I waited for almost 2 hours and read yesterday’s copy of the Independent from cover to cover and decided that’s that I aint waiting much longer for Brian Haw to come out of court, the entrance is a small time affair as well, not unlike the Old Bailey for instance….so I did not lose a lot except half day’s worth of my time…………
That’s prolly my karma “punishment” for not shooting him for over 6 weeks, then again I am bored shooting him just sitting outside on a chair…..there is just not a lot I have not covered about him over there….I will get a 2nd chance on Dec 11th if I am not mistaken…..
On my way back I strolled through the parks and took a few pix.
Today finish the “lady..” pix and work on a few for Alicia Aimee and then it is hopefully of to see Capricorns later on tonight.
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Like the title says, Brian Haw is appearing in court this morning at 10 am, so i am going to get my skates on and take some shots.
I managed to “fix” my photo pc, all it needed was some compound between the heat sink and the processor, a 7 quid job.,…
Instead I spent 90 on a new grafix card and while I was @ it I bought a 500 GB remote storage box…..for anudda 170, I know how to spend….:)
This was sorta “needed” as I ran out of space on my local hdd’s, every shoot gives me 5GB of raw and jpg material for starters, if I start working the images then you can double that easily if not triple……
So it’s back to photoshopping the Spa Secrets stuff today and wrap it all up.
Capricorns are playing La Scala Thursday eve and Fuckshovel are doing a gig at Underworld who I may grace a visit as well.
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Feel better, much better in fact. I now have to sort my workhorse (read: work pc) out so off to town I go, and I may even shoot some of Brian Haw, who I just keep delaying…..
Then hopefully with that box working I can finish the stuff off also finish the sales site either tonight or tomorrow but it will go live in the next few days.
I saw Miami Vice yesterday and that was ok to watch, Miami was made look good by Michael Mann, and the spirit of the series was still in there, Gong Li looked awesome, I would not be suprised they squeeze out a sequel…..as it was all so open ended….
I also saw Snow Cake, with Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver and this was a good film, with S.W. playing an autistic character which she did well.
I also see that parliament-square.org.uk (Brian’s website) have put one of my pix up on their main page, which now totals three shots.
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Last night hooked up with a lot of ol’ mates from the days of partying and boy do I feel it now. Hungoever like never before, and slouched in a chair just browsing as my other, work, pc has given up. Since yesterday I have been trying to fix it and it seemed it had a hardware malfunction, at first I bought a new graphics card and that still did not alleviate the matter, the pc would freeze/shutdown at any given time.
It has now come to the point where I am thinking the processor is heating up as it does not receive sufficient cooling thru the compound paste between the fan and the cpu, so tomorrow first thing I am going to buy some paste and replace that. I was fearing that the processor had “bought” it.
The final post prod. of the “lady In Waiting” story will have to wait another day.
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The meeting took me all day, got picked up by Nicola brooks at just before 10 am at Ely station and did not make it back till 5 pm at my own place, and I just simply could not be asked to go down to Parl. Sq. again as there is still plenty of photoshopping to do and I want this out of my way by Monday.
And I want to sort the flowers out for the sales site and go live on that……enough waiting.
Last night I watched Clercks II and it was a helluva lot better than I thought it would be, it took kevin Smith more than ten years to come up with the sequel but it was well worth the wait, enjoyable to say the least. Now all I want is a sequel to Leon with Natalie Portman all grown up and ready for some bl00d 
More photoshop, I find it dull but it has to be done, avtually a lot more than anticipated on The Grove shoot, therefor the shots will be another few days, no need to show half finished work.
Brian Haw has his 2000th day on Parl. Sq. tomorrow and this is all in the evening so I am going to go there and take some shots (been more than a mth since I did anything on him anyways), this is after the Spa Secrets Mag meeting up north (near Kings Lynn).
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Sunday I had a nice chill and watched the new James Bond film, Casino Royale, which is very good btw, and prolly my fave 007 film of all time, it’s safe to say that Daniel Craig is a worthy successor, if not the best.
Besides that I worked on The Forum shots and yesterday was burried in paperwork, still am and this is what today is going to look like. Plus I am working on the Grove pix, I will plaster a few in later on.
I have a Spa Secrets meeting this Thursday.
I have also received 5 sets of postcards with my True Love Always bedlinen pictures on them, “funny” thing is my credit seems to be “missing”, I am not pleased at all, as matter of fact I am fucking livid as I did this job for peanuts.
