BritBowl 2011, Crystal Palace

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London Blitz Players celebrate their win

  This weekend saw the end of the British American football league season, the best teams in the respective divisions all headed for the nations capital to fight out for their respective national championships.  The top of the bill saw the London Blitz take on the London Warriors* (not the South Wales Warriors who would later win the Div 2 championship).

The finals have moved around the country over the last 6 years, but having the finals in London this year certainly seems to have paid off.  I've bee for the last five years and I believe the numbers for this year where at least double the norm.

To add to the drama Vernon Kay of TV fame (family fortunes, etc) played for the Warriors as safety.  One of the funniest moments happened when Vernon was flagged for a late hit and the quick thinking commentator played the sound bit used on family fortunes for a wrong answer making the crowd roar with laughter. 

Vernon Kay collects his losers medal

 The game finished 18-0 to the Blitz and was an excellent advert for the game for any neutral who made the effort. The Warriors never seemed to be able to get their offence moving and were punished by the hard hitting Blitz defence for every mistake. 

Whilst Crystal Palace is no where near what a great stadium should be it was adequate and hopefully the powers in charge will keep the finals in London.   



*The London Warriors were previously know as the London Cobras but after threatening legal action were allowed to take the name warriors, meaning there are now two warrior teams in the senior league.

Stixx Senior portraits, Baton Rouge, Denham Springs

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Something that is common in America (so I'm learning) is for school leavers to have a selection of photographs taken as a reminder of a certain moment in time.  These are known as senior pictures.  This was all new to me but having discussed with Taylor (her friends call her Stixx) I was confident i could put my own twist onto what was expected.

We started out in the Louisiana State capital (Baton Rouge) and used a little coffee shop I'd stopped in when we came down for Mardi Gras at the start of the year.  I remember thinking what a cool little place it would be for a shoot so when we decided on Baton Rouge I new where I wanted to start. 

I also new where there was an old bank vault very close to the coffee shop that I had seen that was just screaming out to be used in a shoot.  As you can see from the images on the blog and the video below we had some real fun.

The next location was next to the river where I'd scouted underneath a bridge which gave a really cool unusual overhead background.  Close by there was some nice long grass and some logs all making excellent photography props and backgrounds.




You can download this video to itunes by clicking this link.  You can then add it to an i-phone or video i-pod and have it with you wherever you go.

We visited a few other places in Baton rouge but then unfortunately it began to rain.  However we we decided that if we were going to get wet we might as well go for it so Stixx had fun splashing around in the water fountains outside the museum.

Because the rain had cut us short the day before we had arranged to meet up again the next day this time in old Denham Springs an areas rich with antiques and old styled shop fronts full of colour (British spelling) and excitement.

We were so lucky that Hollyn of the Pin-Up Parlour hairdressers allowed us to take some pictures in her shop and use it as a base so Stixx could get changed. We spent another three + hours finding fun places to shoot.   

All in all an excellent fun couple of days!!

Family Portraits in New Jersey

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I've been sitting on this slideshow for a while now.  The photographs were actually taken back in February but were part of a gift for Jobeth and George.  The whole family recently went on a cruise which where the pictures were shown publically for the first time so it's now safe for it to be added to the blog.


I had an incredible fun time meeting everybody and it's amazing how many points of interest are within just a short 45 minute drive ..... ;0)


You can download the above slideshow via i-tunes by clicking this link.  You can then add it to any video i-pod, i-phone or i-pad to be watched at your convenience.

Bay of St Louis Family Portrait Session, Louisiana

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OK so it's kinda warm over here in Louisiana, especially if you used to the the English summers of grey skies and rain.  So when the suns shining and it's hot where else would anyone rather be than on the beach.

I photographed young baby Presley when she was just 14 days old ( click here to see the newborn baby slideshow).  Now she's grown a little it was time for a few more pics with mum + dad, grandparents and great grand parents.


You can see a few of the images above in the slideshow and if you wish download the slideshow via i-tunes by clicking this link. You will then be able to add it to any video i-pod, i-phone or i-pad, so you'll always have it with you.

