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It wasn't only the racers who had new kit to play with on Bank Holiday Monday at Le Val des Terres.... read on :-)

I also had a few things to tune up and learn about. I was trying to explore the improved performance on offer too!

As a Nikon Professional Services (NPS) registered photographer I have a chance to 'jump the queue' and get delivery of new bodies and lenses from the first delivery made :-)

In this case the smillie face = a very happy chappie!

So, after a couple of special deliveries, I was off to the first Hillclimb I'd shot with the latest combination of a Nikon D5, a Nikon D500 and the 200-500 zoom lens.

I can only say that I was very impressed!

Whilst it appears that the sensor technology isn't improving that much with each update - in fact maybe taking a step back in some parameters - there is a sense of 'maturity' in the design and handling of these two new bodies. For example the addition of a dedicated ISO button... a tiny change but ever so useful. :-) That deserves another smillie!

The headline new feature that Nikon has developed has to be the new Autofocus system that is used on both the D5 and D500. Whilst I'm still learning how to make the best of it I think it shows a real step forward.

One other thing that I hadn't expected was the difference there is between shooting a full-frame D5 and the 'cropped' sensor on the D500. I hadn't used an APS-C format camera since the D300 which I sold several years ago. The focus point coverage on the 'C' sensor is almost edge to edge... very useful.

But perhaps the most surprising thing I noticed when editing the shoot was how much easier and more 'forgiving' the cropped sensor is when it comes to your shooting technique. Full frame exposes poor technique much quicker.... is that why we pro's like it so much. We like to make things difficult for ourselves, don't we!

I'll expand on what I mean by the 'less forgiving full-frame' in a review when I will compare my Nikon D5 to the Nikon D500. Check back later if you are interested. A Blog will be added as soon as I've worked on a wider variety of shoots including more low-light gigs.

For now though, you can check-out the complete Hillclimb gallery of pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST HILLCLIMB PICS

Round-2 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Summer Kart Championship was held today. We were actually treated to weather that could pass as summer too... very nice.

However it wasn't the weather that was significant about this particular race meeting. It was the fact that the circuit, in its current layout and surface, was being used for last time before its re-development.

There is a sense of anticipation, excitement and hope in the pits that the racing will be improved by the changes. Time will answer that question.

On thing is certain though. That is that the record book will be re-written. It is going to be interesting to see which names are first on the new record list.

I'm looking forward to trying a few new angles to take my pics. Let's hope that both the racers and the 'togs are satisfied by the changes!

The last pics of the old Track are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FINAL KARTING PICS

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

My weekend included a trio of sporting events.

First up was the latest round of the 2016 Sand Racing championship. The racing on Vazon beach is already building up towards this years Sand Ace meeting which promises to be bigger and better than ever. Make a diary date for 21st of May... this one is not to be missed!

Then Saturday night was spent ring-side at St Pierre Park Hotel photographing the Dinner Boxing. Both these galleries are already online.

The latest update is for the Autocross Club Banger Championship.

This meeting was something of an historic one with Ozzy Ozanne making an all-time record when he one his 26th Championship!

This is a remarkable achievement. It could be interpreted, when you see how dominate he has been for so many years, that he has had things easy with little competition.

However, this is far from the truth. Ozzy has faced stiff, experienced and talented challengers over all the years and has proven that he has all that it takes to be a great champion.

He undoubtedly has driving skills but you need the complete package to put together such a long run of wins. These include selecting the best wheels, preparing and maintaining a reliable car - to finish first, first you've got to finish. Then Ozzy also knows how to do just enough to win - saving his car to return another day.

We can reckon that this record could last forever. It will certainly need someone special to break it! Whoever fancies taking a crack at it had better not be too old as even if they were to win every championship from now on it would take them thirteen and a half years to beat Ozzy!!

That's if Ozzy doesn't have any more wins in him.... or maybe he's now run out of space for all those trophies?

I've added pics of the racing to a new gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE HISTORIC AUTOCROSS RACE

This should be the shortest Blog ever.....

It's not that I don't have things to say, it's just that I don't have the time :-)

The weekend was a 'normal' one... lots of photography!

But the time pressure is down to the Guernsey General Election on Wednesday. I will be chasing around the Island covering 'the action!!!' for the Guernsey Press.

When I chat to the guys in the pub most of them don't get my interest and excitement about the election of our new States members. But I really enjoy it... even going as far as visiting four of the other District's Hustings!

There is often drama and emotion as the candidates find out if they are successful... or failures. I'll be trying to tell the story in pictures.

