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Variety is good. It keeps things interesting.

However I don't like to stray too far from certain favorite themes... one of them is action photography, of course!

This morning the 'Action' mix included Round-3 of the Guernsey Velo Club's Mountain Bike Winter Cross Country Series sponsored by Ian Brown's Cycle. This round took place in the challenging pine forest at the Guet.

The course offered steep slippery slopes, tight bends around knarled tree trunks and longer level straights. However there were always tree roots laying in wait to throw off the riders.

The track challenged even the most experienced riders but all this didn't put off a sizable entry. I have a feeling this particular genre of cycling is going from strength to strength.

I only managed to find time for a short shoot at the MTB before I had to leave to cover the first of the Kart Club's Winter Championship at The Track.

Two things really struck me as I photographed these two events one after the other.

One was the contrast in noise levels. The Guet was a peaceful place to be - even allowing for the shouted support being given to the competitors from spectators. At the Track it was all about the sound of revving engines. That's the 'variety' I mentioned before.

The other thing that struck me was that one aspect was just the same between the events. That was the competition.

All sports have this same intrinsic element. Competitors want to be first. They want to be a winner and this wish drives everyone taking part to push their performance further every time they compete.

Oddly, this even rubs off on me. I'm actually a very competitive person. I've always managed to turn anything I've done into some form of competition. There's nothing more certain to get my competitive nature buzzing than when I see another DSLR camera lurking in the bushes :-)

Competition is usually good for us as it makes us push ourselves beyond where we were comfortable. We try and find a new level of achievement, hopefully! We're all winners then.

My pics from these two events can be viewed by following the links. Maybe they are just a little better than they would have been without the competition ;-)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 3 OF THE WINTER MTB SERIES
CLICK HERE TO VIEW RACE 1 OF THE WINTER KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP

Three for the price of one is never a bad deal!

If the deal offers three great bands on the bill at The Fermain Tavern I'm certain to enjoy the evening :-)

I've been catching up with a few updates again and this time three galleries have new pics of the bands on that bill...To the Woods, Lifejacket and Lord Vapour. I said they were great!

These links take you to each of the gallery updates:
CLICK TO VIEW THE NEW PICS OF TO THE WOODS
CLICK TO VIEW THE NEW PICS OF LIFEJACKET
CLICK TO VIEW THE NEW PICS OF LORD VAPOUR

My 2017 Motorsport season began last weekend with a GMC&CC Trails event.

This All-Day meeting was based around the beautiful setting of Fauxquets Valley.

I was unable to spend much time on the sections as I had other work booked but it was long enough to find out how muddy some of the tracks leading to the sections were. It was quite a surprise as Guernsey has just experienced one of the driest Decembers on record.

But somehow the mud was deep, sticky and very slippery!

Now, I'm never the most steady person when its slippery underfoot. When I'm also carrying a few grand of kit up and down the slopes trying to find the best angle I'm just one slide away from an expensive accident!

That's not mentioning how dirty the result would be!

Last Sunday there was an extra twist to my trying to keep on my feet.... and clean.

As I mentioned, my day's work consisted of photographing several other events. These were public affairs that required me to be fairly smart... definitely not covered in smelly mud.

As I made a couple of visits to the Trails between the other shoots I was swapping wellies for brogues with a practiced touch. I even managed to keep my hands clean... and more importantly the cameras, lenses and trousers.

It was worth all the effort though as I have been eager to get back to the Motorsport photography after the winter break. Looking at my calendar I'll be busy most weekends from now on so keep a look-out on this website for my regular updates.

You can view a few pics of the All-Day Trials here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE GM&CC ALL-DAY TRIALS

How do you get into the festive spirit?

Well if you're still of 'working age' then the chances are that part of the seasonal 'warm-up' process is to spend some time in the company of your work-mates at the office Christmas party.

Now, as we all know, these 'do's' can end up in all sorts of dramas!

Some of the stories of misbehavior circulating around the office the day after a lively party go on to become legendary. Reputations are both made and lost!

Even though we all know that we are walking a risky road by joining the revelry at the office party we all give in and let our hair down... well why not - it's just once a year ;-)

This blog is leading on to me telling you about my own ultimate office Christmas party.

When I throw a party everyone is invited ;-)

OK, maybe I'm 'bigging' up my part in organizing the TALLPICTURES.com Ultimate Office Christmas Party just a little.... OK, actually quite a lot.

In fact my own TALLPICTURES.com office party involved me sitting in a dark corner of The Cock & Bull (alone) with a pint of real ale and a packet of crisps... it can get lonely when you're the only employee :-(

However there is always an answer to any problem, if you look hard enough.

So my idea was to tag onto someone else's office party. This turned out to be an amazing plan as I joined hundreds of revelers at the OneLouder 2016 Ultimate Office Christmas Party at Beau Sejour.

