Well that was an eventful summer. Sadly I didn’t get to attend the Toronto Film Festival because I fell out of a tree and broke my back! Yep, instead of back breaking work snapping celebrities for the Hollywood Reporter I was laid up admiring the photos instead. BUT before my fall I managed to squeeze in some lovely photography shoots - like this one - and now I’m ready for some stunning Autumn shoots ready for Christmas.
Snow Day
At school I always wished for a snow day but it rarely happened, so you can imagine our excitement when we got one in Somerset, England! The kid's schools closed and our village pretty much became a winter wonderland in just a few short hours. With so many young children around who couldn't climb the big sledging slopes we created a mini version on our driveway. Considering it was a short 10m run I was pretty impressed with the amount of fun - and speed - we managed to conjure up. The photos made it look like we were at a ski resort! Sadly it disappeared within a day or two but we've still got the photographs to look back at.
Sundance to Disco Dance
Just a couple of weeks ago I was at Sundance Film Festival in Utah. There were a lot of celebrities who came though the doors but Jon Hamm from 'Mad Men' was one of my favourites. He was a superstar and as handsome as my wife says he is. I loved it there in the snow but it was also great to come home to Somerset, UK and do a pop-up studio for a Tots Disco event where kids were lined up ready to dance for the camera. Diversity is the key.
Theresa May's Leather Trousers
I've visited some pretty plush celebrity homes in my time but being invited in to 10 Downing Street to assist my brother Austin Hargrave on a Sunday Times with Theresa May was a showstopper - and so were her trousers by all accounts. So here's a little throwback to that day last year. Really wish I'd put my hat on straight.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-interview-theresa-may-hmpg0m2lg
BIRTHDAY FUN
Today my daughter turned 5 and along with a party, presents and plenty of cake, she desperately wanted her cousins in Surrey to come and see her in Somerset. We made all that happen and then she thew in one more request: "Can I have a photo shoot for my birthday too?" I once again created a pop-up in our barn and the kids well and truly performed. Got a lot of editing to do now.
From LA to rural UK
I'm English born and bred, but I've lived in LA for 17 years. One wife and 2 kids later I split my time between the UK and the USA and I'm growing to love it. Days like today, when we held an apple day in our orchard made me remember why we made the leap in the first place. I set up a make shift studio in the old barn and snapped the kids. The subjects were tough to begin with soon warmed up, but it was so lovely to have longer than 10 minutes (as so often is the case in LA) to shoot our subject.....
