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VIEW PICS OF THE BRITISH SHOWJUMPING GUERNSEY DERBY
I am quite amazed how busy this photography 'one man band' actually is!

I'm not sure why this should be as there are more than enough photographers competing for the same business. But the fact is that I am continually booked and trying to keep up with my work. The photography I am commissioned for is amazing in its variety and I have a couple of really exciting new projects on the go... more about them later.

It is the Commercial 'Tallpictures' business that is the main side (read income) of my photography. However I don't often add pictures of this work due to the private nature of photographing property. A taster for that side of my work can be viewed here:
VIEW THE TALLPICTURES GALLERIES

This web-site mostly presents the other sides of my work - mainly all forms of Sports Photography and Festival/Gig photography.

It is these areas of work that I have been catching up with and a few more picture galleries have been added.

These small galleries feature a few pics of the recent Channel Islands Golf Championship Finals, the Full Boar Rifle Inter-insula and the British Showjumping Guernsey Derby at Chemin le Roi.

Follow the links to view the pics:

VIEW PICS OF THE FULL BOAR RIFLE INTER-INSULA

VIEW PICS OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

Spectators were treated to a Grandstand view of the spectacular Avon Tyres - TTC Group National Hillclimb Championship when it arrived in Guernsey for the weekend.

Rounds nineteen and twenty were completed in the most extraordinary, changeable weather conditions. Luckily the worst was thrown at us in the morning which allowed time for the summer sun to go to work on drying out the track.

Perhaps the perfect tarmac surface never had time to dry under the mid-hill corners but that was no dampener on the racing and by the top corners the competitors were able to push as hard as ever.

This was where the specially built raised seating area near the finish line offered a fantastic view for the lucky ones who could find a spare seat.

The added benefit was that the packed crowd played off each other to raise the level of excitement making the applause louder than I can remember for any previous Hillclimb.

Lets hope the 'stadium' returns....

I've now completed the edit for both National Hillclimbs with the final updates showing the action from Le Val des Terres in Guernsey now online.

Check-out the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY ROUNDS OF THE NATIONAL HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP

WOW.... those were two amazing days of Motorsport!

When the MSA Avon Tyres - TTC Group National Hillclimb roadshow visits the two Channel Island hills we know we will be treated to top-level action... but this year had added drama that was worthy of a Hollywood film. You couldn't write it better!

We had loads of track action and excitement and also experienced all the seasons of weather.... everything from a heatwave to hail!

Of course it was Jersey who had the heatwave leaving Guernsey to supply the torrential rain and hail. However by the end of Saturday's racing we did prove that the sun does shine on the righteous Guernsey 'Donkeys'.... eventually!

We also came away from the two events with something special that the Crappo's couldn't match... not even close :-)

I have been sat down in front of my screens catching up with the two days of shooting as I have pics to select, edit, caption and submit to two National Motorsport Magazines - Autosport Magazine and Motorsport News.

Each of the publications are running Eddie Walder's race reports supported by my pics. Eddie reports and commentates on National Hillclimbs all around the UK but he certainly faces a big challenge to fit in all these meetings drama!

I've also had to submit pics to the Jersey Evening Post and the Guernsey Press.... but they are now sorted so the next priority is the website updates.

Pics of the Jersey MSA National Hillclimb are now online.....

Oh, by the way, did I forget to mention that it was a Guernseyman who won a Round of the National Hillclimb Championship in Jersey. Guernsey Donkeys are obviously fast as well as stubborn.

That's a local joke if you're not from the Channel Islands... our local arch rivals, the slower Jersey 'Crappo's' will get it ;-)

Well done to 'Guernsey's own' Darren Warwick for winning a Jersey round of the National Hillclimb Championship.

Pics from Jersey are now online. Guernsey to follow shortly:
VIEW PICS OF THE JERSEY ROUND OF THE NATIONAL HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP

I spent a short time on Sunday in the very pleasant surroundings of the Talbot Valley whilst photographing the first stage of the Velo Club's annual Mountain Bike 'Tour of Guernsey'.

I had been asked to cover this stage by the Guernsey Press and found that the competition was just as competitive as I remember!

There was a good field of over fifty riders who started what would be a week of varied courses around the island. By the final day the riders will have faced a variety of challenges and their stamina will have been well tested.

A small gallery of pictures has been added to this web-site. Take a look here:
VIEW PICS OF THE 2014 TOUR OF GUERNSEY

After a week of beautiful blue skies the sun was reluctant to show its face today. What a shame as I had an afternoon on the beach pencilled in my diary.

