Make This Your Year !

Yesterday was a pretty tough day. My cousin was knocked off his motorbike just before Christmas and died. Yesterday was his funeral. he was dearly loved and had so much to live for, his family are torn to pieces.

One thing that makes you sit up and take notice is death. It is so final, no more chances, that's it.

If one good thing came from yesterday for me it was, to find something I want to do and achieve it. the new years resolution list is going to be pretty long this year!

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

As anyone who knows me will know i'm constantly researching succesfull companies and their methods (always looking to steal good ideas). Whilst reading a book (I think it may have been Customer Evangelists) I came across the story of a Doughnut company in America called Krispy Kreme. To cut a long story short the company started small and word spread of the excellent doughnuts that they sold. Not only that but they also became famous for helping out in community projects and delighting their customers.

So what? Well today whilst finishing off my Christmas shopping in Lakeside I bump into a Krispy Kreme stall. Needless to say I HAD to try there wares, i had a couple of doughnuts and a coffee and sat and watched. The que never got less than 12 people, they each bought one or two. Many people returned and bought boxes of the doughnuts as word spread. It would appear that they are going to have a major succesfull business on this side of the pond. My opinion, they are outstanding!! although I dread to guess the calorie count.

On a business point i've finished my final portrait shoot of the year, can't wait for next year got some great plans .......

Olan Mills Goes Bust!

I've just been e-mailed that Olan Mills have gone bust! The BBC news report states "Photography company Olan Mills, which employs 950 staff in 97 stores across the UK, has gone into administration."

To make it even worse having looked on the Olan Mills web site it would apear they've been shooting right up untill the last second, taken the money then closed the doors. This leaves the customers with no way of getting their moneyback or their pictures.

Apparently they have been running at a loss for the last three years and could no longer afford to continue. Personally I find it sad a huge company like this was unable to modernise its approach to the photographic world. I guess they continued in the old style of photography that so many studio's shoot (white background brigade).

As such they all merge in the customers mind to being the same and at that stage it becomes a case of who's cheapest. Any business will tell you if you're only getting business because your cheap your not going to be in business long.

I find the key to any business success is to find out what the client wants and then make sure you offer it to them (and more). Treating clients as part of a production line by forcing your own styles and ideals onto people is a sure fire way to make sure your customers are left unhappy and worse that they tell others about it.

Interestingly i just read this on another blog. A true account of a real customer that Olan Mills put through the production line service. As I said before, give the client what they want, not what you think they want ..


Mr. Olan Mills Photo Dude,

I realize it's your job to sell me pictures. And I realize that you don't make any money off of me when I just bring my family in to get a free church directory photo taken. But, can I be honest with you Mr. Olan Mills Photo Dude? You're pictures? They're not so good. My family doesn't look attractive lined up in a row in front of a blue marbled background with fake smiles plastered on their faces. I wish we did, but we don't. Ok, now I've lied to you, I don't wish we did. And also, Mr. Olan Mills Photo Dude, it's ok if Presley wants to put her fingers in her mouth when you take the picture. She's a baby, that's what she does. It's actually considered a good thing to capture her personality in the photo. It's not, however, considered a good thing when she's screaming her head off because you keep pulling her fingers out of her mouth in attempts to make us look like the Cleavers. Just a friendly tip. I mean, I'm not a photographer or anything. :)

In closing, I'd like to apologize for cutting our photo session short and, in doing so, preventing you from taking loads of pictures that I have no inclination to purchase. I can see that you were more than a little irked about that. But, to be honest Mr. Olan Mills Photo Dude, I'm more than a little irked that our staff got Jason photos and we didnt. So ;p.

Good day,

Paparazzi

As I mentioned in the last post Friday night was spent 'papping' outside the Hippodrome in leicester square. this is not something that I would normally consider but it was for fun more than hassle. The company who's Christmas party it was had decided their staff deserved to be treated to alittle bit of fame.

Actually it wasn't my job and I was purely there to give my good friend Doug a hand and be part of a three photographer team. It was him who took the image of yours truely seen here to the left.

Between the three of us we photographed everyone as they came to the party. having done my bit I was finished by about 22.30 and after a quick drink left Doug who was to stay and capture the rest of the evening .


For anyone who's read the last entry you'll know what happened when I got home ........

Death of a key board

Apologise for the amount of time since the last entry on the blog. This has been for two reasons, firstly i've been bonkers busy with shoots Friday Saturday and Sunday and all the post production joys that they bring.

The second reason and probably the real reason is this. On Friday night (saturday morning), I arrived home from shooting a job at the hippodrome in leicester square at about 1 in the morning. I settled down with a couple of cans of beer whilst my computer downloaded the nights shots (i'll put some up when i get chance). Needless to say everything was going smoothly and I checked e mails and buzzed around the web. However, my second can of lager decided to explode when I opened it and gave my keyboard and carpet a wash.

Now if someone can explain to me how a can of lager that has sat in a fridge for at least two weeks and was not dropped or shaken in any way (to my knowledge) suddenly decide to explode when opened for no reason, i'll be a happier man.

Anyway the long and the short of it was several keys stopped working on the keyboard. At first it seemed to be just the numbers and the full stop, however whilst typing an e mail i soon discovered the space bar was also not working making anything i wrote completely unintelligable.

