As most of you know, Im trying to go to as many gigs as possible and photograph all these amazing free gigs around London. Last night I heard of a gig headlined by a Band called Blueprint Blue, before last night I hadn’t heard of the band, normally what I do is listen to the band during the day of the gig so when I get there I know what Im in for, but last night I was on a total wim.
When I arrived it was just starting to get busy and people where arrive but by the time the band were all set up and ready to go, the place was fully packed. I have never been to a free gig at the Seabright Arms before and seen it that busy. Then they started playing and I could see why, this band are amazing. Just good music and a pretty high cool factor, their songs are pretty slow but with the old fast rift everyone is always singing in Harmony and they’ve just kind of found a style and made it their own. After I write this blog post I will be sending them an email to see when they are next playing and if its ok to come along and take some photos. If these guys aren’t playing some amazing festival gigs over the summer Ill be surprised and i hope they will soon be on everyone radar.
One of my favourite songs of theirs is called Wheres The Sun, its one of those songs that you can just listen to over and over again. Im sure some music review person could give you a better reason for why its soo good, but I just like them tempo of this band and how well their voices go with the music.
Heres a link to their Soundcloud and my favourite youtube song.
Heres my photos from the gig, I hope you like them!
– for 21:45 on a Wednesday night it was so worth it –– all of them just seemed to understand each other and had the timings down –– sorry theres no photos of the Keyboard player, he was just out of shot –
Today we had my grandad’s funeral, its days like this which aren’t always the easiest things to include in this photo blog thing, but I suppose its just what happened today and I have to write something to go along with the photos. Firstly I think you’ve got to give my nan credit where credits due, it was a pretty good day and she definitely pulled it out the bag with regards to the organising, it must have been a pretty hard emotionally to sort out but she did it with flying colours.
My plan for today was not to photograph any of the actually funeral that probably wouldn’t of been ok, but my dad asked me to grab some photos of the wake so that was my opportunity to grab some nice shots. One of the highlights has to have been the Portuguese cream Tarts which were Grandads’ favourites, so that being the case I got a good photo of my nan and dad having a little toast with a cream cake. Its those moments that I like to remember from the days like today.
What you have to like about funerals is they are kind of highlight packages of someones life, people come together and talk about all those good moments and times that have defined the kind of life that was lived. Today we heard old friends and close family talk in such a nice and genuine way about how he had shaped their lives and how proud friends of 30 or 40 years were to have known him from his work ethic to how he and my nan raised three children. He always wanted the best for all of them and had the determination and structure to make sure that they grew into respected adults and in turn gave my dad, aunty and uncle the tools needed to kind of shape all the gran children into the people we are today, so I think I can say from all of us “kids” cheers gramps. Oh and thanks for the pocket watch.
I wish you could have seen us all grow into adults and join us on this weird journey that people call life, but that wasn’t the case. You were loved by many and will be missed by us all.
Peace out.
– cheers with a Portuguese Cream Tarts –– Not sure what Phoebe was saying but i’m sure Michele got the jist of it –– its only right that when in the New Forest you get a photo with a horse –– not sure who this lady was but she wanted a photo with the red lion, I was happy to make that happen –
Having a bit of a lazy Monday morning today, its like 12 O’ clock and I’m still in bed. I am doing work but I’m still holed up refusing to get up. I think this kind of behaviour is fine as long as I’m still getting stuff done, you don’t need to be out of bed at 7am and cracking on right? some days you can do what needs to be done laying flat in a warm bed, I put it down to the perks of Freelance life.
Today I’m going back to some thing I haven’t done for like 100 days, that is the Iphone challenge, what i do it look through my Iphone to see what photos I might have on there that I can use for todays post, I also try to see a good photo and then just take it on my Iphone quickly to store it up for when I have days like these. As Im still at my parents house I want to try and get out later and give mooney (my dog) a good old walk, go out into the country side and see whats going on. maybe try and get some cool landscape photos, I know that its better to get up really early for that kind of thing, but I’ve missed the boat on that one now, so I suppose Ill just have to go this afternoon before it gets dark.
I think how I have to move forward with this blog is the day before I need to give my self a goal for the next day, like right tomorrow I’m going to photograph people or tomorrow is all about Landscape. that is probably the best way to move forward, so each day Ive got the goals and I know what i need todo, because right now Im not thinking about the next day till it gets here and I realise Ive missed an opportunity or something. Maybe Im getting to complacent, time I stepped my game up a bit more.
