Way Ahead Photography

I jus' felt like runnin'....

2012-01-24T01:47:00.000-08:00

Really finding my running mojo again. I am aiming this year to be fitter than ever before, and after 3 weeks training I am putting in a respective time of just over 23 mins for a 5km run.

There are various reasons why I am running.

Firstly, I love the freedom it gives me to think, relax, unwind and listen to music. It's MY time, just me, my ipod and the countryside around me.

Secondly for my health. Not only do I dislike feeling out of shape and wincing when I look in the mirror, but I have 2 small children who do not deserve a dad who keels over before they are old enough to look after themselves. I owe it to them to take every step I can to preserve myself until they are adults.

And thirdly, a few years ago I had the confidence to pose for an art class, au naturelle. I can't honestly say right now that I have the guts (physically or spiritually) to be able to do such a thing again. And I hate that, it feels like I've lost something. Not caring what others think is the key, but in order to achieve that, you have to like yourself a lot. And hopefully the running will help with this.

"Discipline and concentration are a matter of being interested"

2012-01-22T05:15:00.001-08:00

"Discipline and concentration are a matter of being interested", a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

Great time today with my youngest playing with his remote controlled car. It's his birthday soon and he's very excited (and hence waking up very early).

It's important to enjoy these times, because I know all too well that one day, he won't want to play with his dad... best to take it while you can!

New Way Ahead Photography Website Is Up!

2012-01-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Finally I've got round to re-doing the Way Ahead Photography website, after several years of it remaining untouched.

Be fair to me tho, it didn't look bad before, and as I spent nearly 20 years building websites for other people, you can understand my natural reticence to want to work on my own, more than I have to.

The new site has some gorgeous full screen imagery, funky transparencies and should be far more friendly for all you lovely people who use devices with the letter "i" in front of them. Pads, pods and phones are all welcome at Way Ahead Photography :)

Hope you enjoy the new site and thanks for visiting! :)

Luke

14/366 A brief moment to rock out...

2012-01-16T07:01:00.001-08:00

14/366 A brief moment to rock out..., a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

I love Mondays! My day to do all the little things that need doing, see all the people who matter and generally enjoy myself!

Today is a glorious sunny winter day, and so I took a few moments to sit in the conservatory and play my guitar, just for fun!

"Some things you shouldn't get too good at...."

2012-01-13T05:50:00.001-08:00

"...like smiling, crying and celebrity." (U2)

We live in a world where celebrity is a staple diet, the bread and potatoes of the masses. Every day we eagerly consume news of the rich and famous. As well as the not so rich and famous.

As Russell Brand observed very wisely, celebrities have become our Greek Gods (or as a very clever man once observed, the Gods were the Greek's celebrities). And he's dead right. But as time goes on this is getting diluted, as information flow increases with ease, thanks to the likes of Twitter and Facebook. The concept of a celebrity becomes less about an amazingly talented and focussed person, and more about somebody who knows how to play the fame game.

A bit like the National Lottery. Every week it creates more millionaires, so that whilst once upon a time the term "millionaire" gave rise to visions of a hard-working, single-minded and talented individual who would stop at nothing to get what they dreamt of, it's now replaced by the image of an individual who sits at home watching Jeremy Kyle and drinking Stella in his vest at 10am in the morning. Deliberate? Calculated? I think it might be...

Maybe, just maybe, this is much more digestible than the thought of somebody BETTER than us? We've brought the millionaire down to our level, so that we can see them smiling and waving one week in the press, then in a few weeks we find out that they once kicked a dog in the park.

And this is exactly what has happened to the celebrities. Having first made celebrities our gods, we've evolved further, and brought those gods down to our level. We have created celebrity in our own image.

Reality television, and the internet mean that anyone can become "famous" very quickly, for pretty much no good reason. And the great thing is that these sorts of celebrities don't make us look inferior. Best of all, some of them can be looked DOWN on!

Humanity is essentially lazy. All we have done is create a self-maintaining garden, and removed the need to hack down the tall poppies, rather we grow them the way we want, our rules. When the time comes, we can always remove these lesser-lesser god celebrities, by judging them by the very same facts that made us revere them in the first place, and publishing it on the front page of the gutter press, or retweeting it.

No wonder it's so fashionable to denounce any person or faith that claims there is a real god out there as either stupid or dangerous. How on earth could we live up that reality, and more importantly, how could we control a real god? Better to raise up people who have sex with married footballers...

5/366: Hoodie...

2012-01-05T16:19:00.001-08:00

5/366: Hoodie..., a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

Today was back to school and back to work day. It felt rotten saying bye to my kids after such a fantastic Christmas break, but that's reality.

Started work in earnest today on the new Way Ahead Photography website. The new version will be far more "professional looking" - I am very keen that it should be fed by and tie into the various social sites that I use to promote my work, also it will be far more iPad/iPhone friendly. After all - most of the creative people I mingle with have one or both!

This return to web design after several years of freedom proved quite frustrating at first - once again CSS proved inconsistent, flawed and sometimes downright silly. After a while though I found myself back in my old world, and quite enjoying myself!

3/366: Me and coffee

2012-01-03T15:06:00.001-08:00

3/366: Never Look A Gift Horse..., a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

Well what can I say. 15 years as an IT guy, 4 years as a photographer - of COURSE I love coffee.

A couple of years ago, my wife, well known for her cunning and guile bought me an amazing coffee machine for my birthday. There was just one catch. It needed a kitchen to be installed in... so naturally I agreed without any fuss to buying a new kitchen.

Yes - she is THAT cunning! :)

Anyway the coffee machine remains one of my very fave things, I feel very lucky to have it. Especially at about 6.45 most weekdays, when I stagger downstairs, drop a mug under it and hit a button.... aaaaaaah COFFEEEEE! :)

Today's photo is courtesy of a chum on Instagram who claimed that day 1's photo lacked enthusiasm, and that I needed to dose up on caffeine before day 3. In fact, I've dosed up FOR my day 3 shot. So there :)

2/366 "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize..."

2012-01-03T09:07:00.001-08:00

2/366 "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize...", a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

(Quoted from the Book of Philippians)

This is my watch. I just got my watch back from my wife - I lent her it for a few months because her watch broke. But she got a new one for Christmas, which pleased me no end :)

I am very proud of my watch because it is very symbolic of a great success.

Last year I set some goals at the start of 2011. One of these was to meet one of my photography heroes, Rankin. And I did. This watch, one from a very limited edition, was a gift from Rankin and Swatch, given to all those who attended the opening of his fantastic Eyescapes exhibition in London. At the exhibition I met him, talked to him and was very much inspired in many ways. He was a great guy! And I even got to take his photo - which was quite a moment!

So - yay! I did it! In fact I met ALL my goal targets last year. Well done me! But... what now?

It would be very easy to relax, feel smug, and keep harping on about past successes. Humans are very good at it. But the downside is that this can knock us off target, it can slow us up, or even kill our progress.

Ironically past achievements mean very little. They are in the past. They don't exist any more. They amount, to very little more than nothing... except good memories.

The only thing to do is press on, something I am setting as a massive goal for 2012...

366 Days! 1/366 - here I go again...

2012-01-02T11:21:00.001-08:00

366 Days! 1/366 - here I go again..., a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

Well last year's 365 fell apart somewhat. I got about 180 days or so in, roughly halfway and hit the wall.