So to cut a long story short I had to invest in another keyboard and at the same time a new 4 way usb port (my last keyboard could plug usb connection into it). As you can see in the picure my old keyboard now has a new place to live (the bin).

Chelmsford Chieftains

Last night I went to the Chelmsford Ice and Leisure Centre to watch the Chelmsford Chieftains play the Telford Tigers. The Chieftains won the match 6-1. The game was heavily attended by the Colchester Gladiators American football club, strengthening the bond between the two teams. The Colchester Gladiators and the Chelmsford Chieftains are due to announce very soon the sporting partnership and will jointly promote each others seasons (which run opposite to each other).

A big thanks goes out to Marky Mark (the chieftains DJ) for giving the gladiators a mention and for pushing the fact they are looking for new players. He also kindly wore a gladiators hat all night (see image). Also a big thank you to Andy Driver (Chieftains PR and marketing) for making me / us feel so welcome. I know the two clubs will both benefit from the new partnership.

The Chieftains certainly put on a show worth watching and i would suggest anybody who has spare time on a sunday evening throughout the winter goes along and cheers.

Essex Blades v Kent Falcons

Another Sunday and another game of American football to shoot. This time the Essex Baldes took on the Kent Falcons. Essex again looked very impressive with a big hard hitting defence allowing very little of the other teams offence to gain yardage. You can see the american football slide show by clicking here.

It's that time of year again where I go a little mad and shoot my christmas card. For anyone that sent me a card last year you'll know that my cards are not the norm. In fact last year they were so popular I had to have more of them printed. What started as a laugh between friends has suddenly become a big thing with people e mailing and asking if the new card was out yet. It's something I enjoy doing and as it's only once a year who cares ........ wanna see this years card? Sorry I only send them to people who I recieve cards from (better get one in the post quick).

Theres been a sudden rush of people enquiry about the lifestyle portrait training day (click for slideshow) to be held on the 4th March. It would appear that alot of people have decided this would make a great christmas present. If you're thinking of coming you'd better get on the phone quick to reserve your place. looking forward to hearing from you ....

Barmitzvah Photographs

Another double header of a weekend. Saturday was a wonderfull wedding (although a little cold) and luckily for me it was reasonably local for once. I must admit I did feel slightly sorry for the eleven bridesmaids outside trhe church whilst we were doing the group shots (working as fast as possible .... honest)

On Sunday (yesterday) I was honoured to be asked to photograph the barmitzvah party of the young man who can be seen in the centre of the picture above. It was a wonderfull party with, fantastic music, stunning food and great guests, although one of them I thought at one stage was going to tell me I was fired (see image).

The whole party was West Ham FC based, the ballons, table decorations and the cake all decked out in Claret and blue. All the tables were named after famous hammers of the past and present (I guess that may be why Sir Alan was not too impressed).

Essex Blades v UEA Pirates (a mad Sunday)

This Sunday was probably the busiest day i've had in a long time. Sunday morning was the first of 5 new player days for the colchester gladiators. A good attendance and some good new players were found.

I had to leave the players day early and drive to Billericay to do a test drive pre wedding shoot for a couple who had contacted me. I always offer a free of charge pre wed shoot to all my couples before they decide if they want to book me. I find it shows them exactly how i work and also the quality of the product they are likely to recieve for their wedding.

Having succesfully completed the shoot it was time to jump back in the car and head back to Colchester where the Essex Blades were playing the UEA pirates. The Essex blades are the Colchester University American Football team. Alot of their players play for the Gladiators in the British league throughout the summer, the two teams have an excellant partnership. The Colchester Gladiators turned out in force to cheer on the Blades in there first game of the season which they won reasonably easily.

Unknown to me the game had been started late (I was on the A 12 at the time) and so by the 4th qtr I was really struggling with the light. I finished shooting the game with the Nikon D2x set at Hi3 (iso 3200 equivalent) and it shows in the images. I always find the colours go completely flat when shooting at high ISO's as well as the grain becoming obvious. Having said that they're shots that I wouldn't have bothered shooting if i had been shooting film.

So having shot the A/football it was time to head back to Chelmsford for a meeting with a guy that is going to make a big differance to the Colchester Gladiators for next year. For the time being i'll keep it under wraps. keep checking out the blog to be updated ......

The Borat Movie

I went and saw the Borat film yesterday. There has been so many people talking about it it was one of those things I just had to do.

I loved it, normally when you take something like this and try and make a film about it it doesn't work, but somehow the plot was just enough to keep it going.

I guess you have to be into this kind of humour but some of the film had me rolling with laughter, whilst others have you cringing with the no he didn't did he effect.

Apparently it is wiping the floor with all the other films in America which I find a little suprising. I always thought the Americans don't tend to get the british humour of laughing at yourself (perhaps the office has had some effect). One thing I noticed which i wasn't aware of was how rude the general american public were to him on the tube. O.K. he was being completely in your face but even a comment of my name is Borat what is your name received a reply of mind your own ******* business is my name ...... hardly friendly.

But seriously if you need a laugh you'll find plenty here.

Nuisance Calls!!

