Looking back at 2023 – part two

[You can find part one here if you missed it]

Part 2; and the usually quieter August wasn’t. Making it even more frustrating when EasyJet’s mass cancellation put paid to a summer holiday. Not ideal.

Fireworks are harder to photograph than you think, if there’s any smoke hanging in the air. So at an idyllic summer party, it was better to lean into the ethereal atmosphere…

Rowing has been a big escape this year. I do a lot of coxing, and was honoured to take the Buccaneer Ladies’ Crew for an outing on Bow Creek. Just a phone pic, but it shows why this exploration of London’s watery corners is so appealing.

Another publicity pic for the activity sessions at the Post Museum. I can’t think of any assignments that are more intensely hard work than crawling through the soft play and dodging wailing tots, but they’re always a delight to look back on.

As I’ve written before, making art for artists is always daunting. Great fun finding street-photography-style juxtapositions in the gallery though.

Up an Alp in September, with an Olympic track legend, to make films and pictures using Mont Blanc as a stunning backdrop.

Into October, and demonstrators scale the event venue, offering the opportunity of a very unusual angle…

My Californian friend Savvy paid a flying visit, and we did a quick park shoot, looking for something more surreal than normal commercial work.

A collaboration between a top chef and a top venue, this was my favourite ‘people’ moment before the food came out.

And as for the food itself; magical both in preparation and delivery…

At this Brighton conference, I spotted a baby as the audience came in. I checked, as I always do: “is it ok if they’re in the pics, or happier if I avoid?” – and with an enthusiastic yes, I was in a good place for this scene when it happened a couple of hours later.

The GROW Summit in November, and a chance to catch up with a lot of friends, find an amusing backdrop or two – and just as I was leaving, all packed up – a bit of City architecture with my phone, from the Lloyds lift.

Deep in the heart of government for a set of portraits to mark the appointment of one of the highest profile figures in the criminal justice system. You’ll be seeing more of him.

Awards season, and the ever-ebullient Production Music Awards, with these happy winners literally jumping for joy at the photo board.

The unmissable TrefBash in its usual venue; the ‘festival’ theme was one of the liveliest yet. A crowd who very much know how to party.

Getting lucky for a “whole team” shoot. These can be tricky, especially as teams grow to 3 figures, and generally need some sort of height differential to make them work. In south London drizzle, I couldn’t have been luckier to find two huge mounds in Elephant Park; one for them and one for me.

And finally: the cast of the West End smash hit of the year, Operation Mincemeat, about to unveil a plaque to a forgotten war hero. It’s a great story (and fantastic show) – you can read more about it here.