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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

Nothing is more satisfying than spreading it about a bit.

So that is what I've been up to today. Don't tell the missus ;-)

I'm spoilt for choice at the moment when it comes to Festival and Band pics to edit. I have so many!

This is why I decided to spread my time between preparing a few new Galleries from Jersey Live 2015 and also Vale Earth Fair 2015.

Both these Festivals have their own individual character and personality but both share one very important similarity... GREAT LIVE MUSIC.

Today I've enjoyed spending a little time browsing through my pics from each Festival and you can now view the new Galleries by clicking the links.

There are still loads more to come. Keep a check on this Blog for new links:
VIEW PICS OF VALE EARTH FAIR 2015
VIEW PICS OF JERSEY LIVE 2015

It shouldn't be a surprise to me but every year the workload at this time seems to creep up on me from a hidden place!

My Commercial clients suddenly remember that the Autumn is just around the corner with its changeable weather and falling leaves.

So the Elevated photo assignments start to log-jam. And then it is also a busy season for my other work. There are Hillclimbs, the Vale Earth Fair, Jersey Live together with Petit Bot Hillclimb and three more Motorsport events in Alderney just around the corner!

I've just returned from Jersey Live 2015. This was my eighth year of being invited over to photograph the friendly Festival. It's been great catching up with so many now familiar faces.

This year hit another high which, frankly, I hadn't expected. But more on that later as I update my Galleries.

For now I have just added my Press edit of pics... at least it gives a taste of what Jersey Live 2015 offered. Next year I recommend you make the effort to get along :-)
VIEW THE JERSEY LIVE 2015 GALLERIES AS THEY GO LIVE

I really shouldn't moan about it but WOW, things are busy at the moment!

Some of this is of my own making. Maybe I should discipline myself when the work starts to stack up by not taking on the photo-shoots that I do mostly for fun and my own portfolio.

But hey, I really enjoy the Gig and Motorsport photography... I can't just be doing the Commercial work... where's the fun in that?

So once again I have loaded myself with edits that need my time and to add to that I'm off to Jersey Live 2015 to capture all that action too!

I've started editing last weekends work with priority given to the Press and Magazine submissions however a small Gallery featuring the Vale Earth Fair 2015 Press edit is now on-line.

If you're patient I will (eventually) add full coverage of the 2015 Vale Earth Fair, the Motocross 2-Day Event and the Bank Holiday Hillclimb.

You have all that to look forward to!

Patience is a virtue :-)
VIEW THE FIRST PICS OF THE 2015 VALE EARTH FAIR

TEN MILLION has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

How nice it would be to have that many Pounds in the Bank.... even Dollars would be OK for me!

However the chances of a professional photographer ever making that sort of money are pretty unlikely :-(

So when TEN MILLION features anywhere in my working life it will always feel a bit special... and that number has just shown up.

I've been running this web-site since 24th October 2010. It replaced what is now my very dated original web-site (still on-line for nostalgia only).

This means that it's still a couple of months short of five years since www.guernseymotorsport.com went live.

I'm incredibly proud to say that (since the start) this web-site has been viewed an amazing TEN MILLION times!!

The first MILLION views took one year - almost to the day. This current year will see over THREE MILLION views and I am thinking that this is probably where the level will settle... but who knows?

My decision to work full-time as a photographer came about ten years ago when I was 50 years old after I sold a business.

I tried retirement but that was horrible! It might sound like a good idea but I'm someone who has to be creative and challenged. So I turned a hobby into a job... and it has certainly been challenging!

However I have loved nearly every single hour of it... and there are many more hours put into photography than I ever gave to my old 'proper job'. How did that happen?

It must also be said that in the decade that I have relied on photography for my income the whole industry has been shaken up and changed beyond recognition. It now seems that everyone who has a DSLR and a Facebook page is a 'Photographer'.

But I've never regretted the decision to give it a try and I've now established a loyal following and a good sized base of regular Commercial customers for TALLPICTURES.com.

My thirty-five years spent as a retailer have stood me in good stead to respond to competition and (after a short period when I questioned the future viability) I now realise that it isn't what other people are doing, it is about what you do for yourself that either 'makes or breaks' a business.

There's also lots of room in the marketplace for every-one.

I'm now privileged to make an income out of my passion and I genuinely thank all the visitors to this web-site and the many customers who buy pictures.

So that now brings me to the future.

Well I have a couple of very exciting new developments on the way. More about those later :-)

This time it was the spectators and boxers who made use of the Bels football pitch....

D&C White Collar Warrior, Belgrave Wanderers FC & Power Constructions presented 15 Bouts of Open Air Boxing at The Track last Saturday.

For the second time I was invited down to The Track to capture some of the action and atmosphere.

This year the Boxing ring was set up closer to the stand which gave an option of buying a 'cheap seat' in the stands but the majority of spectators chose the comfy seats... together with a table for the mandatory beers!

Over a thousand people made the early evening stroll down Victoria Avenue whilst enjoying the mild August evening. The gates opened sharp at 5pm so there was a full evening to look forward to.