Today I took two phone calls from telephone numbers 02920 240069 and 02920 368701. Both of these calls were from phone companies trying to get me to change supplier (probably the same one).

If you are bored at work or don't pay for phone calls I'm sure they would really appreciate it if you would dial any of these two numbers and offer your services to the person who answers the phone. You may get lucky who knows! I did it and it made me feel great!! Spread the word to everyone you know and I'm sure between us we can get the message accross.

Oh and the other thing to do is tag there numbers on your mobile so your phone is on silent mode if those numbers call you.

Slideshow of the last Photography Training Day

I've just finished putting together a slideshow showing some of the images taken from the last lifestyle photography training day in October. The images in the show were taken by either Doug Toni or me. Just click on the highlighted word to load the show.

Anyone interested in the next date for the portrait training day (Sunday 4th March 2007) should drop me an email to martin@martinwilmottphotography.com and i'll be glad to forward the details onto you.

Motor Cycle Show Birmingham

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be offered a VIP ticket to the Motor Cycle and scooter show at the NEC in Birmingham.

It was a terrific day with stacks to see and loads going on. Many thanks must go to Yamaha for the excellant food they put on on the VIP area, very much appreciated.

Now to own up. I'm not particularly into bikes and at times was having conversations with some big names in the racing world without realising it. You can see some more images of the motor cylce show by clicking here (perhaps you can tell me who some of them are).

All in all a great day out and if anyone was thinking of going I highly reccomend it although it may be alittle busier when its open to the public.

Subscribing to my blog

A couple of days ago I received an e mail from someone who pointed out to me that they had tried on several occasions to sign up to have my blog sent via e mail and it had failed on several occasions.

After investigating and trying everything I could, I couldn't get the subscription service to work. There was no contact or useable help with the last company so I have decide to try a differant company. If you do attempt to sign up and it doesn't appear to have worked please do let me know and I can try and sort it out straight away.

I have no idea how long the last one hasn't been working for, but all those people who had signed up will still recieve this blog via email. This new company seems straight forward so hopefully there shouldn't be any problems .......... just add your e mail address in the box on the right. Oh and your details are sacred and will never be passed on to anyone else.

Wedding photography

I saw this and it made me grin. I guess i'm not the only person who gets this happening to them.

Portrait Training Day Next Date Announced

Just a really quick note as I've already received a few e mails from people who couldn't make the last training day. So for those people (and anyone who wants to come back again) the next "Day of Discovery" where you can learn the tricks of great lifestyle portraits will be on the 4th March 2007.

There are also some other plans in the pipeline that those of you who came last weekend will know a little about so keep your eyes peeled to this blog. As soon as possible an anouncement will be made but pencil the 23rd and 24th April into your diaries and keep that date clear.

Be aware this could just about change your life forever!

Feedback From The Portrait Training Day

I have received some really great e-mails over the last few daysand i thought I'd share a few of them. This is a snippet of one sent by Karen Petry who attended the Lifestyle Portrait Training Day at the weekend. Karens a real star in the making she had travelled down to be with us in Essex from Carlisle (our second furthest travelled attendant Keith Bott flew over from Germany). Any way here's what she had to say ....


Apologies for the delay in sending you email. I would just like to thank Doug, Toni, Viv and yourself for the truly fantastic day on Sunday.

It was a real pleasure to meet you all and i thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the day. It was 2.30 am when I eventually walked through my front door on Monday!! I had to stop off on route and sleep for 3 hours in a service station car park!! (it was well worth it though!!)"

Here's a comment from Anthony Phillips who also has a great look on life and will no doubt succeed ......

Hi Martin
Just a quick line about Sunday. Really enjoyed the day, I have already started to put your methods into action. I now have the confidence to photograph families and children, to a high standard. Thanx very much.

Don't leave it to long for your next training day"

Davide Palisciano sent me a dvd of images he had taken on the day which were completely outstanding, here's some of his comments ....

" First of all can i thank you for an enjoyable and educational day. It's hard to quantify how much one has learnt, however if all i gained was more confidence in my own ability thats priceless.

I took around 300 shots! That says it all. I have narrowed them down to about 40 I like, that is subjective. I will send you a copy in the post.

As a relative newcomer to photography other than family, I thouroughly enjoyed it. Please pass on my thanks to Doug and toni. Dougs enthusiasm is infectious and you can see the passion that drives him.

I would again like to thank you for your patience and obvious understanding that there are a lot of people about who just need to be nudged into the right direction and off they go.

If there is a follow up course keep us informed.

Adrian Smith is already running a succesfull photography business and came to our portrait training day looking for a differant approach, here's what he had to say .....

Hi Martin

Just a quick note to say thank you for a great day yesterday.

I have been through my images and i am delighted with lots of them - also learnt an enourmous amount from the failed images about me and my cameras capabilities. Need a faster lens too much camera shake on some images!

I have no doubt that yesterdays course will help me raise my business to the next level.

Please pass on my thanks top Doug, Toni, Viv and of course the brave families that modelled for us"

Catherine Thomson wrote

Thank you

I had a great time, i think you made a great job of engaging a very diverse audience with the obvious enthusiasm and undoubted skill you are both abundant in.

I was impressed with that last presentation of images, it so splendidly sealed the day and the music was a great touch.

