18-year-old from Bristol who took the 500cc Solo title ahead of all the rest. The three times world youth grasstrack Champion Zach Wajtknecht showed that he can also master the difficult conditions offered by a very wet beach. Zach now has another major title to his name.

The 1000cc Sidecars were also a big reason the crowd stuck-it-out in the miserable weather as the riders didn't seem to slow their speed even though there was enough surface water to create aqua-planing. The effect of all this water being lifted into huge plumes behind the racers made for a spectacular sight.

The worthy winners in this class were father and son team, Rod and Billy Winterburn, who won all four heats before going on to be crowned British SandAce 1000cc Sidecar Champions.

Once again the SandAce Championship was a highlight of the Guernsey and Channel Island Motorsport year.

I'm already looking forward to (a dry one) next year ;-)

Full coverage of the SandAce is now featured in a huge gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW ALL THE 2016 SANDACE GALLERIES

May I introduce the fighters for tomorrow's Full Boar Motorcycle Club Lock-in Guernsey, Round-5.

This Cage & Stage event has established itself firmly on the Channel Island sports scene. Now in its fifth year I've enjoyed photographing each round of this intense, fast moving, hard hitting sport.

There is a real challenge to capturing the peak action whilst battling against low light, a mesh cage and extreme speed and action - all whilst perched looking down into the cage at the top of a narrow metal ladder that shakes with every hard hit, gripping tight with one leg wrapped around it to avoid being dislodged.... and I love it!

The first Gallery introduces you to the fighters... well nearly all of them - a couple had to get into the sauna to try to make the fight weight!

As of tonight there are just a few tickets available to enjoy this fantastic evening of action. This year things are bigger and better then ever with all the cage action broadcast live onto big screens above the cage.

Make sure you search out one of the final tickets...

The weigh-in pics are here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE LOCK-IN GUERNSEY - ROUND 5 FIGHTERS

Guernsey celebrated and remembered it's Liberation from occupation for the 71st time on May 9th 2016.

Our National Holiday included formal ceremony, a cavalcade, lots of live music and entertainment for all ages. Islanders were out in force despite the wet start to the day.

I was assigned to cover some of the varied events and my pictures are included in a new Gallery.

I think the best fun was being had by the residents of St Andrews together with 'all-comers' who had heard about the traditional activity of Soapbox racing.... there was also beer on offer ;-)

This year the hill outside The Last Post had been turned into a temporary Soapbox racing track. No man or boy could resist the temptation to race!

There was a good entry of homemade racing machinery (minus an engine) and the ages of the drivers must have spanned seventy-one years! Clearly you are never too old to have fun!

St Peter Port offered a whole day of live music and entertainment finishing with a firework display on the castle breakwater.

All this amounted to a full, long and tiring day. Islanders enjoyed their freedom surrounded by a friendly holiday atmosphere bound together by our love of the island of Guernsey.

A few pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF LIBERATION DAY 2016

On the eve of Guernsey's celebration of our Liberation Day I was down on the sands of Chouet beach capturing the Autocross action.

Whilst waiting between races I considered how different things would have been if the British... with a little help from our allies! had not won the war.

Guernsey, with our fellow Channel Islands, were the only British soil that the Natzi's managed to take control of. The legacy that remains is to be seen all around our coastline in the form of the concrete bunkers.

But what I reflected on was the freedom that was returned to Guernseymen when the Allied forces liberated the Island allowing the slow return to the 'normality' of day-to-day life.

Part of that 'life' included the simple pleasure of once again having unrestricted access to our beautiful sandy beaches that play such a large part in all our lives. They are exposed twice a day as an area for play, contemplation, sunbathing, fishing and all sorts of fun.

Autocross racing comes under the 'fun' category!

So the day before our Liberation Day there were quite a few flags to be seen as Guernseymen and Guernsey ladies enjoyed the freedom of the sands whilst taking part in a long established Guernsey Motorsport... Autocross Banger Racing.

Thankfully today we are at peace in Europe and friends with Germany. We even think that that can make pretty good cars! And there's nothing a Guernseyman enjoys more than revving and racing a car along our open sands.... it's good to be free.

I've added my pics of the Liberation eve Autocross meeting to a new gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE EVE OF LIBERATION DAY AUTOCROSS PICS

With just two weeks to go before the Sand Racing highlight of 2016 we were treated to near perfect conditions on Vazon beach yesterday.

The Condor Ferries SandAce - ACU British Championships has established itself at a National and International level and is one of the jewels in the Guernsey and Channel Island Motorsport crown.

Whatever the weather we are given on 21st of May on the broad sands of Vazon beach we can be sure that the racing action will be of the highest quality.

However I think you will agree with me that spending time on any beach is enhanced by warmth and sunshine. Yesterday ticked all the boxes. I have my fingers and lenses crossed for the 'big one'... make sure you join me too!

The pics from Round-3 are now online if you want to check-out what makes beach racing so good....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE SANDRACING_ROUND-3

Last Wednesday I photographed the 2016 Guernsey General Elections at St Sampson's Douzaine for the Guernsey Press.

I've photographed the Elections before and always enjoy being a part of what is a long, tiring and stressful day for all the candidates... and the media!

The whole local media 'circus' was on site to give complete coverage of the St Sampson District's General Election results and I think the small foyer of the St Sampson's Douzaine was the 'coziest' venue of any of the districts.

When the Returning Officer of the Day, Tom Oliver, climbed a few steps to speak to the amassed Candidates, family, friends, officials and supporters it was approaching 1pm.

