Bartolomy’s Diary

Well besides tidying my so called office and playing about for Nick Jones’ website I did not much else.
I watched The Good Shepherd last night, Robert De Niro’s flick (he directed it) and it is excellent, I lapped it up like no other. Matt Damon probably acts as he has never acted before (he has very little dialogue but the expressions are a real plus), so damn good. Also the other heavyweights, Robert de Niro, William Hurt, Angelina Jolie and Timothy Hutton to name a few, did a great job. wicked espionage flick, go and see when you get the chance.

I went for a run for the 1st time in two weeks, and boy do I feel it……..strange thing is that I have lost a few pounds over the past weeks, normally that ought to be the other way ’round

Went to Essex again yesterday and paid Mick and Lesley a visit, downing a few bottles of beer and vodka and a lot of laughter followed. This morning felt a lil’ hungover, nothing too major tho. We dropped the hire car of and it’s more or less back to bizniz.
Started to work on Nick Jones’ website, which I will concentrate mostly on this coming week. I also got a new idea for my portfolio site, so in a few mths I shall have a new site for that as well. First I have to finish the pages for Brian Haw, Capricorns and the flowers.
Tomorrow I am going to clear the mess out the second bedroom, and admin *sigh*, the tax needs sorting, I have one month left.

Feel a lot better, the bloodtest and the fact that I barely ate yesterday just did me in, I went to bed and woke up later in the evening and fancied eating a horse….that hungry. Sadly we had to cancel our trip to Barry and Lisa Spencer yesterday coz of me feeling not well.
That’s what x-mas does, you eat too much, ya wake up the next day and go….no food for me, or only very small bits……
I went to the Dutch embassy earlier today in Hyde Park gate and ended up burning £ 16.00 on just passpost pix alone, I felt really taken the micky off, there is a machine inside the embassy and they tell me it has a 50 % chance of creating the exact shot the embassy wants for your passport as the regulations are soo strict. I spend 2 x 3 quid in the machine and my head comes out too big twice, and there’s nothing they (the embassy staff) and the machine can do about it, nor do they want to. Instead they are sending me of to the local photographer who has made a deal with them (how cute!!!) and sorts out the proper shots, this bullshit takes near to an hour and by the end I am fuming, it shows in the pix.

After that I make my way thru the rain and wind to parliament square again where I have a chat with Brian Haw and Maria for about an hour. I take some more shots. He tells me a few things (which I can’t divulge) and also talks about up and coming courtcases and also whether he will go to court about using his megaphone and then some. He is in a good mood as clearly things are looking a bit up for him. He has been there 5.5 years tho……quite some time.

I get up fairly early to go to the hospital for a bloodtest, which makes me feel weird all day….
I then go all the way to Kensington to the Dutch Embassy to have my passport renewed, and of course I am too late (which was not what their website said), so I will have to redo the entire trek tomorrow morning. Then I try to see Brian Haw, who of course isn’t there, as a matter of fact he is at a mass for Lost Souls in westminster Abbey. I take some shots of the x-mas trees. The pink one has a “Tony Blair War Criminal” card at the top. In the few minutes that i was there he did return and I did take a quick shot.
By the time I get back I feel shafted, I am of to bed to sleep this dodgy feeling of.

Boxing day festivities at Ma & Pa Potasnick, a family affair. A great day of just hanging about, chatting and eating/drinking of course.
Today it was of to Dungeness in Kent, to hook up with Ben Bruges and his missus Sally and their kiddo Tom, not even three years old yet and massive, besides that he knows what he wants
A strange place that has an eerie atmosphere, weird thing was that there was barely any wind, strange for a seaside town……….. There is a nuclear powerplant and then there’s a few homes and fishermen doing their biz. Derek Jarman’s cottage is there, and it stands out big time against the other houses. His garden must look great in the summer tho.
I took a few shots while walking about, felt good shooting some travel again. Can’t wait doing this in Italy in Jan.

Yup that’s what we did, and now we are of to the pub for one…..then it’s back for dinner.
Had a few good pressies today as well, stuff I could do with. Yesterday I spent a few hours on True Love Always’ pictures, I edited and briefly corrected all the stillshots and, the model shots I will deal with after X-Mas I am having a way too much good time chilling rite now………MORE!!!!!!