Thanks once again

Catherine.

Lifestyle Portrait Training Day Part 2

Just a quick note to mention some of the excellant images the people from the photography training course that Doug and I ran this weekend have started sending. The couple i've put on here were taken by Catherine Thompson. Great job Catherine you should be extremely proud of the results you have achieved here.

It was a real pleasure meeting with everyone on the course and I know it's not the last time alot of us will meet. I truely expect to be reading about some of you in various magazines in the near future.

After the course finished Myself Doug Toni and Viv discussed when we could do it again and decided the next one day course will be in March so keep your eyes peeled. Also another thing we discussed was a longer more in depth course over two days ..... we are in the very early planning stages for this but keep your eyes peeled as we will be announcing dates very soon.

As soon as the pieces are in place i'll anounce it on here and my portrait website also everyone who has signed up for my free photography tips via e mail from my lifestyle photography web site will also be informed as soon as we are ready to make the announcement. You can sign up for the free tips about lifestyle photography by going to the tips section and adding your email adress. if you have a problem signing up drop me an email to martin@martinwilmottphotography.com and i'll add you manually.


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Lifestyle Portrait Training Day part1

Yesterday was a FANTASTIC day. It was great fun meeting with everyone who came along for an insight into the way Doug and I work.

I know from the e mails I have already received you all had a great day too. I've added a couple of images and will add some more as I organise them and when the people who attended the course send them in including a slideshow.

Check out the top image of Doug getting attacked by one of our fantastic younger models ... can there be any doubt that the tricks we discussed and practised yesterday work?

It was a truely great day yesterday and I would like to thank you all for coming and sharing your time with us and also a big thankyou to our fantastic models throughout the day who were all incredible!! I can't wait to see some of the images you guys send.

Lifestyle Photographer Lifestyle Photography Professional Photographer Photography Training

Sandisk Memory Cards

This arrived in the post this morning so I now have a little more capability when shooting with my new D2x. Aparently this is the new extreme 4 version that reads at up to 40mb a second.

Sandisk have also just announced a 16 gig memory card ... now that's huge. Whilst we're on the subject of memory cards i must warn everyone to never buy any cards from ebay.

I have received e mails from several people who at first think they are getting massive savings only for the memory cards to give up working halfway through a job with all the information being lost. A large price to pay for saving money! Here's the link to the details from e-bay in case you think you may have bought some of the fake memory cards.

Looking forward to meeting with everyone traveling to the lifestyle portrait photography training day this Sunday.


Lifestyle Photographer Lifestyle Photography Nikon Professional Photographer Photography Training Nikon D2x Sandisk Memory Card

My New Nikon

Ok so i've moved to the dark side of photography!! About time I hear you say. Lets first say that in a way its something that has been half forced onto me and i'm not sure yet it has been the right move. Only time will tell. For the time being my F5 and other film cameras will still feaure heavily in my work.

So why change? Well part of the reason is the upcoming training course this Sunday. On previous courses i've always hired a D2x so students can see the images taken on the day. This time I decided the fact that the D2x has been out a while and the D2xs has just been launched there was a high chance of picking up a good second hand body for a fair price. So I check out e bay and sitting there was a Nikon D2x being sold by someone in Colchester (30 mins drive from me). To make a long story short, I bid and win, then drive out and inspect the camera, perfect condition exactly what i'm looking for so payment was made ... job done.

So far I haven't used it in actual work but a couple of things i've discovered from playing, the screen protector (see image) is pathetic. I have no doubt it pops off as soon as the camera is slung around someones kneck to be lost or trodden on. Also when will Nikon make the flash synch cover attach to the camera body!! I have lost count of the amount of those annoying little covers I have lost after using a flash synch lead.

I have no doubt the D2x is a great camera, but for me it's too early to judge. It has a hard act to follow as I believe the F5 is probably the best 35mm camera ever made ....... the jurys out.

On anopther note I had a long chat with Doug earlier re: the training day this Sunday, It's going to be great and i'm looking forward to meeting everyone who's coming. If you want to check out the details of the training day check out my lifestyle portrait website under the tips section (look for training). i'll add a few pics of the day on here after the weekend.


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Wedding Photographs Sharon & Adam

At the start of the month I was honoured to be asked to photograph Sharon & Adams wedding that took place at the Essex Golf and Country Club. It's not a venue i've worked at before but everything went smoothly and a good time was had by all.

You can see a few of the wedding photographs in a slideshow by clicking here. The weather just about managed to hold out and give us enough time before the heavens opened.

The shot on the left here is amongst my favourites for the day although i did have a bit of trouble convincing Sharon to trust me and it would look good. I was realy pleased with it, I don't think I would have had been forgiven if it had looked wrong!

On another note the lifestyle photographic training day is getting near is maximum number of delegates and i can't wait to meet up with everyone who's coming and share some ideas and tricks. I'm meeting up with Doug tommorow to have a run through and ensure everythings going to plan. If you wanted to come on the day you can still book but be quick the details can be found on my portrait photography website just look under the tips section, or just give me a call on 01376 567995 and i'll talk you through it.