A wiser man would probably quit at this point. But I'm very stubborn...

Not only that I have a feeling 2012 is going to be another very significant year, so I want to document it as well as I can. Aaaaand - I might even try and do my blog alongside so people have something nice to read.

But no promises mind. I can be pretty unreliable at the best of times :)

Wishing you all a fantastic 2012.

Why I Choose To Wear My Poppy With Pride

2011-11-11T02:50:00.001-08:00

Thanks, a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

For many years now remembering Armistice Day has been under attack from many sides.

Some people don't like it because they believe it glorifies war. If they can explain to me how remembering one of the most pointless and futile wars ever fought on this earth, and the countless number of men and women who have died then and since, every time just so somebody can stick a flag in a bit of ground or gain a few oil refineries, how THIS glorifies war, then I might conceed their point.

There are those who have made the poppy a political battlefront, who campaign for our RIGHTS to wear poppies, who pick a fight with a faceless man, who actually doesn't really seem to give a toss about a little red flower worn once a year. Meanwhile the press stir and muck rake, provoking people to say and post some truly stupid things...

Suddenly the poppy is less about a sad, solemn remembrance, it becomes about the individual validating their OWN lives, as if in some way it makes them as significant as those who died in those muddy fields just across the water, many years ago.

It really does not.

Me? I wear mine because I am a grandson, a son, and a father. And these simple facts mean that in the past, war has affected my family, in the present, it shapes the world I live in. And God forbid, in the future, my son, or his sons, might find themselves sitting on a frontline, afraid of dying, feeling alone and scared, whilst those that love him most, sit at home waiting for terrible news to come.

I wear a poppy because I identify with my fellow man; I am sad that so many brilliant men died for NOTHING, whilst simultaneously appreciating in a way words cannot express that these same men BELIEVED they were giving their lives for a greater world, and were willing to do so - and perhaps ultimately and most selfishly, because I realise that there but for the Grace of God, go I, and those I love most.

Perhaps that's why people are really so opposed to this small symbol - because it reminds us all that life is cruel, and that death, in some shape or form is inevitable. And possibly a very untimely and unpleasant one...

But that's no excuse not to wear a small red flower once a year, and say thank you, we will remember.

Designer Profile: Amy Jean Moore

2011-07-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

Amy Jean Moore is a 23 year old fashion and costume designer based in Kent. She graduated in 2009 with a First in fashion design from Brighton University with a gala winning catwalk collection at graduate fashion week.

Since then Amy has progressed into both the world of fashion, starting her own alterations and repairs business, as well as in the world of costume, where she has not only got to work on the costumes for the current Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but has also progressed to doing costume design for established theatres, after only a year in the industry.

She is currently moving into starting her own Fashion brand under the name the "Wardrobe assistant", the first samples of which you can see in this photo-shoot!

What made you want to get into fashion design?

I love the process of bringing a character to life through the clothing, looking at traditional techniques and skills from history. With my designs and approach to fashion, I want to bring some permanency. I really believe that people should buy less and keep things longer and this is how I approach my designs. I aim for timeless pieces heavily inspired by history that are simple, classic, well made and will age beautifully.

What's the hardest part about being a designer?

You have to have true grit and determination to keep picking yourself up after rejections, as well as managing the stark contrast between the times when there is not a lot of work, and when there is tonnes, working around the clock.

What's the best thing about it?

There is so much, it can be an immensely rewarding job! Most importantly the people you meet, I have met so many inspirational characters that are a pleasure to collaborate with, each time producing something unique.

But for the work itself is the opportunity to constantly learn, not only new sewing techniques but also to research various aspects of history and traditions in depth.

What does an average day entail for you?

Every day varies wildly, as a designer you have to be incredibly flexible, have the ability to do lots of different jobs and travel all over the place. Some days will be spent purely sewing but the next I might be doing invoices and accounts, at museums researching, having meetings in London... or on a shoot in an iron foundry!!!!

What's the most memorable assignment you've had?

So far I would have to say it was working on a Christmas production in a theatre of Toad of Toad Hall. I love working on costumes for theatre as it really gives you the opportunity to be really creative and a bit wild! For this production I had to make a rabbit disguise for an actor that was playing a fox, made dozens of ears and rabbit noses, big flouncy dresses with layers of petticoats and much much more. I literally got lost in the attic of the wardrobe department in piles of fur and breaches!

Who or what really inspires you?

I am really inspired by British history, not only from fashions of history but also the culture from folklore and craft to the cottage industry, which is how I approach business. I think something like fashion should be small and personal, we can use it to support other local interdependent businesses. For my next project I am looking at traditional dying techniques such as woad and the history that surrounds it, considering characters like Boadicea and the Iceni tribe.

What advice do you have for those looking to take up fashion design?

1. Smile and the world smiles with you. It is desperately important to be a pleasure to work with, make friends and contacts and you will be remembered and recommended and this will only lead to more jobs (and some wonderful friends)

2.Keep positive! you should only approach a career like Fashion design if it is your dream because there will be times when you are very poor, very tired and down hearted....... but keep going, try a different angle.

3. Work for free whilst you can afford it (in both time and money). Whether you studied fashion at university or not, everyone starts at the bottom probably working for free. There are very few paid graduate positions within fashion, it's all about experience, even if you want to start your own label. You will learn what the industry is really like, and techniques and skills that are integral for working practice, and most importantly the opportunity to explore different areas of the industry that will help you develop your own work as well as doing other jobs that may well suit you more.

Karena and Rankin...

2011-06-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

Karena and Rankin..., a photo by Way Ahead Photography on Flickr.

There is something even better than realising your dreams. Watching your friends achieve those, and in some small way, being involved in that.

Last night I had the privilage and honour of attending the launch of the new Swatch range, designed by photography genius, Rankin. It was help at his Annroy Studio, London, and was quite simply, a fantastic party, and an amazing night out. I loved every single second of it.

But more importantly I got to see my friend pictured here with Rankin, at a point where she can definitely feel that all her hard work and dedication, in the face of all the hardship, critisism and downright rubbish that life throws at us all, has finally paid off. She is destined for greatness...

And I got a free watch :D

To quote Jar Jar Binks...How ROOD!

2011-02-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

A brilliant gig Friday night at the O2 Indigo gave me an opportunity to flex my somewhat out-of-shape rock'n'roll photography muscles, and try and bag some shots of the fantastic Chasing Ora.

I first saw them live supporting Them Is Me at the Monto Water Rats a year or two ago, and I was more than a little impressed. When I got in touch with the band, mainly via Darren their bass player, I was even more impressed.

Not only do Chasing Ora produce some blistering tunes, such as the hauntingly memorable Jekyll & Hyde, and equally unforgettable Running Scared, not only are they a bunch of dedicated, hard-working, and exceptionally talented musicians, but - they are some of the nicest rock musicians I have ever had the privilege to meet. Which sets them poles apart from many bands on their rung of the ladder, and in my opinion, earns them a place much higher up.

Sadly the same could not be said for some of the "photographers" in the press pit...

Not content with machine-gunning the band at 10 fps for 30 minutes, hoping to snatch a couple of half-decent shots of "the pretty singer bird" so they can sell them to whoever will pay, they tried their hardest to ensure others in the pit didn't get any good shots, by whatever means necessary.

