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I've just finished uploading pics of two of my favorite ways to get into the festive spirit.

There were a couple of (now traditional) back-to-back School of Popular Music events held recently and there was nowhere to hide from the classic Christmas songs!!

Thankfully lots of other music and song also featured from well over a hundred performers spread over the two nights.

First up was the SoPM Christmas Concert held at the Church on the Rock followed by the SoPM Christmas Gig at The Doghouse a day later.

The Concert showcased the less experienced and younger students with the experienced students being treated to a professional venue with the added benefits of a pro sound desk and lighting at The Doghouse.

I've added two full galleries featuring all the performances:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE SoPM CHRISTMAS EVENTS

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

After what can only be described as a miserable, wet afternoon photographing Guernsey Football Club playing against Bostik League team Whitstable at Footes Lane, the Green Lions managed to raise a small smile on mine... and spectators faces after they were given a late penalty... saving a 1-1 draw at the final whistle.

The Lions had looked like the better side at the start of the game but attention and motivation seemed to soon drift from players.

This allowed the visitors to snatch a goal against the flow of play up to that time.

The second half started with the GFC re-motivated and they chased every ball and came close to scoring several times. It was this pressure that won them a penalty. Sadly it was too late in the game to effect a turn-around and the draw had to be accepted.

So not a lot to brighten such a wet and windy day that saw me miserable and straining to see what I was doing through the wet specs, wet screen and wet lenses. Truthfully, I was relieved after completing the edit that I managed to shoot a few 'keepers'. Viewing the shots back in the studio was like seeing the scene for the first time!!

Thank you Nikon for producing such great cameras that, it seems, barely require a sighted photographer to capture great action!
CLICK TO VIEW GFC v WHITSTABLE PICS

I must admit that I could quite easily become a little obsessed with the way the Internet works. (If I'm not already!)

Without a doubt I spend too much time online scanning websites... but don't we all? Well you are here reading this Blog, eh!

I justify my 'habit' to myself in a couple of ways. Firstly I used to spend quite some time every day reading newspapers. Now I rarely pick up a 'rag' as my news is garnered from the net. This allows me to focus more easily on my interests and I can also read from a far wider range of publications.

The other side of this is that my photographic business owes a lot of its success to how the Internet works. Of course my undoubted talent as a photographer has a lot to do with this too!!!!

The web allows a business to 'put itself out there' for very little cost and once a base of followers exists it is possible to reach out to potential customers very easily.... and quickly!

That's the point of the headline of this Blog (and what I find interesting).

I've just finished adding a new picture gallery of today's MTB Downhill racing that took place this morning in Talbot Valley.

Before writing this Blog I added a quick message on Facebook with a few MTB pics and a link to the newly added gallery. For a bit of fun I thought I'd monitor the live website visits using Google Analytics to see what the response would be and how quickly the word would get out.

This is the fun bit. Amazingly in under ten minutes there were 18 people already viewing the gallery and the stats continued to show a constant stream of new visitors. Amazing!

I've got to thank you all for the (speedy) interest in my pics. And thanks to the Internet for the part you play too :-)

Also Sam Clark has to have a special mention as he took a tumble right in front of me (thanks) as 'crash' pics are also guaranteed to generate views!!

If you're interested, the full gallery of today's MTB Downhill racing pics can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEW MTB DOWNHILL RACING PICS

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

There was a big entry into the latest cross country race in the FNB 2018 Series.

The track conditions were about right for a cross country race... not too heavy going but soft enough to sap the runners stamina.

The course was set in and around the large field at Home Farm. I was able to spend a few minutes capturing some action before I had to move on to the next job. You can view my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FNB XC RACE-3

After photographing some of the XC I popped along to Port Soif where Rovers were playing Alderney...
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROVERS v ALDERNEY

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

Pics from a chilly but bright Petit Bot valley where the GVC MTB Downhill riders were in action today are now online in a new Gallery.

This assignment was just one of three which kept me busy most of the day. The other two were also sports action... just a normal weekend then!

I loved the bright light when I was down at Vazon bay capturing some surfing action. By the time I got to the Trials Bike event the sun was lower in the sky and the best of the day had passed. But it was an enjoyable end to the weekend.

Now I just have to complete the edit :-(

The first MTB pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE DOWNHILL MTB SERIES

A simple quick Blog this time just to let you know that I've added a few pics of the Elizabeth College v Grammar School game played on the All Weather pitch at KGV.

This is the link to the gallery of pictures:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ELIZABETH COLLEGE v GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOOTBALL

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

I've been tidying some folders and found two more rounds of the GK&MC 2018 Karting Championship that I'd missed due to there being other Press assignments in them too.

The error has now been sorted and two new Galleries featuring Round 8 and Round 10 have been added.

Follow this link if you want to check my pics out:
CLICK TO VIEW THE MISSING KARTING GALLERIES

Motocross... but without too much mud. It looked like the track was in pretty good condition considering the heavy rainfall during the last couple of days.

I know it rained heavily on Friday evening as I got very wet whilst photographing a football game!

But back to the motorsport. Apart from the gale-force winds on the top of the Pleinmont cliffs it was great to photograph Round-8 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Motocross Championship.

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-8 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

I photographed a fast moving basketball game at Beau Sejour this evening.

It's a great sport to capture action as it's virtually non-stop. There is difficulty getting into a good position court-side as there is very little space. Also the low level of lighting makes it a challenge... but that's what makes it fun.

The game was between Giants and Skipton. My pics can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF GIANTS v SKIPTON

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

Today we had a taste of what football would be like if the game chose to contest the championship in the summertime.

From a photographers viewpoint wouldn't it be great if we could always photograph the games with a hot sun beating down on our backs? Wouldn't it be fantastic to always have clear bright light to make the kit colours zing. Also there would be no more struggling to capture the fast moving action under low level floodlighting.

Of course all that is just a dream. This years football championships will again be contested during the winter. Players and photographers will have to man up and get on with the job... whatever the weather!

This is what made it so important to enjoy the moment today at the GFC v Hastings United game at Footes Lane where the weather was like a mid-summer day.

I captured some of the action and the pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF GFC v HASTINGS UNITED

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