Their relaxed mood was soon turned around when the fast-paced action started in the ring. By the end of the night the punters had been entertained to 15 bouts of White Collar Boxing!

The evening had been organised in support of Charity with the Bels FC also earning a few bob towards the re-building of their stand.

So every-one was a winner... the Charities, the Bels, the bout winners and the punters enjoyed a night out with a difference.

I think we can look forward to more of the same another year.

I've added a few pics of each bout to my galleries:
VIEW PICS OF THE OPEN AIR BOXING

That's it. Sorted.

The 2015 Greenman Chaos Festival is already just a memory. We now have to wait until 2016 for the fun to continue.

But we do have the pictures to jog our memories and I've just completed the galleries for 2015 with the last of the Band pics.

Final updates are for Near Bliss, the ever popular The Recks and Sunday's headliners FlashMob.

So until we meet again in a field up at Pleinmont next year... keep it loud, keep live and keep it green, man :-)
VIEW THE FINAL GREENMAN CHAOS 2015 GALLERIES

Sunday afternoon at Chaos is the traditional time for fun and games... biker style!

Everyone is chilled and tired after two days of partying so there is no rush... just time to chill and have a bit of fun.

The trike is sure to make an appearance with its weird steering. Never an easy ride when your sober... add a few beers and its great entertainment :-)

The Tug of War proves that adults and kids are not so different after all :-)

Then the industrial grade Chilli eating contest separates the men from the boys...

Whilst the Greenman Chaos Festival 'headlines' that it is all about the bikes and the bands I think it is all about the general vibe and inclusive atmosphere. I haven't been on a motorbike since my teens (if I did get back in the saddle I think I would quickly become a statistic!) however the Greenman is always welcoming.

Next year you must pay it a visit...

My latest updates to the Chaos galleries are here:
TRIKES - CHILLI & TUG OF WAR... BIKER STYLE

It's what Summer-time was made for... the beach :-)

Every Guernseyman knows that we have amazing beaches over here. The best of them have white sand and clean water... and when the sun shines the sea takes on beautiful blue and green colours. Awesome.

However, now-days, when I find myself on one of our lovely beaches the peace is spoilt by the revving of engines! It's race-time.

But today was a very pleasant change. I received a late call from Peter Frankland, the Picture Editor at the Guernsey Press, saying that he was held up on another photoshoot and could I step in to photograph the Guernsey Surf Club's inaugural Junior Surf Series. Of course I can!

So my morning didn't go to the original plan but I enjoyed a couple of hours taking pics of the Swoffers and Yak Wax supported Junior Surf competition. I loved it.

I was impressed by how good the young surfers were and they made capturing the action very easy. I have a fancy that I will be back on the beach at Vazon again soon... without the revving engines!

I've added a Gallery featuring the Surf action:
VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY SURF CLUB'S JUNIOR SURF SERIES

If I ever get around to making a short-list of my favourite weekends then one event would be sure to feature very near the top.

The Condor Ferries British Sandace Championship is a Motorsport event that would take a high spot on the list and Saturday confirmed to me why.

Now in its tenth year, the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club were rewarded for the decade of hard work that they have put into the Condor Ferries British Sandace Championship by seeing the best quality entry so far.

I understand that several riders chose to compete in the Sandace instead of another prestigious UK event. We were also able to see some of the most promising youngsters riding on the Vazon sands for the first time... and they were awesome. The future of the sport looks very promising.

The Sandace weekend is always very hectic. I'm on the beach for all the racing... that's the fun part... then the work starts :-(

I immediately copied the days shoot unto my laptop computer and then set off to the Wicked Wolf for the evening social.

This year (with the change of venue) I was promised a big screen and projector to display the days work. I visited the pub the day before to check out the system but no-one could show me the set-up... I was concerned that I might have problems on the night. I was right!!

It would take far to long to tell you what went wrong (quicker to say what went right!) In the end my back-up plan of taking a TV along saved the day :-)

I was able to run an un-edited slide-show of the 395 pics that I took of the racing. This is a scary thing for a photographer to do when you haven't had a chance to delete the rubbish or do any form of edit, exposure correction or cropping! To my relief almost all of them looked fantastic.

Sunday morning it was time to make a very quick edit before the Guernsey Press deadline and a further edit for Speedway Star Magazine. Then a full edit of the whole weekends work for my web-site.

So now, with the job done and the Sandace meeting already behind us for another year we must congratulate the GMC&CC for the way they ran the event. It is now a firm favourite with many International riders. They only have to visit Vazon once to catch the 'bug'. Beach racing is so different to their normal race weekends and Guernsey does it brilliantly.

Things can only get bigger and better.
VIEW PICS OF THE 2015 CONDOR FERRIES BRITISH SANDACE CHAMPIONSHIP

If you could charge a Bike & Music Festival with the Trade Descriptions Act then the Greenman MCC 'CHAOS BIKE & MUSIC FESTIVAL' would soon be having their day in court.

The problem is that the word 'CHAOS' in the title really fails to hit the spot.

Given the literal interpretation you would be forgiven to expect mayhem, trouble, bad attitude, intimidation... where would you stop? CHAOS in fact!

