Show it off 2012

21 January 12

Posted at 6:40

So over the last year, I've really put a lot of effort into video.

I got my hands on the D7000 which at the time was Nikon's best offering into video, with the manual control and apart from a couple of things that aren't all that great I have been over the moon with it!

Its controls and handling are very similar to my D3, and the quality out it is really something else. 

So here's my short showreel that I have put together of footage taken over the last year. 

I've lucky and privilaged to travel a good bit so from Norway to Middle England and back to Glasgow.

Enjoy and this year I will be getting dead busy and in your face a lot more, my first short film is in pre production right now so hopefully in the next month it will be finished and out.

To view the below video bigger just click "vimeo" on the video and it will take you to my channel and you'll be able to view full screen.

Thanks for reading and having a look. Until next time i'm out. 

S x

4 Comments

A Day at the Baths...

19 November 11

Posted at 8:57

So if your looking at the title and wondering what im on about. Continue reading and i'll explain it all!

So after a 5 hour drive I eventually got to Manchester, After using my surprisingly useless iPhone as a Sat Nav, It actually took me to the write place.
Although I drove by the build twice going "nah that doesn't look like the place". So on the 3rd time going by I though may aswell go have a look and see if it is here, since the iPhone was saying it was.

Walking up the stairs into a old old public swimming, I realised that I was in the right place. So I was doing a photo Essay on the weekend, from the building till the end of the even also I had planned to do portraits of the riders and shoot some video if I didnt have enough too do. Then if I realised that I had loads of spare time I was gonna ride. Yep I done them all purely because im off my head!

The Minidrome, a 25 metre round velodrome custom made in Germany by a comapny called Velo Track built specially for Red Bull. 100 Riders try to qualify then the top 32 go through to the next round. A Pursuit race until only 1 is left and they are crowned champion.

So the floor had to be leveled off since the swimming pool isn't flat. Once this was done the guys above could come in and do there thing!

7 hours later and boom it was built then followed by another few hours making the finishing touches for the next day. 

Click the pcture below to view the complete Photo Essay, was hard trying to get it down to 20 but I think I managed it and hopefully showed what the Weekend was like from my point of view.

Saturday rolled in and the event was upon us,the venue looked great,the red bull guys worked real hard and it all came together perfectly.

After the qualifying had been brought down to the top 32, it was into pursuit mode.
If you dont know how this works I'm just about to tell you.

Right 2 riders are on the track at one time, to win you've got to catch the other rider for 2 laps or your race for the ten laps and the fastest goes throught to the next round. I qualifyied pretty good this time(7th), so though I would have got through to at least the last 16 or maybe the last 8 if I was lucky.  
Unlucky for me I ended up racing Ross who was 3rd in Glasgow, I pretty much had it in my head that I was beat as soon as I saw that. But I went hard and ended up putting him out in the 1st round, It was a good race as I knew he was fast. But sometimes I even surprise myself.

Next round I wasn't so lucky, going up against Lewis Lacey the World Cup 4X rider. I just wasn't fast enough and he was... So back to the duties of taking photos.
Now that it was getting into the really fast guys, mistakes cannot be made. Since the track is so short about 3 odd seconds a lap, a mistake can pretty much cost you the win!

Inbetween the down time I took a series of portraits of the riders, fast guys, some guys looked cool, some had great looking bikes.
Ricky Crompton who finished 2nd is below. To see the others click the image and it will take you to the gallery!

So into the final it was Toms Alsberg and Local Lad Ricky Crompton. After a tough tough race, Toms Came out on top, at one point it could have went either way but Toms just had that extra little bit! Next time i'm sure Ricky will be back with a vengance.

Well that's it till Feb next year, there's one in Paris in a few weeks but I dont think the budget is gonna go that far consider Christmas will be knocking on the a few weeks later!

I'd like to Thanks Oli, Micheal and all the guys and girls at Red Bull for making this possible and all others that were involved and helped me out in this process, Its greatly appricated!!

And I promised to start blogging again after my haitus....

 

11 Comments

Its what I call the Fashion!

08 April 11

Posted at 4:25

So as I always try to blog but sometimes I get distracted and fall away,I always come back although sometimes I feel as if no one reads this and I seem to be writing this for myself.

