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Oh the places you’ll go…

When I was a nipper, my mum would often read me a story before bed. Like any child – I loved story time. I always felt sorry for mum though – she would read to us religiously, every night without fail to help to get us off to sleep. And then, on the rare occasion dad was not working and was able to read to us, he would steal the show. With exaggerated voices, comedy internation and the ability to turn even the most simple Thomas The Tank story into a sinister cliff hanger, Pops was, undoubtedly, the story telling king.

We all had our favorites – my little Brother had a book called JCB-3CX which was, as you may have guessed, a very limp story about a very particular yellow JCB digger that could seemingly handle any task that was thrown at it. It was a terrible bore of a book, but Thad loved it. And if you tried to skip a page he would become most cross and ensure you went back over the parts you had ‘accidentally’ missed.

And I loved Dr Seuss. I especially loved it when dad read it to me (sorry mum!) Pops would bust out Green Eggs and Ham with the gusto and aplomb of a Laurence Olivier performance. I also adored Edward Lear’s The Quangle Wangle Qui.

Another Dr Seuss book I remember was Oh the places you’ll go, which we also had (expertly) read at our wedding by my wonderful friends Georgie and Jez. And it is oh so relevant as I sit here, 25 years later, typing on a laptop in Barbados a million miles from home.

Oh the places you’ll go…

Last week I got a call from our friends at Blue Sky Luxury, an amazing property management company out here in Barbados. They have recently overhauled ‘Bora Bora’ – an idyllic building split into two apartments…with an en-suite beach. Seriously – the beach is right there.

It is always wonderful to do something different with my camera, and although I love shooting weddings and lifestyle portraits, property shoots throw up their own challenges and enjoyment. Like most photography disciplines, it is very hard to do it well.

The challenge you face here in Barbados is getting the room bright enough so you can see it all, but the outside dark enough that you can enjoy the blue skies and perfect sea. Our eyes are amazing and can cope with these two contrasts – our cameras are not. As such you need your trusty friends. You need your flashes. And you need a crap load of them.

Essentially, your job is to balance the light between inside and outside, and if you get it right, you show the property in its best ermm…light. (Is that where the saying comes from?!)

I was really, really pleased with the shots; I hope it gets across just how wonderful these apartments are. If you fancy a trip over, I’m sure Blue Sky Luxury will be able to hook you up real nice, and if the apartment here isn’t glamerous enough, there are plenty more to choose from!

And just look at the sunset you will be treated to every day:

Thanks for reading guys – more piccies and adventures next week!

x

Also, as a side note, I have been hammering away at my book again, Cold Cuts. It is a gruesome crime thriller set around the canals of Britain, and I am really, really proud of it. I am hoping to have it finished by the end of May…If any of you fancy reading the first draft as and when it is ready, please let me know – I am hoping to offer it as a free download for my wonderful blog followers if that’s something that excites you? 🙂 xxx

February 9, 2013/9 Comments/by tech

Photography

Happy Birthday Paula!

Something a little different for you all this week. We have some BIRTHDAY SNAPS for you!

With all the craziness of work, an invitiation to our wonderful friend Paula’s (ahem) 50th couldn’t be missed. It was wonderful.

Hosted at the amazing Gunhill Signal Station, Sian and I had been there during the day, but we had never seen it at night. It is beautiful. I mean, crazy beautiful. Setup nearly four hundred years ago, the station had been positioned deliberately to allow the soldiers stationed there to look out over the country and see any potential invaders to the island. It could also see the four other signal stations around the island at any given time. This meant, that if they spotted anything untoward, they could raise a specific flag, which Gunhill would spot, and then relay the message onto the other towers. Genius.

As such, the place affords some amazing views, and at night it is even more magical.

Normally, when I shoot an evening reception, I have scouted the location beforehand and know what to expect. I also usually have my full kit bag, lenses, a tripod and my flash guns. For Paula’s birthday, I just took a 50mm prime, because we wanted to enjoy ourselves and not be burdened with all the kit.

As such, the photos relied on ambient light to get us through, which, I am afraid to say, was rather lacking! There were some fairy lights around the dance floor, so this is where I tried to take the majority of my shots.

Now, a little bit about Paula.

She is awesome.

In charge of the social networking and promotion of our hotel, I cannot think of a more perfect job for her. She is fun and bubbly and warm and glamorous…and like us, she has a big family, that she loves dearly.

It’s at things like this – parties, birthdays and such, that I always miss home a tad more. We are sociable people, and always enjoy a do with our families and friends. But even though we miss them, it is always such a privilege to be invited to something so special, all the way out here in Barbados.

