Starting 2011 with a bang. Kicking ass and taking names, I headed to Amsterdam with the as ever friendly, funny, all round nice guy and super talented photographer Glen Burrows as well as an excellent art directer turned accent impressionist Chris. Check out Glens blog at http://glenburrows.posterous.com/ and thanks to him for useage of some his images in the gallery below.

The job was to photograph 4 national dutch hockey players (the hockey equivalent of the Spanish football team). We kindly had a Volvo XC70 on loan to us from Volvo and squeezed a truck load of kit into the car, providing us with all the kit we could be prepared for the unprepared with. After heading off early on Wednesday morning and travelling via the channel tunnel, France and Belgium, we finally reached Amsterdam in the early evening to prepare for the shoot early the next morning. Fortunately we had time for a beer and education in Dutch food too! Although apparently lentils aren't fungus harvested from the troughs of pigs feet as my colleagues told me when lentils turned up on my plate that evening with me clueless as to what on earth they were. Thanks guys... I ate them anyway.

Come the photoshoot, we were up and at the hockey stadium nice and early. The place was pitch black but 15 minutes later we had the pitch floodlights fired up as we set up the photography gear and tested various set ups before deciding on a schedule and series of shots to get done. Rain was relentless from morning all the way through to the end so my recent purchase of an umbrella was handy (see below)... as was bringing plastic carrier bags to cover the equipment before it went BOOM. Or something to that effect. I didnt want to find out.

Assistants Tip:  Be prepared for rain, particularly in winter naturally but all year you should have some preparation too. Superclamps and big golf umbrellas are the best solution but carrier bags with little holes in can work great for covering the heads without cutting off the fans and overheating them as is it useful to carry any umbrella you can fit in your kit anyway.

The shoot went great. We were working with 3 gorgeous dutch women, I possibly made too much of a point as to how gorgeous they were but thats not my fault. They were fit. And Taeke Taekema, who was enthusiastic, good fun and many would say is the Beckham of hockey, renowned for a shot type he has finessed and mastered. Still a few hours of various set ups flew by and before I knew it we were headed back. What a great way to start the year. Heres to 2011!

See the full gallery on Posterous

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I've always found it useful to take a moment and reflect on the successes of the past year as we pass into a new one. Happy News Years to you all. I hope 2011 is good to you.

For me 2010 was a great year and a massive improvement on 2009 in the quantity and quality of work I was involved with as well as a much welcomed financial boost as I ventured into advertising work. I'm starting to reach the very limited financial glass ceiling of assisting work as was anticipated, however my current plan is to continue with assisting for 2-3 more years as I begin the transition from assistant to photographer. 2011 however is going to be concentrating solely on assisting and increasing my income with shooting weddings. Having had a terrible track record at missing out as a 2nd option or even once having to pull out of a trip due to illness (I missed 4 days in Barcelona with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Raikonnen last year. Gutting!) it's been a much welcomed change of events to be heading to Amsterdam in early Jan and possibly Qatar in early February. One of the reasons I got into assisting was to travel and do things I would never get to do otherwise. This year is looking like the year to turn things around in that respect and start flying places!

I was lucky enough to get up to some really cool things last year. From going to Tony Blairs house to shoot his christmas card... and meeting his machine gun wielding police officer guards (as well as his Royal Tonyness of course), telling Westminster armed police I was there to shoot David Cameron and then having to quickly explain I meant in a photographic sense, putting Monty Python legend Terry Jones in a headlock before heading off for a beer with him (pictures below), hanging out with the Lostprophets on a boat in Cornwall for the day, to being one of the very first members of the public in the world to know about the Jaguar concept car the C-X75 due to working on the press release images.

The highlight for me in 2010 above all this however was definately travelling up to Mam Tor in the Peak District in October. It was a beautiful October day that started with a majestic sunrise through eerily thick fog that slowly ascended to reveal stunning landscapes every way you looked. I spent the day running up and down the hills carrying kit and I had a great time.. Even if the money isnt great, I can't and wouldn't dare complain. I love my job.