In the end it wasn't quite the disappointment it could have been as a couple of other jobs came in and my time on the beach was cut short.

I did hang around for a couple of races so I do have a few pics to add to the Galleries.

Here we go.... take a look here:
PICS FROM A SHORT VISIT TO THE SAND RACING

No-one can accuse the Greenman of skimping on the entertainment when it comes to their Chaos Festival.

I've only just added the last of the Bands to my Galleries and that makes this the end of a pretty long list.

Try this for a line-up... and I missed several Bands!

The pictures of Bands that I captured over the three days of Chaos were:

Therapy?, Nemesis, [spunge], Sugar Slam, Blakalaska, Demise of Sanity, FlashMob, Tantale, Crazy Babies, Coastal Fire Dept, Byzanthian Neckbeard, The Recks, Brunt, Bulletproof, Stone Em All, Static Alice, To the Woods, Rick Jones, Buffalo Huddleston, Fly Casual, Blue Mountains, The Cryptics, Whose Shoes, Skid Rue and Rat Salad.

So, like I said, no-one can complain about the lack of entertainment!

I think I can also say that no-one can accuse me of not putting in a full weekend of work... and all of this was achieved with a pint in my hand!

Nice work when you can get it :-)
VIEW THE COMPLETED GREENMAN CHAOS FESTIVAL PICS

'Motorsport Sunday 2014' was a great success, we must hope it becomes an annual event.

The St Peter Port seafront and Salerie car-park were closed for the day to allow the many Guernsey Motorsport, Car, Bike, Historic Vehicle and Model Car Clubs to showcase themselves.

The three Emergency Services also put on an impressive showcase of their vehicles and kit.

After a wet start to the day the sun came out and so did the crowds making this new event a great success.

I'm sure many of the visitors to Motorsport Sunday would have been suprised how much racing machinery is owned and raced by local enthusiasts... and what was on show was just a tiny proportion of the whole lot!

It was great to see the many different Clubs come together to promote the scene as a whole. The usual thing is for the Clubs to operate on their own. Fostering a community spirit must be good for everyone involved.

Let's hope this first effort will grow over the next few years...
VIEW PICS OF MOTORSPORT SUNDAY 2014

What's better than the roar of a loud, racing V8 engine?

Well, TWO of course!

...and the many fans of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's Powerboat racing championship were treated to exactly that over the weekend when Martyn Robert joined Dave Corbet with another V24 Class boat:-)

The second race of the weekend offered more favourable conditions for photography... at least it was sunny! The brighter conditions have a massive impact on the vibrancy we can capture.

For a start the sea actually looks blue, rather than grey, and the race boats colours really come alive. Just compare the picture in my previous Blog to see what I mean.

I chose a different viewpoint for the Sunday as I like to vary the shots. I also had to photograph the 'Motorsport Sunday' on the seafront.

There will be another mention of this brilliant showcase of the Guernsey Motorsport scene in my next Blog.

For now though, you can check-out pics of the two days of water-based racing here:
VIEW PICS OF THE POWERBOAT RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

After a week of editing Chaos Festival pics it was a nice change to get some fresh air out on Richard Turk Vaudin's boat.

Thanks again for the ride :-)

The occasion wasn't a holiday, honest. No it was strictly business, honest!

I was grateful for the chance to get out to one of the distant corners of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's race-course in what weren't perfect conditions for photography.

The boat was a perfect stable platform, however as is often the case we couldn't really get close enough to the action. Also the light was grey and dull.

But the show has to go on and I captured around one hundred and fifty action pics.

It was also interesting to share the boat with three other photographers. The fact that we were all confined to the same three metre square area and we all saw the same action it will offer an interesting opportunity to compare our results... we all have our own style of shooting.

I've uploaded my edit of the race. Check the pics here:
VIEW PICS OF POWERBOAT RACE-5

A Master Class in Festival stage lighting and performance...

That about sums it up!

When all the necessary ingredients come together you have to have high hopes that the finished dish will be tasty!

The Greenman Chaos main stage dished up a culinary delight when Saturday's head-liners took to the main stage.

Now I am on record as saying that I'm not the greatest Metal fan (sorry guys). However, when I manage to keep my tongue out of my cheek for long enough to take a few pics, I have never been disappointed by my shots of the local self appointed heroes of Metal.... Nemesis.

