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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.

These A3 prints are big enough to have impact and show off all the pictures detail - and being framed behind glass they will remain in perfect condition for years.

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.

This results in an UNBEATABLE PRICE.

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

Well the question was 'How long can it take one photographer to complete one edit?'

The answer, when talking about this particular photog, is months.... and months!

Indeed, I was at real risk that the next annual shoot of one of my favorite events would come around again before I'd completed the 2015 edit. Shameful eh!

But in my defense I'll say that all those months that have passed have been full and busy. I'm certainly working more hours than I ever did when I had a 'proper job'. There was a lot happening in the middle of last year and I simply couldn't keep up.

So I'm relieved (even a bit proud, ha, ha) that.... drum roll please.... The 2015 Vale Earth Fair Picture Galleries are complete, Hurrah!

The Vale Earth Fair is the Channel Islands longest running, most friendly and laid back Music Festival.

Many things play a part in making the atmosphere so chilled... a list would include: The historic setting inside and around Vale Castle, the relaxed manner the organizers 'organize', the family friendly crowd... oh, and the fantastic line-up of bands!

Here's another hint why I love VEF CLICK HERE ;-)

These galleries should give you a feel for the vibe you get at Vale Earth Fairs. I highly recommend you add this Festival to your bucket list of things to do :-)

BTW I reckon that the 'Stage Against the Machine' was particularly good in 2015. Let me know what you thought of VEF 2015. See you in 2016.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETED VALE EARTH FAIR 2015 GALLERIES

Last Friday evening saw my weekend start with a close encounter with Dinner Boxing action.

And a close encounter is what it was... even a 24mm wide angle lens couldn't fit it all in.

Now I have NO ambition to climb into any Boxing ring... no matter how much you want to pay me :-) The occasions that I have photographed Dinner Boxing and Cage Fighting have always left me with great respect for the fighters who are brave enough to climb into the unknown.

It takes a certain type of person who will put themselves into the position of facing an unknown opponent in the ring. There is nowhere to run. the combatants have to have faith in their training, stamina, strength and willpower.

The evening had been organized by the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club at St Pierre Park Hotel as part of their 2015/2016 season.

The nine Bouts were well matched and without exception every single fighter - winners and losers - made a good showing.

But back to my original point. I was at ring-side poking my lenses under the bottom rope, feeling the canvas shudder as each punch landed and happy to be on the outside looking in!

Pictures of all nine Bouts have now been added to my Galleries:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY DINNER BOXING CLUB'S EVENING

The last 24 hours has seen this web-site record over 32,000 views.

May I thank you for the interest in my work.

Whilst this isn't a record number it actually illustrates the interest in the events that I have been photographing... not really my pics.

This small island, as I've said so many times before, offers countless different activities, gigs and motorsport meetings to visit that no-one has any excuse to be bored. Heaven help you if you moan about there being nothing to do near to me!!

I only manage to photograph a few of these events (you will notice a personal bias) but it seems to be clear that I'm not alone in having these passions.... they are Motorsport and Music gigs,,, if you haven't worked that out for yourself!!

Happy days :-)

Some of my weekends work can be viewed here:
VIEW PICS OF ALFIE BARTON'S BALLROOM EXPERIENCE 25th ANNIVERSARY GIG
VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC MOTOCROSS MEETING
VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS CLUB BANGER RACING

This Anniversary gig was headlined as a 'Special'.

It certainly never needed any hype as another Fermain Tavern sell-out was guaranteed. The Alfie Barton Ballroom Experience gigs started 25 years ago (actually we think it was 27 years but who's arguing).

The idea was to get musician friends together, invite music lovers in to enjoy the vibe, then jam and improvise... just for the love of the music. The added bonus was that Alfie would invite a few of his famous friends to come along to enjoy the party.

Legendary is probably an overused word but none of the old crowd who frequented the 'Ballroom gigs' would let you call it anything less!

So inevitably all those who managed to get a ticket before the quick sell-out were buzzing with anticipation when Alfie took to the stage to announce that we were in for a busy night of entertainment.

Legendary and Special is exactly what it was.

The line-up included 'The Reverend' Ian Kewley, Denny Newman, Stewart Ivins, Nick Windsor, Colin Hewlett, Jim Delbridge, Alan Palzeaird, Chris Dean, Screamin' Jez Carvery and new boys on the block Kylypso amongst many others.

A fantastic start to 2016... same again next month anyone?

If you were at the gig I hope you think my pics capture some of the highlights.... If you weren't, silly you!!
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ALFIE BARTON'S BALLROOM EXPERIENCE 25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY GIG

With the Vale Earth Fair Collective's 2016 fundraising events about to start I thought I should make an effort to catch up with my 2015 Vale Earth Fair galleries!!