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Brit Bowl 20

This Sunday was the British American football finals held at Don Valley stadium in Sheffield. I went up on the Sunday to watch the Divison 2 and 1 finals. I must say the whole day was fantastic, and very professional a real showpiece and advert for the sport in this country. A long time ago i was lucky to go to the superbowl in Atlanta and whilst the BAFL have a way to go in catching the NFL in showmanship they can truely hold there heads up high.

Both games were excellent, finishing very close with The Oxford Saints beating the West coast Trojans in the Div 2 final and the London Olympians beating the London Blitz for the Britbowl trophy.

The picture here is of Antonio Fargas who most people will know as Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch although he was also recently in, I'm a celebrity get me out of here. Apparently his son plays for the Raiders in the NFL. He was sitting two seats in fromt of me for the Div 1 game and was introduced to the crowd at half time. Aplogies for the picture quality as it was taken on my new phone, not too bad for a phone but not up to work standards.


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My New Digital Camera

So after the last 3 months of my mobile phone playing up so no-one can hear me when i talk i decided it was time to have a face off with 02 and demand a new phone (i've had the same number for 12 years).

I pluck up all my, I'm not going to take any nonsence attitude and make the phone call explaining how in my opinion i deserved a new phone at no charge. After talking continually and putting across my arguement the guy on the other end of the phone says ..... ok i have the choice of these three phones you could have. The one I chose is on the left here, the guy on the other end of the phone tells me it has a 2 megapixel camera, and thats a big deal (his words not mine). Having played a little I don't think i'll be retiring the Hasselblads and Nikons just yet.

On a slightly more serious note it's true that camera manufacturers have noticed a massive drop in compact camera sales as everyman and his dog now has a perfectly good camera on there phone. No wonder the smaller camera manufacturers have started to go bust.

Changing the subject the numbers for the lifestyle portrait photographic training day on the 8th October are going great. I'm really looking forward to meeting up with everyone and sharing some special images. if you're interested in this course check out my site and look for the lifestyle portrait training under the tips section.


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Lifestyle Photography Training Day

The last week has been a planning week getting ready for the lifestyle portrait training day i'm due to host on the 8th October in Chelmsford. Already the numbers are filling up and I can hardly wait to meet up with and share some ideas and methods in order to help others get great images.

There's so much to organise but thats part of what makes it so much fun. Seeing the day slowly coming together speaking to the attendees on the phone. I find it incredibly encouraging (and a real compliment) when I realise how far some people are willing to travel to come on these days, spending many hours on the road and this time we even have someone flying in from Germany (hi Keith looking forward to meeting you in the flesh).

I so look forward to these days, it such a pleasure to meet up with you all and chat during the coffee breaks as well as answer all the questions you have (when i can). If you're at all interested in attending you can find the detailsd on my site under the tips section, look for photography training. Just drop me an email or ring if you prefer and i'll let you know what the day involves. I'd love to meet you and hopefully show you some of the tricks to getting the natural style of images that I love.

If you wanted an idea of the style of images we will be capturing check out this slideshow that gives a little more information about the day (make sure your speakers are on it has sound).

Speak to you soon.



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American football season is over!

Damn!! I was just starting to get into the British American Football scene and the Gladiators go and get knocked out in the wild card playoffs by the Norwich Devils.

In fairness Norwich were by far the better prepared team and took Colchester out of the game by half time.

My images from the Colchester Gladiators v Norwich Devils can be found by clicking here. I may go to the finals at Don Valley Stadium at the end of September but other than that its eight months till the season starts again.

On the work front the wedding season is starting to slow to normal levels again. As soon as a get chance (and permission) i'll load some more slideshows. Last night I was working at the Savoy in London. The venue and staff were exemplory as always but parking was awfull. When i get chance i'll put some images up.


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Christening Photographs

Another of the joys of this wonderfull career I have found myself in is the way that every single day is differant. Like most people I've had several jobs before i finally found my true vocation in life. The worst thing i found with all of those jobs was after about two years they began to get very repetative.

Luckily now i've found every single job makes every day differant, normally in differant parts of the country and occasionally differant countries altogether.

Recently I was commisioned to photograph a Christening very close to my home town. Believe it or not this is highly unusual for me. Most of my work is either in the London area or sometimes further afield so this was a real benefit.

You can see a few of my christening photographs by clicking here. I hope I achieved my aim of exceeding the customers expectations. Does life get any better? People paying you to do something you love doing .... Fantastic!!

If you're interested in photography you may be interested in my free online tips available from my lifestyle photography site. Just go to the tips section and fill in the form. you'll be joining about another 1,000 people who all regul;arl;y receive the tips and get this no cost!! If i can help other people have fun and improve their photographs, I see that as payment.


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Photographers are coming back to film

Shock gasp, here's a write up from a magazine about how professional photographers are turning away from digital cameras back to film ...... I never went away!!

Many photographers are returning to film for medium and large format prints, claims mail-order lab Peak Imaging which has recently upgraded its film processing equipment.
Peak Imaging's managing director Wayne Gledhill told us this morning: 'They are returning to medium and large format film because of the size of print they can get, while retaining quality (20x16in and above). Many fine art, product and landscape photographers are showing signs of preference toward film.' He claimed that many photographers are returning to 120 and 5x4in film for larger format prints.
'Recent upgrades in wet processing equipment have also confirmed Peak's future commitment to the processing of E-6, C-41 and black & white film,' he continued.