Thats my conclusion from today, here are my photos, enjoy!
– this is a photo of the long walk ways at Bank station, its like human rabbit holes down there –– bristol train station at the beginning of the year –– that time I was at the British Library –
Yep this post is late and I should probably have been more prepared this morning, but its just kind of disappeared. Same excuse was for me not really taking any photos yesterday, I literally spent the whole day playing around with a GoPro and completely forgot to take photos, that was all apart for a really good 30th birthday part I went too in the evening but I kind of feel like those photos should go to Rachel (the Birthday girl) and my sister first, so what im going todo is spend the next few hours editing those photos and send them across for them to see first.
I did how ever wake up this morning and take my dog for a walk while it was snowing, which I definitely think I enjoyed it way more than she did. i just wish that we had at least a few inches so I could go sledging. right now though I feel like I need another coffee and some breakfast. Last nights party has taken it out of me, it was really good to see some old faces and have some good catch ups. its always good when you don’t come home that often and then when you do see everyone have a good old party. Thank you Rachel for throwing a good evening.
My plan for today is to try and have a proper Sunday, maybe try do some exercise, see how my leg holds up. As Ive probably said before Im doing a lot with GoPros at the moment trying to get better at using them so Ill probably make like a little video on that and then spend the evening editing. Im really trying to stay as productive as possible when I’m not working, its like the only way I can keep my brain ticking over, is by filling my days with a massive todo list and then its just a case of living in a state of constant mayhem that I actually quite enjoy in a weird way.
Heres my photos from the dog walk this morning.
– in this photo Mooney is dreaming of the sofa –– getting out and getting some fresh air first thing in the morning is what the country side is all about –– once you get far enough away from the house, she starts to get into the swing of things –
Theres a lot of people out there that say they can cook and then go a head and put some super noodles in the microwave and then just add some posh spicy sauce of bowl then go ahead and call it a meal, we must all know a few people like this. Well a chum of mine is on the complete other end of the spectrum, the guy can cook. he goes by the name of Anders Hayward, and last night he pulled out a meal that I cant fault.
Last week he asked me what I wanted to eat and I though lets put his skills to the test, so I asked for Pork Belly, and well after 24 hours of marinating in some spices Ive never heard of he started cooking, he literally got the crackling perfect and smashing the presentation. One thing that shocked me was that it was his first time making Yorkshire puddlings and I think I can speak for half the nation when I say we all have had our fair share of Yorkshire pudding horror stories. So I was a bit worried they might go wrong, but I would definitely give him top marks for those too.
Im now back at my place and I think I need to apologise for this post being a fair few hours late, but I also drank last night meaning that I only lasted 19 days of Dry January, I was so close but so far I knew that the second half of the month would be harder but last night I just crumbled. I suppose all I can say is “Maybe next year”
At the moment Im also doing a project only involving Gopro’s and the filming capabilities, so if anyone out there is used to filming with Gopros and know how to make them look cinematic please let me know. Ive still go a few months to go till we start filming but it would be good to get ahead of the game.
Heres some photos of the food yesterday, enjoy.
– thats the kind of crackling we are talking about –– a bit of a posh apple sauce smudge –– it was a strong 8.9 out of ten I would say –
Im not too sure on something, if I take photos on a digital camera and then edit them on Photoshop to make them look vintage is that being a bit of a fraud? I’ve just learnt this new technique and Im not sure if it makes me look like my film photo skills are better than they are, because as a lot of people know my 35mm skills are terrible. it probably doesn’t matter, because well I suppose I can do what I like.
The other day I took a trip over the Ridely Road Market to have a bit of a walk around and take some photos, shooting in places like this can be really hard because no one there wants to have there photo taken, so if they see my with my camera walking around taking photos they start to get a bit edgy, so the plan is to walk around quickly and just snap and move.
Ridley road market is a pretty cool place to go though because its like one of the last really working class markets that i can think of which is kind of central, that and Peticoat lane market, that place is on my list so maybe Ill have a little trip over there and take some photos. the only problem is that my camera is maybe a bit too big to take to these place, it maybe draws to much attention, what I might do is just go with my iphone and do like some iphone photos. I haven’t really done that in a while so maybe its time to get the phone out again.
got a pretty fun Thursday, meeting someone to talk through some ideas I have for a video thats going to get made later in the year and off to my mates house for a three course meal, hes trying to up his cooking skills so going to cook me some Pork belly. Should be a fun Thursday. Still going strong on Dry January!!!