In the next few weeks the VEF Collective will be organizing more of their popular fundraising 'Unplugged' gigs where we can experience some of our favorite bands stripped down (thankfully just in a musical form!)

I really love how a familiar song is re-imagined. I also fancy the creativity and discipline required of the bands when re-interpreting their work can energize and refresh the group.

Keep a eye on Facebook for the dates of VEF Unplugged.

So what about those Gallery updates?

Well they include Ukuladeez, Schema, Lord Vapour, Kilig and Fernweh, Robert J Hunter, Honest Crooks, Bonsai Pirates and Gay Army!

Phew, and there are still quite a lot to go! Follow this link to view the latest pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST VEF 2015 BAND PICTURES

It's a few years since I've found my way down to the Bridge to watch live music.

I used to be quite a regular at the E&G but this habit waned when the gigs became irregular and then stopped all together. They are back now though.

But this weekend I was tempted to see how the St Sampsons scene is doing in 2016 by a different venue. I reckoned I knew what to expect as from what I could remember the Northerners always knew how to party. I should know, I'm one of them ;-)

Saturday's visit was to the Mariners Inn.

Now I'm far from a regular here but I pop in a few times a year for a quick pint when I'm in the area. However I'd never really explored all its nooks and crannies. It was one of these spaces that had been cleared to see if it worked as a setting for gigs. Out with the Pool tables, in with the drum kit!

It turned out to be quite successful as the 'cosy' area made you feel part of the gig. There's also a raised area at the back for more folk to view the bands. Even the lighting was good for me :-)

The great shame was that many of the punters didn't make an effort to walk the few feet away from the bar to support the bands... what's new, eh!

I still think that the Mariners holds promise as a worthwhile new live venue.

This gig was for charity, the Friends of Anthony Thomas - 'FoAT'. This is a very deserved cause and rumor has it that a couple more gigs might be planned. Try and support them as Mark Guillou and the bands do the whole thing for free!

I photographed a couple of the bands... Zimmer and Underdog. The pics can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF UNDERDOG
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ZIMMER

Technology..... It's a Love/Hate thing for me.....

I'm about to use the word 'fail' again in a 2016 Blog and it's only the 2nd of January! Read on to have a chuckle at my expense :-)

I think I come out of the 'boys like toys' mould and have been spending on technology since I first collected pocket money. Back in those days Lego was cutting edge!

However as the years have passed I've trained myself to consider purchases more maturely.

But every few years the itch starts again and the Internet draws me to something special.

A few months ago I decided that I deserved a new cutting edge computer. Weeks were spent researching and the day came to press the 'Buy button' for a system that is now the envy of NASA. I think there might be a Blog to come later on the specs!

The thing is, past experience has shown me that computer upgrades never go quite as smoothly as you hope. These days software registrations, passwords and many other things try and trip you up at every turn.

This is why I planned on making the move over to the new speed machine a slow and measured affair. Even then there have been several hiccups and late nights. I think there's another Blog there too!

Now let me tell you this little story.... It actually relates to yesterday's Cross Country Blog.

As you may have read, I'd been asked to photograph the run for the Guernsey Press. Part of the brief was making it VERY CLEAR that there was an EARLY print deadline. I also knew that the back page layout had already been planned and my shot had to be an upright. A blank hole awaited. No problem I thought.

I spent an enjoyable hour or so taking the pics down at Mont Cuet tip whilst chatting with the Guernsey Press Sport's Editor... he really is passionate about sport and journalism in general.

When we parted my last word to Rob Batiste was that I was going straight back to the office and the pics would follow ASAP.

Forty-three minutes after my last photograph (aided my blisteringly fast Super Computer) I had selected, edited and tagged my pics ready for e-mailing.

I was enjoying the warm feeling of being on top of a job.... Little did I know!

I probably qualify as a 'belts and braces' guy. This outlook means that I always submit my work to two different client e-mail addresses. I also BCC copy them into another one of my own accounts. This is checked to ensure the e-mail has 'left the building'.

It was only when I received a remarkably calm phone call from Rob that I realized something had gone wrong... he asked 'When can I expect to get the pics Andrew'?

Oh, heck. The print deadline loomed!

I told Rob the e-mails were sent nearly three hours ago to his xxxxx@guernsey-press.com e-mail address. 'But that one hasn't been active for years' he said 'there's no hyphen in there now'!

Due to my belts and braces mentality I had saved a copy of all the pics on to a USB stick (just in case of problems) and I offered to pop down to Rob's office immediately but he suggested that I simply 'try the correct e-mail' and of course this worked first time!

But what had gone wrong? I had to try and find where this ancient e-mail had appeared from.

Well, what I have found out only re-enforces my Love/Hate of technology.