Tiz x-mas, or better said almost……and I am looking forward to it.
I went to a nice party in Peterborough on Friday eve held by Nicola Brooks and her flatmate Vivian and met a few of the Spa Secrets editorial team there and got acquanted with a few others. Terri picked up a rental car a few hours before, and as the train was way to expensive she offered to drive instead, it was 90 miles thru dense fog, and @ some point I wasn’t too sure about going any further but luckily the roads were almost empty and that helped of course.
yesterday we were in Essex (da hood) all the way to Shoeburyness and vistsed Terri’s brothers and had a great time yacking about and indulging in all types of good food.
Here is a shot of David Potasnick dressed up as santa which I took last night and he has used as an e-card.

I shot all day yesterday, loads of bedlinen, as packshots; about 24 bed sets shot, the ironing and the changeovers took a really long time) and then about 8 pillow set cases and later in the afternoon 4 more model(s) shots. It was quite a day with a lot of photography.

The holidays start soon, this is probably the first time that I don’t actually mind X-Mas , actually I look forward to a week of yacking, eating and drinking too much…. BRING IT ON!!!!

Shot all day yesterday, still life stuff in the morning and early afternoon, and afterwards we had two real girls, not pros, model on the bed that Jackie Beeke had bought earleir that day, well it was soo shoddily fixed that we never managed to put it together properly, the second I tightened one of the bolts it pulled out all the screws and the plate, a real stinker of a manufacturing job.
In the end we brought three pallets and some timber up and pulled the front and the headboard around it and voila…….
Saucy stuff……………………

I am working on various pix, and been updating the shots for the previous blogposts, and I am also working on the Faux Couture shots as well.
Then there is work to do on one shot for Spa Secrets Mag.

The shoot for True Love Always is tomorrow, product stuff and some “modelling” shots as well.

X-mas is coming and the schedule is busy as well, quite a few trips away seeing friends and fam.

I was invited by the boys from Taint to cover their gig and I make my way to the Mean Fiddler (formely LA2) on Charing X Rd. to meet the boys who are just about to go on stage for a quick soundcheck. This goes fairly smooth, and 20 minutes later we are on our way to sort merch out and talk to the person whois in charge with production, who behaves like a disinterested cunt and is not really willing to help us to get the proper passes, I get a photopass for 3 songs and that’s it. I am also told no flash for those three precious songs. She also tell us support bands are treated like builders………… Typical Mean Fiddler wench if ya ask me…..
Taint are on 2nd and play @ 7, the sound they have is excellent and their material comes out well live, it’s raw and energetic.
The lightshow is mwah, way too much light from behind. I shot a few pix during the soundcheck with my flash and also a groupshot.

Taint-Mean Fiddler-161206

Grand Magus are next, and this time there are 5 photographers there, off which 2 are starting to use flash, after 20 secs, i get my one out as well and start blitzing, I wish I was able to use that during Taint but oh well. Grand Magus play classical Metal, like Nathan Bennett described them as “Trustworthy Swedes”, and I think they are ok, but yeah I have heard all this way way before still it’s cool to listen to. Lightwise their show was much better but I liked using my flash as the washes it captures with the delayed shutter speed are coolio.

Grand Magus-Mean Fiddler-161206

Orange Goblin are headlining and it sorta looks that some crowd have left but that proves to be way wrong the second Goblin starts it is a full on party affair.
It has been 6 years since I saw them last (The Lost Weekend in the Docklands Arena) and they haven’t changed much, it’s pretty straight on stuff. Ben Ward, Orange Goblin’s singer/frontman makes up for some good showmanship and knows how to get the crowd going, I think some of the shots of him are great. It’s hard not to shoot a good actionpacked shot of him…….once again I used flash.

Orange Goblin-Mean Fiddler-161206

I was invited to stay on by JimBob and party at Crowbar and Big Red after the show but I had to decline to spend some time with me missus, Taint are lined up for the support slot of Clutch in April 2007 no doubt I will catch them there.

It is one of those ubercool nights organised at The Proud Gallery in Camden, I have been told one of the blokes from Embrace is involved. The paperwork that says what you have to do and can not do is quite big… Obviously this place is simply not built for bands at all, stagediving/moshing/crowd surfing is of limits and the band will be asked to stop playing immediately if this happens………..
Peaches Geldof is DJing in between bands and this is a complete joke, the DJing that is, she has absolutely no clue to assess the mood of the crowd and starts soo bad with “Kiss” by Prince, a complete disaster that takes her another track after that to finally figure out what to do….. it is all style and no substance, it’s about showing off and having an entourage…..