– that vintage look is something I really like at the moment –– maybe I just need to bite the bullet and buy a film camera –– it definitely adds some effect to this daily blog –
Yesterday was the big man’s aka my dads 60th birthday party / gathering thing at their house. which was a really good day, the whole side of his family were showed up including his mum, brother and sister, so it was kind of a Spear party. but as I’m doing dry January I was sticking to the cups of tea and occasional orange juice, but even still it was good to see the family that I haven’t really seen in a few years.
I idea behind yesterday was that because he’s reached the grand old age of 60 that for his birthday he should get 60 presents to open, yep thats 60 presents. so the everyone chipped in and had to bring either 15 or 13 presents each, im not sure what the exact number of presents need to each person but I just knew I need to get 13. what was really good is that everyone got loads of different stuff from bonsi tree seeds to my brilliant gift of 13 bottles of his favourite water. It goes without saying that the best part of the day hands down has to go to the cake, and that was all thanks to my sister who pulled it out of the bag and amazingly got someone else to make it. but nether the less, the cake was like 6 layers of pure chocolate heaven, I kind of wish that I brought some back with me last night, it would of been perfect for breakfast this morning.
This morning Amy and me are back at the flat and up kind of early, im off to take some photos for someone, and Amy’s got a pretty busy day too. but as long as we manage to fit a roast dinner in there at some point ill be happy.
Heres my photos from today, I hope you like them!
– now thats what you call a cake –– the big guy aka Ganrad –– Nanny B and the kids –– 60 presents, look how good those bottle of waters look –-Nanny B and Richard and lynne + Mathew –– Nanny B again, Mathew and the little monster that we all call Florence –
Last night I decided that my iphone photos from the day time weren’t quite up to scratch, no way if I’m (fun)employed at the moment should the photos I take not be “sick”, so yesterday night I made the decision to travel over to the south band when it was nice a quite and take some slow shutter speed pictures of the London Eye and Parliament. I don’t think you can be a photographer in London and not have taken slow shutter speed shots of the river thames, it has to be one of my favourite places to go an explore. I know it might sound a bit weird but who doesn’t love going to on the banks of the river thames at low tide to see whats happening. It almost feels like your breaking some sort of law or something.
This week I was supposed to be working but at the last minute the job fell through, so now my January has become a proper freelancers January, where you just wait for February to come back around. Being a freelancer can be a bit of a lonely existence, you can literally spend weeks at a time watching Netflix and scrolling Facebook waiting for that email about work. I try and do the opposite, my aim is to completely forget that works quite and just keep myself busy with ideas and photography, the amount of stupid ideas Ive got written down or saved on my laptop is crazy, but as long as it stops me from watching day time TV I cant complain.
Today I have a plan to head over to the British Library. One because Ive never been there before and it looks like a pretty cool place and Two because I want to read up on a idea that Ive been working on for a while and sometimes google isn’t the best place to start.
oh and if anyone knows whens the best time at night to get a photo of the London eye spinning, please let me know. I cant work it out.
Heres my photos from yesterday. enjoy.
– The next time youll hear big ben will be in 2021 –– I wanted to go a photo of it moving but unfortunately I think I was a bit late –– South bank, pretty cool place –– just ignore the metal gates, otherwise this would be a pretty nice shot –
One of the perks of having a girlfriend that works in fashion is that she’s always up for taking photos, yesterday morning we decided to travel over the Greenwich and have a little adventure finding cool locations and seeing what sort of photos we could take. its fair to say the weather was freezing and definitely not just cardigan or roll neck weather, so me being the amazing boy friend I am decided that every time amy had to take her jacket off, I would do the same. Thats some big boy friend points right there.
Fashion photography is really something I want to explore a bit more, what I think interests me so much about it, is the fact that fashion can be interpreted in so many different ways, so you cant really go wrong. and as I’m someone who practically get everything wrong all the time, that is a concept that really appeals to me. the only problem is Im not that much of a fashionable guy, maybe I need to watch Zoolander a few times and get myself up to speed with the lingo. It is mens fashion week this week so maybe Ill go to a show or something and take some photos of the people going into them, they all seem pretty trendy.
