The Queen Swan Upping

Swan Upping is the annual ceremonial activity in which swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, marked and then released. This was the first occasion on which a reigning monarch had viewed the events- the Queen following the ceremony in a steam boat.

Henley Regatta

Some images from the Henley Regatta in South Oxfordshire today- an annual event of rowing, drinking Pimms and enjoying the river.

Goldie at Home

It's not every day I get to meet someone who was in one of my favourite films of all time, but today on commission for The Sun I went to the home of the man whose character (he basically played himself) was described in the movie Snatch as a "bad boy yardie". That's right- I was off to do a portrait session with legendary gold-toothed DJ, Goldie. Not the least intimidating person on earth.

It turned out to be a brief but interesting shoot, and Goldie turned out to be a lovely and very intelligent chap. I had a cup of tea, met his dogs, and for some reason told him he needed to get his couch reupholstered!

Stonehenge Solstice 2009

I was at Stonehenge for summer Solstice through the night- hoping for an iconic shot of the sun rising behind Stonehenge, creating a beautiful silhouette of this most mythical structure surrounded by thousands of druid pilgrims. In the end, the druids were sparse and the sky was so muggy that there was no sunrise! Here are a couple of shots anyway...

Charity Theft

A shocking story today- an 11 year old girl called Rio Hamblin recently died of stomach cancer. At the wake held in her memory, mourners donated money towards St George's Hospital in Rio's honour. John Lewendon, a family friend who was asked to look after the donation tin then stole the money from inside.

I started off the day outside Slough Magistrates Court, looking for Lewendon, who was sentenced to pay £100 in compensation and to 150 hours unpaid work. I then made my way to the pub where the wake was held, The Admiral Cunningham, and finally on to the family home to see Rio's mother, Zoe.

Sometimes photographing people without their permission can be a tricky business, both practically and morally. This one however was truly enjoyable- identifying this man in the national press can be seen as the additional part of his sentence.

Zoe sits on a bench in a new area of her garden, called 'Rio's Garden', in memory of her daughter.

Royal Ascot 2009

I spent a few hours at the most famous race meeting in the world today, Royal Ascot- where hats, horses, drinking, betting and celebrity hob-nobing become one.

Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden.

Designer Isabella Kristensen meets the photographers.

The Royal Family make their way into the Royal Enclosure.

Princess Beatrice.

A race-goer studies the odds.

Lewis Hamilton Filming

A call came in from The Sun today, who had heard that Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton was filming a new advert for Vodafone in a quiet Berkshire town near Reading.

I drove down to Crowthorne in a style befitting of a racing champion, eager not to miss out on the action, yet with no idea of precisely where the filming was taking place. Luckily enough, the filming was easy enough to find and I caught the last twenty minutes or so. Also present was Lewis' team partner, Heikki Kovalainen.

The fake taxi office used for the advert provided a nice backdrop for racing drivers- signs reading 'Nippy Cars' and 'Driver Wanted'.

Baltic Cruise

Some pictures I took whilst on a cruise in Scandinavia and the Baltics. Time is precious in each destination when on a cruise, spending a maximum of one full day in each city- so photography wasn't top priority on this trip. Nonetheless, I often can't help myself and usually need to take a few shots when visiting new (and not so new) places.

Dam Square, Amsterdam.

Synagogue, St. Petersburg.

Royal Guard, Stockholm.

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin.

Oxford University May Day

As follows tradition, this morning the students of Oxford celebrated May Day by staying up all night- indulging in general madness, and then jumping from Magdalen Bridge at sunrise.

Published in The Times.

Professor Anthony Maden

A commission for The Independent today, portraits of Professor Anthony Maden, Consultant Psychiatrist at Broadmoor Hospital.

Fern Britton Quits This Morning

Today I had my first British newspaper front pages. Having woken up to the paper review on Sky News, I was elated to see some very familiar looking pictures on the front of three newspapers and used inside many others.

News emerged yesterday that television presenter Fern Britton had left her role at This Morning, where she and co-host Philip Schofield are loved by millions of viewers. I was asked to go to Fern's house with a reporter on behalf of a national newspaper.

I was to take a few shots from the road of Fern talking to the reporter, and hopefully take some posed pictures too. Looking through the lens I watched Fern in conversation with my colleague, and then watched in what seemed like slow motion as she saw me, stared straight at me, and looked a tad annoyed. Fern knows how to play the media game, and promptly stepped inside before emerging freshened up and ready for a picture she would be happy with. Fern walked straight towards me with a big smile.

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.