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Jon & Paul Stephen once again pulled together a remarkable festival at 'The Warren' in Guernsey.
This was only the 2nd Guernsey Festival but already it was obvious that lessons learned from No. 1 had been acted on and improvements were made in the layout of the festival site, the facilities and many other details.
Once again the line-up of Bands was varied with great headliners. There were also Bands that were unknown to many of the festival goers before seeing them on the two main stages. I left with a list of music that I wanted to check-out in the next few weeks. This surely is a key part of the experience, fun and musical education of the festival format?
I have been reading the Facebook blogs of those that attended and there is overwhelming support for another festival in 2013.

However, it is clear that such a massive venture takes a big financial outlay and gives an emotional and stressful 'roller-coaster' to the two brothers. We must hope that when they have had time to sit back and count the cost - to their well being and pocket! - that they find the energy and resource to make a 2013 Guernsey Festival a reality.
Fingers crossed. Make your support known to them.
I was official festival photographer and was able to capture many of the perfomances.... great fun but long days with more long hours in the studio processing the pics ;-)
The first of many picture galleries have been added. More will follow.
Click the link to view the first pictures of Macy Gray, Hadouken, King Charles, The Spindle Sect, In Tyler we Trust, Delilah, Kassidy, Albert Lee, Josh Kumra and Kitten & The Hip.....
VIEW THE FIRST PICS OF THE 2012 GUERNSEY FESTIVAL

Last weekend was a busy one!
Guernsey hosted two massive events, and I photographed both of them.
Each shoot needed pics submitted before print deadlines and saw me working until 3am on a couple of days ;-)
This is no complaint though. It was great fun and when you capture a few pics that you are happy with it makes all the long hours worth while.
The first spectacle was the ACU British Sand Ace Championship followed by two days at the Guernsey Festival.
The best result for me has been having my ACU British Sand Ace pics published in Speedway Star Magazine. I have also had double page spreads of both events published in the Guernsey Press. There are also a couple of other National publications looking to publish pics, fingers crossed.
However, unfortunately, there is no short cut when it comes to editing and preparing a large amount of pictures.... so the answer is to take as few as you can! Less is more!
Even with this aim I have had to sort through many hundreds of images, and the job still has a way to go yet :-(
A few more long days (and nights) will get the job done.
So far I have completed the picture galleries for the Sand Ace Championship. Guernsey Live will follow shortly...
VIEW THE ACU CONDOR FERRIES SAND ACE GALLERIES

Congratulations go to Danny Warwick after he won the ACU Condor Ferries British Sand Ace Championship on the beach at Vazon Bay, Guernsey.
There was a good sized and high quality field of Solo riders out on the track. The racing was action packed and competitive and a large crowd of spectators lined the walls to enjoy their motor sport.
Supporting the 500cc Sliders were two heats of 1000cc Sidecars. There was an excited buzz around the track each time these guys raced.... they were fast and spectacular!
I have just added a few pics as a 'taster' to my Galleries. Full coverage will follow.
I have had an incredibly busy weekend as I was also official photographer for the Guernsey Music Festival.
This was another massive success. Guernsey rocked this weekend!!
Pics of the Guernsey Festival will also follow shortly....
VIEW A FEW 'TASTER SHOTS' FROM THE SAND ACE RACING

Last year saw the first Guernsey Festival. It was a great success and set the standard for this years version.
If you were one of the loyal festival goers for No.1 you will know that there was a great atmosphere in the 'big top' for the headliners and the supporting acts. The line-up ticked lots of boxes with a mix of acts to suit most tastes and a few 'hidden gems' that you would never have found if they weren't presented to you at a Festival.
This year it is more of the same - only bigger and better!
I have spent some time over the last few days on the Festival site and the new lay-out is a big improvement with everything more compact. The atmosphere will be brilliant.
I am official photographer for the Festival and will be uploading loads of pics as the event unfolds.
The amount of effort that has gone into establishing this new Festival deserves your support.... it can only get bigger and better each year.... if you buy a ticket ;-)
Go on, do it. Tickets are available on the day.
Check-out last years Galleries for a feel of this great event:
VIEW LAST YEARS GUERNSEY FESTIVAL

