John Major at Wellington

This evening I was commissioned by the prestigious Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire, to photograph former British Prime Minister John Major, who was speaking to a gathered group of around 200 students.

I was 7 years old when John Major came to power in the UK- I remember vividly the race for power are the historic departure of Margaret Thatcher. It could be his relatively dour-on-television persona, or his timing of being sandwiched in between the dynamism of Thatcher and Blair, but John Major is somehow not seen as such a major player of modern day British politics.

I was impressed with his vigour and up-to-the-minute knowledge of world affairs, and was sure that if I were to have been a listening student and not a photographer worried about the incredibly dark room, I would have been inspired to be the best citizen I could be after listening to Mr. Major.

John Major arrives with Headmaster Dr. Anthony Seldon.

Remembrance Day in Windsor

A few pictures from the Remembrance Day ceremony held at Windsor, Berkshire, this morning.

MP for Windsor and Maidenhead, Adam Afriyie.

Steven Lyons, Park Ranger

This afternoon I photographed Steven Lyons, one of the last Park Rangers in the UK, for The Times. I met Steven on common lands near Odiham, Hampshire. Here are a couple of shots...

Bill Stone 108th Birthday

I had the pleasure of going along to take some pictures at the 108th birthday party of war veteran William Stone, in a care home in Berkshire. William Stone served in the Royal Navy in both world wars and is one of the last survivors of the Great War. He has a beaming smile which truly lights up the room, and for a man of his years he was surprisingly aware and intent on enjoying his day.

NOTE: Since this post was written, William Stone has passed away. He died on 13/01/2009, aged 108.

Istanbul 2008

Exactly a year on from my last brief jaunt to Istanbul I headed back (this time with a fellow photographer) to build on the portfolio from the last trip, absorb more historic and cultural atmosphere in Sultanahmet, and generally explore the city further. Here are a few shots from my second trip to this amazing city.

View from the Galata Tower.

Farouq, a shop-keeper who I met last year. On this trip, we missed our flight home and couldn't get another for 24 hours. We headed back to the secluded courtyard where his shop is. He asked where we were sleeping that night, and within minutes he had brought out blankets, kilims (rugs), and pillows- making makeshift beds for us in the front of his shop. Farouq even recomended the best place for breakfast- a tiny cafe that opens early and makes only fresh lentil soup every day; when the soup runs out the shop closes. Having slept outdoors in the cold of the night, it was the perfect start to the day.

Pete Doherty at Reading

This evening I photographed everyone's second favourite media-friendly druggie after Amy Winehouse... Pete Doherty of Babyshambles.

Playing on the Radio 1 Stage on the opening day of the Reading Festival 2008, he very courteously decided to soak the photographers with beer as he came onto the stage, then broke the smoking ban.

Reading Festival Aerials

I went up in the air this morning, taking a helicopter trip over Berkshire in order to photograph the Reading Festival from above, on the opening morning. Aerial jobs are always good fun, but slightly disconcerting when the door is taken off for ease of photography- it certainly creates a massive noise and a ferocious wind inside the cab.

Cutting from The Telegraph.

Charity Shield at Wembley

I had the opportunity to photograph the Charity Shield at Wembley today- the inaugural curtain raiser to the football season which this year featured Manchester United and Portsmouth. The match ended 0-0 and United won on penalties.

I'd never been to the new Wembley before today, and was a humbling experience- an incredible stadium that looks enormous from pitch level. The photographer's entrance alone is bigger than most family homes.

Royal Ascot 2008

A few shots from the last two days of Royal Ascot 2008.

It was my first time photographing the prestigious race event in Berkshire this year, and I managed to get a few pictures published in the national press- despite the overwhelming amount of other photographers, with seemingly every newspaper, specialist magazine and press agency represented.

The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family arrive by horse-drawn carriage at a set time each afternoon. Going to Ascot and knowing that there would be a decent opportunity to photograph the Queen makes the experience a really worthwhile one.

Photographs published in The Daily Star.

More pictures from Royal Ascot available on my website www.blakeezracole.com

Reading FC Training

This morning I went to photograph Reading FC training for their match against Newcastle this coming Saturday. As an avid watcher of football, I always find it interesting watching training sessions- seeing how the players perform in a less pressurised environment than a match.

Manager Steve Coppell.

Andre Bikey clashes with Emerse Fae.

Stephen Hunt.

Kevin Doyle.