After weeks of waiting and speculation, the results for the City Of Culture 2013 came in a few days ago with the news that Derry/Londonderry won the bid and the City Of Culture title. I lived in Derry when I was younger and my family are from there, so it kind of softened the blow Many congratulations!
Naturally there was some disappointment in Birmingham, but we seem to have very quickly gotten over that and recovered quickly and we are already making plans, with the word that the cultural events that were planned for 2013 will continue anyway.
I think the process of going through the bid procedure alone has been great for the city. It’s highlighted the cultural awareness of what is going on around us. We have tapped into creative talent and given it a space to bloom and I really hope that continues. The cultural creativity in this city is so vibrant and it deserves it shine.
I am proud to have played a part in Birmingham’s City Of Culture bid by organising a 4am Project event which was held at the Museums Collection Centre. This was part of the Birmingham 24 hour cultural blog. Thank you to the City Council for their support in making this event happen, and to Cllr Martin Mulaney for writing and speaking about the 4am Project too.
Birmingham may not have won the title, but we are still a City Of Culture. So let’s get on with getting creative and showing the world we have got to offer
“Mad dogs and English men go out in the midday sun”
Crikey, it was a scorcher on Friday in Birmingham!
I had a really fun day on this photo shoot for the PR company Cake.
Cake were touring the country promoting The Big Lunch. The Big Lunch was started by the Eden Project and is a lovely and very simple idea about getting together with your neighbours and having a lunch! It aims to bring communities together. How many of us know our neighbours? I know I don’t. That’s why I’m organising one where I live. If you would like to take part, you can see the lunches in your area here, or of course, you can start your own!
The amazing 3D street artist Kurt Wenner did the art work for the big lunch; A huge picnic blanket loaded with cakes, flans, sandwiches and more cakes!
I don’t know how Kurt did it, but his artwork was designed to spring into 3D on photographs with the use of a fish eye lens. I was delighted to hear this! I love my fish eye lens, and it was the first time it was specifically requested, a must, for a photography shoot. Yay!
My brief was to take some press shots early in the morning (using my lovely fish eye), and get them sent out to the press asap. Due to this, it mean I had no time to edit the pictures. I could only select the best ones and send them off. No tweaking, no cropping. They had to be perfect straight out of the camera. The challenge was met and my photos were whizzed out over the Internet.
The latter half of the day I changed lenses, so you will see a mixture on lenses on these images.
Everyone was in a great mood and lots of people were happy at my request to pose for photos.
Pretty in pink ( one of my favourite films btw!)
And check out this little star! She need no direction at all – she just walked on up and struck a pose!
I didn’t get this chaps name, but you can find him cycling up and down with his ice cream treats along New Street. He admitted it was a struggle cycling in such heat. I can imagine!
I couldn’t help but notice star in the making, Bobby Dazzler dancing along the square with his band of merry men and women with his new song blaring out from his stereo! He was out on the streets promoting his new football song. Now, I must admit, I can’t abide anything football related at the best of times but I’m slightly biased on this occasion at my friends Julia and Nat from Aquila TV were involved in directing and editing his video. Take a watch of it over on youtube! I think it’ll make you smile
Thank you to Birmingham City Council for giving me access to the balcony area on the Council House! Whoo. Great views! I’m going to try and stitch together some photos to make a big panoramic shot. If it works out I’ll put the results up
Despite me putting on factor 50 in the morning, I still caught the sun. I was rather hoping to go for the pale and erm, interesting look this summer haha.
The energy, good vibes, music and photo opportunities really made it all come together.
I don’t normally go night clubbing, much preferring something a bit more serene like a cocktail bar, but I really got into the whole Gatecrasher vibe making the photography job a delight. They say when you find a job you love, you’ll never do a days work again. I guess that’s what it’s like with my photography. I’m lucky do be able to work with my passion!
The photography brief came from a mobile phone company who provide a service whereby Gatecrasher night clubbers can buy their tickets in advice via their mobile phones. One of the benefits of buying tickets in advance this way is that clubbers don’t have to queue – they just get their phones scanned and walk right in.
The brief came in two parts; photographs of people getting scanned into the nightclub and close ups of their phones with their mobile tickets displays and then photographs inside the club.
As is my habit from time to time, I made a rough plan (that makes sense to me if no one else ) One bit of paper that I could whip out and refer to so I made sure I captured all the photograph I needed to. Slightly embarrassed about my scribbles haha. I will try and neaten up my hand writing for next time!
With so many party people, I had to employ a little crowd control at times. How come EVERYONE wants their photos taken when they have had a few drinks? There was certainly no camera shyness that night, but everyone was in good form and helped me get some great photographs.
And stepping inside the nightclub…….it’s actually pretty huge with about 5 bars/dance floor areas. I had a lot of leg work to do!
DJ Fedde Le Grande
And if you like a bit of music whilst viewing photographs…………
I’m thinking of blogging about nightclub photography covering camera settings, ambient lighting and the use of flash. Watch this space!
Many congratulations!
) One bit of paper that I could whip out and refer to so I made sure I captured all the photograph I needed to. Slightly embarrassed about my scribbles haha. I will try and neaten up my hand writing for next time!
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