But as I have stated many times before, this Festival is everything opposite to the above. The only thing you need to worry about when you attend is that you will need to pace yourself... you wouldn't want to peak too soon as there is so much fun going on... so many bands to see... so much beer to drink.

I've photographed the event many times now and my Galleries should give you a great idea what goes on.

I've begun the updates for 2015... there's more to come yet too :-)

First updates are for bands Stormbringer, Robert J Hunter, Demise of Sanity, Buffalo Huddleston, Citizen-X and Fly Casual.

Click the link to see how the Greenman Chaos Festival doesn't do what it says on the tin :-)
VIEW PICS OF THE GREENMAN CHAOS... WITHOUT THE CHAOS

Mike Brehaut will always keep you entertained. He is great fun to meet for a natter over cups of strong coffee... never less than two cups! He's also very polite and always acknowledges his audience with a wave... see pic No.4 of the sequence ;-)

When fellow professional photographer and mate, Mike Brehaut (CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY ), took up the sport of Karting I joked with him that he was to make sure that if he crashed he must do it in front of me and I would guarantee to get the shot!

Well, as you see, we both kept our part of the deal :-)

Whats more, I'm relieved that I managed to nail the focus for the whole sequence of pics... my cred as a pro lives on till the next time ;-)

In fact, as I know Mike loves attention, I've given him his very own Gallery :-)

As I'm living onsite at the Chaos Festival this weekend this quick edit was done in my studio van (beer in hand) as peeps are chasing me to see the pics... the rest will follow.

I've just noticed that the viewings on my web-site are at: 9,472,666... could this be an omen Mike Brehaut?

Or is that 999, call me an ambulance?

Click here to view the whole sequence:
VIEW THE SEQUENCE OF MIKE BREHAUT'S CRASH

The next time I step onto a beach it will be for motorsport mayhem of the very best kind :-)

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club will be running their tenth British Sand Ace Championship meeting on the sands of Vazon Bay. I'm proud to say that I have photographed every single one.

The fact that I have been privileged to get so close to the action (and have the pics to prove it) I am certain that this National Championship only gets better and better... year after year.

I've checked out the names on the entry list and the tenth running of the Sand Ace is lined up to be the best yet. I urge you to make a diary date on July 4th at 1.30pm to find yourself a space on the sea wall to enjoy the motorsport spectacle of 500cc 'Sliders' and 1000cc Right-Hand Sidecar outfits battling for the prestigious Trophies.

I was down on the beach for the last 'Club' meeting before the 'Big One'. Pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE LATEST SANDRACING MEETING

It was a case of Lights, Lasers, Music and Party when Hard Riddims and Cage & Stage Promotions presented a night of DJ's and MC's inside the walls of Guernsey's historic Castle Cornet.

The atmosphere came alive with the help of a fantastic Laser & Lighting show by Gareth 'G' Pennington's GLC Lighting & Laser's.

There is something mystical and magical when a modern event is held inside such an historic place as Castle Cornet. The thick, high stone walls might have thought they had seen everything before... including having its top blown off when the gunpowder store took a direct hit from a lightning strike!

But I fancy that the walls had never seen such an impressive Laser and Lighting show! The night was a great success with a great vibe running through the narrow passages and a good sized crowd enjoyed the unique setting.

I was able to pop along for a few minutes and I captured a few pics of the show...
VIEW PICS OF THE HARD RIDDIMS CASTLE CORNET NIGHT

Sometimes you can't help but be proud of our little Island and its inhabitants.

This weekend has been one of those occasions.

I have been chasing my own camera bodies around for the last two days whilst covering several big events. The mornings work wasn't that exciting or different but each afternoon it has been RYA National Offshore Powerboat time :-) And just to add variety, on Saturday evening I captured some pics at the Castle Cornet 'Rave'!

But to get back to my original comment. The Guernsey Powerboat Association were given the opportunity to run two races in the RYA National Offshore 3A & V24 Championship. This chance had already been earned by the high standard of organisation the GPA puts in place.

However, there was always going to be a chance of missing the mark this time around as there is so much that has to run smoothly behind the scenes. There is a mountain of paperwork that needs accurate completion and then every other fine detail from safety, marshalling, permissions and trophies has to be sorted before-hand.

The great thing is that now the last podium presentation has been made we can already say that the GPA and Guernsey has done us proud... what a fantastic event that showcased everything about Guernsey at its best. Thank you GPA. Thank you Guernsey sunshine ;-)

Final thanks must go to Stanley Gibbons Investment for their sponsorship of the GPA. Without that support nothing would happen.

I got to see the bustle in Race Control after each race as I worked with John Moore from the leading magazine 'Raceboat International'. John was in Guernsey as the magazine is going to give extensive coverage of the racing... helped along by my pictures. John was also making immediate updates to the
RACEBOAT INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE
and Facebook pages. Make sure you check them out.

I've already added a few pics of the two races to my Galleries... more will follow:
VIEW PICS OF THE RYA 3A AND V24 NATIONAL OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE-1
VIEW PICS OF THE RYA 3A AND V24 NATIONAL OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE-2