Same as shooting The Impersonals, I received no credit whatsoever, I wonder why I help these peeps by doing them a massive favor………………
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Capricorns got a late addition to their show schedule, they were asked to warm up the crowd for Neurosis and Made Out of Babies. Neurosis being legends as they are were doing only one show in Europe, their next one is in Holland in April 2007.
People from all over Erurope had come to see them. I hook up with the Capricorns just after 6 pm they have just offloaded their stuff and are waiting for Made Out Of Babies, to do their soundcheck, the band expect a line-check only but to our amazement they manage to blast a few short versions of their songs and have a good sound thanks to soundman Serge who has offered his services to help the band out.
Half an hour later the band are on stage and they sound great, I am in the photopit and enjoy shooting them on a bigger stage, later on I shoot them from behind the mixing desk and also behind their kit so I get a crowd shot. The band (read kevin Williams) wanted to see the stuff in b&w and I was more than happy to oblige coz the lightshow was atrocious, the light man was sitting behind his desk picking peanuts out of his sjeete…………. the 30 mins set was tight and a full on instrumental (thanks f00k no vocals :-0 ) yet behind a wash of red, green and a tad of blue light ……so black and white was the answer.
I did not catch made Out of Babies, simply as I had a chat with the Capricorns and helped them load their kit, I also got introduced to the boys of Taint who helped Capricorns on a tech./physical matter and who they played with in Bristol the night before.
Neurosis were on at half 9 sharp and play a 90 mins set, I have only been familiar with their stuff for about 2/3 weeks now thanks to Dean Berry (bass in Capricorns), Dean and Kevin regard Neurosis as their heroes and were well nervous before their own show, actually the entire band were and I was aked to not take shots before the show, they wanted to be left at their own devices….
The lightshow Neurosis had was minimal, and I mean minimal, as we were not allowed to use flash (but could stay in the pit for the entire set) this proved to be very hard to do, I shot everything at 1600 ISo and this means a lot of noise in the shots (noise is the new grain so to speak), still a few shots that came out ok, but all in all a little yield out of a lot of shots, the large majority were too blurred.
I think the band likes to be in the dark like , and I just found this quote from an old interview by Scott Kelly @ ram.org which confirms this: “Because I can’t stand to get flashed in the eyes. Most photographers are totally inconsiderate when it comes to that. We will allow people to take photos if they ask in advance, but I just don’t think that pictures are necessary. You can’t see anything anyway because it’s so dark.”
During the last song Scott Kelly displayed so much anger and headbutted his mic. twice and also kicked the stand with a lot of force into the photopit about 3/4 feet from me, a display I had not seen in yonks since Iggy Pop at leeds Fest. in the late nineties…shame I could not capture that, it was simply too dark.
Later on I found out he smashed the mirror at the side of the stage, I saw him later upstairs near the Made Out Of Babies dressing room, and paid my resepcts and his hand was bleeding……did not think of making a shot, I should have…..
Neurosis shows are not just shows, they are experiences!!!!!!
After the show we left for Big red One on Holloways Rd for a few drinks, and discussed the show, good times
Some shots, and links to galleries are below.
Capricorns @ The Forum
Neurosis @ The Forum
I spent 12 hours on the PC looking at the pix from the shoot on Wednesday. I will post a few cover tries, whether they make it on there is a different matter…
The spread itself is 8 pages with nice colorfull stuff, pretty much a continuation of the Dream Hotel story, I have no idea what to call it as of yet….I’d say it is a tad stronger than the D.H. story.
Here are some cover tries, no retouching at all for now:
On a side note Capricorns are of to Bristol today, sadly I can not join ‘em on that date, but they are playing the Kentish Town Forum tomorrow supporting mighty Neurosis, and I will try and document that for sure.
It was a full on day, got up at half 5 then was picked up by a car and driven to The Grove via Kings X where I met the model, Amber Bird, and Gerardo Demaio who did the hair. The make-up artist Shelly manser-Cavanaugh and stylist Cora Chung were present already and the second we got there we kicked into 4th gear and started shooting half an hour later as I had very limited time in the spa. Soon after we had her glammed up and shot around the hotel, and this wasn’t easy either, being it very busy (this place is attended by a lot of corporate clients). After a brief lunch we retreated to the rooms upstairs (where Gerardo took a short nap during the shoot) and we shot until just after 5 pm.
I will post some shots over the next few days.
Tomorrow’s model fell thru coz she has the flue and been in bed for two days already, shame as I really thought she would be perfect for this shoot, then again the alternative is great too, she reminds me a bit of Julianne Moore.