Happy ~~50th~~ 35th Paula – it was wonderful to be able to share it with you!!!

See the pastry chefs got it wrong too 😉

Thanks for reading guys, and see you next week

Ferg

x

February 5, 2013/8 Comments/by tech

Photography, The Blogs

An engagement shoot. Simples.

Firstly, a happy new year to one and all – I hope you all enjoyed ending 2012 and beginning 2013 as much as we did. As you know, my folks were over, which was utterly amazing. I am working on a video on that one. But truth be told I have a horrible cold so wanted to share some pictures from a ‘save the date shoot’ I did with the wonderful Dan and Kelly a few days back.

Dan is our best friend Ally’s brother, and he proposed to the utterly beautiful Kelly shortly after they were last here in Barbados on holiday. They very kindly did a shoot with James while he was here doing some training with my studio staff at the time. They loved the shoot so much (and Dan saw a real opportunity) that he suggested doing another one while they were here, in exchange for being excused from some of the dance classes Kelly had lined up for them prior to the big day.

Smart man.

And so the date was set, and we headed out to a few spots. We had a great time showing Dan and Kelly around the north of the island, and despite it being very overcast, we still got some lovely stuff.

As you can see, the clear blue skies associated with Barbados are very much absent here. Recently, the weather has been utterly atrocious out here on the rock, but I love the dramatic pictures the clouds paint…although I do understand it is not to everyone’s taste.

We started off at the Animal Flower Caves, and after that headed to Heywoods beach. This is where we used to liv e and was the first time Sian and I had been anywhere near the old resort for some time. It is very sad to see all the old pools emptied out and doors boarded over, but we were here for the beach which, thankfully, was as glorious and deserted as ever.

Being that we have been having such dump weather lately, we do normally get blessed with some interesting cloud formations and sunsets – thankfully today was no exception.

And to finish off? How about one of those salsa-esque dips you have got yourself excused from Dan?!

Thanks a million guys – you were a blast, hope you like the piccies!

Fergx

January 6, 2013/6 Comments/by tech

Photo Example, Photo Gallery, Photography

Devon and Natalie

This was a wonderful, intimate wedding, with just Devon and Natalie’s closest relatives witnessing. The weather in Barbados was beautiful, and the old abandoned plantation house was great fun – if not a little scary!

Massive congratulations to Dev and Natalie on their big day!

January 1, 2013/0 Comments/by tech

Photography

Father (and Mother) Christmas

Today is my birthday, and I type this feeling ever-so-groggy following on from the celebrations of my wife Sian’s birthday do last night.

Christmas is always a full on affair for us.

But despite the hangover and the ringing in my ears, I am utterly content. Chowing down on a sausage sandwich Sian has lovingly prepared, and surrounded by torn wrapping paper and birthday cards, I have already begun enjoying another magical Christmas – made all the more special by the fact that my parents, Bam and Pops, are here to play too.

It is the first time either of them have been to the Caribbean, and they have always been amazing at visiting Sian and I on our adventures. They are utterly awesome and I love to show them off. Mum loves her jokes, Dad loves his pocket trumpet (which he carries everywhere) and the two of them wander around in eccentricity, bringing laughter and warmth wherever they go…seriously, you must meet them.

So I say to all of you; I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. I hope you are able to surround yourselves with family, friends and festive fun.

Kittens help with Christmas too apparently.

Now if you will excuse me, I have a birthday to celebrate with my best friends.

x

December 24, 2012/1 Comment/by tech

Photography, The Blogs

A cat is not just for Christmas…

I know it’s been two and a half weeks since a post. I don’t know if any of you out there mind/care/or anything else about this, but I have been missing the blog ever-so much.

Truth is we have had a few massive life changing events this end over the past weeks, and the blog, as much as I have missed it, has all seemed rather irrelevant.

But I am happy to be back, and more happy to share with you one of my life’s new discoveries…well, two actually.

Turns out, despite my previous thoughts, that I am actually a huge cat person. We recently saved a stray from a restaurant down on the South Coast, and I have fallen head over heels in love with her.

I have also discovered in the past few days, that our house is absolutely filthy. It is only when you are rolling around on the floor with your eight week kitten that you discover just how disgusting the floor is, and then when you illuminate her with two speedlights and shoot at F8 you see the problem is only exacerbated.

As I mentioned, we found our little bundle of joy at a restaurant the other day. I am crazy lucky to have my folks over visiting (post to come!) and we took them to one of our haunts, ‘Paulo’s’ for a Caprinha. Within our first few drinks this little girl had wandered amongst us, purred against my leg, and generally looked longingly at me. I say me…but it genuinely was. It was as if she knew she already had Sian’s heart (which she had) and all she needed to do was convince the red-nosed buffoon opposite her in order to get a free dinner.

