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CONFESSIONS OF A PHOTOGRAPHER

SOME THOUGHTS, IDEAS AND IMAGES FROM A WORKING PHOTOGRAPHER

SOUTH AFRICADecember 24 2008

I am on leave in South Africa until the 15th of January, visiting family and catching up with old friends. I'll also be taking my new camera, the Canon 5D Mark II, with me for a test drive and will be posting some of the images from the trip on my blog.

Wishing everyone a merry xmas and all the best for the new year.

FRANKIE & PHILLIPDecember 16 2008

When you step into the guildhall in Windsor, you can see why Charles and Camilla chose it for their weddding. Its an elaborate and beautiful building, that dates from 1687. More recently the first gay civil partnership ceremonies have been held at the guildhall, most notably in December 2005 between pop star Elton John and his partner David Furnish. Nearly, two year's later it was also chosen as the venue for Frankie and Phillip's civil parthership on the 23rd of November. Aparantly Phillip had undertaken an extensive search of possible venues for their cermony. The guildhall won hands down. They were joined by their close family and friends. After the ceremony, we had to dash up to the entrance of Windsor castle to take some formal photos before darkness fell. Then it was off to the Castle Hotel across the road for the ceremony. You can view the slideshow below or at the following link.

PHILIP & NIGELDecember 11 2008

Last month was a busy one for me. It started off with the civil partnership of my friend's Philip and Nigel in Hampstead. I first met them several years ago, not long after I moved to the UK from South Africa, and we have remained in contact ever since. Philip and Nigel chose to get married in November to coincide with the 25 anniversary of their relationship. The ceremony took place at Burgh House, a beautiful 300 year old building, dating from the reign of Queen Anne. Later in the evening we moved over to London's oldest gay bar, King William the IV, to be entertained by the likes of Lola Lasagne. Congratulations Philip and Nigel. Here's wishing you another 25 year's together. See the slideshow below or at the following link.

TYRONE & TIMOTHYNovember 16 2008

I love this time of year. The colour of the trees and quality of the light provides some good photographing opportunities. That was certainly the case for Tyrone and Timothy's civil partnership. The guys had chosen a great location. Bush Hall near Hatfield is surrounded by wonderful parkland with the River Lea meandering through its gardens. Its not surprising that Beatrix Potter chose it as her summer residence. Tyrone and Timothy had booked out most of the hotel for their guests. The peaceful surroundings put everyone in a great mood and provided lots of wonderful moments to photograph. The icing on the cake was a 10 minute fireworks display! It was a joy to photograph and share in their special day. See the slideshow below for the highlights or click on the following link.

EVE & NELLNovember 9 2008

Every season there is one event that stands out above all the others. This year I have been fortunate enough to have had two such events. The first one took place in June, when William and Dorian, pulled out all the stops to make their civil partnership at The Commonwealth Club, a truly memorable day for their family and friends. The second took place, on the 25th of October, when Eve and Nell tied the knot at the Ironmongers' Hall at the Barbican.
When I first met Eve and Nell, I knew it would be a day to remember. They are very friendly, warm and inviting with a strong bond between them that goes back 16 years.
Eve and Nell have a wide circle of family and friends and they wanted to thank them for all their support over the years with a day they would never forget. They spent months planning every little detail of their civil partnerships and finding the right people to make it a reality. When the day arrived, they did not disappoint. It was full of surprises, including ice maidens, a magician and a cartoonist to entertain the guests. The highlight was a surprise performance by Incognito Artists, the singing waiters, who got the crowd to their feet with a fantastic operatic performance. But it did not end there. When the dancing got going,