That's 'Last of the Light Brigade' to those of you who don't get out much ;-)
This young band launched their new album a few nights ago at The Doghouse. I have followed them for a few years as they have transformed from a four-piece to a trio. Their songwriting has evolved and they now present a polished and original act. Tyler has a great voice with his own distinct character. A studio recording showcases his talents well.
I bought the CD and it has been playing in my studio and van ever since. I like it. Make sure you check it out too.
I have added a few pics of the launch night to the Last of the Light Brigade Gallery:
LAST OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE ALBUM LAUNCH NIGHT

Down came the rain,
Again!
Was it wet?
You bet.

OK I'm clearly no poet... but you get the idea ;-)
What have the Motor Sport guys done to deserve the reliably wet racing that 2012 seems to provide them with?
Sunday morning at The Track provided a very wet outlook with 'wets' being the only option for tyre choice.
The conditions challenged the competitors and a smooth driving style combined with the nerve to grab any opportunity to squeeze past a fellow competitor if they left the door open paid rewards.
Photographically, a rainy race meeting is both good and bad.
The 'bad' is having to get wet (again)... the good is that it is possible to capture some great shots.
I have photographed Karting at The Track for many years so it is nice to grab some different pics. I can make use of the low light, the spray being thrown up by the tyres adds drama and if I take care in my positioning it is also possible to capture some great reflections on the wet track.
I hope you like the new pics (I suffered for my art!). Please remember that the pictures on this web site are VERY low resolution and do not give a true feel of the detail a print will show.
As always you are welcome to press the 'BUY NOW' button beneath any pic you fancy... spare a thought for a soggy photographer, thanks ;-)
View the new Gallery here:
PICS OF A VERY WET ROUND-4 OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

Round-5 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Sand Racing Championship was held yesterday on Vazon beach. This was the last meeting before the Condor Ferries British Sand Ace Championship and everything seemed to run smoothly.
The GMC&CC have worked hard to be permitted to run the first ACU British Sand Ace Championship for many years. The opportunity to race on the sand has attracted a top class field of ''''slider'''' riders. Their races are going to be supported by a group of Grass Track sidecar racers.
So everything is in place for an amazing spectacle... make a diary date for 23rd June at 2pm.
Round-5 pictures can be viewed here:
VIEW ROUND-5 SAND RACING PICTURES

Call me a pessimist but I carried a brolly all day at the latest Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Hill Climb.
I looked a bit of a wally by the end of the day as the weather seemed to improve as time passed. Perhaps it was the fact that too many local events - not just Motor Sport - have been spoilt by the weather so far this year.
With this fact in mind we all deserved a brighter day for a change. This includes the competitors, spectators and not forgeting the photographers ;-)
The hype before the latest Hill Climb was that there was a chance for multiple new record breakers. In the end there were only a couple of new targets established so maybe the hill hadn't reached its best condition yet?
This didn't hold back the enjoyment of DRY conditions, though. More of the same please!
There was a very large entry for this latest meeting so the picture galleries are extensive. Follow this link to check them out:
PICS OF A DRY GK&MC HILL CLIMB

Pete and his Babies reproduced an authentic night of classic punk sound and attitude to a crowd that can only be called enthusiastic last weekend at The Fermain Tavern.
The word had got around that this high energy outfit where due to grace this legendary stage as there were a good number of Jersey supporters over just to see them play. They partied like the best of 'em!
I admit that I was truly won over by this band that (to be honest) I had little knowledge of.... but I am fifty-seven now!
I bought the CD and would recommend it to anyone wishing to get a feel for a period of the British musical scene that re-wrote popular music history. Not for the first time either!
I managed to capture some of the atmosphere of the night in pictures. Take a look here:
PICTURES OF PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES

Round-3 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Karting Championship was raced in perfect Summer conditions, nice.
I took the opportunity to bring out one of my 'big guns' - the 400mm F2.8 Nikkor lens.

Sorry, I know that this is boring to the racers but us photogs get all excited about quality 'glass' in the same way that you guys get excited about new tyre compounds!