How can this be a suprise to anyone who has ever shot film and digital on the same job? Don't get me wrong digital has its place for something that is needed immediately (press for example) but don't try and tell me digital and film are the same quality ...... in another 12 months maybe but not yet.

Colchester Gladiators beaten by Norwich Devils

O.K. so maybe it had to happen. An extremely confident Colchester Gladiators, who were newly crowned champions of Division 2 East went to play their final game of the regular season in Norwich on Sunday.

What started as a brilliant game for Colchester slowly began to fall apart just before half time. Silly mistaked and a no nonsense reffing team caused alot of wasted yardage.

The Norwich Devils put on a great show and proved they are a force to be reckoned with now the play offs are around the corner. This loss means the Colchester Gladiators now have to play another home game (27th August), for there right to play in the next round.

The pictures form the Colchester Gladiators @ Norwich Devils game can be viewed here

For details of the wildcard game on the 27th August check out the Gladiators website here www.colchestergladiators.com. Why not dust of your camera and come and cheer the team on!!

Apologies for allowing a week to go by without updating the blog. I've got a ton of stuff (slideshows etc) to add but i'm waiting to show the clients and get their permission before i put a live link to them for you all to see.


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Plasterers Hall London

Just a quick entry today on the count that I'm pretty tired due to not getting back till gone 1 am last night. The wedding yesterday was at a new venue for me. Its called the plaisterers (yes it is spelt correctly) hall and is located at 1 London Wall in the city.

Completely stunning venue and to top it all an NCP carpark within walking distance ..... do wedding venues get any better?

Seriously though car parking in central London can be a complete knightmare and not having the threat of having your car towed away is a real advantage in my eyes.

On another note the Colchester Gladiators won on Sunday which makes them the Divisional Champions. One more game (this Sunday) at the Norwich devils and then it's play off time. Keep up to date with the Colchester Gladiators here.

Colchester Gladiators v East Midland Saxons (home win)

July 30th saw the return match of the East Midland saxons coming to broad Lane stadium in Wivenhoe to take on the Colchester Gladiators. Just like the previous game it came right down to the wire with the Gladiators managing to hold out in the dieing seconds to gain another win. This means the Gladiators progress to the play offs and are now playing to get homefield advantage. This is a realy important factor as the games start to get further away and the Gladiators home crowd can kick up a noise to wake the dead.

My images from the Gladiators v Saxons are here.

For once I actually appeared in a photograph (as shown here) many thanks to Allen Jackson. Although I was a little busy shooting I did manage to have a quick chat with him. He told me it was his first time shooting American Football and from what I have seen he did a great job. The gladiators next home is this Sunday but unfortunately due to work commitments (wedding) i won't be there but you could be ..... check out the Gladiators website here for timings etc.


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Hours at the Computer

The bulk of this week has been taken up with administration. Apart from a quick shoot on Monday morning (pictures to follow) I've been sitting in front of the P.C. typing out quotes for wedding enquiries answering questions via e mail etc.

The picture you see here is a commercial job I was commisioned to shoot. The building is an old barn that has been converted into a fantastic house.

The decor and size of the house are fanatastic. The kitchen area was something totally amazing. As i have said before commercial photography isn't my favourite side of the business but occasionally it makes a welcome change with far less pressure.

Later on today I'm off to shoot the Colchester Gladiators at their home ground, they're playing the East Midland Saxons and it promises to be a great game (again pics to follow). The Gladiators have been getting some pretty good press coverage in recent weeks including, full pages or page dominance in, The Evening Gazette, The Essex County Standard and The East Anglian Daily Times. All of the write ups include my pictures and include my details, great advertising for free!

Also this week i've had another three enquiries from people wishing to come on my portrait photography training day in October. This is promising to be great and places are going fast, if you want details just e mail me or click through to my site www.martinwilmottphotography.com and whilst your there you can sign up to my free photography tips (look under the tips section).

One last thing if you look at the bottom right of this blog you'll see a map, feel free to click on it and add yourself, i love seeing where people who have signed up to my free tips are from, all over the world!


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Colchester Gladiators at East Midland Saxons

This weekend saw another amazing game! Colchester Gladiators travelled north to Peterborough to face the East Midland Saxons. Unfortunately I missed the first half because of other work commitments but managed to arrive just in time to see the last couple of plays of the 2nd quarter.

The sun was beating down making an already very physical game even harder on both sides. Colchester pulled the game out of the bag eventually winning 24 - 23. Every game seems to come down to the wire. It seems the Gladiators always struggle to get started and then somehow turn it on for the second half.

To see my images from the Gladiators @ Saxons click the underlined words. Next week (Sunday 30th July) the Gladiators have a rematch against the Saxons, you can bet it's gonna be serious, loosing by one point after a three hour game never goes down well and you can bet the Saxons will be looking for revenge.

For details of next weeks games (and the rest of the season) check out the Gladiators web page here www.colchestergladiators.com. See you on Sunday?


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Family Photo Shoots

I was lucky enough to be asked to photograph a family recently. The difference between this and a normal lifestyle session? (if there is such a thing). Not much just the amount of people involved, 8 brothers and sisters.