Apart from my aspirations to be the next top photographer, today I went on my first run of 2018, only a 2.5 mile run but my plan is to run 2.5miles three times a week for the next 4 months after that I will step it up to 5 miles and then 4 months after that Ill step it up again. I think the injury I had in the middle of 2017 was probably good for me, its taught me a lot about my body and probably made me a better runner. but for now, its back to me getting my leg used to running again and also time to lose my baby fat.
its currently Monday morning and I’m on a mission to keep myself busy with some ideas I have and want to put in place. I had a job cancel on me at the last minute so now im unemployed this week, so if anyone wants their car cleaned or grass cut theirs just a chance I might take you up on it.
Here are my photos from yesterday, enjoy.
– this is her complaining its cold –– the jacket is off! –– greenwich is the perfect place to take photos –
Sorry this post is a bit late, I had a plan in place to wake up early and go over to greenwich for the sun rise but that soon changed as soon as I heard my alarm, my excuse is that because amy works 5 days week if unfair to drag her out of bed at 6:30am on a sunday. I’m not too sure that excuse has worked. but any way we are now up and ready to go only a few hours later the only problem is that I still need to edit and write about my photos from yesterday. its really weird writing the past and the future but I’m going to do my best and make this as simple as possible.
After selling the spare bed yesterday we decided that it was time to grab a chest of drawers to tackle the crazy amount of clothes that are now accumulating in the flat, even though Amy still hasn’t completely moved in yet, it kind of makes sense of her to leave some clothes her. if any one has been shopping for a chest of drawers before you will know how extremely stressful the whole process can be, not only do you have to go round shops but you also have to deal with the over priced wooden boxes which places like Habbit, St Elm, made and loaf seem to charge and non of them really had what we were looking for. then I had the genius idea of looking on Gumtree and boom we were on our way to an antiques store in Crystal Palace and firstly there are hundreds of antique stores in crystal palace and all of them have a amazing stuff. The chest of drawers we had seem on gumtree was really right for what we wanted it for but next door was this 1920’s Oak chest of drawers which was perfect, the guy was selling it for £140 but after some of my negotiation skills kick in we managed to get it for £120, he also chucked in two packets for sour sweets for good measure.
Oh and we also made some home made burgers for dinner yesterday, I tried to make a home made posh fast food, not sure that worked out, maybe ill just leave that to the professionals. We took a normal home made burger and added some of our own stuff to it, like some chillies, onions and garlic, we also used Selma to help hold it all together, the trick is to cool it on a slow heat of long time, so it doesn’t fall apart.
We also cooked some Sweet potato fries as well, and the recipe of that is just below this the burger instructions.
The basic ingredients you’ll need are:
1 small onion peeled and diced
500g good-quality beef mince
1 egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 burger buns
All or any of the following to serve: sliced tomato, beetroot, horseradish sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, handful iceberg lettuce, rocket, watercress
Tip the beef into a bowl with the onion and egg, then mix. (and anything else you want to add to the burgers, trust me add what you want)
Divide the mixture into four. Lightly wet your hands. Carefully roll the mixture into balls, each about the size of a tennis ball.
Set in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze down to flatten into patties about 3cm thick. Make sure all the burgers are the same thickness so that they will cook evenly. Put on a plate, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 mins.
Heat the barbecue / frying pan to medium hot (there will be white ash over the red hot coals – about 40 mins after lighting). Lightly brush 1 side of each burger with oil.
Place the burgers, oil-side down, on the barbecue. Cook for 5 mins until the meat is lightly charred. Don’t move them around or they may stick. Oil the other side, then turn over using tongs. Don’t press down on the meat, as that will squeeze out the juices.
Cook for 5 mins more for medium. If you like your burgers pink in the middle, cook 1 min less each side. For well done, cook 1 min more.
Sweet potato fries
Ingredients
500grams sweet potatoes (peeled and cut in to long strips)
1tablespoon olive oil
1teaspoon sea salt
1teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C. You may need to adjust the temperature slightly dependant on your oven.
In a large bowl add the sweet potato and pour over the olive oil and give them a good coating.
Sprinkle over the salt and paprika and also give them a good coating. Lay evenly over a non-stick baking tray.
Cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until crispy.
Serve on their own as a snack or a side to your favourite meal.
This is a pretty long blog and sorry the photos arent the best, yesterday was just about getting through the day without punching one of those “I love the January sales” people.
Heres my photos, enjoy.
– it was love at first sign –– it was literally what we were looking for, antique shops are the way forward –– my attempt at posh fast food –
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