At one point one of the videographers, a really lovely young lady working for the band, was blocked from passing photographers in the pit, so she couldn't get into position. Upon noticing this, said photographers turned their back on her and ignored her, refusing to give up their vantage point.

I have had some great opportunities to shoot rock music from the press pit, and this really pained me. I have been privileged to work alongside some really talented and nice guys, eager to pass on advice to me, then a relative newbie, but the thing I think impacted me most was the friendliness of these guys.

They were clearly brilliant photographers and (I think this is the key) they had no insecurities about other photographers "getting better shots" - they were just there because they loved the music, and loved photography. Which is why I do it. And when I meet other likeminded photographers, that makes it all the more fun.

I loved the camaraderie in the pit, people watching out for each other, moving aside for other photographers to get their shots too, not hogging space in front of the microphone stand. In short, it was a place where good manners still existed.

Sadly it looks like "rock paparazzi" are now inhabiting the press pit, and have not brought their manners with them. There are few things that irritate me more than somebody being a bully, and that is pretty much all these morons are. All they want, is one good shot (not that they have the ability or the eye to get such a thing deliberately, despite owning a huge camera to compensate) and they don't care how they get it, or who else suffers.

Fortunately, I can't see this phenomenon lasting, as whilst they clearly excel at being downright rude, they really aren't very good at taking photos... and after all, that's quite important isn't it?

Being urban and chic. We does it.

2011-02-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

last week I had a very exciting call from Abi, the amazing designer behind the Be Urban Chic range of clothes. She had, at the very last possible moment been offered an exhibition stand at the PURE London Exhibition, in the Olympia showground.

This highly prestigious event was nothing more than she deserves, as her clothes are simply amazing, her passion is unmatched and her talent is astounding. Drawing inspiration from the 60s and 70s British fashion scene, Abi manages to combine classic ideas with modern twists in a way that is totally devoid of pretence, she does not pander to either the past or the present, she takes the best of what has come before nd combines it perfectly and beautifully with things that work today.

Something I believe is important to my own passion, as a photographer, .

Oh and Abi is also one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet!

With the aid of three very beautiful (and tall) ladies, we staged an inpromptu fashion shoot, against one of the old white brick walls near the Be Urban stand. And amazing things started to happen. The photos, taken with a couple of cheap flash guns, were fantastic, the brickwork and the moody shadows combining with the moody attitude of the brilliant models, Claire and Victoria, to compliment the fantastic clothing perfectly, giving the resulting images an edgy urban quality.

In fact so pleased was I with the photos, I rather regret shelling out on my studio. all I need, it seems, is a nice wall somewhere...

The other thing that happened confirmed something I have believed for a while -

photography is a spectator sport. As soon as people noticed us, the Be Urban stall was awash with enquirers, curious to find out why there were photographers and noise and general activity in a hall full of people standing stock still in their stalls. And then once drawn over, the clothes did the talking and our job was done.

I always really appreciate any opportunity to work as part of a bigger team, and the fleeting visit to PURE London was a fantastic chance to do this, with some really brilliant ladies. I had a fantastic time working with some really great people, and I can't wait for the next time!

Top music, top blokes, top night out!

2010-10-27T01:00:00.001-07:00

On Friday I had the privilege of attending the Stringer Bessant gig at The Forum in Tunbridge Wells.

Sitting well away from the road at the top of a hill like a misplaced tiny Roman fortress, at first glance, the forum is a very unusual venue, looking more like a restaurant (in fact it was originally a public toilet, apparently) but is very easily accessible, and it's small stature makes it very intimate, and gives it a relaxed atmosphere. Once inside it oozes rock'n'roll, and you can't help but feel you're somewhere special.

First band of the evening was Maker, and we were spoilt rotten by their rock'n'roll exuberance. Styled somewhere amidst Kings Of Leon, Small Faces, and the Mighty Boosh, they backed up their awesome 70's attire (I want the singer's jacket!) with some killer riffs, and blistering rawk tunes.

All timeless, memorable, foot-tapping asnd head-nodding classics, all worth searching out on Myspace etc. I can only see great things happening for this band!

Next up were Origami Dinosaur. Kinda wacky. Kinda be-boppy. Kind of Scissor Sisters, but with hats. They clearly had a large following present that evening, and the crowd loved them.

And then changing the tone completely came Stringer Bessant - the stage was reduced from mini-arena to two chairs, a couple of microphones and a mysterious flask. Gary and Jack leaving the room spellbound as they played tunes from the Yard album, plus a couple of bonuses - one being "Mellow" - a Reef tune, which the crowd were very much blessed by.

As you listened to the two of them, you couldn't help but be impressed by their musicianship, but also found yourself spellbound by the feel of the songs, and the atmosphere in the club - a previously heaving rock gig had become a quiet, reflective and relaxing evening's entertainment. It is testimony to Stringer Bessant that they were able to compliment such an evening despite a totally different style to the rest of the acts.

After the gig, it was heartwarming to note just how long Gary and Jack spent chatting to fans, some clearly a little worse-for-wear on the sauce - but at all times they are friendly, genuine and courteous to all. And you get the impression they're not so much doing it for "marketing" or "customer care" - they are doing it because they are happy, comfortable in their own skins and genuinely like and appreciate people.

I had a fantastic few minutes after the gig, backstage having a good old natter to the two of them, hopefully more of this will be published soon in one of the magazines I write and shoot for.

Big thanks to Gary and Jack for a fantastic evening and for making time to talk to me and my mate Andy - possibly the biggest Reef fan on the planet :)

A Grand Night Out...

2010-10-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

Last week I was asked to shoot at a fashion show being run at the Grand Hotel in Folkestone, organised by Folkestone and Hythe Conservatives.

The outfits and models in the show were provided by several local boutiques, and there were some really stunning ensembles on display.

I had a fantastic evening chatting to some lovely folk, and managed to shoot plenty of photos of the lovely models dressed up in their finest.

In between catwalk shows, several local business demonstrated beauty products and displayed jewellery, whilst a young lady played the piano (and if she happens to read this, I noticed that she played "The Spy Who Loved Me" and the theme from The Incredible Hulk amongst more classical pieces!)

MP Damian Collins was there as well, and he and his wife seemed to really enjoy the evening. All in all, a very enjoyable and entertaining evening, and a great excuse to take the camera!

Way Ahead goes to London baby!

2010-10-22T23:57:00.001-07:00

A week or so ago I had the privilage of being asked along for a styling and photoshoot arranged by the uber-talented stylist, Karena Sedgewick from MyNewBestFriend. Karena works for individual clients and also boutiques, giving advice on fashion, arranging events and shoots, and sharing her wealth of knowledge and amazing contacts!

On this occasion she was working with the extremely stylish and lovely Sarah Robotham, who when she isn't being a psychologist runs FashionOnTheCouch. The shoot took place in the luxurious Amika club, on Kensington High Street, so for the first time in a while, I found myself jumping on the high speed train, armed with a bag and a half full of camera and lighting equipment. It felt REALLY good :)

Arriving (eventually) at the club was a daunting experience, lots of well-dressed people, all sitting around looking confident and efficient, and then me, a slightly scruffy photography, feeling a few butterflies and wondering if I could really pull this off.

But the folks Karena had assembled were not only a collective of some of the best talent around, they were really friendly, supportive and fun to be with. She really does know things about people!