These guys really know how to have fun and their choice of two of the most popular bands in the Channel Islands was perfect to party to!

Fade2Grey and King Rat & the Soul Cats had Beau Sejour rocking and the party took its place among all the legendary parties of years gone by... but this time it was for all the right reasons :-)

So I left the party with a camera-full of pics (yes I know I shouldn't work at my office party) but I couldn't miss the chance to take a few pics... even if the lighting was a struggle for a photographer to work with. Yes I'm still a moaning misery even at Christmas time!

The OneLouder party did its job getting me in the festive mood and I've just one more thing to say...

'Seasons Greetings to you all'

If you want to see how my office party went, check-out the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF MY ULTIMATE OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY

Guernsey's School of Popular Music has only been in existence for a few years but they have already established a tradition.

At Christmas-time the SoPM arrange a special gig to show-case their students... both new and old. This is organized at one the Guernsey's live music venues and gives students the chance to experience what it is like to perform to an audience with the benefit of a pro sound system, sound desk technician and stage lighting.

I've photographed many of the SoPM events and enjoy seeing the progress of the first singers and musicians to start the courses. There is real talent on show. It's also great to see the 'buzz' that the 'first-timers' feel after their introduction to live gigging.

This year the SoPM arranged two special events at Christmas. As well as the Doghouse gig the newer students had their very own concert at The Church on the Rock. This was performed to a packed house of family and friends.

You can check-out pics of all the SoPM events that I have photographed by having a look at these galleries:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE SCHOOL OF POPULAR MUSIC EVENTS
CLICK

A quick update... this is a busy time of year for me :-)

I'll be updating the Galleries every time I have a few moments with the aim of not falling weeks behind with the edits.... a problem I get into every year over the festive period.

So here's today's quickie.

Take a look at Wondergeist's latest pics from their Fermain Tavern gig.

Oh, by the way, I love this band. Make sure you catch one of their gigs.
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST PICS OF WONDERGEIST

So what's a bloke to do when the majority of the Motorsport season is over?

Well today I spent an enjoyable sunny morning photographing the GVC MTB Winter XC Series Round-2 at Pleinmont. The circuit used part of the Motocross track (so I felt quite at home), combined with fields and clifftop paths.

OK, I did miss the noise and engine fumes but the action was great! The hour long race was challenging even for the fittest rider but we all benefited from the wonderful sunny winters morning.

There was an excellent turnout of competitors who took full advantage of the Motocross track layout that offered opportunity to overtake and a choice of racing line.

I'll call this event a great success. Let me know what you thought of it.

I've added a full selection of MTB pics to my website galleries. Take a look at the pics here....
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ROUND-2 OF THE MTB XC WINTER SERIES

It has become tradition that Noizemonkey host a special gig at The Fermain Tavern on the Halloween weekend.

Regulars know what to expect.... lots of ghouls, ghosts, madness and music :-0

This years effort was as good as any of the previous nights of terror. The guys had done a fantastic job of decorating the venue and this offered a fitting backdrop for those gig-goers who had made an effort to dress up and paint their bodies. At least I hope it was all pretend!!

There were some truly scary haunted beings wandering around St Martins.

As a photographer it is fun to take pics of the characters however I'm the boring one who turns up at these nights wearing just my normal gear... and face. My excuse is that I don't want to get grease paint and (hopefully fake) blood on my expensive kit ;-)

It was only the next day that it dawned on me that maybe my 'normal' look is so scary that I fitted right in without the aid of props!

This years halloween Saturday was a busy one for me as I had a conflict of events to photograph. This meant I had to share my time around.

I started off at the 'Tav taking pics of Blacksmith.

I then jumped in my van and headed off to the Haunted House event in Vale Castle. Checkout the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE EVENT

After capturing some of the atmosphere in the Castle it was back to the 'Tav just in time to see the nights headliners SugarSlam.

This finished off the halloween weekend with style. Well done Noizemonkey for all your hard work. You can now return to the vaults until next year.

The pics are online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BLACKSMITH PLAYING AT HALLOWEEN
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF SUGARSLAM PLAYING AT HALLOWEEN

I love round numbers. Numbers like one million, one hundred, ten… in fact any number that ends in noughts. The more noughts the better though!

There is something nice and tidy about a number that ends in a nought.

I’ve no idea where I get the passion for numerical tidiness from as my office desk is proof that I don’t carry this zeal for tidiness into all aspects of my life!

But I won’t let that small fact spoil the pleasure I felt when my website viewing passed another significant mark… another of those cherished ‘round numbers’.

In fact I’m celebrating two new markers in one this time around. Just how happy can a photographer be???

The celebration comes as this website's total picture views passed through the FIFTEEN MILLION mark…. that’s SIX NOUGHTS you know ;-)

By coincidence this also marks a new record for the number of views within a twelve month period. In fact it is just eleven months since the website views passed ELEVEN MILLION, so for the first time, I have had more than FOUR MILLION views within a year.