The 400mm F2.8 is one of the finest lenses made by Nikon... and Nikon are the best, aren't they? OK, I know I'm a Nikon 'Fanboy'!
The resulting pics have left me wondering why I don't shoot with this lens more often. The colour, contrast and clarity this lens produces is unbelievable and sets it in a completely different class even when comparing it to accomplished lenses like the new 70-200 F2.8 or the 200-400 F4. The penalty is the substantial weight - a monopod is almost essential - although a few of the pics in the Gallery were taken hand-held.

A new picture Gallery has been added featuring Round-3 of the Summer Championship. Let me know if you can see a difference from the use of the 400mm lens. It will help me to justify the 'work-out'.... oh those aching biceps ;-)

View the latest pics here:
ROUND-3 SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 400mm F2.8 LENS

Forgive the cliché....... but if I didn't use this picture of fireworks it would probably have been a 'cork and champagne bottle' shot ;-)

The celebration is to mark this web site flying past 2,000,000 viewings!

May I thank the thousands of people who have spent a few moments exploring the various Galleries and pages that form this TALLPICTURES & GUERNSEYMOTORSPORT web site.
I am fortunate to have many regular viewers who often offer feed-back on my latest pics. I'm always pleased to receive comments and ideas for the next 'shoot'.
It is also nice to see from Google Analytics that about 50% of visits come from new viewers.... the word must be getting out there ;-)

This latest milestone has been passed 7 months after the viewings broke the 1 Million mark. It took almost 12 months to reach that mark so the graph is showing continued upwards progress!
READ ABOUT THE FIRST MILLION VIEWS

So what is the next target? The obvious one is to try to reach 3,000,000 by the web site's second anniversary!
If that target is to be reached there's not going to be much time for me to do the gardening......
Don't tell the missus ;-)

Take a look at the picture Galleries here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE PICTURE GALLERIES

Well actually there was barely even standing room at the Thomas de la Rue for the Teaspoonriverneck Album launch!
Hot, sweaty and lively.... and that wasn't just the band. The 'Spoons' led the faithful masses in an energetic set that featured songs from 'Do it Again'. If closing time hadn't got in the way they still would be doing it!
I have often said that our little Island supports a live music scene that is way above what is 'the norm' for this size of community. When it comes together for a night of live entertainment like last weekend we are certainly spoilt.
Supporting Teaspoonriverneck was the prolific Crowman and 'new on the block' but becoming a favourite of mine, Lifejacket.
I took a few pics, but to be honest I was a bit distracted - we're all allowed a evening off now and then, aren't we?
Take a look at the 'Spoons' pics here:
TEASPOONRIVERNECK ALBUM LAUNCH

With just over a month to go until the British Sand Ace meeting at Vazon Bay, Guernsey, the expectation and anticipation is growing.
A large and strong field of riders are lined up to visit our shores and this promises to create one of the most spectacular and entertaining Motor Sport events to be seen in the Channel Islands for years.... if not ever!

If the racing was only going to showcase the ''Sliders'' it would be good enough - but the addition of the Sidecar riders will make an afternoon never to be forgoten.
You may be able to tell that I am more than a bit excited by this great event ;-) Mark June 23rd in your diary and pop along to Vazon Bay at 1pm to catch the action.
Whilst we wait for ''the big one'' the GMC&CC held Round-4 of their Sand Racing Championship today.
I was on the beach at Vazon to capture the action. Pics are now on-line:
ROUND-4 OF THE SAND RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

I must thank the Guernsey Power Boat Association and specifically Robin Ashworth, MD of Vapormatt, who allowed me to photograph from his boat during Race-2 of the 2012 Championship. It was very pleasant out on the Little Russell today.
This race was held in conditions that I can only call 'glorious'! Maybe I have been waiting for a day like this for too long (after all that rain) and the perception was exagegerated? I don't think so!