With the aid of my lovely photography assistant, we set to work arranging lighting and finding electrical sockets, whilst the brilliant makeup and hair stylists went to work on the lovely Sarah. It was fascinating to see them all at work, so passionate and so clear on what was required. Sarah turned up on the set looking even more stunning than usual!

The shooting couldn't have gone better - as soon as I started clicking, I was in my element and the minutes and hours flew by. Sarah was a natural model, throwing some fantastic poses, culminating in the included shot, which is in every single way "Style On The Couch!"

And it was a wonderful feeling afterwards that despite a few hiccups with the venue, a few challenges along the way, we had all worked a a team, and pulled off something rather fantastic, whilst having an absolute blast at the same time!

Heartfelt thanks and respect to all involved, especially Karena and Sarah for allowing me such a brilliant opportunity. I can't wait for the next one!

Why I love shooting festivals...

2010-08-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Hevy 2010
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

This year I had the privilage of attending both the Hop Farm Festival, and the Hevy Festival in Lympne - 2 paradoxically different events.

Whilst Hop Farm tended towards big and well celebrated acts, Hevy was very much about the new and the now, and where Hop Farm verged on a Folky sound, Hevy was, as the name suggests, very much about Heavy music - be it rock, metal, or whatever those kids are calling it this week...

But having got over the initial "oh dear, I'm getting old" feeling that often accompanies this sort of assignment, I started to really enjoy it, and it came to me again that the best thing about shooting music festivals is NOT that I get to see the bands I know and love.

It's getting to discover new bands, and new music.

This year I was blessed with the discovery of The Subways. A trio of energetic British rockers, who haven't yet received the huge success they deserve, but nonetheless have a large and loyal following.

They rocked the Hevy festival with their blistering riffs, powerful vocal harmonies and frantic stage capers. I don't often stand around to watch a band after I've had my 3 song shoot in the press pit - but for The Subways I was willing to make an exception. And then buy their latest album "All Or Nothing" on Itunes as soon I got home!

It's a given fact that trying new things keeps you feeling young.

And my heartfelt gratitude goes to bands like The Subways who make it less like taking cod liver oil, and more like trying a new flavour of Haribo.

Don't be afraid to try something old...

2010-07-08T10:22:00.001-07:00

187/365 and SPT: Don't be afraid to try something old...
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

My shiny Spotmatic film SLR arrived the other day in the First Class post.

It is a wonderful machine, built in 1964, and entirely mechanical in operation, it almost feels alive in your hands, unlike its cold, lifeless digital counterparts.

When you wind the film and press the shutter, the feeling is akin to that of using a bolt action, "Old West" rifle... you feel... MANLY!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Luddite, I was in IT for 15 years! And I love my EOS, and it's earnt me a good wage so far, and I couldn't practically justify always shooting film, for all the portraiture and commercial work I do. People want digital images these days, not 10x8s...

But sometimes in the ever-advancing quest for speed, performance and perfection, we lose sight of things that are beautiful, meaningful and profound.

There is something very magical about shooting on a camera where you can't see straightaway if you got the shot or not, or fire off six shots a second. You start focussing less on the camera, and more on what's going on in front of it - you start to FEEL and PREDICT the shots rather than just think them...

Or as a wise man once put it:

"To take photographs means to recognize–simultaneously and within a fraction of a second–both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis."

Somehow it seems easier to achieve this with an old SLR... funny that!

This shot taken in the style of my fave 60s tog, who didn't just "try" cameras like this for fun - he didn't have any choice!

Some things are ageless...

2010-07-05T11:49:00.001-07:00

Blondie performing at The Hop Farm Festival 2010
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Friday night I was given the privilage of shooting at the Hop Farm Festival 2010, near Paddock Wood in Kent.

I arrived in time to shoot the three main acts. Each act could claim a very long and prestigious career. Only one of those acts, it felt, did not rely on that fact to wow the crowd. Blondie came on the stage, second to last, and went for broke.

If I am not mistaken Blondie were formed the year I was born - 1973. And yet their music sounded fresh, very cutting edge even. They had made the effort to rework the classics (their rendition of Call Me was fantastic!) and they traversed every inch of the stage, and tried to reach every member of the audience.

Guitarist Chris Stein utterly rocked, playing an instrument that looked like it had been designed by Salvadore Dali. His riffs and solos were powerful and beautiful, and had the hairs on my neck a-bristling.

I won't mention a lady's age, as it's rude, but suffice to say Deborah has definitely still got it. Her voice is as magnificent as ever, and the performance her and her boys gave would put many "younger" bands to shame. Awesome!

For me, camped out in the press pit, and bearing in mind I really and truely fell in love with Blondie aged just six, it was six minutes (we only get 2 songs in the press area) of sheer bliss.

I think I must have spent three minutes smiling like a loon at Debbie (who smiled back AND winked, if I am not mistaken *happy sigh*) and another two singing along to "Hanging On The Telephone". Which left one minute to take photos.

So I'm quite pleased with what I got!

And as for the following "headliner"?

Well, I've read somebody say somewhere else it was unfair putting him on after the whirlwind that was Blondie.

I have to agree. I also think it was a bit mean making him dress like Boss Hogg from The Dukes Of Hazzard, and lending him a rap singer's microphone. The poor chap was clearly struggling to be heard...!

Joking aside, Blondie should have been billed as the headlining act.

Never mind Brown Eyed Girl, this Blue Eyed Tog was decidely underwhelmed with a little chap playing the piano and muttering... especially after the girl of many dreams and her band had just blown him and his camera away!

Dizzee rocks! Where were all the togs?

2010-06-26T01:53:00.001-07:00

Dizzee
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Watched Glastonbury on the tellybox last night and marvelled at young Mr Rascal's performance, especially when he teamed up with the lovely Florence Welch of Florence And The Machine. I had the privilage of photographing both Florence and Dizzee at festivals last year just before they both got uber-famous.

Wished I could have been there snapping this time!

It's interesting to observe that for both Isle Of Wight and Glastonbury, there is a noticeable lack of still photographers in the press pit; they appear to have been superceded by videographers... is this is a sign of the times? Has still music photography become old-fashioned? I hope not!

But it's definitely been harder to get press accreditation this year, the organisers don't seem as interested as they once did (even tho I have magazines that will print my pics and writeups now!).

It will be sad if my suspicions are proven correct. Photography and live music go together so well, and I believe a still image conveys so much more than several minutes of film ever can.

2010-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

"A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."

(Ayn Rand)

Recently I've read The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and have just bought and started Atlas Shrugged (which is an immense publication and should provide weeks if not months of happy reading!). Her writing blows my mind!

It's not so much that her words have inspired me to change, or have revealed a new truth. Rather they have underlined, and given voice to the thoughts and feelings I've had for as long as I can remember, about how messed up this world can get, and how I can overcome it and remain true to the person I was made to be.

This world does not like individuals. It does not like people who succeed by their own merit. It likes to build up heroes it can control, fake-heroes who can be praised for their weak efforts (for if their efforts were truly great, they'd be a threat to the collective!), then destroyed if they put a foot out of line.

But, to quote another great Randism, " "The question isn't who is going to let me, it's who is going to stop me!"

What Makes Me Unique?

2010-05-15T01:24:00.001-07:00

Now there's a question for a sleepy Saturday morning!

I met with a lovely lady yesterday who is an expert at marketing, social networking and all that good stuff. She was talking about how a business needs to have impact, be essential, and be unique. These three can form an equation that can measure the potential success of a venture.