 As you can see from the images we all had a great time and even managed to go for a paddle in the sea.  Great times

Julie and Daves Pre Wedding Images, Braintree

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Isn't it amazing how time flies?  Six years ago I photographed Julies sisters wedding, 6 YEARS!! Was it really that long ago?  It's always a fantastic pleasure to catch up with old clients and find out how their families are doing.  This weekend I met up with Julie, Dave and Julies parents at their house in Braintree as we discussed their plans for their upcoming wedding.


As always I offer all my couples a free pre wedding shoot so I can see how they are infront of the lens and also as an excuse to have some fun.  As you can see in the slideshow below we had a good laugh throughout the shoot.   Such a fun couple and so easy to work with, I have a feeling their wedding will be spectacular!!


If you wish you can download Julie and Daves slideshow via i-tunes by clicking this link.  It can then be added to a video i-pod or i-phone meaning you can show your friends anytime.

I'm in the Memory Preservation Business

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I once heard a photographer describe what he did for a living.  Instead of a long winded description of what he did he simply said "I'm in the memory preservation business".  I can't think of a better way of describing what I do, and the importance was brought home to me again this week when I was asked by mother if I could rescue an old photograph of my Nan and Grandad (see above on the right of the image).  Photograph restoration isn't my normal line of work but you can't work in this industry without learning your way around photoshop, so I think the above finished picture turned out ok.  Although I'm torn if I should add a sepia tone just to age the image.

We are constantly reminded of the importance of memory protection after national disasters.  Time after time we see distraught families returning to their destroyed homes and the one thing they bring out of the wreckage are their photographs.  The 50 Inch TV and the Louis Vuitton hand bag are all replaceable, the photographs are not. 

Photographs are one of our only links with the past and our own personal histories.  Whatever you do make sure your memories are protected in the best way you can.  One things for certain, you'll never have another chance to capture today. 
 

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

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There are several things that New Orleans is famous for but probably the top of the list has to be Mardi Gras.  The origins stem back to the religious idea of giving up things for lent, traditionally prior to giving up things people would party (to make the best of it whilst they could) and gradually over time the mardi gras parades were formed.  Very few people give up something for lent these days, but there's no reason the parties can't take place.

What I hadn't realised was that Mardi Gras takes place over a whole week and throughout the whole of Louisiana.  Most towns have their own parades but it's in New Orleans that everyday massive parades thread through the streets with hundreds of thousands of people watching as and the people on the incredible floats throw beaded necklaces.  Its really strange that it's almost impossible to attend a parade and not shout out for the beads, on the floor there are hundreds of the necklaces but the act of actually catching the beads is what it is all about.  

Many of the locals bring along ladders to give them a height advantage, but in truth all they offer is a higher view, if the aim is catching beads that's easily achieved from the floor.  All in all Mardi Gras is an incredible time and I feel sure it won't be the last time I experience it.

You can see a slide show of some of my images from two of the Sunday parades below.  Again you can download this or any other of my slideshows via i-tunes by clicking this link and then add it to your video i-pod/i-phone.

Colonel Rogers Promotion Party, New Jersey, USA

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It takes exceptional ability and leadership to be promoted in the US Army to the rank of Colonel, so on the rare occasions it happens its something that is often celebrated by the officers friends and families.

I was honoured to be asked to photograph Stephanie's day and also to capture some family images which will be uploaded at a later date.

The day started with Stephanie preparing her uniforms and various family members visiting at her parents house.

The trip to where the party was to take place took a "New Jersey 45 minute drive" which I was to discover several times over the weekend could be anything between 30 minutes and an hour and a half.  When we arrived there were plenty of people already there.


The actual military presentation of the rank was a short part of the day with a short reading.  Stephanie's, dad then placed the Colonel badge of rank on her uniform and her mother, sister and brother added the rank to her dress uniform and cap.


With the formalities out of the way it was time for everyone to eat the excellent buffet meal that had been provided and carry on the conversations as Stephanie did the rounds and visited every table being an excellent host.


You can see a short slide show of some of the images from the day by clicking play below.  You can also download Stephanie's slideshow via i-tunes by clicking here, allowing you too add it to a video i-pod or i-phone.

Rayna, Tyler and Hannah, Lifestyle Photographs Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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Over the last few weeks i've had the real pleasure of getting to know the three little ones pictured above.  We've played football (soccer) in the garden and struggled with homework in the evenings but every moment has been a joy.