Unreal how many cokeheads there are, everyone is on the “sauce”, the cue at the mensroom only slowly progresses….

The place is filled with about a 150 peeps when The Impersonals go on, it is my first time I am seeing them play a gig, since their rehearsals in S. Bush this summer, and they have progressed quite a bit, they still check their playing a little too much and look a tad intimdated, they are young and need some more time, but their songs are easy to sing along/hum with and that is already a great start. I have been told they came up with a football song and in my opinion they are a band that could actually “score” with that. I shall see them again on the 21st.

The Impersonals @ Proud Gallery-141206

Next are Selfish Cunt a band who I already admire for the fact they have named themselves like that. I like their stuff especially frontman Martin Tomlinson who acts like a complete selfish cunt ;), he is spraying beer into the crowd and dives into Towers Of London’s equipment (I have read that he “sabotaged” Snow Patrol’s kit @ The Barfly from which they are banned also ICA and The Egg), but he puts on a great show. Not shy of the camera, I took a bunch of shots which are much to my liking. I really liked his Beyonce/Destiny Child/Madonna rant, and the ending about a cheeseburger, which went on a little too long, but then again he IS a selfish cunt… and I hella prefered that more than Peaches Geldof

Selfish Cunt @ Proud Gallery-141206

The charlie is flowing big time and you can see The Towers Of London dissapear into the loos just before they are supposed to be on….
The whole thing they do has been done yonks ago and I don’t really get excited by it. New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks, The Sweet, Motley Crue, Cinderella, Black & Blue…..it’s all there….off course the boys “trash” the gaff and dive into the crowd and have the crowd go mental and the floor is bouncing rather hefty that I make my exit, no way is this place built for events like this…….

The Towers Of London @ Proud Gallery-141206

Painted yesetrday and will do a few hours today and then it is of with Matt Haynes to The Impersonals tonight in Camden. Tomorrow I shoot stills and girl on girl shots for Tue Love Always @ Jackie Beeke’s house, while it is all freshly decorated.

My brother Eric showed up late last night, after I tried to guide him by phone from Stanstead to Stoke Newington. I had not seen him since August when he and his wife Monique came over for the weekend. And this morning he has left early again to go to Peterborough for work. I am off to Jackie Beeke’s house for more paint duty, today and possibly tomorrow as well. Friday it is shoot day there as well, so the place has to be proper looking.
Oh and regarding the finshed set of solarized images of Faux Couture, well that is gonna take some time as I am mostly away from the PC for the next few days.
My former boss Harry van der Brugghen, slagged it off like no other and called it “soup”………….. I appreciate these talks, and above all these comments

Covered in paperwork most of Sunday and still am.
I have been working on some of the faux couture images and added a solarization effect as well, I like it a lot.
Thursday, Saturday and Sunday I am shooting bands (The Impersonals, Taint and Alex Vargas) and on Friday I am shooting for True Love Always, and prolly the week after as well.

I am also back on paint duty tomorrow and Wednesday @ Jackie Beeke’s house. I also have my brother over @ our place later on tomorrow eve.
A busy week…..

Yesterday started with a fucking downer and the shoot was getting close to being canceled, as the model was sick in bed and I had to choose a replacement, either that or cancel the whole thing, after all the prep. this would have been a complete waste.

Some unretouched shots (I like the effect it adds more ghost effect, sorta…)
Styling: Alicia Aimee
Hair and Make-Up: Olivia Ferrer
Model: Monica and Nathalie @ D1 Models

It was bizzy bizzy yesterday, got up at half 5 as I was stripping wallpaper and painting for most of the morning, then it was of to the AOP near Old St., as yours truly is a member there now and then I had an errant in the westend which took me till early eve, I had to blow out Nick Jones’ gettogether which I regretted but I simply lacked the enrgy and had to get up early for today’s shoot with Alcia Aimee, it will be themed “Faux Couture” and we are using only one model (our initial idea involved 3).
Will show some stuff in a day or so…..

Been prepping for Saturday’s shoot and besides that worked at Jackie Beeke’s house and painted away, which i will be doing today as well, meanwhile we discussed the two day up and coming shoot next week for True Love Always, there will be 3 different segments with models and one with still lifes, amountwise it will be FULL ON, but well worth it.