It worked.

I reached down to give her a little stroke, and she did something I have never seen a cat do before. She went up on her hind legs, closed her eyes, and fell with all her weight into my palm. My heart melted.

And so now we are lumbered with this beautiful girl. A trip to the vets and all was well, some shots and a de-flea, and now, as I write this, our kitten of three days is sat on my lap, proof reading my work, and looking intently at the ‘tap tap’ of the keyboard.

I can honestly say my life has changed over night.

She is utterly, utterly gorgeous.

And at the moment, I am quite matter of fact about the whole affair. ‘We leave in June – we will need to find a home for her before then’.

Yeah, right. I think I will just be spending yet a few more hours at immigration sorting a kitty passport out.

Thanks for reading guys, and Merry Christmas 🙂

December 23, 2012/6 Comments/by tech

Photography, The Blogs

A fly on the wall post

Well…not really. If you had been a fly on our wall over the last few days, you would have seen Sian and I desperately trying to get on top of things…tidying the house; building barbeques, catching up with holiday laundry, stressing a lot about work and generally getting a little tiddly at the excitement of my parents coming out to see us over Christmas.

But yesterday was fantastic. We started the day with a cup of tea, looking out from our balcony and drinking in that wonderful view…when all of a sudden this little guy landed on the table by my laptop. Ok, he’s not a fly on the wall, but ‘fly on the desk’ doesn’t sound right…does it? He was ever so patient as I blinded him with two speedlights and intrusive macro lens and the end result was definitely worth it.

Not even 9:30 am, and I had bagged an amazing image…things were shaping up nicely.

By about 10 our garden was teaming with the hit squad our landlady has bestowed upon us. Over the next few hours the garden was transformed from the shaggy, overgrown jungle, to the well kept, primped and preened glory we know and love. It is a lovely place to be. And as we wandered around our newly reclaimed paradise, Sian spotted the coconuts in the tree, and asked me (for the 999999th time) if we could finally get that machete and cut them down…promises of coconut run punches, breads and cakes were made. So a trip to the hardware store was promptly arranged.

Now, as many readers of this blog will know, Barbados is not a cheap place to live. Far from it. So imagine my surprise when I asked the nice lady behind the counter ‘how much that machete was – no, the huge one that looks like it could cut a tiger in two’, and she replied a mere ‘thirty bucks.’

Thirty Bucks?

That is how much Sian and I famously paid for a parsnip this time last year for Christmas…and here she was holding an 18inch blade, designed to last for years complete with rubberised grip and holster for the same price? This was surely the bargain of the century.

Before she could realise her obvious mistake and tell me the real price, I handed over the cash, strapped the holster to my belt, and drove home feeling like Crocodile Dundee…the coconuts had no idea what was going to hit them when I got back.

Or so I thought.

Turns out coconuts are incredibly hardy, and the guys at the side of the road who chop them up with the deftness of soft-handed masseus’ are clearly a very skilled bunch…I could not get the bloody things open. I tried brute force, hacking, slashing, sawing…they would not play ball. Even getting them out of the tree was stressful in itself…I developed a next level technique for this though. I call this photo ‘fat and clueless man swings hopelessly at nuts with a metal rod.’

When I finally knocked a few down, the frustration began…but after a few attacks, we discovered that if you did exactly the opposite to what the road-side vendors do, that is cut down the coconut, not across the top of it, they bust right open…and that water inside is soooo good when you’ve been swinging metal poles and a sword around in the 34 degree heat.

Victory.

And as I type this, the aches and pains in my shoulders, along with the callouses and blisters on my hands are utterly worth it. Sian is currently dicing all the coconut flesh we were able to harvest meaning the spoils shall definitely be enjoyed! (perhaps a food blog next? Messages below if you would like to see?!)

In the evening we sat down at our newly built barbeque, congratulating each other on the days’ endeavours, and we were treated to one of Barbados’ hilarious blackouts. Usually a problem for most people, but not us – not on this the day of dreams, far from it. We wandered out into the front garden, slapped the camera on a tripod, and enjoyed Nature’s light show.

I never thought I would say it…but it’s good to be home 🙂

Thanks for reading guys x

November 18, 2012/7 Comments/by tech

Photography

The final visitor…for now

As you all now know, Sian and I have been busy getting everything ready to leave Barbados and come back to freezing cold Blighty for some well needed holiday time. We can’t wait.

So when we woke up last Thursday morning, a little groggy from our anniversary drinks the night before, I was finishing up all the boring chores I had to do before we left; one of which was taking the bottles back that we had accumulated over the last few weeks.