These guys know how to command a stage. Some may consider them a 'Marmite Band'.... but you cannot challenge that they offer generous portions of entertainment.

Too many Bands don't understand that a performance is just that. Entertain me please.

I'm pretty sure your most memorable gigs included great stage presence... as well as the music.

So that was the main course served up. But every satisfying meal includes a bit more than that.

This is where the dishes come together.

I have been guilty of stating my disappointment (on occasions) with the lighting style and balance that some light techies use. In fact I know that I have niggled some egos. However there has never been criticism of the overall job these guys do. I know they are lighting the stage for the audience - not the nerdy Photog!

My comments, however, are bound to be from my own viewpoint. I know what lighting works for good pics - and what makes it almost impossible to get good results from.

So, to make my point, the stage lighting at Chaos was incredible (for me). Of course it built as the day darkened and all the bells & whistles where in operation for Saturday's head-liners, Nemesis.

For an hour or so I was in photographic culinary heaven. I'll give the performance five Michelin Stars!!

Satisfy your own appetite by checking my pics...
FEAST ON A FEW PICS OF NEMESIS AT CHAOS 10

Do you need to uplift your spirits? You need a bit of Therapy? then!

Oh dear. That'll be no marks for originality then, Andrew. That line must have been written a thousand times before!

But please make some allowances for me. After all I'm a PHOTO-journalist... not the 'Scribe' type :-)

I do have all journalists love of whisky though. They do drink it by the tumbler full, don't they? Or is that something I just saw in a film sometime?

My Chaos picture edit continues and it is only fitting that the weekend's main head-liners take pride of place.

So with that said, check-out my Gallery of Therapy? pics. Who needs a Shrink (or Whisky) when this Band perform.....
VIEW PICS OF THERAPY? AT GREENMAN CHAOS FESTIVAL

I'd love to spend a little time telling you about how great the Greenman Chaos 10 Bike and Music Festival was this year. But I haven't the time.

There were soooo many great highlights.

The Greenman ticked one of the only remaining boxes when I noted that Wonky Donkey Real Ale had been added to the bar menu... I guarantee it'll be back as my consumption alone must have made it a success!

I'd love to tell you about the quality and variety of the music on the two stages. I'd also like to have the time to praise the lighting team for a fantastic job. Those new 'spots' are amazing.

When I have a chance I will 'wax lyrical' about the sound system... it was loud!

Then, when I am not so busy, I will praise the variety of food on offer... Fish & Chips in a field - that'll do nicely :-)

Then I will have to find the words to describe the warm and friendly atmosphere that always pervades every Greenman Chaos Festival. Who would believe a bunch of 'piss-heads' (including me) could be so well behaved!

So you can expect me (when I have the time after processing the weekends pics) to tell you all about the FANTASTIC, BEST EVER Chaos tenth anniversary.

......oh, I seem to have already done all that!!

However I reckon I'll still find a few more good things to say in my next Blog :-)

First Galleries are now on-line featuring pics of the Chaos atmosphere.

Band pics will follow... as soon as I stop talking!!
CHAOS 10 - VIEW THE FIRST PICS

2014 was a vintage year for the Greenman Chaos Bike & Music Festival.

Following on from the first nine Chaos weekends the hope and anticipations were high for Number 10.

The early pioneering festivals had improved year on year. The question was 'Could the Greenman up the ante for the tenth anniversary?'

Silly question really. Of course they could, and of course they did, big time!

Thanks guys for a festival that legends are made of. Now let's stop the talk of it being the last. I'll see you next year or you will have to make your (good) excuses to me, OK!

The first gallery of the 2014 Greenman Chaos Bike & Music Festival shows my Guernsey Press submission for the Monday morning edition.

I was chuffed to see one of the pics made the front page. There were also Chaos pics on three other pages including a fantastic double-page spread in the centre. Total number of pics was thirteen.

Chaos has really made a mark in 2014!!

The logistics of selecting, editing, captioning and submitting a select few pics for an early Sunday morning deadline were fairly challenging, particularly as I was sleeping 'on-site' in my van so as to be able to enjoy a beer or two.

I actually I lost count of the pints of White Rock Brewery 'Wonky Donkey' Real Ale that I drank but I know I went through five four-drink tokens worth + a few more. And yes, I was a Wonky Donkey!

I dreaded that I would not wake up early enough on Sunday morning... but I did and these few pics are the result.