We'll I shot Hurts a little while ago now,at the time they were one of my favourite bands. The Song "Stay" has some lyrics that seem to resemble my life a lot right now...
Less of that and more of Theo, the lead singer of the band is so damn sharp that I felt like a tramp standing infront of him. The suit,the shoes everything about the band is sharp. As my mate Fraser says He's what you would call #thefashion. Gotta have the hashtag tho or it doesnt count...

So Im gonna do another blog shortly with some more stuff I've shot. Trying to get through the backlog is the worst part once I eventually catch up,I might be ok but right now I'm always chasing my tail!

 

607 Comments

East End Story....

19 March 11

Posted at 6:20

So Back again with another tale from That Drummer That DJ Towers,Based in the East End of Glasgow. This time tho it was to shoot a mixtape cover that was meant to be what seemed like a million years ago. So finally I got them both in the same place at the same time to get something. We were limited for time and with no option to go anywhere else apart from the building that the studio is in we went in search.

The guys were looking for something simple and just straight to the point. So here's what they were after. No lights,flashes or brollys in sight. Just simple natural light.

So that's the one that got used. I like another one as below.... 

Right now the guys have a load of stuff that they are finishing. Some of it's really impressive and I could say game changing. I can't wait till it's ready so I can tell you guy but right now my lips are sealed.... 

25 Comments

Best I Ever Had? Who Said Dat!

11 March 11

Posted at 5:04

So Drake rolled in Glasgow with the Hype train in full motion. In fact Facebook went into melt down when the gigs where announced,So naturally I was expecting big things from the man of 2010. After only really listening to the So Far Gone mixtape and missing the whole hype that had surrounded him,I got involved and was drawn into the one liners and verses that I felt you could relate too. 
Having said that Best I Ever Had was my favourite of everything. So many good verses and one liners in that song that it's not even funny.

Right on the Gig so I shot the first of 2 Sold Out nights at the O2 Academy, expecting him to be lit like the sun,I was surprised or should I say not surprised that had he brought 4 lorries to transport the gear that he wasn't lit like the sun but lit by the moon. Good times on that front.

Gig wise,I was ok, I personally found that he missed bits out that I would have loved to hear live to everyone else tho they worshipped him. The killers was missing pretty much all of "Best I Ever Had" out apart from the 1st verse and the chorus....

J.Cole supporting him was someone that I hadn't really listened to but he was good and it made me get his stuff and give it a listen.

Im gonna leave it here as I could moan all day but to be honest,I'm pretty much over that in general right now!

17 Comments

There's a She Wolf In My Closet

26 February 11

Posted at 5:19

So there really a she wolf in my closet. Plus I don't use the word closet either as A.Im not in america and B.Im not american. Now that I have sorted out the small matter of the english and american language.

So with Shakira coming to scotland I was just a little keen on shooting this,not because she going looking or anything like that. Ok who am I kinding it pretty much the ONLY reason I wanted to do it.

I turned up at the usual time to find out that it was from the back of the hall in the SECC. I didn't have much hope of getting that great stuff since I only had the 300 as my biggest lense,going in tho she had a walkway build out into the audience. So the 300 actually proved to be too long for some stuff. Overall I was pretty happy with what I got, and I can infact confirm that she is a babe. A Grade A Babe... Hands down she pretty much beats most bands and acts that I have shot shame her music isn't up my street or it would have been a double win situation. 

O well you win some you lose some. So i'm gonna stop my waffling and let you enjoy the good looking girl that she is!

51 Comments

Just Plain Reckless

26 February 11

Posted at 4:23

So as I'm going through my back log of work,I've finally got round to this one. Considering Taylor Momsen was a major pull last year turning up at this gig I was expecting everyone under the sun to be there!
It seems everyone missed the memo and only me and 1 other person turned up! Winner that is considering the pit in the Barrowlands is the stuff that gives people nightmares...
Its gotta be experienced tho! 

Not that I watch Gossip Girl but I had heard its pretty popular with the youths these days ;)

With only 3 gigs getting played in the uk on this tour it was a little surprise that scotland was on the cards,usually we get left out on the smaller tours. 

Hey Ho Im gonna stop waffling and let the pictures speak 1000 words as is said!

Ive got loads more to get up but i'll get there.. Slowly but surely!