I was reminded again of something James Kaan said that impacted me greatly about the time I set up Way Ahead:

"Observe what everyone else is doing, then do the opposite!"

Now I don't strive to be individual. I don't deliberately go out of my way to be obtuse, because that would be pretentious and fake.

What I do try and do is something another wise man once told me, I just get on with what I'm doing, and not worry about what the others are doing, what they are succeeding at, or if they are having a go at me.

My uniqueness is found in the thing I want to do, not the things I do to try and make it a success. And it's very easy to get sidetracked if not careful.

I have to remember that I don't take photos to get clients and work.

I get clients, and I get work, so that I can take photos.

If I keep it that way round, I think my uniqueness will show...

We Don't Need This Disease (in Folkestone)

2010-03-26T01:44:00.001-07:00

Editors @ Leas Cliff Hall - Folkestone
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Had the privilage of shooting the Editors Tuesday night at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone.

Now it would be very easy for me to berate the absolutely imbecilic morons who threw beer, caused fights and even accosted Tom the singer. But to be honest I think they've got too much credit already.

Instead I will focus my attention on what was one of the best live performances I've had the privilage to witness this year.

Despite everything that was thrown at them, literally at times, the band gave it their all, and put on an amazing show for the REAL music fans who were there.

The set and lighting were simply perfect, I had a blast taking photos and then stood back and enjoyed the fantastic music. I didn't know their music so well before the gig, but as is often the way when I shoot a band, I have become a fan! My next Itunes invoice will be a biggie...!!!

As for the others - well done you. I only feel sorry for the people who have to serve you at the dole office...

Practicing hard...

2010-01-28T00:41:00.001-08:00

25/365: "Don't expect your practice to be always clear of obstacles."
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

We have a gig Saturday - first in ages, in fact the first this decade!!!

Loads of people from my village, from our workplaces etc coming. I love it that the band is becoming a "community" thing - it's about the people who come out to have a good time.

And we will give them one! A band that amongst others, plays Kaiser Chiefs, Blondie, Reef, Stereophonics, Abba, Girls Aloud, The Proclaimers, Sugababes, Gerry Rafferty, Stevie Wonder and Foo Fighters all in the same set, has nothing to fear :)

\m/

What makes a photo "interesting"?

2010-01-23T04:32:00.001-08:00

21/365 (and SPT 21/01/10): Have you tried turning it off and on again?
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Recently I've been trying to explore "Explored" on Flickr, and find out what it is that makes photos interesting enough to get so many views.

At first my rather cynical observations pointed to the fact that many of the photos contained pretty people, many of whom didn't have many or even any clothes on...

Whilst I'm not a shy fellow, I didn't think this would be condusive to making people want to view my photos. More likely in fact, it would scare them away...

Then the other day I saw a quote that said "If the world is cold, make it your business to start fires". Inspirational. And also a great idea for a photo. Out came the zippo lighter, and the result was a photo that has so far ranked #15 at its highest, and had over 500 views in just 2 days!

So - I've not been at this very long, but my tips for getting a photo on Explored are:

1) make sure you view other people's photos add them as favourites and leave POSITIVE comments. If you've got nothing nice to say, say nothing (as my dad says!)

2) add contacts and keep in touch. Flickr is social networking, just like Facebook or Myspace - you make relationships online with like-minded photography lovers. I've already made some great friends on Flickr.

3) Join groups - groups are themed towards certain types of photography, and there are hundreds of them - you are bound to find one that you enjoy submitting to.

4) Regularly submit photos. Consider doing a project like a photo a week to start with (I started with self-portrait Thursday for example) - and perhaps move on to something more ambitious (like the 365 project I'm doing for 2010 - a self portrait every day!)

5) Seek inspiration - look at other photos on flickr, but also listen to music and note the lyrics, read books, watch TV, play with your kids, go for walks. In other words - live your life. Don't become obsessed so much with photography that you end up doing nothing worth photographing.

This photo of Salvadore Dali is the sort of thing I aspire to. It's just incredible - the amount of work that's gone into this moment, and the way it captures the personality of the subject as well. Makes my meagre laptop-burning efforts look like the cheap publicity stunt they really are.

Last Minute Christmas Present Idea?

2009-12-18T04:15:00.001-08:00

Rain
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Need something quick for Christmas?

How about a photo of you as a couple/family? Perhaps a fashion style shoot for a stylish partner? Or maybe a band shoot for the kids, or even a photo of the family pet?

Way Ahead is pleased to offer you a 1 hour photoshoot with an 8"x10" printed framed photo, for £30.00*

Simply contact Luke on 07956 584178, or via the website http://www.wayaheadphotography.com and book a shoot, and I'll email you a lovely colourful Way Ahead Photography voucher.
They'll get something to open on the big day, AND even better - something to look forward to after Christmas is all over.

And if you pay with PayPal online, you won't even have to go out in the snow!

Simples! :)

----
* please note that this does not cover delivery if required, and is valid to customers within a 30 mile distance from Ashford, Kent. Customers outside this distance may be subject to travel costs.

Don't forget to have fun!

2009-12-14T08:04:00.001-08:00

Signs Ahead
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

A recent natter on Facebook with one of my festival buddies reminded me that it's important to take photos just for the heck of it - to experiment and to HAVE FUN with my camera.

Now I'm trying to earn a living with my camera, I often spend way too much time take photos for a reason, and sometimes the only reason should be I want to take photos.

The aforementioned friend is a huge fan of a style of photography called Lomography, which came about after the discovery of a little known russian film camera back in the 1990's, and serves as a reminder to enjoy your photography.

Lomography devotees attempt to adhere to the 10 Golden Rules, which are essentially all about using photography to document your everyday life, rather than it being some fancy art form for "Sunday best" only.

I love the idea of breaking the rules, and this is positively encouraged in lomography. The website http://www.lomography.com is full of amazing photos, snapped in all sorts of ways, and well worth a good look.

Inspired perhaps by a visit to the site, I took the attached whilst driving my Mini yesterday! I quite like it. Not sure the police would tho...

Never listen to critics... unless they say nice things!

2009-12-07T13:58:00.000-08:00

Friday night I had the privilage of seeing Chasing Ora play at the Water Rats, London.

Having liased with them beforehand on Myspace, it was great to see them playing live. They didn't disappoint. Strong, driving and foundational rhythms supplied by Steve the drummer and Darren the bassist, creative guitar riffery from Alex and Jonas, and the icing on the cake, beautiful, sweeping, haunting vocals from the lovely Natalie. The band delivered songs that were instantly memorable, and caused me to go and buy 2 of their tracks from ITunes!

Prior to the gig, I had suggested that they contact a certain magazine to try and get some exposure, and was told by a glum Darren that the magazine in question had slated them horrendously.

Astonished, I wasted several minutes of my life I will never ever get back, and tracked down and read said article. A classic example of lazy writing, cliches and somebody trying to be far more clever than they have the potential to be. Somebody I've never ever heard of before.

And here's the difference. Bands like Chasing Ora exist to play music. They want to succeed.

Critics like the one in question want to be famous. They don't care about success, they don't care who they hurt along the way, they only want to be "known".

Bands like Chasing Ora make people feel better, they take them out of the inane crapness life might be chucking at them at any given moment, and give them the night off.

