Enough with Black Lips already I know but June issue is a right royal spanker I assure you. Shots with Bon Iver, Tribes, The Antlers, Battles and these cover stars here. Feeling great about the mag and very proud to be involved, though regular readers of this blog (hello again) will probably know this.
It could be argued I took the brief a tad too literally on this one, I know. However, for once it seemed to fit and Ernest's chillwave got the full backlit Elinchrom Octa treatment and deservedly so. Forthcoming in The Fly mag.
Washed Out
They're just a truly great band to shoot. Loads of ideas, up for direction, fun to be around, chuffin ace. More Black Lips please.
June issue of The Fly with Black Lips
Extraordinary scenes at Ally Pally for the Swedish House Mafia show. A modern phenomenon - they're hugely popular, play the most banging house and feature huge live show production. Boom boom, ears ringing. The most up for it crowd I've seen in an age, especially for 2 a.m. on a Monday morning. As one might hope, they made for a strong before and after shot, of which more to come soon.
Swedish House Mafia for Be Here Now
Good laughs backstage, shooting with a more reportage feel straight after the show. Pleased with the look and feel, plus we were pretty much locked in the dressing room alone waiting for them to finish their sell out gig at the lovely Bush Hall - which could only ever mean one thing. Sorry about the rider chaps.
Dry The River at Bush Hall
New long player imminent from the very lovely Duotone, and a perfect day spent elsewhere for me for their press and LP art.
Duotone, a park, Oxford
I've been spat at by loads of people in my career but I'm telling you Black Lips are possibly the most charming. Definitely the most fun. New Mark Ronson produced LP has landed and a series of shows ahead. Shot here for The Fly's forthcoming festival feature.
Newsflash: Black Lips in charm shocker
Then the sun came out and I captured Black Lips in the backstage artist compound, just like partying and hanging out, oh man it was so ace, me and my mates from the band, yeah. NOT REALLY, NOT AT ALL in fact. Lighting by Tom Andrew and retouch by Neil Pemberton. Thanks guys, loads. My favourite and the most obvious Black Lips vid here.
Black Lips - Spray that again?
So. Iris Experience called and asked 'Fancy shooting human paintball with the world's best footballers kicking paint covered footballs at kids in white boilersuits for Adidas?' 'Um yeah ok' I replied in a nanosecond. It was messy. Van Persie, Kaka, Nani (and Tom Oldham) loved every second of it.
Human Paintball with the world's best footballers? OK...
Tribes, 4 blokes from Camden who look about as at home on the beach in Brighton as I do in Camden. Here's theirspace, so do give 'em a click. Light held kindly by Ben at The Fly, FYI.
Tribes at The Great Escape
Great to see the legendary fruity backdrop splashed across the London Evening Standard this week, with the very excellent Yuck nestling amongst it. A good couple of days for tearsheets.
Yuck in The Standard
Nice full page shot used in Shortlist from a lovely shoot I did with NaTW a wee while ago. Stoked to see it used so big as I loved these shots at the time and still do.
Noah and The Whale in Shortlist Magazine
Lovely to be asked to shoot a portrait of the legend that is Jag Hunjan. I hope one day when older and greyer I'll be able to just stay at home and wonderful looking people will grace my lights and lens and it'll be a tad more relaxing than today. But equally as much fun.
Jag Hunjan in the house
So VM won this most prestigious of awards for the Speed of Light event, celebrating ten years of broadband in the UK. Lasers by UVA and photography by Tom Oldham. Creative Review obviously loved it and scoring a DPS with my shot was a proud moment for me, I have to tell you. Well I don't have to, but the unrelenting nature of self-promotion demands that I at least shout about it on here.
Creative Review Annual - Best in Book for Virgin Media
New Fly magazine is out, with lovely portraits with Smith Westerns, Mona, Wild Beasts and of course the very excellent Friendly Fires. Welcome back chaps.
New May cover of The Fly
We actually hired a bona fide ice cream van who kept em comin' while we shot. It was ace of course. I'd like to have them on other non-ice cream themed shoots from now on.
Friendly Fires for Fly May issue
Their perfect songs, beautifully performed to a very warm audience. 500ISO, F1.4 at 125th. Thanks for wearing a light, y'get me?
A Metronomy Love-In at the Barfly
Three minutes with Tim in between jobs. Virgin Limo Bikes, love them.
Tim, Limo Bikes Rider
He owns the same camera and lens set up as I was using for this, (Canon 5D MK2 w/85mm f1.2) which is always quite intimidating. However, the sun shone, the feel was right, we chatted kit, I hosed the most minimal of depths of field and got this result and many more winners too. Justin is a fascinating chap, and the new Bon Iver LP drops in June.
Bon Iver in Hyde Park
Battles mean it.