Now anyone who has attempted to photograph more than one person will realise the more people the harder it can be. The trick is to work fast and hopefully make it enjoyable for everyone. Also try and listen to what they want and attempt to get it for them, just because they're young doesn't mean they don't have an opinion.

I've put a few of the images together here I think we managed to capture the true spirit of everyone and all without any tantrums or sulks.

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Only Fools on Horses

Saturday night saw the final of the only fools on horses competition. for anyone who's missed it or not from the UK the basic concept was celebrities were taught to ride horses and then how to jump and competed against each other.

I was lucky enough to be offered a VIP ticket to the final and went along (it was held at Towerlands Arena Braintree not far from where I live). I wish I could say what a thrilling night of energy and fun it was but unfortunately it was anything but. Because it was the Sports relief night the programme was recorded in lots of little bits and for a spectator in the arena it never really got going. The first thing that happened was everyone had to practise clapping and then clapping and cheering and then build up from small applause to a big cheer etc. All very false, the crowd also had to practise the ooohs and ahhhs incase a horse refused or a rider fell.

All in all it was an OK experience but because of they way it was recorded (they didn't want to show it live in case of a major accident) made the evening a bit boring. Having said that all the celebs seemed genually nice with a special mention to Sally Gunnel who went out to meet members of the public whilst the rest were guarded by a Gestapo like security.

No chance of any pics inside the arena though, the Gestapo security saw to that, even with no flash the movement could have upset the horses apparently, yeah right and a crowd being whipped into clapping and cheering frenzy wouldn't!

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Colchester Gladiators at Cambridge Cats

Last Sunday saw the Colchester Gladiators travel to the Cambridge Cats for a re match. When these teams met earlier in the year the game was won by Colchester with a touchdown scored with one second left on the clock. Close is an understatement.

The game started poorly for Colchester as they went behind for three scores, the team dug deep and started their comeback getting back a score before half time. Again it was a completeley thrilling game which could easily have gone either way.

The final score ended being Colchester Gladiators 26 Cambridgeshire Cats 25. Too close for comfort but this means the Gladiators now top the table with a 4 wins 1 loss record, with a record like that theres a real danger they could go through to the playoffs and possibly the Brit Bowl (to be played at Don Valley stadium in September).

Of course i got some images that you can view by clicking here
Anyone interested in the Gladiators can find details of their next games here www.colchestergladiators.com

Look out for there last home game on the 6th August, It's going to be a big major event with varius stuff laid on for children etc. Whilst i was at the game i got chatting to another photographer covering the game, it turns out he works for First Down magazine and covers NFL games in the states, ......... I offered to carry his bags but he already had that one covered.

Work wise for some reason there has been a sudden rush of enquiries for weddings and portraits throughout the year, no sense or reason it just happens like that sometimes.

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Great Weddings

One of the great things about this job is I get to enjoy many fantastic days out (and call it work). I feel sure every bride and groom must spend weeks / months planning every little detail which ensures these fantastic events. However having done the easy bit (capturing the images) its then time to do the hard bit.

Alot of people don't realise how long is spent in post production after a wedding / event and think photographers only work one day per wedding (I wish). I estimate a wedding job takes me about 7 days in total to complete (not back to back). I often wonder when I read about photographers doing 50 / 60 weddings a year what sort of end product they produce?

There are many hours sitting infront of the computer, firstly sorting the images, then adjusting them and then producing them in a way so they can be viewed. That's only half the job done, having been viewed it's now time to plan the albums that are ordered and place the orders to the various companies so they all come together like clock work at the end. It is hard work and stressfull sometimes but i can tell you it is really worth it when the bride is given her album and the tears come to her eyes.

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Bar Mitzvah Photographs

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be asked to shoot a young mans Bar Mitzvah party. The party was a massive success and was thoroughly enjoyed by everybody.

Part of the entertainment was the waiter you see here in the picture, unbeknown to everyone he was actually an actor hired by the young boys mother. As a waitor he started of reasonably well but was a little to over helpfull and got people the wrong drinks. He was also extremely clumsy and fell over on several occasions needing to be carried out by various guests .

When everyone had arrived he called the guests through to the marquee to be sat and promptly announced that the chef had unfortunately eaten one of the starters and had come down with food poisoning, but not to worry as he was going to take control and cook the meal.

As you can see from this next image he wasn't a complete success in the kitchen. To be honest i've seen a few similar style shows to this but I think I can say this was the best of the bunch.
His name is Mark Howard and has his own web site here www.sillywaiter.com.

Having had the oppurtunity to sit and chat with Mark in between courses it soon became apparent that he has worked in some major venues and also for some big names in the entertainment and business community. If you're planning a special occasion and were looking for something a little differant, I highly recomend him.

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Commercial Photography Shoot

I am completely snowed under at the moment so apologies for the lack of entries on the blog. Here's a shot of a fantastic kitchen that I was asked to photograph last week. It always seems strange to shoot inanimate objects, they don't laugh at my best lines .....

The kitchen was built from scratch by en-masse interiors. It always completely amazes me how someone can take a drawing and raw materials and make something so stunning as this. Dave Conlon (Director) has a fantastic talent, I highly recommend his work which not only includes residential but shop fittings and coffee shops etc. Watch this space for more of his work.