Critics who think it's clever to destroy rather than build, just bring everybody down a bit more. They unleash their bitter desparation on a bitter, desparate world, and it achieves nothing.

Chasing Ora are driven by the memory of a beautiful and talented female vocalist, taken from them, and their fans, by a tragic accident. They are driven by the music she loved, and they love still. They believe in their music, and they desire to entertain people with it.

I wonder - what drives our friend the critic, and how proud they are of that article now?

The old saying "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything" seems appropriate...

Use what you have to hand...

2009-12-01T14:55:00.001-08:00

Rain
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Did a photoshoot in Canterbury, Kent yesterday, with a superb model called Claire. It rained. A lot. And we kept going...

As a result we got some of my fave shots so far, including this one. My camera, an EOS50D survived admirably, and we had a great time.

Brits talk about the weather a lot, but we don't let it stop us having fun!

The Novels @ Office Bar Folkestone

2009-11-15T00:45:00.001-08:00

The Novels @ Office Bar Folkestone
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Had the privilage of being able to go see my mate Adam's (who also runs EK-One Magazine when he's not being a guitar hero) band, The Novels play at the Office Bar in Folkestone the other night.

Not only did I have a great time photographing them, the music was cracking!

Go check out their MySpace page. You'll be very glad you did!

Autumn Marsh Sunset

2009-10-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

Autumn Marsh Sunset
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

Had a terrible night last night, youngest had his first seasonal bout of croup (he gets it a lot) resulting in me sleeping (I use the term loosely) on the floor in his room.

Today in contrast was a lovely day, my kids (despite the night's excitement) were in a lovely, fun mood, I had a very productive time working, I took a trip to the lovely seaside town of Hythe, and finally, got to see this amazing sunset.

"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul. "

It *is* well...

Marketplace Girl

2009-10-28T04:50:00.001-07:00

Job Done!
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

"It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the ordinary." (David Bailey)

One of my final photos for the Ashford project, and one of my favourite photos I've ever taken. So far!

Why Am I Doing This?

2009-10-10T03:54:00.001-07:00

"Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustable well. Yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you can't even concieve of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless." (Paul Bowles - "The Sheltering Sky")

Sometimes you've just got to take photos for fun. If you ever lose sight of that, then it's no longer a passion. It just becomes another job...

Photography should be about capturing moments, stopping time and remembering that which is important. It should not be about earning money, or chasing fame and fortune. Sadly it's an easy trap to fall into in the world we live in where everybody wants to be somebody.

Summer's End...

2009-09-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

So the kids are back to school, and I'm back to some sort of normality. I've done a lot over the past few weeks, 2 holidays with the family, both fantastic, lots of photo shoots, I've bought a new camera and quit from a photography degree course before even commencing it. I feel older, wiser, a bit more wrinkly in places, but ready to take on the world.

Photo is from a recent shoot with a lovely young lass called Caroline - I really enjoyed the natter we had, as well as a really good time taking photos.

Strings To The Bow

2009-07-30T02:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a freelance photographer. So by my reckoning I need to be doing "a bit of everything". Which suits me just fine - my character is such that my wife believes strongly that I have ADHD...

This last week I've been flexing my "fashion shoot" muscles. I advertised for some models, pointing out my style, which I think is quite individual, and has been brought about by the rock photography I do so much of.

The response was very pleasing - 30 applications to work with me. So far I've worked with a couple of lovely models - really nice people as well as having a great look. And I had a blast.

One thing I'm learning fast is that ability can only get so you far. Personality is really important if you want to stand out from the crowd. The models I am choosing to work with are the ones who are funny, friendly, and pleasant people. Looks aren't everything, even in photography and fashion!

One of my heroes, David Bailey, was known for his huge charm and personality, backed up by a tremendous talent behind the camera. He was, I imagine, amazing to work with - which is why people flocked to use him.

In this game, I really believe nice guys can win....!!!

All Fested Out!

2009-07-07T14:51:00.001-07:00

IMG_9556
Originally uploaded by Way Ahead Photography

What a stonking fortnight I've had!

First of all I got to experience the brilliant Sellindge Festival, culmination in a blinding performance by the amazing Supergrass. And I got to meet them backstage...!!!

Then it was on to the Beach Break Live event in Lympne; 10,000 students shipped in from Cornwall at the last minute, to watch bands like Red Light Company, Mystery Jets, The Zutons and Dizzee Rascal

And I've just returned from the Hop Farm Festival, where I met Ash, and experienced the legend that is Paul Weller.

I've shot thousands of photos, learnt loads, and most importantly, met some absolutely great people. It's been a blast! Now I need a lie down!

Second Chance...

2009-05-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thus far my online shops have not done brilliantly. Ebay was a disaster; despite several early sales, I was barely clearing my costs. Etsy was better in that I didn't waste as much on selling fees, and I met some really lovely people - not to mention having sold some cards to a nice lady in Australia!

I've decided to give it another go, encorporating my cunning Twitter usage to bump up the visits to my pages. I'm now selling cards, not giant framed photos, which brings down the production costs, the selling costs and the postage costs - which all means a cheaper price for my customers.

Let's see what happens...

Problems with Outlook email links and Firefox? Read on...

2009-04-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

I had a problem on my Vista laptop with Windows Live Mail where, because I prefer to use Firefox to do my web browsing, I found I couldn't click on hyperlinks in emails. When I did, I got a "general fault" and the offending link refused to open in Firefox.

Being a full-blooded IT guy, I can never be bothered to fix things on MY computer - so I left it.

Today I was called by a customer who, amongst other issues, was having the very same problem on a Vista laptop - this time, between Outlook 2007 and Firefox! As money was involved, I actually took the time to solve it :) If you have the same sort of issue - read on dear reader!...

The solution calls for a registy fix so you will need to run REGEDIT. Go to Start - Run - and type REGEDIT and press enter. (In Vista you can click Start and type REGEDIT in the search textbox at the bottom of the Start menu.)

In regedit you will need to navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\FirefoxURL\shell\open\ddeexec

Once there you will see a name on the right hand side of "(default)" - double click this item.

You will then see a value of ""%1?,,0,0,,,,. " in a text box - delete this value (so the box is cleared) then click ok. Close the registry editor, and reboot your computer (just to be sure!) - next time you click on a link in an email it SHOULD open in Firefox just fine!!!

Laugh or Cry?

2009-04-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

Currently reading up on Harold "The Doc" Edgerton - amazing scientist and
photographer. Took the original "droplet" photos of milk, shot apples with
bullets and photographed sportsmen and hummingbirds at high shutter speeds.

Found this page with his "bullet through apple" image and marveled at it
again - then I made the mistake of reading the comments beneath...

Coincidentally, I saw Idiocracy last night - interesting little film where Luke Wilson finds
himself in a future where everyone else is ridiculously stupid and he's
considered a genius. Trouble is - and as this posting proves, idiocy seldom
appreciates genius...

Ok I can accept that some people won't understand how this was done - it is quite amazing after all. But when people start thinking that they "stopped the bullet" or that the US government has found a way to stop time, I start to worry a bit...

New Shop on Etsy

2009-04-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

My shop on Etsy is now open. Lots of photos on sale, and other items coming soon, including greetings cards! Go and have a look!

