A tale from Manchester Pride
A tale from Manchester Pride, a few years in the making. Please bear with me until the end. In 2015 I was photographing the Manchester Pride parade when the Grand Marshal – Sir Ian McKellen – stopped on Peter Street and lit a cigarette. Sir Ian is famously photographed smoking and makes no secret of […]
A press photographer’s working year – aka “a viral hit and a ton of filler”
HARD NEWS In the course of a year, photojournalists are likely to find themselves covering the kind of everyday tragedy that will shake someone’s world, yet draw little attention, beyond; The uncle of 11-year-old Shahzaib Hussain, who was killed by a speeding driver in East Manchester, breaks down in tears in front of flowers left […]
Fleet Street Press Cafe exhibition, 2015
In the first part of 2015 I had the opportunity to exhibit some of my work at the Fleet Street Press Cafe. They provide a space for press photographers to display their work. The varied nature of the work and the diverse talents working within the industry means there’s always something new to see. Many […]
August selection
Here’s a selection of my work from August, starting off with a few portraits. Clock View Hospital is a centre on Merseyside that helps people with a variety of mental health issues. “Peer Support Workers” like Anna, pictured, are volunteers who use their own experience to provide support for those who need it. I think […]
A little bit of politics
Some of my recent political coverage, in no particular order. Nigel Farage stops off on the campaign trail during the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election, outside The Happy Man pub in Wythenshawe Coronation Street’s David Neilson (who plays Roy Cropper) made a star turn in support of Labour Party candidate Mike Kane. They ended up […]
Addressing a fundamental misunderstanding
One of my long term photographic projects is a study of what is sometimes referred to as “The Night-time Economy”, when the streets of our cities are transformed by revellers. It’s a lively world, in turns funny, tragic and mundane. I’m not the first to document this – today’s street photographers such as Maciej Dakowicz […]
Photos from the Boxing Day sales
Thousands of shoppers queued for hours in freezing temperatures in Manchester this morning, so they could be amongst the first to purchase reduced price products in shops’ sales.
Dear Photo Thief – an open letter to those who think it’s OK to steal photographs
Dear Photo Thief, You don’t know me but you have stolen my photographs. As a press photographer I cover events across the UK, sometimes sharing my work on my website and via social media. My work is clearly watermarked as copyright and the licensing information on my website reinforces this. Although that is irrelevant because […]
News photography lives – why we shouldn’t take professional news photography for granted
A few of my colleagues have been blogging about local news photojournalism lately. A lot of the commentary revolves around a nostalgia for a lost time, when staff jobs at local newspapers were secure and plentiful and photographs were placed well on pages by picture editors with ruthless, expert judgement. There’s been a marked decline […]
The Queen pops to the Co-op
The Queen popped down to the Co-op in Manchester last week… The visit was to formally open the Co-operative’s new building at 1 Angel Square in Manchester. In the open-plan foyer, a man sits at a hot desk ahead of her visit: The lifts are polished extra hard, ahead of the visit Waiting for Elizabeth […]
A few tearsheets from the last 24 hours
A bit of a spread of hard news, features and celebrity from the last 24 hours. The funeral of a stranger brought hundreds to a crematorium in Lytham St Annes, providing a fitting Armistice Day tribute for Harold Percival, as featured in the Guardian and Mail: My PR photos from a celebrity event for client […]
Harry Goodwin’s funeral –
Without wishing to sound insincere, it really was a privilege to photograph Harry Goodwin’s funeral. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Goodwin Talking to so many people at the service and wake after, it wasn’t just about celebrity. From the music fan who, when trying to find the childhood home of the Bee Gees, bumped in to Harry by chance only […]
Labour and Conservative Party Conferences – Brighton and Manchester, 2013
Coverage of the annual conferences of the Conservative and Labour Parties, starting with the Labour Party in Brighton. Ed Balls on the ball during the traditional MPs vs Journalists football match, that kicks off the Labour Party’s Conference diary: Then on to the floor for the presentations and debates. Ed Miliband and his wife, Justine […]
Funeral of a Fireman
Photographic coverage on behalf of client, Manchester Fire, of the funeral of fire-fighter, Stephen Hunt, who was killed battling a blaze in Manchester City Centre, in July. Hundreds of fire-fighters from across the UK lined the streets of Bury in full dress uniform to pay tribute to their colleague.
2 years ago today: Camden, Salford and Manchester Riots
Continuing my look back at the August 2011 riots with photos, some previously unpublished, from the third and fourth day and night. Rioting continued to spread across London and to other cities in England. Come the evening of the 9th, Camden became one of the latest regions to see disorder. This photo (below) is one […]
Dig the City
Some photos from Manchester’s Dig the City, which I was asked to cover for the Manchester Evening News.
2 years ago today: Hackney and Brixton Riots
More photos, some previously unpublished, from the August 2011 riots. After Tottenham, riots and looting spread across London. Stretching in to the second and third days and nights, I covered the disorder on the Pembury Estate in Hackney, where several photographers – including myself – were assaulted. And in Brixton where I witnessed looted and […]
2 years ago today: Tottenham and Enfield Riots
Two years ago today I arrived in Tottenham at about 5am, following a night of riots. I had been awake for about 20 hours but my day was just starting. I spent the next four days photographing in London and Manchester, as disorder spread. Below are photos, some of which have never been published, from […]
A night on the road with a paramedic
A night on the road photographing Senior Paramedic Paul O’Neill, a “First Responder” in the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), during one of his regular twelve-hour shifts. The situation imposed a couple of restrictions, photographically. I travelled light within the confines of Paul’s car and didn’t use flash – it looks shocking against reflective stripes, […]