The images in the slidehow below were taken over a couple of days at the Louisiana State University (LSU) and the Louisiana state capital building in Baton Rouge. 

The slideshow below can be downloaded via i-tunes by clicking this link and can then be added to your video i-pod / i-phone.

New Born Baby Presley's Photo Shoot

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Its always really special to be the first to photograph a newborn baby.  Baby Presley here was just 14 days old when we took these pictures and her mum and dad were absolute stars throughout the whole shoot with a constant hand in rocking her between pictures, feeding burping etc.

As is often the case young Presley was a little camera shy and it was over an hour before we got the first image.  This is not unusual and is why i tell people booking me to photograph their newborn baby to allow between three and four hours.  

Its the case in this area that everyone (and i mean everyone) loves their football and especially the New Orleans Saints, so we had a little fun dressing her up in Saints colours and giving her a football helmet to hold.

If you watch the video below you can see some more image.  You can also download the video from i-tunes by clicking this link, you can then add it to your i-phone or video i-pod and watch it when you want to.

I love these shoots but PLEASE if you are wanting me to photograph a new born be aware, these types of photographs can only be taken in the very first days of babys life (the first two weeks).  Don't miss a once in a lifetime opportunity through poor organisation, drop me an e-mail if you need any more info.

Maegan & Franks Wedding, la Maison Creole, New Orleans, Louisiana

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Sometimes I forget how lucky I am and how much I love to take photographs and as a result I've had some pretty incredible opportunities.  I'm lucky enough to have travelled the world and photographed in some incredible locations.





Last weekend was one of those incredible wedding days.  Frank and Meagan had chosen to marry at the fantastic wedding venue "La Maison Creole" in New Orleans and I was honoured to be asked to capture their day.

New Orleans is famous for many things but probably top of the list are its infamous Mardi Gras parties.  

Maegan and Frank's whole wedding theme was "Mardi Gras" based and incorporated the three mardi gras colours of gold purple and green which realy helped set of the photographs.

I also encountered a new tradition i'd never seen at a wedding before.  It was based around the cake (check out Frank and Maegans incredible cake in the slide show above).   The base of the cake has strings attached and the single ladies each take one.  On the command they all pull and at the end of each string is a small pendant that signifies various things, I love discovering new ideas and traditions and this wedding was packed full of them.

There are so many happy highlights from the day but one of the most touching parts was when Maegans grandfather sang to her and her new husband, a very touching and heartfelt moment in time, not a dry eye in the house.


You can watch a short selection of their images in the slideshow above.  You can also download this slide show via i-tunes by clicking this link.  You can then add it to your i-phone / i-pod and have it with you wherever you go.

Business talk at Central High School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

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OK confession time.  I haven't added anything to the blog for about a month and that's really bad.  However in my defence I had a lot of work to get finished before I flew out to Louisiana to photograph Maegan and Franks wedding in New Orleans last Saturday (pics to follow soon).  I've been busy since I landed a couple of weeks ago and have another six weeks work intermingled with fun before I have to return to the UK, It's times like this I realise I truly do have the best job in the world. But I fully intend on adding more stuff on here over the next few weeks.

Today I did something totally new.   I had the honour of being asked to talk about my business and the way I work to various high school classes at the Central High School near Baton Rouge.  This was a real treat and an honour for me.  It's not unusual for me to be asked to talk to groups before but previously these have been businessman or other photographers so to talk to students at the start of the professional lives was a real treat and I hope they took away some ideas they can use in a positive way in their own chosen professions..

Not all (in fact very few) of the students had much of an interest in photography as a career choice so I aimed the majority of my talk to be general business ideas and centred the whole talks about two things.  Being remarkable and the advantages it can bring and finally the ways of achieving excellence in the eyes of clients.

I always find when I teach I learn a few things myself,  today they included, the English accent in America is a great advantage, the TV show Glee isn't a totally accurate view of real life in an American high school and teenagers throughout the world are pretty much the same, with the same worries, concerns and thoughts.


All in all a fascinating day and I must say a huge thank you to Miss Phenald and all her classes  today for listening to my talk, and their interesting and often searching in-depth questions. 

