Photography for Ripon College

I’ve driven past Ripon College, just outside Cuddsden a few times and always been struck by it’s lovely position on the edge of the Chiltons and its Gothic architecture. So it was very nice to photograph for them this week. Although most of the buildings are Gothic revival, the chapel is only a few years old and is very modernist as you can see from the pictures. A really lovely space. One of the perks of being a photographer - being invited into all these interesting places! Ripon College will be using the images for website and publicity, and apparently the Church Times, so I’m pleased to add that to the list of publications I have had a photo!

Event Photography for Zest Communications

Event photography at an industry on-boarding couple of days at Nene White Water Centre in Northampton. Always fun shooting this kind of event.

Interior photography at a fantastic barn conversion.

I always enjoy interior photography, especially when the interior is as nice as this really nice barn conversion. Once again the skills of Broadleaf Joinery were on display. 

Beautiful new staircase for Keble College Oxford by Broadleaf

Broadleaf really do some interesting projects that take them beyond being simply very high quality joiners. I have been privileged to shoot their work in a number of Oxford colleges. Here is a staircase they installed at Keble College, Oxford. They are also restoring the wooden screen at the back of the dinning hall - one of the most beautiful in Oxford - cleaning away hundreds of years of accumulated dirt and grim to reveal the beautiful original wood. 

JJ or BB?

Been getting up to London a bit recently to help my daughter on her A level art project. Whilst we were at Primrose Hill I thought we should re-create a picture by one of my all time favourite photographers: Bill Brant. That picture is of the painter Francis Bacon. Anyway, Rosie took the shot, and I don't think she's done too bad a job. You can check out the original here.

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Filming with Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones)

Just finished the shoot for Oxford Royale Academy's Future Filmmakers Programme. Very enjoyable few days. This time the students were extremely lucky to have Anton Lesser (Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall, Pirates of the Caribbean, Endeavour) as one of the actors. When I was a film student we were lucky to have actors, let alone one of Anton's calibre! He was extremely helpful, patient with the students, and a great bloke. Thanks Anton! I'll post the film when it's edited. You can see production stills under 'Recent Projects'.

 

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Future Filmmakers Programme at ORA

A couple of years ago I helped set up Future Filmmakers Programme with Oxford Royale Academy. You can see the first film produced 'Amidst the Flowers' elsewhere on this site. I'm delighted that this year there are more students and that once again I am helping with the shoots. Basically the excellent Bruce Windwood teaches day to day, but the premise of the course was that the students have a chance to work with pro crew to realise the scripts they have written. So that means that pro actors, sound recordist, camera and production assistants and me as director of photography. It's a chance for the students to really experience what it is like to be on (as near as possible) a pro shoot and learn some of the tricks of the trade. The students all get hands on the camera and get to direct, produce and work with actors. Last week was the practice shoot, and I may post a link to that later, but image below. Next week, full shoot, so it will be great to work with all the crew and students. Thanks to Dan for the image.

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Sales Leaders Campaign for Avon / Cloud Nine Incentives

Here's a project I shot early this summer, finally got round to uploading. The Sales leaders campaign for Avon was shot in Watford, Crewe, Barnsley and Glasgow. I enjoyed working with Avon and Cloud Nine and most of all the Avon Sales Leaders. Interesting commercial photography project, always nice shooting people and working with some great teams. 

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Having a scan at Stoke Mandeville Hospital

It's always a bit of a privilege to be able to film in hospitals and to get an insight into the lives of the staff and patients. This video was produced for Oxford Medical Illustration who do great work shooting videos that cover all areas of health in Oxfordshire PCC and further afield. I'm lucky enough to shoot with them quite a lot: thanks OMI!

Remembering travel: Mt Athos, The Holy Mountain, 1993

Having seen the excellent photo essay by Rick Findler and Matt Fidler entitled 'The Holy Mountain: Monks of Mt Athos' in the Guardian on 5th January, I was reminded of my own trip to this mysterious monastic community back in 1993. Permits signed by the British and Greek Embassies my brother and I travelled up through Greece from Athens over a couple of days to finally catch the only boat that drops off and picks up once a day to this inaccessible peninsula at the very top of the country. Having embarked the next job is to find accommodation in one of the twenty monasteries that are situated all over Mt Athos. Luckily Monks driving past in a battered old pick-up stopped and invite us to stay in their monastery. Over the next few days we visited monasteries and experienced life as a monk, a way of life unchanged for many centuries. I wanted to take more pictures than I did: the monks were not happy to have their pictures taken at that time. The Guardian's article has given me the opportunity to visit my photographs again and post them here. They would have been taken using my Nikon FM2 and HP5 or FP4 film.