11 Comments

Hello Good Morning // Diddy Dirty Money // Old Fruitmarket

16 February 11

Posted at 5:16

Hello Good Morning Readers....

We'll since I did say I was gonna get through my back catalogue. I'm in September now yep I shot these last year and its nearly march already! Time flies when your having fun.

So this one was a special one to come to Glasgow.It was in a venue I'd never been before and it was Party of the MTV Crashes - City Tours. We were lucky enough to get Diddy Dirty Money in Glasgow. 

I had to get on this one since P Diddy and the Bad Boy Family was one of the few albums helped me through school. The videos,the songs, that album was a classic.
So I go on it like a car bonnet!

Getting to the gig I was proper nervous,something that doesn't happen very often now. But it's good in a way. Usually though after the gig I feel like I have made a total cock up and not got anything descent from it. This happens at the big ones that I get nervous at. Kiss also was a similar situation,and it turned out ok.

So waiting in the side for the gig to start who appears with a foot of me but the R'n'B singer Cassie. Not normally I would brass my case but not this time. She was out standing but I do kick myself for not get a quick photo you know...

I did move at one point though to get a different angle and from where I was standing he moved down and would have looked right down the barrel of the camera. School boy error I suppose but then again I aint a mind reader. You win so you lose some....

So less chat and enjoy this set,It was a blast to shoot but it was over in a flash.A lot faster than any other gig I have done...

 

61 Comments

Kelis // ABC

15 February 11

Posted at 3:10

So like a millions months ago I shot Kelis,Now I did like her new stuff when it came out and she has some classics. It was one that I suppose I couldnt miss really.

having gigs at the ABC is good and bad. The venue is kinda cool,the security are decent and there is a good sound from the place. The bad part is that no matter what gig it is there seems to be no lights on. Saving the enviroment I think...

But on this occasion there was some nice white lights a treat for a change...

Enjoy these and I'll update tommorrow with some more chat from the Big Smoke that is Glasgow. 

3 Comments

The Drums // ABC

24 January 11

Posted at 5:48

So after my extensive blogging in december when I had a new lease of life. Things kinda slowed down again.

I let work take over which is good but I neglected the blog yet again. 

So here's my newest update from a gig I shot a bit back. Now it wasnt the easiest due to the fact there was nearly no light and enough smoke to smoke out with anything. Plus Jonathan Pierce jumped around the massive stage for the entire gig. I kinda felt like at one point I was actually chasing him.

Loves a casual chase in the pit I do.... So enjoy the diffrent shots I got from this one. A fun one and I do love The Drums especially "The Future"

Till next time which won't be in a month 

37 Comments

Videos Videos Videos

26 December 10

Posted at 4:19

So 2010 has been a brillant year for loads of things but one of my favourite things has been some of the quality of videos that have come out.

They are inspiring me to get involved with something thats ever changing. Some people have got on it earlier than others but I think now is the time for me.

So here's a round up of my favourite videos of the year. Some music,some not music. But brillant all the same in my book

So everyone has something special about them, from the intimate footage to the way its edited to the way its been shot. I love them all.

Hope you do too....

ADELE - Rolling In The Deep - In Studio from DUKOFF on Vimeo.

Kings And Queens - 30 Seconds To Mars from JackChan on Vimeo.

FOALS // SPANISH SAHARA from dave ma on Vimeo.

Duck Sauce "Barbra Streisand" from Mr Goldbar on Vimeo.

Maestro Knows - NYC Edition (Jonathan Mannion) from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.

Coachelletta from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

22 Comments

Starts like a Chain Reaction

25 December 10

Posted at 2:16

So as I just posted my Kiss pictures in my Live Music Gallery about 7 months after I shot them. Driving home from a small trip to England I gets a email asking if I had saw this? 

Now I wasnt sure what it was actually about until i opened the attachment. I had some how managed to get the front page for the Top 10 gigs of the year issue. I really don't know how I managed this one,I was kinda speechless. 

In this one I'm gonna thanks all the people that have helped me this year. John Lewis,Sven Martin,Gary Perkin,Geoff Waugh,Danny North,James Glossop,Tim Barr and anyone else that has came into contact with me this year. You've all played a big or a small part in the things that have happened this year. I really appriciate it and hope that next year there is more of the same. But hopefully even better.
So i'm gonna leave it with this Front cover,only my second one ever but the one i'm most proud of so far.