Cafe Oto

2009-03-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

IMG_8409
Originally uploaded by Luke Y

Friday night saw me travelling up to London and braving the transport system to get to Dalston, where I spent a lovely evening in Cafe Oto - listening to some fantastic musicians, thanks to Bearded Magazine.

I loved all the acts, but the one that really stood out for me was John Fairhurst - an incredible blues guitarist. I have already bought his album on ITunes and it's just brilliant - BUY IT!!!

Exhibition Opens at New Inn

2009-03-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I went over to the New Inn, Etchinhill and spent a very pleasant morning chatting to the bar lady, whilst framing my exhibition photos. I have to admit that it was a very intimidating experience taking down the photos of Karin Albinsson who is absolutely amazing and also takes photos of rock stars - and very good ones at that!

But when my pics were framed, I was actually quite pleased with how good they looked. Go and have a look won't you?

More Water Sculptures For Sale

2009-03-14T05:10:00.001-07:00

IMG_7109-1
Originally uploaded by Luke Y

My latest selection of water sculpture photos are now available for sale here: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/wayaheadphotography - hope you find something you like!

College Interview Essay: “Rock Photography: Art's Very Own Antihero”

2009-03-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

This short piece of work focuses on rock photography, and the view that it should be considered an
artform for the modern age.

The first rock photograph significant for me was a portrait by Gered Mankowitz of Jimi Hendrix. What fascinated me about this image was that in one photograph,
Mankowitz manages to capture somebody who was both a performer, and also a real person. Mankowitz himself described Hendrix as “a most charming, humble and witty
person with tremendous charisma” - all of which I think is seen in the photograph. This contrast fascinated me, as it challenges the idea of a portrait being all about the “real person”, and suggests that it is possible for a photograph to capture more than one side of a person at the same time.

I consider rock photography to be an art form. Like the music it seeks to portray, it is not often
considered very glamorous. Advocates of other forms of art might look on this genre as being cheap
and meaningless “snaps” - especially regarding the live performance photography which I favour
most.

Other types of art, such as painting or sculpture have enjoyed a more respectable and “artistic”
status. Rock photography, therefore, often finds itself at the very bottom of the pile of respectabilty.

However, rather than this be worthless, it can be argued that in fact, rock photography and its
development since the 1960's, is indicative of the way society has been changing, and how our
perception of what makes a person “significant” or “great” has altered. This is due in a large part,
not just to the styles and techniques used, as these haven't really changed much at all, but because of
the content.

During the 20th century, philosophers challenged the old values of the world, and art reflected this in
challenging the old ways of portraying these values; philosophy such as post-modernism, and art
movements like Dadaism epitomise these changes. Authority was diminished. Gods were reduced
to heroes, then heroes became “anti-heroes”, flawed like their followers, perhaps in order to make
them more acceptable and less threatening. In other words, society brought them down to level the
playing field.

War was no longer glamorous. Ironically photography itself played a large part in this deposition,
whereas its predecessor – painting – tended to glamorise it. To be engaged in war was no longer
considered heroic, and thus society sought out new heroes and gods in the world of “celebrity”
instead.

Whilst classic works of art portrayed gods and goddesses, mythological and biblical heroes, and
characters from works of great fiction, photography has immortalised the “here and now” gods and
goddesses; the pop stars, the actors, and these days, even people famous in society, just for being
famous. Daily newspapers are adorned with the images of these heroes, as we seek to raise them up
as gods, or sometimes, to bring them down again!
In this respect, photography of this kind may one day be valuable as a tool for historians, trying to
discover what life was like, and what was important to the people of the time.

Rock photography started to evolve around the time of the Beatles in the 1960's, arguably came of
age during the 1970's, and in a style similar to the music it represented, sought to rebel even against
the society which had created it. It seemed oblivious to whether it was considered “respectable” or
not.

It could be argued that photography and rock music, were a match made in heaven. In the world of
the “rock god” - photography enables the hero, often with a famously short life span due to the
lifestyle they adopt, to “live forever”. Both music and photography create immortality, often with
those who die becoming more famous after they have done so, where they “shall not grow old as we
grow old”

What stands out about rock photography to me, is the paradox it presents. The subject matter is
indicative of society and it's modern obsession with celebrity and associated glamour, yet in rock
music and the photography that captures it, there is often a total lack of “glamour” to the images,
which at times seems almost deliberate; both strive to be a “two fingered salute” to the principalities
and powers of this world, whilst at the same time, a slave to the values that the same world holds
dear.

This lack of glamour, at least in the photography, is due in a large part to the technical limitations
placed: Often, especially with live performance photography, there is a very limited amount of time
to take the shots (sometimes no more than 5-10 minutes cramped in a small “press pit” just below a
stage). Into this relatively tiny amount of time, an incredible amount of “moments” take place, both
on the stage and in the audience, of which the rock photographer must first observe, and then decide
whether to capture these, or turn around and capture other moments.

Whilst the intensity of the “moments” available to a photographer is great, the quality and
consistency of any light at these events is often far from great. The contrast of poor ambient lighting
with extremely bright spotlights focussed intermittently on the performers, makes both
underexposed and blown out photographs the norm. Photographers will compensate for these harsh
conditions by using a slow shutter speed, a large aperture, and a high film/sensor sensitivity (usually
referred to as ISO) These camera settings result in the often blurry, grainy images we see depicted
by even the most famous rock photographers, such as Mick Rock or Gered Mankowitz. In any other
arena, these images might be discarded, unable to provide any insight into the subject and
suggesting a lack of basic technical ability in the artist.

But the fascinating thing for me about these images is that rather than detract from the viewer's
experience, the above limitations actually enhance the image, and manage to capture the
atmosphere perfectly; all the sights sounds and smells of a rock concert. Thus rock photography
proves itself to be an “anti-hero” of the arts; its technical flaws actually providing its strengths and
enabling rock photographers to create powerful and provocative imagery.

Perhaps this is because the technical limitations force the photographer to emulate his or her subject
and “break the rules”, challenging the traditional ways and rules for taking good photographs.

The resulting images are loud and dramatic, like the music, and the challenges of poor lighting
result in strong contrasting images bearing moody depictions of the performers, The blurriness
incurred from slow shutter speeds creates the feeling of speed, movement and intensity, which is
exactly what members of the audience can expect at a rock concert. If photography is about the
relationship between the photographer and an object, then rock photography makes it very easy for
people viewing the photos to put themselves in the place of the photographer, as the photos depict
memories and moments that most will share.

There is something genuine about rock music; the triumph of performance over musical perfection,
and the lack of glamour of those artists who just “care about the music”, rebelling against a society
that is all about being somebody famous, gives it an earthy, real appeal, and so do the photos that
depict it. They are raw, punchy, uneditted, uncompromising, and unforgettable.

The right shot, taken at the right moment, can sum up the entire event – which is a desire that is
common to all forms of photography that seek to “tell a story”. It can immortalise the performer,
and reveal characteristics and traits about the real person behind the face paint and leather, whilst
managing to document a great moment from a great performance at the very same time.

This for me is one of the biggest attractions and challenges of rock photography; to be able to do all
that in the most extreme and challenging conditions, whilst getting up-close and personal with some
real-life “gods” of society, without treading on their toes or knocking their microphones over and
earning myself a punch in the face as a result.

So - what is a hero?

2009-02-25T03:50:00.000-08:00

Yes an interesting question. I think we are all born wanting to be heroes. I can remember the feeling as I swaggered out of the cinema after Star Wars - Return Of The Jedi! I wanted to be Luke Skywalker!