I think that the move to a new computer and the installation of new e-mail systems were the problem. It seems that the 'helpful' software takes a look at your old 'Sent' folders and lifts all the e-mail addresses out into a new Contact list.

Now I'm sure you are like me, few of us remember actual phone numbers or e-mails any more as the phone/computer does that stuff for us now.

So when I started to enter the Guernsey Press e-mail addresses the 'helpful' computer finished them for me... I didn't realise that the 'old' e-mail address had been filled in - I just pressed send!

When I double-checked that the e-mailed pics had arrived back into my own backup e-mail, I enjoyed the warm feeling of success thinking that the job was done.

FAIL!

A word I hope won't feature in another Blog this year :-)

BTW, a blank back page was averted and my reputation has survived - but only just!

3am EDIT: I've just watched the Jules Holland Hootenanny and realized how many of the artists on the show I've been lucky to photograph.... then I got hooked by the BBC coverage of Glastonbury 2015..... MASSIVE & MAGNIFICENT... and I want to photograph it :-0

So to the Blog>.................

I warn you, this is going to ramble.

It's New Years eve and inevitably, like so many of my previous Blogs, it'll be late by the time I manage to upload this update. Also, as is often the case, I've partaken in a couple of pints of Real Ale and a few glasses of red wine. (3am EDIT.... add a couple of Whisky's to that list too). What could possibly go wrong!

I'm sitting here at years end (I guess like many others) thinking both about the year that is about to become history together with the future... 2016, here we come.

These moments of contemplation will always be individual and personal. But allow me to share my own thoughts.

Inevitably my mind goes back through the previous busy year of photography. Once again I have enjoyed almost every moment of my 2015 photographic year.

But things could always have been done differently... and certainly there is always room to improve and change. So that begs the question 'What could I have done differently and where did I go wrong?'

So I will allow myself to expose (nice little photographic reference there!) some of my photographic failings to you, just as long as you promise not to tell anyone else!

So where did I fail?

Well, just yesterday, I was updating a picture gallery for one of my favorite local bands... Thee Jenerators. THIS IS A LINK TO THE GALLERY

The latest gig I photographed them at was a photographers nightmare. When you combine a band that will not stand still for a moment together with light levels akin to candlelight it will always be a challenge.

I'm pleased to say that I ended up with quite a few keepers (33 out of the 49 pics taken), but could I have done better?

My personal 'style' of photography encompasses taking as few pics as I possibly can (born lazy, eh). I try and limit the shutter presses to the peak moments of action. My belief is that you give yourself a massive editing workload by being 'trigger happy'.

This was highlighted for me during 2015 when I shot an indoor sporting event alongside an ambitious young local 'photog'. He was using his camera in machine gun mode and must have gone home with 1000+ pics. I took 251 and had 170 keepers after the cull.

I have also had this experience whilst working off-island alongside top pro motorsport and festival 'togs. Some, but by no means all, fire off endless pics - seemingly with the idea that 'One of 'em has to be a keeper'! So maybe it's me who is completely wrong on this but one thing I'm sure about is that my editing time is a lot shorter than theirs!

But back to my point. I still think that restraint is a good thing. I believe that I should consider the timing and composition of each image before I press the shutter release button.

Even after taking this stance the final part of the photographic process is still to come... the edit. This is the time extra discipline and ruthlessness is needed and I think I'm failing in this area and could complete most assignments to a better standard by taking a less 'precious' view of my pics during the edit.

Although I attempt to restrain myself at the capture stage I then go on to 'fail' when it comes to the edit. I think I'm not ruthless enough when deleting the rubbish.

So let me take one step back, I mentioned that I've just updated the Thee Jenerators Gallery. This led me to be distracted by looking through some of the old pics in the Thee Jenerators gallery. Some going back five years. This was quite enlightening.

Remember that I said that Thee Jenerators were one of my favorite bands. This is because they take 'performance' beyond simply standing behind a microphone.

This then is where my lessons started and my current 'mantra' of trying to be vicious with my picture editing revels itself as still needing a bit (OK a lot) of work!

There are quite a few pics in the gallery which, I think, capture the full character and performance of this energetic band... but too many pics have crept in that are nothing more than average... or worse. These should never have seen the light of day... or the Internet! Thankfully most of them are from several years ago, including the 5 year old example below. Maybe this proves that I am getting a bit better at what I'm doing ;-)

It's clear that I still have loads to learn but take this New Years tip from me and short-cut your own scholarship. You can borrow my own New Years resolution that 'In 2016 I will try and make my picture edits more ruthless'. The delete button on the keyboard is there for a good reason..... to help us improve the quality of our work.

I'm resisting the urge to delete my 'fails' from the Thee Jenerators gallery to give you the chance to see what I am talking about here. I'd love to know which pics you think are the 'fails'. Please let me know what you think and we can compare notes.... This is my e-mail CLICK HERE TO E-MAIL ME.