The editor of Spa Secrets, Nicola Brooks, think she is haughty, me thinks so too, I am looking forward to working w. her.
I have been told with have some big suites to our usage (grand piano and such :-0), I think it will be very colorfull, some shots here on Thursday for sure.
I have recieved another email from David Caggiari and have replied, and without going into detail, my g/f terri described both as a lover’s tiff……..
Went for a run for about an hour besides that did nothing else besides phone and email, all bloody day and now it’s of to the supermarket just for some more fresh air and streching me legs.
My old m8 Gerardo DeMaio is doing the hair on Wednesday, I have not worked with him in ages (since the l8 90’s) as he was in NYC for 5 years, and then got thrown out of the country coz his visa had expired.
I went to the Assoc. Of Photographers to become a member something I wanted to do for ages and should have done yonks ago.
I have also finished my portfolio site, some movies were amended and shrunk, it had way too much stuff on it. Archive site, as I have Nick Jones coming ’round tonight for his website will be delayed till Thursday/Friday.
I am also trying to build seperate pages for the flowers and Capricorns, like the Apartment page, but that will be a week ’till that’s done. Then I should be done webswise, for the time being.
I am trying to watch Off The Black with Nick Nolte and Timothy Hutton and I keep falling asleep, yet I think the movie is well entertaining…..
Like Terry always says, “you keep falling asleep to the good ones yet you stay awake for pure Hollywood dross”, to me it shows how SATANIC these flicks are, they just KEEP you awake :-0
More domestics, and besides that I am overhauling the portfolio website big time, I have added and dropped a lot it is well worth a peek again if you have not been there for a while.
Go HERE if you wish to view the latest additions.
Oh ehm, the top movie “grove” in the fashion section has been postponed for about a week, so you wont be able to see that till next weekend.
The sales site is going live in 2 or 3 days…..
Some more shots of the d1 models test shoot and I will call it “It Was The Wind That Did It”…….
Today shopping, decorating, cleaning and all kinds of domestic stuff……and I am of for a run.
Shot 3 gals from D1 Models yesterday with stylist Alicia Aimee, I had a good time altho the weather left a lot to be desired, the sky had greyed over big time, typical English autumn weather so to speak. I was lucky it stayed dry. Some pretty clothes.
I will post some pix soon:
Models: Iva, Anna Belikova and Charlotte Goussin at d1 models.
Styling: Alicia Aimee
Hair: Goro
Make-Up: Teijiutsumi
Besides that more prep on the Spa secrets shoot which is scheduled for the 15th, a big event org. wise. And there is more work in the pipeline for True Love Always in about 2 weeks.
I have used this action from Greg Gorman and it kinda works with converting color to b&w (just going into grayscale with photoshop simply wont do) I also masked and blurred the background….not bad.
Besides that I am doing a lil’ shoot near old St. tomorrow, three girls, and the main theme shall be black and gold, which should come out quite nice as it is mostly concrete and white breezer block (you know that urban Old St. look….). I have not tested since May last year…..
Tiz been quite a weekend. I met up with the boys in Walthamstow just gone 1 pm, from where we headed up north for a charity show at the Interkonnect festival @ the Soundhouse in Bolton. I have a pleasant sleep in the van and feel a million bucks when we arrive but that feeling is lowered somewhat when we see the gaff and its crowd…..owwwwww.
The backstage area, resembles a building site and the food consist of pasties only, did someone say “it’s grim up north!!!!”…………. we head of for the pub instead and during our walk I keep thinking only one thing “I am too old for this shit” ha ha ha ha ha…………..
Back at the venue we load up fairly quick (the band is supposed to play at 9 but they don’t till 10) and after a quick line check they start and play the same set as at Underworld. I speak to a geezer whois responsible for the lights I ask him to give me all he’s got, next thing ya know I am blinded by so many lights and smoke I have the impression we are at a major show, only major disadvantage is that the lights are mainly behind them, and therefor my usual technique of flash and ambient light doesn’t work properly at all. The band complain about the smoke (pfah!) but it still hangs around for the first two songs, I though it made a great effect, “yeah but it works on my throat, yahda yahda” strange that, coming from an instrumental metal band :)………………………
The pix turned out ok, not even close as the ones @ Underworld. They reperesent the gig well tho, as the band were not on its best either, a gig that should be forgotten quickly. I like the bandshot with the available light, but it needs photoshopping as the peeps in the background need to be “erased”.
The good thing about this band is that they laugh a lot and get along very well, must be the age of them being in their mid 30’s and having matured about things in life. It was Nathan’s (guitar) birthday as well, what more could you want for your birthday and be in Bolton..