2010's photoshoots in descending order:

• Laura Bailey (Famous model)
• Andrew Lincoln (Actor)
• Army Magazine Photoshoot at Sandhurst of female triathlete
• Trailfinders staff & CEO
• Joe Casely-Hayford (Fashion designer)
• Katherine Kelly (Actress)
• David Cameron (Politician)
• George Osbourne (Politician)
• Lord Brittain (Politician)
• Lord Lawson (Politician)
• Theresa May (Politician)
• Lord Lamont (Politician)
• Lord Howe (Politician)
• Baroness Shephard (Politician)
• Eric Pickles (Conservative Party Chairman)
• Ed Vaisey (Politician)
• Michael Howard (Politician)
• Lord Baker (Politician)
• Baroness Nevile Jones (Politician)
• Malcolm Rifikind (Politician)
• Ian Duncan Smith (Politician)
• Lord Heseltine (Politician)
• David Davis (Politician)
• Sir John Major (Politician)
• Ken Clarke (Politician)
• Helen McCrory (Actress)
• Damien Lewis (Actor)
• Jonathon Pryce (Actor)
• Watches of Switzerland magazine article
• Dame Shirley Bassey (Singer)
• Fearne Cotton (Presenter)
• Robert Lloyd (Opera bass singer)
• Mothercare Pushchair
• Lilia Kopylova (Dancer)
• Richard Dunwood (Jockey)
• Irish Female Model & Jewellery for Modas Touch (Made the back page of Vanity Fair for 4 months running)
• Net Play TV Presenters
• FHM Fitness Article
• Bryn Terfel (Opera Singer)
• Nissan 370z & GTR Advertising (These went up on hundreds of billboards all over London and have been in as good as every major mens magazine for over 6 months now)

• Terry Jones (Actor & Monty Python legend)

• Carlo Rizzi (Conductor)
• David Gray (Singer)
• Emma Griffiths (Fashion designer)
• Mens Fitness Magazine Cover
• No Balls Clothing Press
• Alex Talbot Rice (Painter)
• Lostprophets (Band)
• Katherine Jenkins (Singer)
• Mens Health Article
• Stereophonics (Band)
• Feeder (Band)
• Barclays Press
• Colourful Coffins Press
• L'Oreal Female scientist award winners event
• The White Company catalogue
• GQ Magazine fashion article
• Glamour Magazine article
• Closer Magazine Russell Brand & Katy Perry lookalikes article
• Phillips Razor magazine promotion
• Howard Marks (Former drug smuggler)
• Rhys Ifans (Actor)
• Simon Pegg (Actor) - PAUL Movie poster
• Nick Frost (Actor)
• Mens Fitness Article
• Range Rover Evoque Press
• FHM Fitness Article
• Greenpeace Advert
• Lacoste shoes super slow motion viral video
• Mens Fitness Cover
• Schon Magazine Fashion Article
• Robert Plant (Singer)
• Marina & The Diamonds (Singer)
• Range Rover Evoque Car Magazine
• Nationwide Press
• Bloww Hairdressers Advertising
• Mens Fitness Cover
• Jaguar C-X75 Press
• Mark Foster (Swimmer)
• Jaguar XFR
• Running & Cycling Shop Press
• Russell Howard (Comedien)
• Braun 3 Razor Magazine Promotion
• Glass Magazine Fashion Article
• Mens Fitness Article
• Channel 4 Disability Portraits
• Mel B (Singer)
• Mens Running Peak District Article
• Santa Claus Album Cover
• Range Rover Evoque Press
• Easy Living Pilates Article
• James Martin (Chef)
• Britains Next Top Model Exhibition Portraits
• Andrew Strauss (Cricketer)
• Nuffield Gym Press
• Grazia Magazine Article
• Mens Health Magazine Article
• Lacoste Interview Videos
• Mens Health Magazine Article
• Sir David Frost (Presenter)
• Katy Perry (Singer)
• Worlds First Production Range Rover
• Tiffanys Jewellery Event
• Louis Smith (Gymnast)
• Horses pretending to be cats... for an oil company
• Gordon Ramsey (Chef)
• Toby Flood (Rugby Player)
• Mens Health Magazine Article
• Olympic Fencers Personal Slow Motion Video
• FHM Magazine Article
• Sharp Press
• Next Catalogue
  

  See the full gallery on Posterous

 

My 2011 Targets / Ambitions:

• Achieve a work related target / job every day
• 150 assistant shoot days
• 6 trips to foreign countries
• 10 Weddings
• Work with 25 new photographers

In the Pipeline already

• Amsterdam 2 day job - January
• Qatar 4 day job - February
• Photography Magazine Interview - Due out March
• Hitchike to Morrocco - April

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No shoot news here. Just a blindingly obvious and top assistants tip.

On Saturday evening I went to watch UFC 120 with a good mate of mine, when the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) made it's annual trip to the UK. A great night of fights from what has been coined as the fastest growing sports organisation in the world. I'm a Muay Thai Kickboxer, Karate Blackbelt and all round MMA enthusiast myself and love sport. So here's my relevant top tip.