MANY, MANY more will follow as I work through the edit. Keep checking back....
CHAOS 2014... THE PRESS EDIT

Chef Simon McKenzie had a final practice run of his menu before travelling to London to compete in the semi-final of National Chef of the Year. I was invited into his kitchen as he performed his magic.

As the three courses were plated up I was very lucky to be offered them to taste and can assure you that they were all wonderful! I hope my pictures do justice to the dishes as there was very little time to capture the shots... no it wasn't because I tucked straight in!!

All the food shots were taken directly in the kitchen using a microwave as a base and a convenient window that happened to look out over an overgrown field. A touch of flash was added to make the food glisten.

I spoke with Simon during his preparations and learnt that he is a keen photographer. I side-stepped the argument about which camera is best, Nikon or Canon. Obviously it is NIKON!

Simon talked about how he was involved with the production of food photography earlier in his career. He related a couple of stories of how the Pro 'togs 'tweak' the food to make it look great... rendering it inedible at the same time.

That wasn't a problem in this case. Everything was freshly prepared and cooked right in front of me. No tweaking played a part in the photography. It would have been a crime not to be able to eat it... yum, yum
VIEW PICS OF SIMON McKENZIE PREPARING FOR CHEF OF THE YEAR

The Pilot and his wife were able to walk away from the wreckage of their Socata TB-10 Tobago after it crashed shortly after taking off from Guernsey Airport at approx 5pm on 17th June 2014.

I was able to gain access to Mr & Mrs Brehaut's driveway which allowed me to deploy the 26 Metre mast to capture a unique view of the crash scene and aircraft.

The views show the airport runway in the background which suggests the route the aircraft must have taken after taking off. It also shows how many properties were fortunately avoided.

Aircraft crashes are extremely rare however in this case I think it is fair to comment that everyone, both on the aircraft and living in the area have been very lucky that no serious injury occurred.
VIEW A FEW PICS OF THE LIGHT AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE

After spending Saturday on the beach I swapped the sand for tarmac on Sunday.

Not quite as nice, I'm sure you'll agree :-)

However whilst the thrilling action of the Sand Ace meeting was always going to be a hard act to follow, the Kart racing at The Track did its best to entertain.

Unfortunately (perhaps) I missed a spectacular roll-over by Andy Ward. He has only just returned to the Kart track but he wasn't injured or put-off by the 'aerial antics' as he re-appeared for a later heat.

I was a late arrival at the racing as I had several publication deadlines to meet for pics from the Sand Ace meeting.

However the action hadn't finished yet as during the Rotax Junior Max final there was some controversial behaviour when Blue and Black flags were seemingly ignored. As the racing continued the failure to pull into the pits went on to affect the outcome of the race and the safety of drivers.

Tempers were understandably raised and I don't envy the Clerk of the Course and his assistants in their role in having to make sense of the argy-bargy!

This occasional behaviour by young competitors is, I guess, inevitable when the adrenaline is running high but it was a great shame to observe and certainly doesn't show our (potentially dangerous) Sport in good light.

There are penalties that cover the failure to abide by the rules for good reasons as parents need to know that their children are competing in a controlled environment with safety being the most important thing.

I'm sure that things will have calmed down before the next race meeting... let's get back to fair, safe, fast, noisy and competitive racing. It's what we love about the Sport.

Pics (not of the action!) are now online:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-4 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

Sun, Sea, Sand and Ace Action.

That was what the weekend included for me and a couple of thousand Motorsport fans in Guernsey on Saturday.

It was fantastic to see such a high class entry for the 2014 Condor Ferries ACU British Sand Ace Championship held on the sands of Vazon Bay, Guernsey. It was also fantastic to see that the event attracted the crowd of spectators that it deserved.

I have no doubt that this unique Championship is held in high regard by the top riders who have raced on our sands. I spoke with many of the guys during the well attended social evening that followed the racing and I didn't hear a word of complaint... other than it is a shame we all have to wait a year before the fun kicks off again!

This praise of the organisation, friendliness and quality of the racing is a strong recommendation when it is remembered that most of the competitors have raced all over the UK and indeed the top venues in Europe.

So once again the small Island of Guernsey has proven that it is able to mix it with the heavy-weights and come out as winners!

Massive thanks must go to the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club and the many officials and helpers who made the day run so smoothly. Also the many Sponsors who enable the event to take place.

This photographer could barely conceal his enthusiasm whilst capturing the action. This event is one of the main highlights of my Motorsport photographic year.

I've now completed the proper edit of my pics after a rather stressful and fast preparation of a Slideshow of the unedited days work that I was requested to present for all the racers to view during the evening get-together.