Next is Bristol (17th), Birmingham (26th) and then La Scala in london (30th).
Capricorns-Bolton
I had a few meetings in the westend and around Old St. yesterday afternoon, I have to build a website for a carpenter mate of mine, Nick Jones, and in trade receive carpentry in return for our house, isn’t that’s how things were done in the old days???…….
I also saw Dean @ D1 Models, a contact I have known for about ten years and who has started his own model ag. and after meeting a new stylist, Alicia Aimee, later on I decided to do a lil’ test next week on Wednesday with 3 girls, something I have not done for 18 months, guess me fingers are itching so to say, it’ll be simple but I wanna try a few things out.
I am leaving @ half 12 to meet up with the Capricorns in Walthamstow to go to Bolton to play at the Interkonnect fest.
I started fixing me girlie’s bike, and scoring credit points and then I left for Camden to hook up with the Capricorn boys at 6 pm, they just about finished setting up. They have been offered the opening slot for the Torche/Baroness tour (which has been going on for about 6 weeks and which will end in about 3 days time). The boys have been alotted the same stage space and even get a generous soundcheck from Baroness (it’s because they know eachother from a tour about a year ago) and also let them use their cabinets, that’s what mates do!!!!
The sound is very good (as always in The Underworld), the crowd is there (150 peeps while they are playing) and cheering them on, just not a lot of banging heads against the stage (then again neither did the other two bands get that). This makes it easier for me to shoot from the front of the stage and not worry about stage divers at all. The lighting as usual is bollox, about 8 parc cans, when are these peeps going to learn and spend a few hundred quid on some decent lights, it can’t be that hard.
The set is tight and it is sightly better than the Kent gig, mainly because of the crowd’s reaction, overall a success and a great warm up for Torche and Baroness. I shoot the band quickly before they go on stage but this doens’t seem to work at all, I have in the meantime handed them a copy of haunted places in England, for a possible photoshoot. I could do with some demonic stuff :-0
The band overplay by 5 mins but no one cares as Torche changeover super quick with their kit and are ready to rumble in like 15 mins, their stuff is HEAVY and above all very impressive, it’s a shame that the wall of sound drowns out Steve Brooks’ vocals as they can be barely heard. Live this band sounds so much better than on record, great gig.
Baroness changeover in roughly the same time, and kick off at around 10 and everything goes into overdrive, their guitar sound is huge and drummer Allen Blickle is quite an act on his own to watch and see him bash the drums, I shoot quite a few pix of him during the show and afterwards I grab a quick bandshot, which comes out ok. Afterwards we all retreat to Big Red One, a bar on Holloway Rd. for a few pints and an afterchat. We are of to Bolton tomorrow where there is a festival and Capricorns are on at about 10 pm…..time to get in da van……
Some nice shots, the complete sets are listed below.
Capricorns-Underworld
Torche-Underworld
Baroness-Underworld
I am of to the dentist this morning to have one of my front teeth sorted out, I lost one of its caps yonks ago and kept super glueing it back on, but it kept falling off, so I got my finger out about two weeks ago and had a temp. one put on and will get the real thing fitted in about 2 hours….
Then it’s back home to sort a few bits out, site-wise and for the shoot next week and then I am going to Camden to hang/shoot with Capricorns who open up for Baroness and Torche. I like The Underworld, have seen quite a few bands there.
I spoke to Peter Gallina yesterday, who was bombarding me with all kinds of drivel , about how Tokyo is “it”, this comes from someone who has been living and hardly working in Milan, I suggest you take another dive son
Invaders who had everything in place have lost their bass player just before going into the studio three weeks from now, bad sjeete indeed.
Oh, I didn’t shoot Brian Haw last night, altho I was close by, I simply couldn’t be fucked…..I am also a bit bored shooting someone who just sits in a chair to be perfectly honest. I will have to wait till the proper oppertunities arise, such as speeches/protests/court cases……
Shooting @ The Grove next Monday, I was there late last week for an hour to have a wander about (300 acres!!!!!) so I could get a feel for the place. We are shooting 8/10 pages plus cover for Spa Secrets, it will be a rough continuation of the previous story, the colors will be more vivid tho.
Doing mostly prep for this, besides that it’s archive site galore, resizing images and finding more bits I wish to add.
I may shoot some night time shots of Brian Haw later on tonight.
Tomorrow it’s of to Underworld and hang/shoot with Capricorns again, looking forward to doing that.
This weekend it’s more DIY, can’t wait :-0