That deserves a smiley face :-)

When viewings passed the THREE MILLION annual total I commented that it probably wouldn’t be repeated but now I’m getting cocky and have set myself the challenge of breaking an annual FIVE MILLION views.

To achieve this I don’t see any time in the near future when I’ll find a moment to get around to tidying the disorderly desk…. But that’s fine as ‘tidy’ round numbers will keep me happy ;-)

Thanks for the continued visits to view my pics. It is you who make up the numbers.

You can view a few of the old ‘Milestone Millions’ Blogs by following this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PREVIOUS 'MILLION' BLOGS

The last Motocross meeting of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's 2016 Motocross Championship was an exciting event as the final places were fought for.

Once again the weather turned out to be just about perfect with the overnight rain leaving the track in near perfect condition.

All the extensive work that a small band of helpers had done over the summer break on laying out a new track has certainly paid off. The re-designed corners and jumps have offered a new challenge to both racers and photographers as we all took time to find the fastest lines and best photographic angles.

These changes can re-invigorate all of us when the motivation starts to drop. Also the fact that most meetings have been dry and mild also helps I guess ;-)

I've added a new gallery featuring the final Race-8 of the Championship. Check-out the pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FINAL MX RACE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

On a sunny day in the wooded Dos D'ane valley everything is as pretty as a picture.

With the leaves taking on their autumnal colours and the low sun I almost broke one of my 'mantra's'... that is that I don't take 'pretty' pictures anymore!

That all changed when I took up photography as a full-time occupation.

Back in my RPS and Camera Club days I took as many landscape, sunset, sunrise, flower, wildlife pics.... (you get the idea) as any other hobbyist photographer.

Somehow that has changed now that a lot of my work is to a clients strict brief. My other two specialties - Music and Sport photography also don't offer many chances to make a 'pretty' picture.

But as I edited the recent Trails meeting held in the Dos D'Ane valley I noticed that I was getting close to making a 'pretty' picture - all by accident - as natures colours were beginning to glow.

In the end the pics I ended up with were still just motorsport pics but I loved how the seasonal colour added a bit of zing to some of the shots.

You can view the pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW TRIAL PICS WITH AN AUTUMNAL GLOW

I've added another two Galleries featuring more Rock from the weekend.

Actually I should really phrase it like this.... 'more rock from the 80's' as these particular gigs/parties held last Saturday within the walls of Vale Castle offered a trip back to the Rock music of the 80's - with a bit of Dance and Halloween thrown into the mix!

The nights were organized by House Events and promoted as Haunted House 2016.

It was a double header featuring a Dance night on Friday followed by live 80's music on Saturday from 'That 80s Rock Show'.

My overall impression of the two nights was very positive with the choice of the Halloween weekend being a good one as people seem to make a special effort to get out and have fun :-)

I've added two galleries that feature the atmosphere in the heated marquee that was decorated in a Halloween theme and set up inside Vale Castle. If you didn't make it down this year the pics will give you an idea what you missed.

Checkout the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE TWO HAUNTED HOUSE NIGHTS

The Recks (with a new lineup) returned to one of their favorite venues last Friday night.

With so much live music, entertainment and competition from other popular bands over the Halloween weekend I wondered if The Recks would pay the price of being away from the music scene for so many months.

There was good reason for their absence as the band had lost key members after they left Sark for noisier and fast environments... I think they'll miss Sark's special lifestyle though. It always leaves its mark!

I'm pleased to say that the remaining Recks decided that what they had together was just too good to give up on. They had amassed a popular set list of originals and had a following across all the Channel Islands... and beyond!

It was that loyal following that meant the return of the new Recks would command a good crowd of fans - even with all the previously mentioned competition.

My own weekend was very busy - sports photography on all three days and four gigs in the nights.... covering a total of six bands and three venues!

I'm starting to update the galleries but it is taking time as the incredible fine weather has meant my Tallpictures work has been non-stop.

But here are a few links for the latest updates:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE RECKS NEW LINEUP
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF LORD VAPOUR
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE SECRET SMILES

In the 'old days' when November was just around the corner we weren't surprised if conditions started to get dull and overcast.

We could expect to have to add an extra layer of clothing to keep the chill of the sea breeze at bay. There would be little encouragement to go down to the beach... except for dog walking.

However nowadays the calendar date is no way to predict what the climate will have on offer. This is perhaps the influence of global warming on the weather? Who knows for sure?

So maybe it was that climatic effect that played a part in giving the latest round of the 'Winter' Autocross championship a very unseasonable feel.

On Sunday it was a glorious warm and sunny morning down on Chouet beach. My guess is that if the noisy Banger racing hadn't taken over the sands for the morning a few swimmers would have taken advantage of the lovely day.