The image is low res to make it easier for the web page to load but believe me the attention to detail is second to none. Every vertical line is completely straight (not an easy task to complete I am told).

On another note the Colchester Gladiators had a fantastic win at home against the ex league leaders (Norwich Devils) so Colchester now go to the top. halfway through the season but all to play for, check out their next game here www.colchestergladiators.com .

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Pre wedding Shoot

I always offer a pre wedding shoot to any couple who contact me about shooting their wedding. There are several reasons for this but the main one is to get to know the couple and see what sort of people they are (and how far I can take them).

Recently I shot this couple Sharon and Adam (on the left), it took about 30 minutes but was a very worthwhile excercise. We got to know each other and they now get to see my work before deciding to book me and paying any money. Works best for both groups.

You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive (well most people wouldn't anyway) so why not test drive your chosen photographer? I have nothing to hide and it also helps to realise why there's a differance in the prices people charge. Of course it's not always practical to do a pre wedding shoot (especially if the couple are living in another country) but whenever possible I always do.

Any way if you want to check out some of the images from the shoot click here pre wedding photographs. There are great couple with a real cute little one. I know shootingtyhere wedding will be fun!

Oh by the way the England game was due to be played that afternoon hence the patriotic clothing.

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Lifestyle Photography

Apologies for not keeping the blog updated as regular as normal. I'm right in the middle of silly season with weddings / bahmitzvahs / christenings etc happening and all whilst the world cups going on.

Talking about the world cup I rather smugly thought i had managed to put off any work that may mean me missing any of the england games. Whilst chesking through my diary the other day I discovered to my horror if England win the group I have a booking for the sunday they are due to play!!

The young lad you see in the pic is part of a family i photographed back in Febuary. He was so full of fun and charector. See for yourself I believe he could get a job on the stage or acting if that is what he decides he wants to do. We all had a great day out and although it was windy at the time we managed to get some great shots.

So roll on Tuesday and Englands next game, in a strange way it would be better for me if Sweden beat England. The footballs been getting to everyone, i even heard a rumour that the queen was watching with interest!

Saw the trooping of the colour this morning, makes you proud to be British!

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Colchester Gladiators

Sunday saw the Colchester Gladiators travel to Crawley to play the Sussex Thunder. The day started bad when key players couldn't make the journey for various reasons and Colchester were informed they couldn't wear their blue strip.

The day was blistering hot and water was being consumed by the litre, and that was just the supporters.

Although Colchester put on a brave fight in hard conditions it was not enough to stop their first loss of the season. Of course I took loads of images which you can see here . I was trying out a mirror lens for some of the shots and whilst it gave the reach needed the quality was pretty poor to say the least.

For anyone who fancies a day out watching the team check out their web site www.colchestergladiators.com.

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Secret New Pro Camera from Canon

A friend sent me this picture of the new top secret Pro camera body from Canon. It would appear to have some new and interesting features built in of which no other manufacturer (to my knowledge) offers.

Not being a canon user it doesn't bother me but I wonder how many sub menus the gin / coke menu might have, with ice without ice diet or full fat.

I'll stick to Nikon for now thanks.

On a more serious note I heard from another photographer that film was becoming hard to get hold of. I ordered some yesterday and it arrived today! The rumors are very wrong I spoke on the phone to the people who supply my film and they explained the reason some companies were taking so long in delivering film was because they buy it through the channel islands and thus avoid the tax. What this means to the consumer is you have to wait for the particular order to arrive. If you want fantastic service when it comes to ordering film go here mailshots they have never let me down and there speed is second to none.

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Advertising - don't bother calling me!!

O.K. so here's the deal, if you are one of the UK's online business directories (of which there are 90 million 100 thousand according to google) . Unless you can tell me how a customer will find your site amongst the 90million + sites that there are and then find me in the 100 or so photographers (that you have taken money from under false pretences) DON'T call me. Whilst we're on the subject the local online directories for my home town (of which Googles says there are 292,000 for Braintree) just because you only take a limited amount of people who you think are of the right caliber (incidentally if you have done that how come you haven't seen any of my work?) from each profession doesn't make it any easier for someone to find you / me in fact technically it's harder. I feel genually sorry for anyone who pays these sites for a link the only thing you are doing is throwing money away. Yes I am listed on a few business directories but I can promise you I haven't paid for any of them.

Lets face it 90,100,000 (UK only) sites before they even come to the photographer section, I'd have better odds of winning the lottery.

If you are in business no matter what it is take a good look at advertising because I promise you one thing 90% of it no longer works! Have you noticed how the T.V. adverts are getting cheaper? Smaller firms now advertising on the T.V? That's because the big boys have realised that nobody watches the adverts (with very few exceptions) and have stopped which in turn forces prices lower and enables smaller firms to step in.

Oh and another thing an even bigger waste of money is newspaper and magazine advertising! Unless it is aimed at your specific market instead of placing adverts just burn the money, it's just as effective, in fact no instead of that send it to me instead.

I feel better now but it's annoying to answer the phone to someone selling advertising when I'm in the middle of something. Let's face it if my marketing wasn't working you wouldn't have found my phone number. I rest my case .....

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