But before all that I've added a gallery featuring Saturday's Sand Racing. Follow the link to view the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF SAND RACING RACE-2

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

If we ever have to make a list of beautiful spots in Guernsey we aren't short of places to add.

One of the favorites on most peoples lists is usually Petit Bot valley.

This picturesque wooded area was looking fresh and bursting with wild flowers on Sunday morning when I popped along to photograph the Guernsey Velo Club's 2016 MTB Downhill Series - Round-2.

The only spoiler for me was that it rained nearly the whole time which made the tight course that wound along steep slopes very, very slippery.

Whenever I photograph this type of event I'm keen to move around to vary the pics that I take. However on Sunday, after arriving early to do a recce, I decided that the sensible option was to find a single spot and work from there... hence the lack of variety in the final pics.

This was a disappointing result for me but if I'd chosen to move around the course there was a real risk I could impede a competitor as the course was very narrow with no room to step aside. I also didn't want to slip a land on my new Nikon D5, did I!

As if to prove how treacherous it was I witnessed six riders crash out.

Anyway, all riders, all my kit and myself too made it to the end in one piece. I've just added a small gallery of pics displaying my mornings work:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE MTB DOWNHILL SERIES_ ROUND-2

The Channel Islands premier live music venue opened its doors again to talent from our sister Islands on Saturday night.

Over the decades 'The Tav' has presented acts from literally around the world. However it has always welcomed musicians from closer shores too.

So on Saturday the talent on show had originated from just across the water in Alderney and Jersey. These two acts proved that it isn't just Guernsey that produces great original performers!

We were treated to sets from Jersey's Tadhg Daly and the Robert J Hunter Band from Alderney. Both acts had played the Fermain Tavern before and they attracted their fans out in the knowledge it would be a good nights entertainment.

Rob and Tadhg are ambitious to break into the big time. Saturdays performances suggest that all they need is that lucky break... the talent is already there.

My pics of the night are here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE ROBERT J HUNTER BAND
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF TADHG DALY

Now I guess many of us got the mower out of the shed this weekend as the weather was nice and bright and dry.

Luckily I had managed to find time during the week to cut my own lawns... and very smart they look too :-)

This meant I had the opportunity to capture another use of a lawn mower. You didn't think they were only good for cutting grass, did you?

No, men still being boys at heart can find other uses for a ride-on mower. It's just a case of taking off the sharp 'cutting bits' and you are ready for the action.

Of coarse a few go-faster stripes always help! Oh, and why not add a bike engine for a few more horses?

Even after investing in a few stick-on stripes Mower racing can be a really cheap way to go racing and 'smiles-per-pound' it probably can't be beat.

Today I photographed the GK&MC Mower race meeting that took place on a section of the Motocross track at Pleinmont. I think this Motorsport is a grower :-)

Check the Gallery for all the action:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MOWER RACING PICS

Sunday saw the start of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Summer Kart Championship at The Track.

Apart from the chilly weather the meeting heralded what we can expect from this Summer's Championship.... action all the way!

We already have an idea who the man to beat will be as Connor Le Cras continued his good form however he is going to have to maintain his high standard as a new Rotax Max contender showed his face in the shape of Jack Le Blancq and Tom Snell will also fancy himself for race wins.

I intend to give my usual coverage of this Championship so make this a regular visit to see all the latest action :-)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIRST PICS OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

How does the saying go?

'Life's a beach'.... or something like that!

Anyway that more or less describes my weekend as I spent quite a bit of the time on a beach ;-)

Saturday I headed down to Vazon Bay for the first Sand Race meeting of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club's season. It was good to get back to photographing this sport after the winters break... shame the weather was still in 'winter mode' as it was pretty chilly down there.

There was a reasonable entry - particularly Moto-X bikes who seemed to have a great time on the well laid out track.

The car Class entry was also of a good size, it's just a shame that they were mostly saloons... where are the 'Sand Racing Specials' of yester-year? The 'good old days' really were better in this case!

And where were all the side-car outfits after all the efforts Clint Blondel has made to try and establish this Class? Hopefully as the season progresses things will get better.

My beach theme continued on Sunday on a not quite so chilly afternoon down on Chouet beach for the latest Autocross Club Banger racing meeting.

I really love photographing these guys as action is guaranteed... and they didn't disappoint :-)

The galleries for these two events are now online. Keep a look-out for the Karting Championship pics soon.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST SAND RACING OF 2016
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE AUTOCROSS RACING

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.

Once again the weekend was a very busy one :-)

Sports photography featured of course.... with a few other shoots tagged on to give a bit of variety :-)

Three of the events have now been added to my picture galleries featuring the FA Cup quarter-final football game between Geomarine Rovers v Rising Bet at Port Soif.

