2023 was BUSY. More shoots (and video production) than in any previous year, with lots of new challenges and indeed new horizons. Christmas this year has been all about the sleep and giving some love to my kit.

A high-tempo start to the year, with a publicity shoot for Theatretrain. Making a huge class of kids all look great and engaged at the same time can take a lot of work, but this lot brought so much energy on the day…

David Hepher is an extremely eminent artist, famous for his large-scale urban landscapes of housing estates and tower blocks. At the Guildhall Art Gallery, I just had to play around a little with that high-rise aesthetic.

The Oscars nominees’ party in February brought another chance to “guess the winners”, and I asked these two for a picture together (cheering of course a couple of weeks later when the awards were announced).

Also a fabulous moment with Ke Quy Han enacting “The Photobomb of Inisherin”. Truly this man was a perfect example of living your best life.

For dogs lucky enough to fly on a private jet, the luxury doesn’t just begin at the reception desk. I greeted this lad on his way in, and I suspect this was also an example of living your best etc.

At a regular springtime gathering of US university alumni, these two brought delight to everyone by sharing quite the moment at a beautiful reception in Whitehall’s Banqueting House.

And up in Warwick I watched my son Ferdy absolutely nail his first operatic performance, taking the male lead in the university production of Manon.

May brought the Green Belt Relay. I’ve done this for a few years now, but chose new sections for 2023, looking for the lucky moments…

…including the announcement of a stage record being absolutely smashed.

Dogs. I just love photographing dogs. And more so when their owners have a sense of humour like this:

Into the tiny underground Post Office railway again, really getting to know by now all the sections where the light and the show make for the best excited faces.

And yes, on the runway again, with “Great Danes on a plane”.

The City of London teamed up with the legendary Duckie Events to put on a Pride Picnic in Finsbury Circus in July. A very laid-back crowd, and an atmosphere of colourful delight.

At the RIAT airshow, my main job was coverage of a client’s stand. But I kept an 800mm slung across my back as I walked across the site, and definitely got lucky here, as the Saudi display team roared above me.

Came across this guitarist earlier in the year, pushed into my feed by YouTube. Lucas Imbiriba lives in Brazil, but when I saw tickets for a last-minute tiny gig in London, I had to be there. I took a few pictures with the compact, out of sight of everyone, and he really liked this one. The internet can still be fun and surprising, hey?

A bit of unplanned street photography in July, with a nice moment outside the Harold Pinter Theatre.

And closing the first half of the year with another musician, this time at the Vortex Jazz Club in Dalston, courtesy of old mate David Miller. (Go to his midweek jams!). A nice bit of improvisation, this one, all slow shutter and the haze and the blur of some magical bass.

[You can find part two here]