Pop Levi played the Soho review bar, formely the Raymond Review Bar, never been there before (yeah yeah….I know what yer about to say, save your breath )
Must say the venue is perfect for launches like this, there were about 100 people there and Pop Levi played 4 songs, the sound was excellent, the lighting was not, and with all the kit hangin on the ceiling I was well dissapointed. No doubt Pop Levi likes Hendrix and I do like it, his drummer Marius Simonson is an asset as well. This is my first collaboration with curious generation, a promotor who holds 22 events each month(!!!) which of course bristles with loadsa talent, which I will try to cover from time to time.
I shot Pop levi’s portrait quickly before the show (he aint shy of the camera) and during as well, check below.

Pop Levi @ Soho Review Bar 051206

Besides that I have been watching Dexter a quirky homicide show with Michael C. hall from 6 Ft. under fame. Well worth a watch.

I was at Luton airport yesterday eve and brought my camera hoping to catch a few kissers, as if….
The weather was terrible and on top of that the drop off point is at the side of the terminal and not in front of it. It looks like that Stanstead is a lot better for this type o’ thing. But i will try again in a few weeks as I will have to go back there.

I am shooting next week for True Love Always again, first I have to wallpaper Jackie Beeke’s house, HA.
I start tomorrow with that.

Also one of the covershots will be an insert instead so the “Ophelia” style shot will be more or less splashed over two pages, it will be in conjunction with the Grove’s Spa article.

I also added more links to the sidebar on the right so they will take you to more galleries and my archive of course.

Tonight I am shooting Pop Levi, will post some shots tomorrow.

The archive site has gone live and boy it is still a mess and needs loads sorting out, but hey it needed to go live…..
Furthermore I have finally finished the Lady pix and also finished some shots which AD Andrew Beswick is going to use for a mockup job, something might come out of it…who knows.
The websites have been worked on as well, still loads to go for and then been thinking about a possiblebackdrop for the next shoot, saw this hellish red one….hmmmmmmmmm.

Go HERE to see my archive site.
If you see any mistakes then fire me an email, no doubt plenty…..

Shooting with Alicia Aimee next weekend. Two ideas molded into one or maybe two seperate ones, who knows, ul see

Fuckshovel were on at 8, and they let one of their guitarplayers go and their bassplayer was up north with his missus, after the show I had a brief chat with singer John Stone and we exchanged frowns on that one….heh heh, so they had a replacement bassplayer who did an adequate job, with just one guitarplayer it just did not sound as powerfull as they did back in June.
They are recording over the next few weeks and I am supposed to shoot ‘em after that, we’ll see.

Today I am just getting stuff ready for my books and work on some websites, Iam still adapting the Apartment webpage which shall serve as a template for other galleries, such as my flowers, Brian Haw, The-Kiss and the Capricorns, plenty left to do…..

On top of that I am starting to work on a website for a carpenter m8 of mine….

I meet the Capricorns at 6 at La Scala, the venue where I saw Apartment for the first time (June this year) and I had not been there since.
The band get the whole stage to muck with as headliner Don Caballero position themselves all the way at the front. The start of the soundcheck is atrocious but this is taken care off after a few mins, funny thing is the sound men only worry about the stage sound, no one is there to actually work the desk in the venue itself, guess they know what they are doing……

We retreat to a nearby pub for a quick one and have a brief chat, it all comes down to that they are happy with the gigs to be done with and they are looking forward rehearsing the new stuff so they can get it together for recording early next year (Feb/March is the aim).

Just before the show Nathan Bennet has some pedal board problems which take about 5 mins but after that the band goes into 4th gear and kick off, the sound is good, altho I thought it was best onstage, the lighting was ok, too much smoke and strobe for my liking..
The set lasted just over 30 mins and we packed up an hour after that, no celebrations, no piss-up etc etc……
They will work on the new stuff which is supposed to be broader sounding (there’s talk of a 20mins song!!!) most of it is already written it is just a matter of putting the pieces of the puzzle together so to speak….can’t wait to hear it.

Capricorns are a very sociable lot and easy to hang with, sometimes difficult to shoot, ….like a lot of other metal bands….HA

Capricorns @ La Scala

This afternoon I have a meeting with stylist Alicia Aimee and then it’s of to Underworld seeing Fuckshovel.