I did managed to remember that I was on the water to do a job and not to just 'chill out' and I made my cameras earn their keep ;-)
Shooting from an unstable platform, even in good conditions like this, is one of the hardest challenges for a photographer when using long lenses. I was using between 400mm and 600mm most of the time. But there is a sense of satisfaction when you get a few shots that record the best of the action that are pin sharp in focus and well composed.
I think I captured a few. Please take a look and see what you think:
RACE-2 OF THE 2012 POWER BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Anyone who follows this blog will know that too many of the recent Motor Sport events that I have photographed have 'featured' more than a drop of water!
In fact, even photographing the live music at the Albert Pier on Liberation Day had too much of the wet stuff.
Well, today there was even more water - I was surrounded by it! But this time the sun shone and the water was very well behaved and quite at home. It made the setting for the first round of the Guernsey Power Boat Association's 2012 Championship.

The first race was held over the Havelet Course which brought the field of thirteen boats close inshore and spectators enjoyed some good racing. There has been a fair bit of 'splashing the cash' over the winter break and there was some very flash new kit on show. This season should be the best Championship for years.
Make sure you try and catch a few of the races.
I have added a new Gallery featuring the racing:
VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE GUERNSEY POWER BOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2012 Liberation Day celebrations in Guernsey came to an end with contrasting styles of music being performed in St Peter Port.
May the 9th sees the town front in St Peter Port being closed to traffic and a variety of entertainment is presented during the day.
Tradition has it that the day will end with music.

This year produced quite a contrast! 'Lib Rock' - as the name suggests is aimed at the 'rockier punters'. I was suprised how many people stayed late into the evening on the Albert Pier as the weather was wet and miserable. But, the music seemed to do the trick and there was a good, friendly atmosphere.
However it was much warmer and dryer in St James! Festiva performed to a lively crowd who enjoyed a Guernsey version of a mini Proms. I could have stayed all evening.... well it was warm and dry ;-)
In the end I jumped between the two events.
I photographed Sons of the Desert & The States at Lib Rock and Festiva at St James.
I have added a few pics here:
VIEW PICS OF THE LIBERATION DAY 2012 MUSICAL PERFORMANCES

I don't think I have to explain any further!
How long do we have to wait before we are given perfect racing conditions?
The latest Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Hill Climb at Le Val des Terres was another one spoilt by the wet and changable track conditions.
Frustratingly, there were only short periods when the road dried enough for some outstanding performances - but the 'wet stuff' soon returned and took the edge off all the competitors efforts.
Darren Warwick has to be congratulated for making the best of one of his timed runs when he lowered his own Class record in the Racing Cars 1601cc to 2000cc Class. This was a superb result which I witnessed in the 'esses' and was achieved when the road was in less than perfect condition. Well done that man..... awesome!
I have added pics of the Hill Climb to a new Gallery. Check it out here:
VIEW THE GMC&CC HILL CLIMB AT LES VAL DES TERRES

Yuk, yuk, yuk.
Got that off my chest then! One more for luck, yuk.
I was very wet on Vazon beach for Round-3 of the GMC&CC Sand Racing Championship. I can't say much more about it - other than the early weather forecast for Monday's Hill Climb is for more rain!
Yuk!
Pics of the Sand Racing are here:
A RAINY DAY ON VAZON BEACH

Today saw Round-2 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Summer Kart Championship at The Track... and it poured down. After the wet first Hill Climb of 2012 I don't get good vibes from this!
But, the year is long and surely the tarmac racers can hope for some dry racing... soon?
All is not wasted for a photographer, though. The wet conditions add a different element to a picture and getting a bit damp usually pays off with some good pics.
The conditions also lead to some challenging racing for the young Karters and they use the slippery track to hone their skills.
So you could say that it is a win, win!
I've dried off the kit and clothes, the discomfort is already forgotten. I'm ready for the next events... bring 'em on :-)
PICS OF THE WET KART RACING

I have often joked to people when I'm asked why I spend so much time photographing the things I do - 'well it beats gardening' I say!
It is probably 'the norm' in most marriages that if the husband loiters around the home for too long then a paint brush or spade will be placed in your hand and you won't get parole until after dark!
This is always a good motivation to get me out shooting more pics - 'gotta go to work love, bills to pay'! Try it, it might work for a while ;-)
So once again I found myself on the sands at Vazon shooting Round-2 of the GMC&CC Sand Racing Championship.
If you want to view the results of my lawn mowing avoidance click here:
SAND RACING 2012_ROUND-2