But they were restricted to the equally pleasant afternoon as Round-4 of the Winter Banger racing championship churned up the sands in the morning.

I was out in the sun taking a few pics of the action. Check them out here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-4 OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Today made a pleasant change of working environment to the 'normal' petrol fumes of motorsport or the noise of a live gig where you will often find me taking pics!

Today I swapped those types of event for the quieter and more genteel atmosphere of a showjumping arena. I was invited along to photograph the North Show equestrian event at the BSJA grounds in the Forest.

I was quickly reminded how much fun it is to attempt to capture the best action in a showjumping arena. There are many similarities between all 'action' photography... it's about timing and reading what, where and when things reach a peak.

Hopefully I dialed in to the pace of the jumping and caught the competitors best monents.

Unfortunately the conditions were less than perfect as it was dull at first then turned to rain :-(

However I thoroughly enjoyed photographing a change of subject. I must do it again soon :-)

You can view the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NORTH SHOW SHOWJUMPING

A late update... so it's a quickie :-)

I'm on the road early in the morning so it has been a rush to get today's (actually it's now yesterday's) Motocross Gallery online.

The job's now a good'n as a complete Gallery of all the action from race seven of the GK&MC Motocross Championship has been selected, edited and uploaded.

It's been a rush but the pics are here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS RACE-7

We welcomed more of our Jersey musical cousins to the Fermain Tavern last Saturday.

Every year many Jersey based bands make the journey across the water to play at one of our music venues or festivals. They often comment on and compliment us on how broad and well supported our local music scene is. Generally speaking they are right, we do have an amazing amount of talent and opportunity to play live here in Guernsey.

But if you are a regular reader of my Blog you will know that I have ranted many times about how the 'punters' don't always offer their support to the bands and venues.

However I'm not going to go into that mode again, at least not this time!

No, I want to make another observation.

If you are a Channel Islander you would have grown up experiencing the (mostly friendly) banter and put-down that exists in our rivalry between Guernsey and Jersey. It is traditional with all inter-insular competition - from the annual football Muratti down. Think of it as our local version of Man U v Liverpool etc....

What struck me the other night at the Fermain Tavern whilst watching the Jersey based band Joe Long & the Bandits was that the music scene is different. Far from the rivalry (and competition) fellow musicians are supportive, respectful and loving (peace man) towards our Jersey cousins.

This just shows the power of music - especially live. But you knew that anyway didn't you :-)

You can view a few pics of Joe Young & the Bandits by following this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF JOE YOUNG & THE BANDITS

Tarmac and sand wouldn't normally be used in one sentence when talking about motorsport.

But this is Guernsey and we do things a bit differently over here :-)

On Sunday those two contrasting surfaces both featured in my mornings photography.

Luckily the two events were timed with just a small overlap allowing me to get along to both of them.

First up it was tarmac that offered a track surface. This was at the aptly named 'The Track' for race eight of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Summer Kart Championship.

Following on from this it was time to head off to the sands of Chouet Beach where a track had been marked out for race three of the Autocross Club's Winter Series.

So in just one morning I was able to enjoy two wildly contrasting events... in fact perhaps the only similarity was that it was motorsport so the competitors were fired up with only one thought in their head... TO WIN!

These races are always entertaining and I recommend them to you if you're looking for something different to occupy yourself with on a Sunday morning.

Follow these links to view the pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE KARTING PICS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BANGER RACING PICS

As one of the Guernsey Press pool of freelance photographers I was called in to assist the team of full-time 'togs to photograph the Guernsey Press 'Pride of Guernsey' Awards Evening.

The GP and all their staff had made a huge effort to make the evening memorable and a success.

The whole main open plan office area had been cleared of all the workstations leaving a massive space to layout the dining tables and stage together with the lighting and sound system supplied by Joys.

During the preparation there had been a massive amount of work and inconvenience... remember that this was the working office that still had to produce the daily Guernsey Press from within all the disruption!

However all that upheaval was worth it as the space worked incredibly well and the evening was considered a success by everyone I spoke to.

Of course I was the lucky one as the next day for me was just a 'normal day'... my GP workmates had to rebuild their office before meeting the next days print deadline.

I really enjoyed being part of the event and supplying 'live' pics of the awards ceremony so that a special edition of the Guernsey Press could be printed on the evening so the Award winners and guests could take away a copy as they left.

The only thing remaining for me to do is to congratulate all the Award winners.

You can view a few of my pics in this gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE PRIDE OF GUERNSEY AWARDS 2016

Liberation Day in Guernsey is our National Holiday.

Islanders come together to organize many different events that offer something for all ages and all tastes.

I usually manage to get around to a few different venues and have enjoyed being the official photographer for the day.

I've updated this years gallery with a few more pics featuring Stone Em All.

You can view pics of the band by following this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF LIBERATION DAY 2016