Any photographers who are reading this Blog should have a little understanding that you would not choose to 'open up' your unedited work for appraisal. We can all capture some crap sometimes, eh?

Sand Racing can be quite a challenging sport to photograph - particularly if you have close access to the track - and it was with relief that I viewed the slideshow of pics for the first time along with the racers. It seemed to grab a lot of attention and good comments and I think my reputation as a Pro photog survived the experience :-)

I'm relieved to say that (even in the cold light of the next day) I didn't have too many 'fails'... phew!
VIEW THE 2014 CONDOR FERRIES SAND ACE CHAMPIONSHIP

Wherever you go around the world you can almost guarantee on one thing being a part of any community.

This will manifest itself in different forms dependant on resources, facilities and of course money!

What I am talking about is Motorsport.

A few things will also play a central role in all these Motorsport 'scenes'... men, competition, petrol, a love of speed and an ability to tweak your own racing machine.

Another feature of most Motorsport scenes is an element of a perceived 'restricted' access to all the fun.

My experience of the Guernsey Clubs and Motorsport scene couldn't be more different from that.

I know that they are always looking for new membership and will offer all the help and guidance they can to any prospective new racer. But that doesn't change the fact that some people who might be keen to start racing find it difficult to make a first approach.

This one fact alone makes the establishment of annual Motorsport Charity events so important and useful to encouraging fresh faces into the Clubs.

Of course the main aspect of these Charity events is to raise money for local Charities and tens of thousands of pounds from previous years have been donated. This year the Heritage Hillclimb was raising funds for Channel Islands Airsearch & the Guernsey Motor Neurone Disease Association.

This year the days racing (legally) up Le Val des Terres was enjoyed by all the competitors who experienced first hand what it is like to be part of the Guernsey Motorsport scene. We hope the taste of the 'real thing' will get a few of you excited enough to come back again to compete in a full event.

You will then become part of a Global Club.

There is however one thing on my list of the 'certainties' of a Motorsport scene that might be on the change. For me it is difficult to imagine racing without the smell of petrol and the noise from a V8 but the special guest who opened the Heritage Charity Hillclimb also showcased the future, maybe?

Guernsey's own World Motorsport Champion and BMW Team driver, Andy Priaulx, demonstrated the new BMW i3 Electric car... and just to show he hadn't forgotten his way up the 'Terres he smashed the Electric vehicle class record! Not bad to say his last competitive race up this hill was in 1995 when he won the MSA British National Hillclimb Championship!

Once a racer, always a racer.

So are you going to join a Club? It really isn't a restricted area :-)

I have added a Picture Gallery featuring all the days racers. A donation of 25% of all picture sales will be made to the designated Charities
VIEW PICS OF THE 2014 HERITAGE CHARITY HILLCLIMB

Last Saturday proved to be a busy day for me.

It was the last of the days jobs that was the biggie... That was my coverage of the Full Boar Lock-In at Beau Sejour. There is no escaping a large work-load when you photograph twelve bouts of fighting!

That work was all finished and on-line a couple of days ago. But that still left the days earlier photoshoot on the familiar sands at Vazon Bay. This was Round-4 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Sand Racing Championship.

That job is now complete with an upload to a new Gallery of action pictures of the racing.

All these updates have been fitted around a very busy week of other work. No wonder I enjoy the time actually taking pics... it's the only chance I seem to have to get out from behind the editing desk!

Follow this link to view the latest Sandracing pictures:
VIEW ROUND-4 OF THE SANDRACING CHAMPIONSHIP

That was quite a slog.

I attended the Full Boar Lock-In 3 at the weekend. There was a great atmosphere in the large hall at Beau Sejour. The whole show had been enhanced for 2014 with impressive lighting and a superb sound system.

The action in the ring was fast moving, the organisation was silky smooth.

With a total of twelve Bouts to photograph the work-load has been pretty intense to get everything on-line... but the job is now a good'n!

I've added Bouts 7 - 12 and an additional Gallery devoted to showcasing some of the atmosphere.

So please take a look at my pics. Also please remember that they are NOT free to copy.

I have spent many hours working on the Galleries - this is my full-time job and I have beer to buy!

Prices start from just £4. That's got to be a bargain, hasn't it?
CLICK HERE TO CHECK-OUT THE VARIOUS OPTIONS TO BUY PICS

View all the Galleries here:
VIEW THE COMPLETED LOCK-IN 3 GALLERIES