You can be as ruthless with me as I like... I need the help ;-)

Oh, and one final tip from me (for FREE).... and it's one that I use myself sometimes.

I still have some old 1GB cards that only hold 36 pictures. It really focuses your mind when you shoot with one of those - just like it did when I started taking pics on real film and it cost money with every click!!

3.15am EDIT: Time for bed I think ;-)

Variety is the spice of photography... just as it is in life itself.

I am able to mix many genres of image taking into most of my working weeks and this keeps me interested and motivated... although maybe I should find a better way to describe what I do as the term 'working' doesn't really portray how I feel about my avocation.

My Blog often states how much I enjoy what I do and after more than a decade of life spent exclusively looking through a lens my luck, good fortune and opportunity to pursue photography full-time still feels as special as the first step I took on this amazing journey.

It is also rather special that so many people have joined me along the way by occasionally popping along to this web-site to see the latest updates.

Today I'm amazed to see that the total views on this web-site have reach another Milestone with ELEVEN MILLION VIEWS being logged!

May I say a BIG THANK YOU to you all.

As it has become traditional to mark these Milestones you might like to view a few previous Blogs:
CLICK TO VIEW A FEW PREVIOUS MILLION MILESTONE BLOGS

It was a case of deja vu when I walked into St Pierre Park Hotel on Saturday.

I was there to present a slide-show of my pics featuring the racing of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club together with a display to support the Trophy winners as they came forward to collect their silverware at the Annual Dinner Dance.

The feeling of having been there before came from the fact that a week previous I'd been in the same room... that time I was taking pics of the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club's night of eleven Bouts.

I've now completed the Gallery updates of the bouts I was able to capture.

The pics are now online here:
VIEW PICS OF THE DINNER BOXING AT ST PIERRE PARK HOTEL

Some things are universal. You don't need to understand their language to appreciate what excites another person.

Body language, mood, a smile and vibe offer all you need to understand where another person 'is at'.

Music is a great example of communication that we all understand without needing to actually talk the lingo of others.

Friday night at the Fermain Tavern the whole room was understanding the dialect being spoken by the visiting band... The Uptown Monotones.

This Austrian experimental/fusion band that formed in Graz in 1993 could have connected with their audience by their fun and enthusiasm alone. The three guys actually spoke english well enough to have a laugh with us but one guesses that they could have managed on personality alone... oh, and their own lively brand of Acoustic, Rock, Reggae, Jazz fusion and Experimental Beat-Box completed the performance.

Need I say more? They went down a storm!
CLICK TO VIEW THE UPTOWN MONOTONES COMMUNICATING WITH THE FERMAIN TAVERN

Just a quick update to give you links to the finished Alderney '3-Event' Motorsport Galleries.

I reckon that everyone's 'Alderney Flu' has passed (at least until next year) so maybe you will be ready to take a look at your racing from the three days.

My final updates are for the 'headline' event which is the Hillclimb at Fort Tourgis. This is the days racing that makes the effort and expense worth while in most racers minds.

It's also a great event to photograph!

I love Alderney and enjoy it as much as the visiting racers, however (as you all know) it is a very expensive few days and your support by buying a couple of pics will ensure that I return to the northern isle to capture the action next year!

Go on, you know you want to :-)

These are the links to the three days Galleries:
VIEW PICS OF THE NEW ALDERNEY SPRINT
VIEW PICS OF THE ALDERNEY AIRPORT SPEED EVENT
VIEW PICS OF THE ALDERNEY HILLCLIMB

Maybe it's because I put an imaginary electronic pin into the digital pile?

Or perhaps I wasn't over the 'Alderney Jet Lag' yet?

Whatever the reason, I seem to have started the editing of three days worth of Alderney Motorsport photography in the middle!

It may be that I quite like a couple of the photographic 'viewpoints' that are offered to me on the Alderney Airport Speed Events track.

Unlike most of the motorsport events I photograph, there is an opportunity to add something extra to the pics captured in Alderney. What I mean by that is that I'm able to 'describe' where the racing takes place by carefully positioning the background scene to ensure that everyone knows precisely where the action took place. For example I love the view that places the Airport Control Tower as a backdrop.

Another viewpoint offers an unusual angle, where, (in complete contradiction) the background shows nothing more than sky! That angle is really tidy without distractions.

But, hopefully, I didn't get too distracted by the backgrounds and didn't forget to capture some action too!

You will be able to make up your own mind as the Galleries fill up with the three days pics.

So far you can view the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's (Airport) Speed Event at Le Grande Val, Alderney. Day 1 and 3 will follow:
VIEW SCENIC PICS OF THE ALDERNEY AIRPORT SPEED EVENT