The media had spent the previous five hours waiting in the Fontaine Inn, drinking Coke and tweeting whilst multi-tasking watching the earlier declarations on two televisions with live radio feeds running in the background on mobile phones! We didn't want to miss a thing!

When it came, the St Sampsons declaration saw an end of Deputy Kevin Stewart's short political career. Lyndon Trott topped the poll and there were two newcomers, Jennifer Merrett and Carl Meerveld.

After finishing the photography, which is not unlike sport/action photography as the whole thing happens very quickly, the job was only half-done as the editing, tagging and submissions had to be made at the Press headquarters to allow for an early print of the newspaper for Thursday.

I eventually dragged myself into bed at 3.30am having had a thoroughly interesting night at the centre of an epic, emotional event.

I can't wait for the next time... in 2020!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A FEW OF MY ELECTION PICS

Saturday was the last Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club night at St Pierre Park Hotel for this season.

I've managed to get along to most evenings and, along with the Dinner Club members, I've enjoyed some great bouts.

As is so often the case with all genres of Sport, Competition and Performance our little Island punches above its weight.... literally in this case!

The local Boxers have taken on all-comers and they have won more than their share of fights.

There were a number of young and talented boxers enjoying their first step into that ring which offers nowhere to hide. How brave and impressive is that!

Photographically, the boxing is quite a challenge. The lighting is harsh and uneven. It is also coloured... don't think that a camera is as clever as our own eyesight when viewing something under artificial light. The camera is very sensitive to colour casts. Don't forget 'the camera never lies' - or so they say!

As an added challenge the blue canvas on the ring throws a blue reflected cast into the picture too!

.... and then I have to try and freeze the action when the light levels are really a bit too low!

So I think you will agree that it isn't only the fighters who have a hard time, eh?

But, I still had great fun taking my pics... and I will be back next season.

You can view the latest Dinner Boxing pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST DINNER BOXING PICS

As a Professional photographer I take pride in producing high quality work.

I also rely on selling a few pics to pay for the food, the beer, the household bills.... you get the idea :-)

A large part of my income comes from selling prints. I've invested in my own large format Pro printer that produces industry leading quality using 11 Archival Pigment inks. These prints should outlast you!!

But I often feel disappointed when I deliver a batch of prints as I have an idea that, after the initial enjoyment of them, many of the prints end up in a draw... forgotten and creased :-(

Now maybe I shouldn't be bothered... after all I have been paid for them!

The thing is, I long for people to see and enjoy the pics for longer than that.

This brings me to this SPECIAL OFFER. It's for the print option that I think is the best that I offer. An A3 sized FRAMED & BEVEL MOUNTED PRINT.

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So to encourage all my customers to try an A3 FRAMED PRINT I'm offering, for a limited time, a SPECIAL PRICE of £45... that's a £10 reduction.

This is a fantastic price that I'm only able to offer as I control every aspect of production. I personally optimise every individual print before hand-cutting a bevel mount. Finally the print is framed in the satin black frame that I purchase in bulk direct from the manufacturer.

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Next time you are thinking about buying a pic please consider choosing an A3 FRAMED PRINT. You won't be dissapointed, I promise.

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

It's a successful partnership..... punches and puddings!

The Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club held their third evening of Bouts in the 2015/2016 season at St Pierre Park Hotel last Friday.

I popped along to capture all the action, and there was no shortage of that!

The evening's Bouts seemed to fly by. I'm always amazed how quick three hours can pass! This happens because of the very slick organization of the fights. There's barely five minutes between each fight.

This evening was a competition between a Guernsey Select v Home Counties. Every fight was quite evenly matched with a good number of Guernsey wins.

However I think praise and support should be offered to every boxer, winner or looser. They all fought bravely and entertained the (by the time fighting started) well fed audience.

My pics of every Bout are now online. Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST DINNER BOXING PICS

I have often said that I think that Guernsey has an incredible live music scene especially when you remember that our population barely equals a small mainland town. I challenge you to find an equivalent community that offers so much diverse talent in such a small area... actually don't waste your time looking because it doesn't exist!

So now we agree on my first point can I just add this.

Not only is there all this local musical talent but it is also professionally supported by committed teams of techies, promoters, logistics, sound-men, lighting techs (Lloyd, you're the Man!) and all the other helpers.

Bring all that together and you have an unrivaled music scene.

BUT, the best part of all that is the guys 'n gals who make up this vibrant community are also amazing and generous with their time and talents - in fact I think I should really be calling these people 'family', not a community.

So 'our' family excelled itself at the weekend when brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, nephews and nieces came together to raise money for one of our own. Jonah Gillingham and his family are in need of a little bit of help to pay huge medical treatment costs. So the music family came out in support!

For twelve hours on Saturday the Guernsey musical family met to do our small bit to help Jonah. The 'pop up Festival' took place inside Vale Castle and was a huge success. The organization was as slick as you can imagine. The music was non-stop and the atmosphere was friendly. In fact it was more like a family party... but without the arguments ;-)

Best of all is that lots of money was raised for Jonah's treatment.

Well done to all the extended family.

I well and truly did my bit too... apparently the profits from the bar were also in aid of Jonah Beats.

Wonky Donkey, you gave me a serious hang-over on Sunday.... but it was all in the aid of Charity, eh ;-)

My pictures are now online and I will be donating 25% of any picture sales from 'Jonah Beats' to support Jonah. Thanks.
CLICK TO VIEW THE JONAH BEATS PICTURES GALLERY

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