Blog
It's school sports day again and thankfully by being given official photographic duties there was no danger of the usual shame and injury risks in the dad's race. This year Skippers Hill pulled out all the stops with a full on Junior Olympic Games, there were real medals and added glamour with presentations by real-life medal winner and olympic mum, Jane Torvill.
This is one of the key shots from my "Portrait Of Diabetes" exhibition of a couple of years ago. It's now being used as one of the main images in the current Diabetes UK re-branding and awareness campaign. Matilda Rostron who is now 13 was one of the stars of the my show. She has Type 1 Diabetes as well as Coeliacs Disease but despite her conditions takes part in karate, cycling , swimming, football and rugby. She has been unwell recently so I wish her all the best.
The Owen family in their Sussex Washington, unhitched and ready for fun at The Battle Caravan Club Site in East Sussex.
Alice and her daughter Charlotte shot last week in Hildenborough, Kent for a parenting magazine. Posted here simply because I like it. Enough said.
My boy Billy Clarke(8) of Skippers Hill School, East Sussex and Joshua(11) and Thomas(8) Mogford of Bickley Park School, Kent with their heavy school bags. These were shot for today's Daily Mail who expose the truth behind school bag heaviness and whats happening to our children's spines.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2144429/Is-childs-school-bag-harming-spine.html
In a radical move away from taking pictures of the front of people, this is the back of a suited man taking in the gloomy view from the top of London's Gherkin this morning. Although I was commissioned to shoot the face of this unnamed business man, I thought this might make an interesting financial stock image that tries to illustrate the bleak view of banking in these recessionary times. I also learnt that The Gherkin is a popular venue for gay weddings.
Some monkeys yesterday. They are javan langurs from Howletts Zoo and although at the time they seemed quite happy, looking at these pictures again there seems to be a real element of melancholy. Or maybe it's just my mood on a wet Monday afternoon.
This is Robin and Sue McGibbon who I photographed last week to go with a story about the recent death of their beloved dog, Abby. Robin takes up the story......
My wife, Sue, and I agreed for James to photograph us for the Daily Mail, as part of our campaign to outlaw an anti-inflammatory drug, Carprofen, which led to the death of our black Labrador, Abby. She was given the drug by Tender Paws, in West Wickham, Kent, to ease arthritis, but, after just four tablets, developed the most distressing side-effects and, sadly, had to be put to sleep a few days later. We won't rest until the drug is banned.
It's always exciting to see your own pictures out there being looked at in the public domain. This, at least double life-sized version, is my biggest so far. It's geordie surfer Conel Freeman who was one of the models for my diabetic portraits exhibition, the picture, among others of mine is now being used as part of the re-branding campaign for Diabetes UK, here it is on show at a recent health charity conference. Let's get the next one on the side of a bus!
More about Conel and that picture here: http://jamesclarke.me/family-and-child-portraits/blood-sugar-is-down-but-surfs-up/
It was a great honour to be asked to be the judge for a junior photography competition. All entrants were from local primary schools, between the ages of 7 and 9 and worked on a "nature" theme. Well done to everyone that took part and here are the winners:
!st - Ella Ayden, age 7 with Worms. Brilliantly unexpected composition with humorous and imaginative use of a written word.
2nd - Shannon Smith, age 9 with Frog. Really good close-up and nicely composed picture showing different textures and light on spawn and pond weed.
3rd - Katherine Miles, age 9 with Seagull, Duck and Pidgeon. Dramatic shot which captures an instant when the seagull swoops down near the duck and the pidgeon looks a bit startled.
4th - Theo Missen, age 8 with Beetle. Another good close-up showing nice colours and interesting patterns.
Okay it's not Soho or Paris, its a cafe in a Garden Centre in East Sussex. But it shows that with a good chef, friendly staff, facilities for kids and decent coffee you can create something really special. I spent yesterday lunchtime at The Milbrook Cafe, Crowborough getting some publicity shots for them and was thoroughly impressed.
Peckham-born actor and former So Solid Crew member Ashley Walters who is currently appearing in the "quite good" BBC drama, Inside Men. This was shot for The Times, oh and the tattoo says In Memory Of The Street Fighter which is the title of his latest music project.