2011 – my baker’s dozen
Following my hijacking of Phil Coomes’ BBC “News in Pictures” blog last week, I thought I’d put my slightly revised selection from 2011 on here to continue the series that I began last year. I’m obviously tempting fate as I have one shift left for 2011 on the 31st, so calling these my favourites of [...]
London riots, August 2011
On Saturday, I spent the day in Hyde Park, covering the Women’s Elite Triathlon event before heading off to a barbecue. After a settling in for the evening at home, I got a text from my picture editor telling me of trouble in Tottenham. As it’s only down the road from where I live, I [...]
Yes, One can
With the Royal Wedding supplements only just hitting the recycling bin, London had to spring back into gear once more for a visit from the American Eagle himself, President Barack Obama. Having already produced some great moments during his visit to Ireland, it was going to be hard to beat some of the fantastic photos [...]
Never mind the barracks
In the process of writing a blog on the upcoming Royal Wedding, I realised that I had enough shots from one of my marriage-related assignments to make a separate blog, so here’s some work from a visit to the Wellington Barracks in central London. With the media demand for wedding-related stories getting to a state [...]
Fees, fights, foes fumped
Before I begin, I should explain my own experiences with fees and student debt. When I was 17, I took a Foundation course in photo-journalism with my A levels. On passing this, I applied for and secured a place on the next stage, the Pre-entry NCTJ Photo-Journalism course. However, when I was told this good [...]
“I was right about that saddle..”
AKA Flash ‘n’ the pannier.. On the 12th of June, I covered the World Nude Bike Ride event in central London. Now, as you can imagine, aside from saying “what the hell are they doing?”, there’s not much more to be said so this is more of a photo-blog. Hurray say those who never bother [...]
It’s a Tory’s morning glory
So the campaigning was over and the votes were in. Overnight, early predictions had swayed between a thinnest of victories for the Conservatives and a Hung Parliament. As day broke over Westminster, it was looking like we were about to enter an a very rare era in British politics. The question now remained; how the [...]
Recession hits the money shot
Another year, another Erotica exhibition at London’s Olympia centre. Having covered this event four times, it’s actually become quite a challenge to get something that’s both different from previous years and is acceptable for publication on the news wire. While horrible nastiness and the carnage from Middle Eastern suicide blasts often makes it’s way straight to [...]
..and one rule for another.
Yesterday, I was put on “Climate Camp” watch along with fellow AFP photographer and good friend Shaun Curry. Following a few days of media hype with demonstrators refusing to give any information on their planned camp site location and the police offering “community-style” policing if the demonstrators were prepared to cooperate, we both went to [...]
The knowledge continues to grow..
http://www.leonneal.com/blog/2009/06/11/the-alternative-london-knowledge-v10/ http://www.leonneal.com/blog/2009/06/15/the-alternative-london-knowledge-v20/ http://www.leonneal.com/blog/2009/07/10/the-alternative-london-knowledge-v30/ Following on from my three-part guide to the press photography “knowledge” listed above, it’s good to see that others have offered hints and tips from their own fields of expertise. New additions include a helpful guide from the PA picture desk on the view from the other side.. http://paphotocall.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/the-pr-picture-editors-knowledge/ and music photographer [...]
The alternative London “Knowledge” v3.0
If you actually prepare for the bad weather for once and get fully waterproofed up, by the time you arrive at the tube station in central London, you’ll emerge to blistering sunshine. The same also applies in reverse. You will see the politician that you waited 10 hours outside the House of Commons for on [...]
File under “Good week”
Wow. Do you know how sometimes everything just goes wrong and other times it all just clicks? I guess I’m on the peak of the rollercoaster ride at the moment (See #12) as I’ve just won the the “Portrait of the Year” category in the Press Photographer’s Year awards, here in the UK. I’m staggered [...]
The alternative London “Knowledge” v2.0
It’s good practise to get on with all the photographers you come across as it’s guaranteed that you’ll end up stuck on a doorstep for three days with the one you told to piss off. Stand next to the loudest shouter at film premieres. (See also “Ian West“) Even if the object that we’ve been [...]
The alternative London “Knowledge” v1.0
Not much can compare to feeling the first hot rays from the sun as you leave Downing Street on a Summer’s day after an 8 hour stakeout. No matter how sure you are of the job, the longer you wait for it to happen, the more likely you are to feel the need to frantically [...]
O2-D2
AKA “Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Side”. Last night, I got the chance to see the world premiere of “Star Wars:A Musical Journey” at the o2 arena in London. As I sorted out my pass, the area around the venue was filled with rather giddy parents, over-enthusiastically pulling their kids over to see Boba Fett [...]
In the words of Mr. Punch..
..”That’s the way to do it”. Having extensively covered the G20 protests last week, I can honestly say it was a real pleasure to photograph the Tamil demonstration in Westminster. By arranging the “flash-mob“-style protest through text messages and avoiding social websites that can be monitored, the group managed to appear from nowhere and catch [...]
G20-20 visions
After countless hours of research, meetings, plans and tactic proposals, the G20 rolled into town on Wednesday for a few days of PnP (politics and protests). First job of the day was a visit to Maggie’s Cancer Care unit in Hammersmith with Michelle Obama and Sarah Brown. Usually a pool job means one photographer and [...]
Puttin’ on the Brits
Enough with all that serious news, it’s back to the red carpet and the London weather for me! Tonight, I covered the arrivals at the Brit awards for my fourth consecutive year, I seem to remember. Always the photographer, never the winner. Tch! You’d think those judges would want to at least give me a [...]
Big Bother
Monday 16th February 2009 is the enforcement date for Section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008. As the British Journal of Photography (BJP) wrote last month: “The relationship between photographers and police could worsen next month when new laws are introduced that allow for the arrest – and imprisonment – of anyone who takes pictures [...]
There’s a new sheriff in town..
So eleven weeks to the day after winning the US Presidential election, Barack Hussein Obama II was declared the 44th President of the United States of America. As during the night of the election itself, I had to find a way to illustrate the British interest in the story so headed up to Tottenham in [...]
Apparently, “Yes We Can..”
So after two years of build-up, the moment of truth arrived as America went to the polling stations. Here in England, I headed down to Yates’ bar in Leicester Square, London to watch US ex-pats and politically-aware revellers get down to some serious Wolf-Blitzing.. Despite everyone knowing in their hearts how it was going to [...]
Flashing and Bondage
Having just finished reading the thirteenth Ian Fleming book in my boxset, I was in a decidedly Bondy mood when I went down to Leicester Square for the Royal premiere of “Quantum of Solace“, the 22nd film in the James Bond franchise. With it being a Royal premiere, the two Princes rocked up and having [...]
Walthamstow
With the closure of Walthamstow stadium now looking unstoppable, I went down to what could be the last of the week-night race meetings to celebrate this piece of London’s heritage. Opened in 1933 by William Chandler, the stadium is one of only four remaining dog tracks in London. Controlled by the Chandler family until today, [...]
Prepare for take-off..
I have found the answer, people. If you want to do something, whinge about it in your blog and then it’ll happen. On Tuesday morning, I finally got to take to the skies in an air-filled vessel! Huzzah! After the obligatory Hindenberg jokes with the other journalists that were flying, we went for our emergency [...]
