Tuesday 30 June 2009

Steven Wells is dead.

I have just learned Steve Wells is dead. Wells, or Swells as he was known, was best known for his writings in the NME, if memory serves me well he was Editor for a while.
Before Swells joined the NME he worked as a 'ranting poet' supporting Paul Weller and the Jam on tour with Attilla the Stockbroker. Attilla, John as I know him, used to put together Punker Bunker here in Brighton with the likes of TV Smith and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, and on one occassion I was fortunate enough to photograph them all. Not sure that Swells was there that night at Concorde, but I used to read Swells avidly, for his barbed, intelligent remarks and pot shots aimed at a complacent England.
I cannot believe he has gone. RIP Swells.

Read Johns/Atillas remarkably moving tribute to Swells here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Attila-the-Stockbroker/20550602416?ref=s#/note.php?note_id=104993261569&ref=mf

Swells was followed by Barbara Ellen who, despite being a decent broadsheet writer now, couldn't follow Swells. No-one could. Swells was Swells. After Swells left NME as Editor I never enjoyed it as much and soon stopped reading it atogether. He passed away a couple of days before Glastonbury. Shit man he would have loved The Specials on Friday night.

Heatwave, at last!

Summer's definately here at last!

Last night, early evening, I spent driving around some of the lovely old villages of Sussex, just clear my head and get away from the keyboard! It's truly lovely out there, under the edge of the Devils Dyke, east of Burgess Hill, it is stunning. Poynings, Fulking, (no I am not swearing) Edburton, a lovely string of villages along the huge slopes and hills of the Dyke. I went of in search of poppy fileds, not to much avail. It might still be too early. Some summers it is as though the fields themselves run with blood.

I am running one of the landscape photography courses this saturday with a small group, one place remaining if anyone is interested, and again on the 19th July. See more hrere www.WeddingPhotographyWorld.co.uk and click on courses in the main menu. It is going to be v hot, so lots of water and suncream will be essential.

I thoroughly enjoyed BBC4's run on female photograpehrs at the weekend, Linda McCartney's work in particular, and her comments on Hendrix cover on Electric Lady Land that he had asked her to create for him before the record company in Europe usurped his won wishes with the more widely known image it was released with. I would have liked to have seen more on Jane Bown though.

Having had my apetite wet i've been spending more time out with the camera this week, even in this heat, early morning or early evening is best. The light by 11am is too harsh and stays that way until gone 5pm, by 6pm those lovely long summer shadows are emerging and by 7pm everything is bathed in a lovely deep orange overglow. Wonderful days. The Nikon D40 is holding up well, a little plastiky for my liking at times, but small and lightweight, ideal in so many ways, simple functions, Nikon's build quality and good versatility. Still love the old F90x though.....film remains close to my heart despite the alluring and cost effective digital era, film images once printed are simply better, especially monochrome, using a master printer.

Dont forget to drink lots of water folks!

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Courses and updates, wedding service providers.

Hi, This week it looks as though rain will disrupt planned courses. I had planned to be out on Saturday, but Friday and Saturday are set to be 'wash outs' on the south coast of England, despite a glorious day today.
The next course is planned for 4th July if you would like to join us, get in touch.

We have also developed a specialist page on the site for Wedding Planners, particularly Destination Wedding planners, as well as for planners in the Destination locations. We have seen a recent upsurge in visits so it is possible markets and economies are recovering. It has been a difficult year, to say the least, so I hope this is a sign that young couples being are beginning to find confidence in the short term future again, and feel able to plan weddings again. Whilst we have continued to receive visits and enquries from across the globe like other markets we are considerably down on this time last year. I guess it is difficult to plan a future under such economic uncertainty; the setting down of deposits for future events, with balances to pay in the future, comes starkly into focus when there is little certainty that current employment will still be there the following week, let alone the next month.
The enquiries we are receiving have substantial budgets so there is hope that the upsurge in visitors again will see a strong upturn in enquiries through the remainder of 2009 and 2010 also. Either way, we are extremely wellplaced for when the recovery does emerge, to be even more successful than we have been already. Our strength comes from knowing, understanding and delivering within niche markets, providing unique services and being prepared to liase with, and be a point of contact for site visitors, in an area of life they have lots of excitement about, but also lots of uncertainties and almost next to know experience of. By offering our services, and by being at the end of the phone, we are almost unique in the world as a point of reference, as well as providing some of the finest photographers in the world for them to choose from; as well as experts in the field, planners and organisers in many chosen regions and locations, for local or destination weddings. If I was in the couples shoes, I would most certainly want our services out there; this is the basis for our strength, future growth and platforms for photographers and planners, as well as couples, for now and for the future. See more here http://www.weddingphotographyworld.co.uk/

