Humble pie is NOT on the menu!

Ha............no sooner did I post, than Giles came to work today in his canvas tilt Landy, and suggested I would have to eat Humble Pie!!!
However he conceeded that he has a canvas top for a reason.....so he can get an extra 4 bales of straw in the back for Bex pony......so that is a good enough reason for me and my previous opinion still stands!
Now onto more serious stuff! the ongoing problems with the National trust is escalating and there is a whole posse of us now trying to get their terms reviewed....watch this space.
Being the end of my financial year I am finding all sorts of odds and sods (the emphasis on SODS) who havent paid their outstanding debts. Its bad enough when a business doesnt pay on time but when you get clients you know personally, that refuse to answer letters and requests for bills to be paid, then it really does get on your nerves a bit.
One newspaper still owes me money for current reproduction fees and you would think that after I had taken them to the Small Claims Court last year,for outstanding debts, they would get their accounts act together....but it appears not! I can only assume they are in financial difficulties?

Job Done!

Today I finished a long term contract for the website, advertisement material and promotional literature of a pest control company.Its been a fascinating job thats taken me to all sorts of interesting places around the UK, but today was one of the worst shoots as it was to illustrate rabbits with the dreaded myxy virus. Heres one of the infected creatures before it was put out of its misery.
On a different topic, Ive had 3 emails this week from people who follow the blogs that i write (They follow all 3 of my bloggs!) and its nice to know that they create interest amongst fellow professionals (and probably one or two amateurs judging by the info I get from the server....but they are best ignored I find). Anyway to Richard, Simon E. and nichola.....thanks for your support and I shall be looking at your blogs soon to get some inspiration LOL!! :))

Good news for our clients!

Finally finished all the horse and other events this weekend...........and what a success its been.
I got home from the concert job at 3am and was off again at 7am to cover a local ODE.
Infact the week has been a good one with" dog images" going as far as Brazil on Thursday and then a great new job coming in yesterday, that means some exciting work in the coming months.
Slightly bad news is that Minions has had to be cancelled this year, which is terribly disapointing for the EGBSW organisers and competetors, as well as for me as its one of my regular favourites.
A tot up of the months jobs has revealed no less than 4 front page covers, 75 inside editorials, and several major new commercial and event clients who have come over to Farlap.
On the basis that we have so much new work coming in right now, soley due to our longterm commitment to the service we provide, and the satisfied customers we have had over 20 years, then we have decided not to have any price increases in 2009. Thats good news for all our clients in these times of financial hard times!

Horses for Courses

A frantically busy few days, with a variety of events which included covering a large EGB Endurance Ride, a gundog show, a charity clay pigeon shoot, and a press job in Plymouth.
It really has been hard work, but luckily the weather was kind to me for all the days, and certainly made my job a lot easier. Today was an interesting one as I had to go into Plymouth for a large press photo call.
Its been years since I last went into Plymouth.......and I hope it will be a long time til I go there again....One of my pet hates are people driving those daft roofless cars, and I just couldnt believe all the saddos in their "convertibles", just because there was a bit of sunshine!! it really was a hoot to see them all. Not just me who noticed them either as there was an item on the radio about how the UK have the highest proportion of "convertibles" in Europe, despite us having some of the least suitable weather for them! Now try and work that logic out???.....boy was I glad to get back out into the countryside again.
The next job? An AC/DC concert tomorrow......now that should be fun fun fun!

Easter Egg free Zone

So far a busy Easter, and no time to eat the Easter Eggs yet, with me covering a charity event in plymouth and Bex off covering the cycle racing......I reckon I had the better deal of the two!!
I spent an afternoon photographing some lovely dogs at Gables Farm on Saturday......although it was a little disapointing to see people not taking the event as a bit of fun and a fund raiser, and getting quite uptight about it all........I dread to think how they'd react if it was a championship show!!
Sunday morning I was up at the crack of dawn and "all at sea" by 7am, as I was photographing out at sea off the Cornish coast,for an editorial on sea fishing..... perfect weather for it although my two colleagues were both sea sick!!!
A phone call from a deerstalker on my return, meant I headed off into the hills for a few hours as he was tracking an RTA red stag that had a broken leg and needed to be culled, and he knew it was something i was interested in doing an article on.......so all in all its been a very busy and varied Easter so far!

Having a Beef!

My photo shoot with the Salers (thats a french breed for those who dont know!) went well and was this weeks double page spread in Farmers Guardian. This was my favourite photo of the shoot, although I did nearly get impaled at the time! Later this week Im shooting another DPS, this time on Exmoor lambs....hopefully a little less dangerous!
The calendar shots from last week have all been approved so....those who came along...guess what....you will all be starring!!
I have been trying to track down the whippet Best of breed from a show several years ago, for a client,and it has made me realise that people seem to think that photographers just ditch their images after a few weeks! Here in our office we have state of the art equipment to file and library archive digital images for the last 7 years and negatives and slides going back over 20 years. we also have an archive in a climatised storage facility for older stock, including stock going back to my Fathers photographic business in the 1970's. So if you want to know if we still have that special photo of many years ago.....then the answer is probably "yes"!

Cheers old friend

I was sad to hear Pete Allan died last week. Most sporting photographers knew him or knew of him, and I was so lucky he took me under his wing back in the 1980's and he got me started in motorsport photography....usually dragging me off to the back end of wales, or, on one occassion to a muddy park in birmingham, to photograph the old RAC Lombard rallies. What fun we used to have, there was quite a crowd of us....Eric H, Farley, Mike Quinn to name a few.... and I was accepted by those guys, and helped by them at every opportunity, despite being the only lass in the photo team......hard work yet great fun with a true professional, whose likes are sadly not likely to be seen again .
He used to limit himself to 6 rolls a day and he reckoned if he couldnt get a cover shot in the 1st 2 rolls then he would give up and get a new career!.....needless to say he always managed it! hed be horrified now if he could see these digital snappers who think nothing of firing of 800 shots at a single stage trial, with little thought for the images they are taking other than hoping that "quantity equals getting a good shot"! Ill be having a glass of the old "sheep shagger" and thinking of you this week old friend.

calendars

The weather was perfect for Fridays Calender shoot and thanks to all those who came along and joined us. It culminated in a great walk on the moors with all the dogs enjoying a dip in the river.
Ill be doing another calender shoot day after Easter, near Plymouth.

I have been asked to point out that the previously mentioned canvas was not manufactured in Cornwall. I see no real reason to mention it, as at no point did I ever say where or when it was made....only that it was poor quality, however out of respect to a business in Cornwall, who have been put in an awkward position by someone trying to stir trouble, im happy to confirm it.

the bun fight

What fun it was at the G20 bun fight. I think there could be a lot of complaints after the heavy handed attitude to the press. Im just glad I bought the stab proof waistcoat on ebay as there were some complete nutters out for the day protesting!!!