 

208 Comments

First time I got Kiss'd

23 December 10

Posted at 7:32

So where can start. I've been off the scene for while it would seem. I actually haven't and as I said in my last blog,I was putting things that seemed important at the time first and leaving others behind. Now i've realized what I actually wanna get done and hopefully with hard work and percistance in the next year i'll be able to make my dreams actually become a reality.

With 8 Days till new year. 2011 looks promising but i've gotta change things and make it work.

So enough of me and onto the story of how I got Kiss in this album. Turning up at the SECC that night I was pretty nervous, dunno why as i've done it about a million times before as it would seem. But there was pressure due to the the size of the band,how good they are to shoot,just everything about them was meant to be brillant. So i was looking forward to shooting something that would be lit up like the sun. A change for Glasgow,since its usually pitch black.

Plus I had my mentor there that night too. For you who don't know its my great mate John Lewis,I knew his stuff was gonna turn out good as he never fails to deliver in my book. It was all pressure that night.

So shooting the gig was like a blur,the lights,the eye contact,the interaction with the crowd. I can see how Kiss are such a big deal. Its a totally crowd friendly show and they love it. Looking to me as if they give it 110% to every show. Which is great after all they years. Something i'm sure the fans appricate since they have paid so much to see a band they love. 

So after shooting what seemed like 2 seconds of the show we were ejected as usual. Coming out and walking back to the car to go put our gear in I moaned(not a surprise since it was my favourite thing to do) to John that I had made a total balls up of it.

Dunno why,I just felt like I let him down and some there people. I really thought I have made a total A class cock up....

So forgetting about  that me and john when back in to watch the band that he loved and a band that as usual I had only heard one of there songs. Luckily I had heard of them as its not unusual for me to go to a gig and not have heard of a band who use to be massive and I defo should have hard of them.
Win some you lost some I say.

Right so finishing this off so i don't waffle anymore,leaving it with this.

Sometimes it takes a real kick up the backside before you realise what your not doing.

Theres more than one positive out of every negative. #PMA

19 Comments

Someone Like You!

02 December 10

Posted at 2:09

So the last 6 months have flew by. Its been a blast full of highs and lows,I've shot loads and not posted pretty much anything. 

I have been pre occupied with things that I thought where important,But just weren't. So To tide this over till I put a proper blog up with my own work.I'm gonna leave you guys with a video.A song that I find hauntingly wonderful.

Enjoy as much as I do!

9 Comments

Steven Cusick Jr Rehearsal // Glasgow

18 October 10

Posted at 6:36

So a last week,I went over to the studio to see my mate Steven Cusick Rehearse for a up and coming showcase that happening soon. Also over there was the dynamic duo that is Dj Big Al and Ryan Hassan,both where helping put a proper live element to it and it sounds great. Really great.

Should be a good show when it happens!

So here's a few snaps from the day....

Checkout That Drummer That DJ to find more info about Big Al and Ryan Hassan's Project theres a cracking video that they shot over the summer on the intro too.

As soon as Steven's stuff is out I'll link that up too...

Checkout 

438 Comments

Back for the 5th time

03 October 10

Posted at 1:40

So i've been off the blogsphere for far too long. I had stuff to do,people to see,place to be and just other stuff that I thought was more important. Im gonna get involved again,I think I have a new motivation that hopefully will be shown through my work that Im gonna post in the next few weeks. 

I am planning lots,I will be posting it and I will be getting involved in the cause. 

So only no pictures only words. 

13 Comments

Marina & the Diamonds // QMU

17 July 10

Posted at 9:39

So 6 weeks ago I shot the beautiful Marina Diamandis of Marina and the Diamonds at the QMU in Glasgow.
So as much as I like a moan just about general things,I really can't moan that this was bad. Ok the lights weren't bright white. I can't really complain.

I had missed Marina the last time in Glasgow due to a confict in Gig,That saddened me,so this time I made sure I was free and able to attend.
In fact even if I had caught the plague before the gig I would have still went.