Harrison's Barmitzvah Party at Stock Brook Country Club in Billericay, Essex

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Harrison and friends celebrate his Barmitzvah at Stock Brook Country Club

This Sunday I was honoured to be asked to photograph Harrison's Barmitzvah party at the Stock Brook country club near Billericay in Essex.  I knew it was going to be a great party when I heard, the band was to be the excellent "mixed feelings", in my opinion one of the top party bands in the country and as you can see on their website here, highly sort after.

Despite the weather being extremely cold outside (we were later to receive our first snow of the winter) the party inside was in full swing, with some excellent speeches, and great music all being kept in smooth running order under the watchful eye of the excellent toastmaster Robert Persell.

Harrison and his brother Max, get in to the party with the band "Mixed feelings"

 An excellent evening enjoyed by everyone in attendance (especially me), just as parties should be!

Alexia and Pauls Pre wedding photographs, Colchester, Essex

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This weekend I took the trip over to meet up with Alexia and Paul in Colchester who had recently got engaged and plan to marry in the summer of 2012.  We had a great chat about their day and possible ideas that could happen.

We then took a short drive to Friday woods were we took a few photographs.  We timed it pretty well as it was probably the only time over the weekend when it wasn't raining althought it was very muddy underfoot (which added to the fun).
 
You can see a selection of the images we captured on the slideshow below.  You can also download this (and other) slideshows via i-tunes by clicking this link.  you can then add them to your i-phone or i-player so you always have them available to show anyone who may be interested.

I always try and do a pre wedding / engagement shoot for any couples that contact me when they're considering me as their photographer.  I find it helps everyone involved, the couple so they have an idea of me and how I work and me as I can get used to the couple and see what they want and how far I can push them.  It's like taking a test drive before you have to make a decision as to who you want to photograph your big day and best of all its completely free, drop me a line if you think you may be interested.

Photographing the NFL in London (American Football)

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Frank Gore celebrates a touchdown in front of the NFL Wembley crowd

49ers mascot in front of Nelsons Column

If you know me or have read this blog over the last few years you'll know that my other passion is American football.  I watch and photograph many British games all over the country.  I've also travelled across to the states several times to watch games from high school, college and pro leagues (Geaux LSU, Geaux Saints).

Well this past weekend the NFL came to London for it's fourth year in a row, every year the tickets for Wembley stadium sell out regardless of which teams are chosen to play.  Every year i've gone along and watched and loved every minute but this year was different.  This year I would achieve an aim I'd long harboured as a pro photographer to photograph the game from the sidelines.


During the day on Saturday the NFL had hired out Trafalgar Square and set up a huge party for all the fans of the NFL.  Luckily for me as a professional photographer i was allowed in the bear pit in the front of the stage giving excellent access for some great shots.  During the day some incredible people and acts took to the stage including, Roger Goodell (NFL commissioner), Jerry Rice (hall of fame player), the Gold Rush cheerleaders, American rapper, Asher Roth, dance group Flawless, 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary and FHM's hottest woman on the planet Marrisa Millar (sometimes being a photographer can be real hard work).

So having spent an incredible day in the city centre it was time to head back to the Green man hotel where the evening festivities were due to  start.  The Great British Tailgate Party (GBTP) at the Green man started around 7pm with the hilarious and ever popular snail racing, much fun was had by all in attendance and many friendships were made / renewed.

Martin Wilmott (that's me) centre stage with the Gold rush cheerleaders at the NFL fan rally, Trafalgar Square

 All too soon Sunday had arrived and with it had come rain.  Thoughts of the first NFL game in London came to mind when a newly laid Wembley pitch couldn't stand up to the heavy rain and hard pounding American football game rendering it a complete mess.  Little did i kn ow at the time but as i was soon to find out the Wembley playing surface has been completely replaced with what they call a 3% synthetic mix.  It's supposed to be that only 3% of the turf is artificial, I don't know the exact measurements but it looked more like the other way round.  If you look at some of my pictures here on my facebook page, you'll notice that there's no mud or grass on the players and the only stains on their uniforms have come from the paint on the field.  Let's just say if you were a cow on the field you'd very quickly starve to death.

San Francisco's Anthony Dixon attempts to make Eddie Royals head look backwards (an illegal tackle)

So about two hours before kick off i head down to Wembley sign in and get my official NFL photographers vest with my unique number printed on the back.  I later found out that the number is used to identify anyone breaking the rules so they can be asked to leave.  I was escorted into the photographer office (which involved sharing a lift with Jerry rice) where two separate rooms of desks were filled with photographers from all over the world with their laptops plugged in sending their images to the worlds newsdesks.