Oh.

My.

God.

I am not a patient man at the best of times, but rest assured, after waiting forty minute for the &$*#(@ bellend to turn up to the place, (which I was assured would be open at 9am) I was then told by said delinquent that they were not taking the 84 Banks beer bottles I had bought as they did not have any trays.

After threatening to leave the bottles where the sun doesn’t shine, the guy quickly recognised my ‘Bajan Rage’ and realised this was a battle he wouldn’t win.

I got back to the house at half eleven in a particularly bad mood, and tried to help Sian with the packing. Me trying to help Sian with the packing is like asking an excitable dog to help with the washing up. I make a lot of mess, get easily distracted, and nine times out of ten I end up carrying something in my mouth.

So, imagine Sian’s relief when this guy wandered into our kitchen.

I spotted him walking up the wall, and I asked (an incredibly relieved) Sian if she would mind if I took photos of the cricket rather than pack up. She nodded enthusiastically, and as I popped my macro lens on and primed my flash, I am sure I heard a sigh of relief as the pair of socks I had been carrying around in my gob fell to the floor with a soggy flop.

As I got closer, I was amazed at just how leaf like the crickets look; every vein, every (scale?) screams chlorophyl full, photosynthesis fuelled plant rather than insect murdering, noise making insect. He was awesome.

And also, as all these critters seem to be, a fantastic model.

Thanks for reading guys, lots of tales from Blighty to follow!

October 17, 2012/1 Comment/by tech

Photography

And the rain came tumbling down

When you tell people you live in Barbados, they usually go ‘wow’, and have this picture perfect vision of sandy beaches and cobalt blue seas. Barbados is a beautiful country, and it is always crazy, crazy hot. But it is not always picture perfect. In fact, it is very rare (especially in our new house) to go a week without at least one torrential downpour. When it rains here, it rains. And recently it has been raining a lot. The temperatures have easily been hitting the 35 mark (95 Fahrenheit for my friends across the pond) making the humidity almost unbearable this summer. I can’t wait for December, when it drops down to around 30 degrees and life is a lot more bearable.

Anyway, the other day we had some friends over for dinner, and Billy called us over to witness this amazing phenomenon.

It was one of those wierd-weather moments that looked amazing to the naked eye, but pants on my camera. Basically, we could see a single column of rain pouring from a very angry looking cloud, but the rest of the sky remained rain-free.

I have had to pop the contrast an insane amount on this image, so apologies for the instagram-look, I hope you can appreciate how big this column was, and how the cloud looks almost like a sugar bowl ‘pouring’ the water out beneath it 🙂

As always guys, thanks for reading, and keep on snapping x

October 4, 2012/3 Comments/by tech

Photography, The Blogs

Some very nice friends

A few weeks back, we were approached by Almond to re-shoot their brochure and web material.

Which is always very exciting.

We had some kids lined up, but budget meant that affordable models were going to be hard to find…luckily Sian and I have some very good looking friends.

Ally and Billy are our two best friends here on the island. Ally is from Manitoba in Canada, and Billy is a good old Brit from Devon. They are a wonderful couple, and I always enjoy stoking the fire over various pronunciation arguments (tomato and potato are regularly visited).

They also happen to be crazy hot, which made our job a whole lot easier

A while back, Billy introduced us to his brother Johnathan and his partner Monique. They, also, happen to be a crazy hot couple, and the day was made even easier with them there too.

In all, we had a great day. The guys were really patient, really professional, and we got some beautiful shots for the new brochure. I don’t think they realised just how hard a job modelling all day was going to be, and by lunch I could feel they were flagging. Contrary to popular belief, modelling is very hard. You are normally stood all day, grinning, scowling, laughing or jumping at a photographer’s whim. In amongst all of this, you also have to make each pose look like it is the first time you have done it and keep it natural. You can spot a stiff model from a million miles away.

I am happy to say that all four of our new models delivered these qualities in spades. They were awesome. Monique was so good, she even managed to squeeze in a cheeky nap on a lilo whilst the rest of us worked 😉

After lunch, we hid from the sun for a few shots up in one of the (beautiful) state rooms we had organised for the shoot.

And after these beauties, we headed back down for some beach fun, tennis, sailing and dinner…in all a very long day.

But oh-so-very-worth it.

You can see all of the photos on our Colorbox Facebook Page – and the rest of the shoot will be up on there soon.

All that is left to say, is another final HUGE thanks to Billy, Ally, Jonathan and Monique. You guys really were amazing. You were patient, professional and the pictures are just stunning.

Thanks again for reading guys – keep on snapping.

x

October 3, 2012/2 Comments/by tech

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