Her song Obsessions was one of my favourites from last year,so I was really looking forward to how it would sound live and I wasn't disappointed

I know the last I said that i was gonna blog  about the comings and goings in my life but i'm gonna leave that for a later blog.

Enjoy Marina in her fullest now.

Now roll on next time she's in Glasgow so that I can see her again live.

31 Comments

Slayer // Barrowlands

02 July 10

Posted at 7:42

So a few weeks ago now I covered Slayer at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. I really didn't brace myself for what I was about to encounter,having never I mean never listened to slayer I didn't really know what to expect. So as I was walking up the road I noticed that my dress code some how didn't fit in with everyone elses. I had my usual. Skinnyish jeans,white t and converse. Not stereotyping her but 95% of people that I saw or encounter had all black on and most had long hair.

So I braced myself to what I was expecting was not some sort of indie also hoping not to get lynched for my dress code either.

So enough of that Im just gonna let you guys enjoy(hopefully) the pictures and stop my moaning.

I have more to blog about in the next few weeks,so stay tuned.

8 Comments

Ellie Goulding // ABC

26 June 10

Posted at 7:37

So this is like the 3rd time I have shot Ellie in Glasgow. Last time It was very brief tho. 1 song and were where out this time. It was much more chilled. Apart from the pit having a fair few folk in it. 

I really like her music plus she's a bit of a babe too. Stroll on the next time she tours

Cant really say anymore really. I have a blog coming that is full of news so to say. Right now Enjoy Ellie tho. 

804 Comments

Downhill MTB World Cup // Fort William

09 June 10

Posted at 9:25

Rd 2 of the UCI world cups and it was my home one too. A poxy 3 hour drive and I was there.

So I was going to blog everyday but with the internet at the bottom of a mountain and quite a few miles to civilisation I wasn't hoping for the best really. It was ok for sending stuff even though it took a while but uploading on here it just wasn't having any of it. So I decided to go out in Glasgow last Thursday night and drive straight up after. I felt so bad the next day and that was with me with not one drop of alcohol either. 
The words death warmed up seemed to sum it up me on friday nicely,having had 1 hour sleep since thursday 8am it wasnt the greatest of my ideas.Never again. Well maybe next week.

So I got up there for 8am on Friday morn,got my shit together,and made sure I remembered the Jaffa Cakes,can't take photo if you have no energy and they helped me through the full the full weekend until I ran dry on sunday,but I will come to that later.

So the weather was meant to be sunny friday,and rainy the rest something that I wasn't really looking forward too but we are in scotland and as usual you have to prepare so i brought my leather jacket and hat. They would have kept me dry,had it rained but for us it turned out to be the BBC's not so awesome weather forcast was wrong again.

So not only was I looking for good shot of people riding bikes, I was on the hunt for some diffrent stuff too. I think it's hard to get something totally diffrent when there are so many people these days with digital cameras but not only that some are really talented at what they do.So I tried my best this year 

So at the world cups there's always some quirky ideas that the fans have,this was my favourite though. Gee Atherton and Steve Peat are some of the heros of the UK fans so its nice to see that the fans appricate them and i'm guessing that the riders also do.

The week was over in a blur really. Friday I couldn't wait till it was bed time as I was so tired.

Saturday was the usual DH practice till lunch and qualifying in the afternoon then 4X racing at night. That was fun as the weather on saturday was even better than friday,not only did I get some great shots that I was pretty pleased with. I also got a bit of a tan too. Get in I thought.

I couldnt get out my bed this day so was mildly late but a firm grilling for anka sorted me out and got me up the hill.Sunday is all about the DH bit of practice in the morning then its all buisness at 2pm as the finals kick off. So finding a nice spot was key,I went for the Visit Scotland Jump which was slightly diffrent to what everyone else seemed to be shooting and was close enough for me to rush down to the bottom when the winner was announced.

Overall it was a great weekend and it was topped off by a amazing dinner with some great folk and a good laugh too.

For Austria I will need to remember more Jaffa Cakes I kinda ran dry on them come sunday but it's been noted and Im ready to purchase a pallet for then.

Now the part where I thank everyone that helped me over the weekend.

I would like to thank Sven/Anka Martin,Gary Perkin,Geoff Waugh,Fergus and Tom Lamb. You all know what you did and it was a pleasure.

159 Comments

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Stephen Hughes