The game kicks off and the crowd roars, I've never experienced anything like 80,000+ people screaming their appreciation at me from the top of their lungs (and perhaps some other stuff going on inside inside the stadium) but it felt good.  All too soon the game came to a close, and I realised I hadn't been watching the game like i normally would do.  I was so concentrating on shutter speeds, apertures, and getting the framing right the game had blurred.  Having said that I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


At the very end of the game all the payers / coaches meet in the middle of the field to shake hands and wish each other luck, as a photogarpher this is a heaven sent opportunity not to be missed allowing close up access to the players not available during play.

Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos talks to San Francisco's Taylor Mays at the end off the game

My final shot is again proof that it's not all hard work working as a photographer, an image i'm gonna be dining out on for years to come.  Well, when this many good looking ladies ask to have their photograph taken with me I just had to oblige ;0)

Family Lifestyle Portrait Session, Wivenhoe, Essex

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About a week ago, I travelled over to the Essex college in Wivenhoe where I'd arranged to meet up with Steve, Heidi and young Joseph for a lifestyle portrait session.

It was a real fun afternoon and young Jospeh certainly kept us all on our toes all day, he's got the cutest smile ever and is full of energy.  However he didn't quite get the idea that the bread he was given was supposed to be for the ducks, prefering to eat it himself instead.

 You can see a short slideshow of some the images from the shoot below.  You can also download the slideshow via itunes by clicking here.  You should then be able to add it to your i=phone or video i-pod.

Naomi and James Wedding, Elmstead Market, Colchester

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One thing about being a wedding photographer in Essex is every location is different.  Unlike when working in London there is often large rural areas that if the weather is kind and with a little bit of effort can help in creating some real memorable images.

Naomi and James got married at a small little church near Naomi's parents house in Elmstead market where Naomi and her bridesmaids got ready.   The whole day went without a hitch and was very enjoyable for everyone who came.


One of my favourite detail shots was this one of Naomis shoes on the piano, I was later told by Naomi that his piano had been a gift to her Grandfather and Grand mother on their wedding day which helps to make the image even more special.

You can see a selection of images from their wedding day on the slideshow below.  you can also download this show via i-tunes and then add it to an i-phone or i-pod by clicking here.

BritBowl 2010

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If you've followed this blog for a while you'll know in my free time I like to watch American football.  Well this weekend was the culmination of the years efforts and the best teams in the country gathered at the sixways stadium in Worcester for their respective finals.

The finals stretched over the whole weekend and covered flag and full contact from cadet (7 and up) through junior, youth and senior.  I must say it was a joy to see the youngsters playing flag American football in the stadium, the look on their faces showed what it meant to them.

The big game was of course the senior leagues kitted final which was played on the Saturday evening between the Coventry Jets and the London Blitz.  The final was a lot closer than many had thought it would be with some incredible plays on both sides of the ball throughout the game. The final result was London Blitz 34 - Coventry Jets 20.  Unfortunately due to me having arranged to meet someone on the Sunday (who didn't turn up) I couldn't stay for the second days events but I'm sure it ran as smoothly as the first day.  All in all an excellent weekend of American football.

Hannah and Dylans Wedding in Peldon, Colchester

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I've just got back from showing Hannah and Dylans their images from their fantastic wedding.  I first met Hannah and Dylan back in March when we talked about their day then took a few pictures (link to their pre wed shoot) .

Having had such fun on that day I had no doubt their wedding day would be a real fun event and it certainly was.  The church (St. Mary the Virgin) was just a few minutes away from Hannah's parents house (where the party was to be held), so the pressure of getting lost was non existent taking away something that can be a major stress, I did raise a smile when I mentioned to a nervous Dylan at the alter that the girls were going to be late cause the sat nav had gone wrong.

The ceremony was ministered by Dylans uncle so it really was a tight family service.  After a few pictures at the church it was time to head back to the marquee set up in the garden.

 The evening couldn't have been any better with some fantastic food, top notch speeches and a band that really rocked the house (well marquee).  A truely magical day and an honour to have photographed.