If you missed part one: it’s here. And on into the second half of the year, from trumpets to huskies.
You have to love a prop on a PR shoot. Getting lucky with the sought-after Shad Thames location, one of the most photogenic backstreets in London (nobody around at all – that never happens), and two actual shiny trumpets.
And wedding joy in Herefordshire, from family stories around the fire…
…to a Gothic-tinged double portrait of bride and groom (created in a barn, with just one small light). So often the simpler the set-up, the stronger the picture.
One of the big dangers in any creative field is being typecast. I take photos of people, and events – but also a LOT of other things. I am fond of saying that it’s good business sense to be known for one main thing, but to do much more as well. Capturing a sumptuous cocktail menu for Jimmy Garcia was a creative delight.
Turkey and Georgia in the summer: with the most astonishing timing, a flock of thousands and thousands of white storks flew over the Hagia Sophia on their annual migration…
…and from the surreal park on the top of Mt Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, a gilded cathedral in the very last light.
Probably the most memorable found moment on the streets of Tbilisi was a dulcimer musician from northern Iran – Majid Nazarli; music that cast a spell over watchers of all ages. Have a listen.
Happy smiles and happy tears: delight at an art school exhibition, and emotion at a gorgeous London wedding:
Ada Lovelace Day Live has been a regular feature for years now. Sadly, 2024 saw the last one, due to pressures on funding and sponsorship. One to remember though, with rubber ducks and clouds filling the Royal Institution. Suw, you created magic.
UX Brighton in November is always a great production, with an iconic venue and world-class speakers…
…one of whom put absolutely everything into his performance…
…but it was the photo caught in the faintest of light, preparing for this tour de force in the moments before his entrance, that I remember most.
The GROW London Summit had its retreat this year in Chelsea. A part of London I haven’t really explored enough. From an early morning start by the misty river…
….to the golden splendour of Lancaster House for a mixer dinner of entrepreneurs and some of the pillars of the London investment and scale-up ecosystem.
Possibly my favourite event picture of the year: Gavin is one of the most entertaining speakers I’ve seen on the circuit. He writes well, he prepares well, he performs well, he’s just an inspiration, frankly. And with a bit of luck on the wall design behind him, an electrifying image that a large chunk of the UK data nerd community loved this year.
The Royal Institution again, with keynote speaker Robin Ince gaining the dubious acclaim of now featuring in a record three of these yearly roundups.
One for the Gen Xers: DJ Pat Sharp, giving great photo as he prepares to oversee an event afterparty.
It was also the year of the last TrefBash. A party so iconic that the venue unveiled a brass plaque on the bar commemorating its presence. One for all ages…
…and a salutary reminder of the hazards of breathing near a confetti cannon.
A couple more dogs as we get into December: Ronan Keating and his dog Saint…
…and a gorgeous boy popped into the headshot studio during a corporate shoot.
And then to Estonia for a proper rest. I don’t always take a camera on holiday, for obvious reasons, but I was too tempted by the trees in a winter park…
…and the remnants of the Noblessner shipyard, now being eaten away at its southern fringes by new developments.
Finally, with a pleasing symmetry to the first selection of 2024, huskies again: going absolutely ballistic somewhere in the Estonian countryside, as they know they’re about to go walkies.
A great edit Paul, my particular favourite being the Gothic barn portraits!
Wishing you a great 2025!