If you run a Venue for Destination weddings see our destination wedding venue site at http://www.weddingvenuesworld.com/

Friday 19 June 2009

Course dates

Two new photography course dates set; 27 June and 4 July, both likely to be oversubscribed but dont panic Mr Mannering, there'll be another along shortly. Much of July will be dedicated to delivering courses, which even if I say so myself, have become highly polished, so there!
Got a camera? Cant understand the front end from the rear? Do F-stops and shutter speeds remain alien, unconquerable concepts? Then get ahead, get on our course. :)

See details here www.WeddingPhotographyWorld.co.uk and click on courses in the main menu.

Plaxo Groups Wedding Professionals.

Dear All,

Just to alert you to,and to invite you all, to take advantage of our current offers on http://www.weddingphotographyworld.co.uk/
These exist for both Wedding Photograhers, wedding planners/organisers and hoteliers. The Plaxo groups are invited to take full advantage and gain the highest listings before these opportunities are offered to the wider wedding professionals communities out there. The site has had over 160,000 visitors relating to weddings and destination weddings and it is our estimation as economies recover visitors numbers will rise even faster, so come and get a profile whilst rates are at there best.

Jim Gordon
Director

Thursday 18 June 2009

Thursday 11 June 2009

Wild wild day on the Coast.

Not long in from an exhausting day running a photography course on the south Downs and Brighton seafront. The wind was relentless, it's supposed to be June, not January! Lovely though, al the same, white horses on the Chanel and crashing waves on the stone beach. The chap I was training with today, Frasier, is off to Afghanistan in August for a 6 month tour of duty. I seriously think I need to offer a reduced price for service personnel in these times especially.

On a completely different front, it looks as JG Barcelona hotel are about to start advertising with us on www.WeddingPhotographyWorld.co.uk Barcelona is a wonderful City and one of those obvious Destinations often overlooked. It is not only a wonderfully artistic City hosting Picasso's, Miro's and Dali's amongst so many others, it is a heck of alot cheaper than both Tuscany and Provence, both of which can be over-run with tourists at this time of year. The country side to the north of Barcelona andsouth of Girona, is not that different to Tuscany and offers plenty of sprawling famhouses for you and youe wedding guests too. With a back drop of the Pyrenes stradling the French/Spanishborder I just dont understand why it is so often overlooked as a superb wedding destination. A wonderful part of the world with enigmatic and interesting people, architecture, art and culture. Put it on your short list!

Friday 5 June 2009

New Destination Weddings forum

Hi All,

This is the address of our new forum for couples and brides seeking information on Destination Weddings. http://mydestinationwedding.proboards.com/index.cgi Come and say hi. Please respect the simple rules, you can post your business address in your Signature but please do not post in the thread unless it is in direct answer to a bride seeking services you know of or provide. The purpose is to provide a resource for the whole community; all are welcome and I hope in time it will become somewhere couples will use to find the information they need for their Destination Wedding.

Jim

Worldwide Wedding professionals and Planners sought

Hi All,

http://www.weddingphotographyworld.co.uk/ is a referral site for Destination wedding photographers.
Now we have an excellent profile in the wedding business I am seeking wedding planners internationally, Stateside, Europe, Australia, Asia, to join with us as a resource for our visitors. 160,000 visitors over the last couple of years and up to 1000 visitors in a day during the busiest periods in the year, we have linked couples to wedding photographers right across the globe.

We are now looking to extend the use of our services for visitors, and invite all Wedding Planners and professionals to come and join with us. An advert lasts for 12 months, is currently reduced from£199 down to just £99 whilst we recruit, and with a low UK pound this is a superb opportunity for all.

I look forward to seeing you joining with us shortly.

Thursday 4 June 2009

Wedding Photography World

All UK based wedding photographers can now join us for reduced rate in 2009 for 12 months for just £50, reduced from £99. This includes both an advert in the county or region section and the referral service, whereby brides input there details to us via the site and we forward the enquiries to subscribing wedding photographers for that region to respond to.
We receive up to 1000 visitors in a day during the busiest periods and there have now been 160,000 visitors to the site.
We have patchy coverage in certain UK areas and are specifically seeking wedding photographers in the Newcastle and Northumbria areas, northwest, Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and Yorkshire, as well as Norfolk, north Wales and the south west, Devon, Cornwall, Dorest and Avon including Bristol specifically.
Once a good network of wedding photographers exists across the UK normalpricing will resume,and we also welcome photographers from Scotland, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Borders, Highlands and Norther Ireland to join us too.