Event: London Marathon 2018
Venue: City of London
Date: 18th & 19th April (Press Day) 22nd April (Race Day)
Photo highlights from this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon. I normally do one or two days during the week aka Press Days and then cover the actual Race Day which is on Sundays.
Press days – Elite Women and Men
Race Day
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#VMLM2018
Hey Beautiful People,
I know, I know…I have been AWOL, but adulting has got me focused on anything else other than updating my blog / socials.
But…I am back.
Please forgive me if I do a little bit of catching up with what I have been up to and I will start with an activity I did with my family back in February during the school half-term.
The weather in London suddenly got a break and there was not a cloud to be seen in the sky. It was cold, but the sunshine was glorious.
AAAAANNDDDDD…..LONDON IS BEAUTIFUL when the sun comes out to play.
So, my family and I went out for the day. I love art installations and Tate Modern had a very interactive one called “ONE TWO THREE SWING” by Danish artists’ collective called SUPERFLEX. You can read all about it here.
After visiting Tate Modern, we took a stroll down the river side of the Thames and we found that the tide was low and we could actually go down to the banks. This for me (and the kids) was a first and it was nice.
All in all, I didn’t know how the day would turn out, but I managed to capture a few pictures and some footage for my Youtube channel. So here goes…
St Paul’s Cathedral – Up close and from a distance. Told you London is beautiful when the sun comes out to play.
One Two Three Swing Installation in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern – I just loved how interactive this art installation was and I wish there are more like this in the future.
The kids enjoying the artwork. It was actually kind of fun swinging with another person. See me having a go in my video below.
This huge ball was actually swinging above people sitting on the colourful carpet as part of the installation. Pretty cool stuff!
If you haven’t been in the Turbine Hall in Tate Modern, this part of the floor slopes. If you watch my video, you will see my kids actually rolling down it. The Turbine Hall is a very impressive space even when it is empty. You can just get lost in your thoughts in whilst you are in there. I just love it!
Last shots of the day…
The skyline of London with St Paul’s, The Leadenhall Building aka “The Cheesegrater” and 20 Fenchurch Street aka “The Walkie Talkie” seen on the horizon.
Random kayakers on River Thames shot from the banks of the river.
Looking back at these images just reminded me of how much I love photographing London. I even started a series of images under Snapping London and I think I will definitely get back to it. This one of St Paul’s that I shot back in 2009 as part of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk, brings back awesome memories of just being in the moment and meeting new people with similar photographic passions.
Do you think I should revive my Snapping London series?
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#OneTwoThreeSwing
Digging through my archives, I even forgot I had these images of one of my favourite sunsets that I got to witness right after the Olympics ceremonies in London and trust me, in London I hardly get to see many. A friend that I volunteered with during the games had an apartment with this epic view of the stadium and I just had to capture the sun as it set on the horizon.
On this day, I had Khai with me, but he was only two years old. Too young to enjoy the awesomeness of this scene. Now, almost 8, I have made a promise to him that we will get to watch at least one sunrise or sunset together and just be in the moment.
There is something about sunrises and sunsets that gets me all emotional. The fact that the day has ended and a new one is beginning. Gently reminding you to give thanks that you get to live to see another day where many won’t. Correct all the mistakes made and a chance to create new memories. I don’t know exactly what it is, but one thing is certain, I am happy to be in a position to document such moments and just revel in it.
What is your favourite sunrise or sunset moment? Or where would you like to be when you witness one?
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#SunsetMemories
Today is technically the first day of Spring and after a weekend of being ‘snowed in’…when it snows in the UK, it’s the worst as it doesn’t happen as often…but I digress.
As pretty as the snow is especially to take pictures in, I am not a fan of the cold.
But now that the weather is warming up, no excuses, but to get out there and photograph right after I have finish editing said photos and videos.
So, if I could be anywhere else other than in front of my computer, I’d rather be outside taking pictures or travelling.
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#RatherBe
I recently did a series of videos of my camera bag essentials which I posted on my YouTube channel.
Instead of the usual items like cameras, lenses, flash, etc., I focused my attention on the stuff that as photographers we tend not to mention, yet they form a part of our day to day essentials.
The items mentioned in these videos are things that I carry around in my bag and have proved to be very helpful when I am out an about on a job. I hope you find these videos useful.
These have really come in handy especially when caught out in bad weather during a shoot. As I tend to shoot a few sports matches or events, I have been caught out a few times without any protection especially when in the pitch. These trousers have kept me dry and I love how they don’t take up too much space in my bag. Also, they were quite a bargain having picked them up from Lidl some time back.
Buy similar trousers here – http://amzn.to/2DUq3RW
These cloths come in quite handy when you need to clean your lens on a job. The use of clothing is not recommended, but sometimes you get caught out. One thing I didn’t mention in the video is how to clean the cloths, a tip I got from another photographer. You can throw it in the washing machine with clothes that don’t need conditioner like swimming costumes or you can hand wash them using hair shampoo (with no conditioner) to get the grease and gunk off them.
Buy a full cleaning kit with the cloths here – http://amzn.to/2nOAzV3
This is more of an upcycling tip. When I travel, I get to collect the toiletries bag from the airlines and some are pretty good that I decided to use them as organisers for my cables, memory cards and other bits and bobs as I have been thinking of getting a media organiser. These small bags just work out well and they don’t take up space in my bag and they also fit in my working trouser pockets very well.
Buy a media organiser solution here – http://amzn.to/2nZXIDZ
Well, there you have it. Those are my 3 camera bag essentials to make my life on the job that much easier. More videos in the series coming soon. So be sure to subscribe to my channel for updates.
What camera bag essentials or essentials to you have in your life? Care to share some tips.
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#CameraBagEssentials
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