My son dressed as Sportacus for the first time and looked in a mirror - the look said everything - he WAS Sportacus!

I am very aware that my son thinks I am a superhero right now, capable of anything - I am most definitely HIS hero. But then one day this will become more realistic. I can remember feeling the same about my dad, and eventually I realised that he is in fact mortal, is capable of making mistakes and (occasionally) failing - but he never stopped being my hero!

Society throws the word around rather carelessly these days to describe footballers, rock stars etc etc - but what is a REAL hero?

Is it somebody who died in a war? Seigfried Sassoon tends to suggest that this isn't always the case - and perhaps our guilt at such a futile and pointless death causes us to label unfortunate young men who unlike Norman in my previous post, never got a chance to prove themselves as heroes.

Some men and women do indeed prove that they are heroes during war - but what about all the other heroes? The lady who works tirelessly for years looking after and raising other people's kids? The old lady who saves all her spare money to pay for charities to save people's lives in another country? The guy who takes away the rubbish every week?

Dave Grohl wrote "There goes my hero - he's ordinary".

My definition of a hero - ordinary people doing extra-ordinary things. This is what I think I want to pursue on my photography course!

The Hero

2009-02-25T03:49:00.001-08:00

The Hero
Originally uploaded by Luke Y

I am preparing for an interview for college for a photography degree. One of the themes that I would like to pursue is "The Hero". I started thinking about this in relation to the picture here of Norman - my wife's granddad. Not only did he serve in the navy during and after WW2, he then went on to become a fireman, and doubtless saved many lives - both in war and peace times.

I snapped this photo of him and was instantly aware that something of this character could be seen - a tough, dependable man, probably having seen a lot of scary/shocking stuff in his time. Experiences have hardened him, left him with memories and probably scarred him for life in many ways. And yet here is a man who loves life, and lives every second of it far better and more gratefully than some lucky git like me will probably ever manage.

Having lived my whole life as I want, with no threat of being dragged off to war, I owe Norman and others a huge debt. In some way perhaps I can say thank you to these guys thru photography.

This might actually be working!

2009-02-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

What a Friday I had - first I sold some stock photos - which means I currently have one WHOLE Dollar in my account - but - far more importantly - it means I am officially "professional" - i.e. I've been PAID for my photos! :)

Then I sold a photo on eBay, which I never expected to happen (albeit to a lovely friend of mine - but still - I sold one!)

And finally I got in touch with a local pub/restaurant owner, and offered him a look at my website, and consequently I am now looking at a month long exhibition! Which is just fantastic!!!

Slowly.... things might be starting to happen!

I fought the law...

2009-02-19T15:12:00.001-08:00

I fought the law...
Originally uploaded by Luke Y

An old, wise friend warned me today - "Let the pictures do the talking". He's almost always right... so I've listened to him in this photo.

Security ramped up at local shopping Outlet

2009-02-17T09:23:00.001-08:00

Popped into McArthurGlen Designer Outlet earlier, only to discover that they are really taking security seriously these days, with a very visible presence of armed guards...

See? This is why they tell you always carry your camera EVERYWHERE. You never know when a Stormtrooper might suddenly pop up!

There's one - set for flourescant....!!!

This is what I'm talking about

2009-02-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

Today was good. Today I took photos, and spent time with my family. Today I felt inspired again. And today I got this shot of a kestrel (along with lots of other birds of prey, and some lovely shots of my kids having a great time!). That's what it's all about!

Feeling the loss...

2009-02-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I was not at my best. I had had a fairly long sleepless night - my poor wife had been up and down with what we suspect to be food poisoning. As a result neither she or myself were at our best when the kids tumbled out of bed at 6.45 demanding food and attention.

Eventually I staggered to the computer and decided that as it was going to be a long day, looking after both the patient AND the kids, I'd do something useful - and set a backup of all my files running... I keyed in the cmd line (being an IT guy I feel clever and smug being able to use command line applications like Robocopy and in fact, there is no better backup program IMHO - as long as the user has a brain, and is WIDE AWAKE!)

After a good 10 mins (and a cup of coffee) I realised I'd been a very silly boy and mirrored my laptop's files over the hard disk in my backup drive, not usually a problem except I'd archived a bunch of 2008 photos to it (try several thousand...) and these were now deleted and partially written over. As you can imagine, I panicked...

Now before I get lots of posts suggesting ways to prevent this, or recover the files, bear in mind I was an IT guy for 15 years. I SHOULD know better. But - the bottom line is that we ALL make mistakes, and we ALL lose files sometimes. Backups are essential to minimise the risk of this, but sometimes, things just go wrong...

I accept this fully; I made a dumb, tired mistake - I should have wrote a little script that I clicked on each time -to avoid any dumb, tired mistakes... But I didn't.

As a result I lost some files. I managed to recover an awful lot using a wonderful free file recovery program called Undelete Plus, which I would have no hesitation in recommending, should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of having deleted/lost files.

But here's the thing. I realised that most of the files I lost were worthless - RAWs I'd never need to process, or look at ever again. And of the more "valuable" ones - well - it made me realise that I can't bask in past glories forever, constantly playing with old "great shots" I took at rock festivals or other memorable events. As a photographer, as an artist, as a creative creation, I am only as good as the last thing I did. If I don't keep taking photos I am no longer a photographer (good or bad!). I *was* a photographer.

So in a way I'm quite GLAD I had this upset - it's made me think ahead, and "archive" my past achievements. Bring on the jobs, the magazines the degree - I'm ready!

And this time I'll be backing up my photos properly too!

Up and running!

2009-02-13T12:05:00.000-08:00

I finally got my bank account sorted, and Paypal linked and FINALLY I am selling some work on eBay!!!

Very exciting. Also very scary. If you feel sorry for me go and have a peek eh? Gawdblessya!

Snow Good, I Can't Do Winter Landscapes...

2009-02-13T02:47:00.001-08:00

Just been trekking around in my 4x4 trying to take photos (emulating one of my heroes, Kieran Dodds on the DVD that came with the EOS cameras!). Snow everywhere - I drove, I walked, I climbed, I sat. No muse, no inspiration, no excitement...

I love portraits. I love rock music photography. I want intense, exciting moments. I just don't seem to be able to find the inspiration to photograph a lump of mud and clay and rock, covered in white stuff. I even took to turning the camera on myself and pulling faces...

Maybe I was just meant to shoot people?

Self Portraits And Me...

2009-02-12T05:10:00.001-08:00

Luke The Guitarist
Originally uploaded by Luke Y

One of the things I've recently been challenged on as a photographer - is that there are not that many photos of me. This stems from a childhood hatred of having my picture taken, but I plan to overcome this. An old chum recently advised me to participate in "Self Portrait Thursday" on Flickr - and I have to admit I'm enjoying it!

So far the photos are very staged, or attempting to make people laugh; they don't feel like "me" yet. But they are forcing me to be a little more "introversial" than I care to be usually - and I guess it's something to work on - it's nice to have a personal goal like this!

My first blog

2009-02-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

Am just finding my way in the world of Bloggerising. I am a 35 year old freelance photographer, based in the South East of the UK, and am trying to promote my photography work, using the power of the InterWeb...

Not getting to do a lot of photography at present - there's a LOT to consider when setting up a business!