Then there's the coverage of the latest GMC&CC Trials meeting near the reservoir. The stream, which was running quite strongly, added a bit of interest to some of my pics.... and I avoided a soaking too (thanks to my wellies)!

Finally there's a small gallery featuring the Island Snooker Championship finalists at the Gremlin Club where Glenn Le Prevost was crowned as Island champion for the second time after defeating Seb Priaulx 5-2.

These are the gallery links:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF FA CUP QUARTER FINAL
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE LATEST TRIALS MEETING
CLICK TO VIEW THE ISLAND SNOOKER CHAMPIONSHIP FINALISTS

My mind seems to go into weird mode when I'm hungry!

Sunday proved to be the ‘roast beef’ in the weather sandwich of the Easter weekend….

Or perhaps I should explain what I mean by that ;-)

Most of us would choose a couple of slices of succulent roast beef with a touch of horseradish in our sandwiches rather than lettuce and mayonnaise!

The same goes with the weather. Most of us prefer to stand around a motorsport event in the dry rather that get soaked in the rain.

So Sunday’s Autocross Championship was the dry ('meat in the sandwich') of the three-day Easter motorsport weekend…. Easter Saturday, rain. Easter Sunday, dry. Easter Monday, more rain.

I should add though, that sometimes it improves a beef sandwich if you slip in a lettuce leaf, a slice of tomato and a bit of seasoning. With that noted maybe the mixed weather we experienced on Easter Monday at the Hillclimb was the perfectly prepared snack?

Quite how I got the theme of this Blog into my head is beyond me!!

Maybe it’s because I’m writing it just before lunchtime and I have food on my mind? Who knows?

But now I’ve finished this update I fancy a nice round of beef sarnies! The question is do I want it with all the trimmings?

You can view the latest Autocross updates here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE WORK THAT GAVE ME AN APPETITE

The Easter weather theme didn't stray from the predicted damp forecasts.

In other words, after the wet Sprint meeting on Saturday it was a wet Monday at Le Val des Terres Hillclimb too :-(

It was clear when I arrived that the forecast alone had been enough to put off quite a chunk of the competitors. The pits looked half empty!

But those who made the effort managed to get a whole day of Motorsport including a few fairly dry runs...

The turn-out of competitors was very poor with many not even bothering to turn up. Whilst that is their own choice (they do loose their entry fee) it is a great shame that this happens as the Officials and volunteer Marshals still have to give their own time to run these events - rain or shine.

A little more support and appreciation for those who make these events happen would be nice to see.

At the end of the day the racers who turned up had 'enjoyed' a full day with a chance of making a few more runs than usual... it wasn't them who were the losers ;-)

My pics are now online:...
VIEW PICS OF THE EASTER MONDAY HILLCLIMB

It was a disappointing start to the 2016 'tarmac season' after the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Sprint meeting at Vazon coast road was terminated early after the threatened heavy rain arrived.

Perhaps the only consolation was that it arrived late, allowing competitors to get in a couple of runs before the road was awash.

Even at the start, the conditions weren't perfect for record-breaking as there was a strong cross-wind that came into play near the finish line. This is not something you want to experience when traveling at top speed, particularly on a bike!

So we are going to have to wait and hope that the next events are 'spoilt' by ideal conditions.

As I write this late on Sunday evening I'm following the weather updates for tomorrows Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Hillclimb at Le Val des Terres... and they're not good! We might be experiencing more high winds and even heavier rainfall!

Perhaps this is the price we pay when Easter comes early. Roll on the summer I say :-)

The Sprint pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST SPRINT OF 2016

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 must apologize for the delay in adding this update and the links to the pics.

I actually completed the Gallery updates on Saturday night... then I got distracted!

I've been building a rather nice Summer House (officially known as 'Carol's Place' as it is for my missus) at the top of my garden and the project has captured my attention.

This all started after I finally got around to removing a MASSIVE Leylandi hedge that had not so slowly engulfed a part of my garden. Once this oppressive feature had disappeared my gardening 'mojo' seemed to return and I've been spending many hours trying to re-claim some of my gardens old splendour and features.

But I'm rambling. You don't need to to know all this :-)

In fact I am still keeping on top of the photo gallery updates... it's only the blogs that missed a beat.

Saturday's updates were for the Motocross championship (more of the 'regular' stuff) and another event that was a bit different. Mower Racing... yes it can be really entertaining!

Even though Guernsey seemed to have every Motorsport formula covered it seems that Mower Racing had slipped through the oil filter. But that has now been sorted!

All the weekends pics are now on-line:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOWER RACING
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

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