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Assistants Tip:  Don't sacrifice having a life for your work. Even if like me you love, love, love assisting. Always be sure to balance the two. Keep your hobbies, keep up to date with news, interesting articles, geek out on the new technology coming up in the photography and creative industry. Have cool websites to show, my personal favourite is: http://clientsfromhell.net/. Generally be interesting and be INTERESTED in the people you are working with and for. A good assistant is not just someone who can behave appropriately on shoots and pack the gear up and down quickly. But someone who is going to be half decent company too.

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I've been wanting to work with top portrait photographer Neale Haynes again for a while now after having a great shoot with him last year and on Friday morning I got the call. A wake up call that is! But also a call for an afternoon shoot that same day. Shooting a Pilates story for easyliving magazine we had Profoto 7b packs, several heads, strip box, beauty dish and various other attachments too. The pilates machines looked more like torture racks to me but I'm told people love it. Maybe I'll give that torture a go in later life. Not convinced though.

On Saturday, the following day, Neale and me were shooting one of his regular jobs for Live magazine. Top chef James Martin and a really cool car, a classic in this case. We arrived at our location in good time and the weather was beautiful. Again we had 7b packs, several heads and attachments which were all set up in good time before James arrived with said car. It wasn't long into James arriving that from nowhere the heavens opened, quite gloriously too. We waited for the rain to pass and then as we realised it wasn't going to and time was pressing carried on and finished the shoot. Typically as I finished packing the kit away the rain stopped and beautiful sunshine broke through the clouds. You win some you lose some, shots still looked great though which is all that matters.

Assistants Tip:  In Winter carry an umbrella (or two) and several carrier bags to wrap over power packs, heads and anything else electrical that shouldnt get wet when shooting outside.

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Having driven and travelled over 1000 miles across England for work this week, I headed to Junction 11 Studios in Banbury on Saturday for a shoot with the sublime photographer Alex Howe. Technically adept and creative to no end, every shoot with Alex is a pleasure. I arrived at the studio an efficiently quick 1 hour and 10 minutes after I set off at 6:30am. Pleasantly early for our 8am call time. As with most of my shoots with Alex, details of what we were up to have to remain secret until public / press announcements are made. However suffice to say, the car was cool, the images were brilliant and the work was tiring but as always well worth it.

Assistants Tip:  Buy a pair of decent grip / heatproof gloves. Hot lights are HOT. My pair of leather Arri Grip Gloves do the trick for keeping some of the heat out and are great for putting up and moving kit. The Arri gloves I have aren't heat proof but they do the trick and I'd suggest getting something similar too.

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Had an awesome shoot on Thursday with the incredibly talented photographer Glen Burrows Behind the scenes courtesy of him - check out his blog here. Shot in the Peak District, Derbyshire on and around Mam Tor. We had a 6am start and we'd travelled 400 miles for this shoot off the back of a lively shoot with 'Crazy' Spice Girl Mel B the day before. Using profoto kit we had 2 7B packs, 6 batteries, a soft box, strip light and spill dishes for 3 heads... Along with a colorama that was set up in the car park! The climbs up and down the 500m hill throughout the day were well worth every effort.

Assistants Tip: Carry some a few pieces of looped rope in your kit so you can tie the power packs to stands for much needed ballast on location. Sand bags obviously best avoided on hikes!

Images will be in the newly launched Mens Running magazine within the next few months. Keep your eyes peeled!

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Worked on an interesting shoot with the photographer and generally cool guy Pete Dadds for Channel 4 earlier this week. One of the things I have always prided myself on is my organisation and reliability. I have always built 'safety' time into my journey to allow for train delays, strikes, cancellations, getting lost, etc. This can be irritating when you turn up to shoots 30 minutes early on a regular basis and you could really have benefitted from the extra sleep. However when you have the kind of monumental cock up I suffered for the first time ever and you turn up at the right road but in the wrong part of London... (guess which in the picture is the right one and which one I ended up at) suddenly you become grateful for the 2 years you have spent turning up early.

Google had failed me and I had failed to organise to my usual impeccable standard after a particularly late return from a shoot. So upon realising what was before me were residential blocks and not the channel 4 studios I dashed back across London sprinting between Tube stations and arrived 2 minutes late. I wasn't happy with being late at all, but lesson learnt. Never again.

Assistants Tip: Allow for journey disruptions. Be organised. Be prepared. Be on time. Never late. Always aim to be the first one to arrive.

Having said all that we had a perfect and effecient shoot to redeem the day so all is well that ends well.

See the full gallery on Posterous

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