I really can't believe this year is pretty much over. It seems like one minute it was summer and then I blinked and Christmas was over. This blog is going to be a bit of a round up/look back at this last year and what it's meant to me and my photography. I really wanted to go into this year and really get back into shooting music and get back out shooting shows. I also wanted to take a step up with the type of shows I was doing (I wanted back into photo pits rather than only shooting club shows).

January and February were all about getting my new website off the ground and launching myself and Penny Bennett's idea of a new online magazine called Photo Pit Magazine.  Things started well and I got to shoot some good shows like A Day To Remember in Brighton (my first of the year) but we hit some bumps later in the year and it turned out harder than we both had imagined but we are keeping at it. I also got to shoot Glassjaw (one of the highlights of my year by miles), Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, Blitz Kids, Eyes Set To Kill, Iwrestledabearonce, Howling Bells, Rolo Tomassi and Versaemerge amongst others.

In one of the more random things of the year, I got to see Ellie Goulding busking near Trafalgar Square for Big Issue which lead on to me shooting her show at Somerset House which was fantastic. I love her voice and she is a great performer. 

There were several reacurring people/bands/events in my life this year and early on one of those people was Miss Led. We've done a lot of work together before but she had some really major projects to work on and I got to help document those which was a lot of fun. I also spent more time this year than ever photographing roller derby with London Rollergirls and have gone on to set up my LRG photography events site. I love being a part (no matter how tiny) of that community and they've been incredibly supportive and welcoming.

I got to spend a lot of time with Japanese Voyeurs and it's been a great time for them with their debut album now out. As much as I had fun with them, it wasn't always like that as during one of their shows, the shutter in my camera broke which caused a lot of stress. I probably had my first major wobble around then as I was weighing up whether it was worth carrying on or whether a broken camera was a sign to give up. I got through it and got the camera repaired in time for some big events.

After taking a large amount of time out from burlesque photography I sort of dipped my toe back into it at a festival as well as shooting a proper show and Dr Sketchy's (where I got to meet and photograph the amazing artist, Molly Crabapple). I had it in mind to get back into it more than I have but that's not the way things have worked out but I proved to myself that I can enjoy it again and I can do it. I have some ideas for things I'd like to do in the future in this area.

This summer was a massive one for me, I ended up shooting seven festivals (six of them as part of the official team of photographers). I've always said I lacked a lot of knowledge when it comes to photography but I was really thrown in the deep end with some really amazing other photographers and it forced me to learn fast and look at how what I do and how I do it. I learnt a massive a mount and I would like to think there's a big difference in my work before and after. The festivals were also a massive eye opener in terms of how much I lacked/was behind with equipment. Equipment doesn't make a photographer but it does get to a point where there is only so much you can do with the kit you have. When I was shooting as part of a team, it was important for every one's work to fit in together but to me my photos lacked a quality that was there for the others and the shots really stood out. The festivals were an insane amount of work and very long days/late nights, I had a lot of doubts in the middle of it all and came out of everyone thinking I should have done better. I've had a weird love/hate relationship with my work and no more so than the summer.

In the end I took the plunge and got a new camera which I'm happy about. I now need to spend 2012 working on getting some new lenses so I can keep pushing things forward.

After spending a fairly pack three months working my day job and shooting away I fell out of the habit of shooting shows again. It wasn't easy getting back into it but after talking to Penny I got my butt into gear and got back out there.

I photographed my first protest which I've wanted to do for a long time and with the way the year has gone it seemed like as good a time as ever. I went down and photographed the first day of the Occupy London protest outside St Paul's. It lead to two of my photographs being published in the New Statesman. I would love to be able to do more things like that.

Apart from Japanese Voyeurs, Gallows have been one of the bands of my year and I was blessed to spend more time with them which I've written about recently on the blog. They really capped off the year perfectly.

There's loads of people, events and bands which I haven't mentioned which I probably should have mentioned but haven't yet including Letlive, Tat, Architects, Kellen & the Johnny Cupcakes family, Emma Van Duyts, Clare Maxwell, Hearts Under Fire, Fuel Girls and more. You've all helped make this year amazing so thank you (as well as to all the bands I have mentioned, especially Gallows and Japanese Voyeurs)!

While I'm thanking people, I have to thank the photographers I've had the pleasure of working with, been supportive and have helped push me on. Penny Bennett, Ben Gibson, Andy Whitton, Danny North, Pooneh Ghana, Giles Smith, Ian Taylor, Andrew Kendall, Louise Roberts, Connor Mcdonnell, Loraine Ross, Jess Gilbert, Mike White, Ian Arnold. I also obviously need to thank Nic as well as my friends and family. Sorry if I've missed anyone out.

Guess it's time for some photos right after you've endured this right?

It was tough picking out photos to try and sum up your year. I kept thinking I had missed something or that they didn't sum things up right but here goes:

A Day To Remember (Feb)


A Day To Remember (Nov)


Mimi Soya (Feb)


Versaemerge (Feb)


Versaemerge (Download - June)


Letlive. (Feb)


Letlive. (Download - June)




Letlive. (Oct)


Ellie Goulding (Mar)


Ellie Goulding (July)

Blitz Kids (Mar)


Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (Mar)


Glassjaw (Mar)


Gallows (Apr)




Gallows (Dec)




Japanese Voyeurs (Apr)


Japanese Voyeurs (Dec)


TRC (Download - June)


Download (June)


Trash Talk (Download - June)


Download (June)


Imelda May (Hard Rock Calling - June)


Bon Jovi (Hard Rock Calling - June)


Nero (Wireless Festival - July)


Wireless Festival (July)


The Sounds (Wireless Festival - July)


Optimus Motherfucker (July)


Young Knives (Truck Festival - July)


Truck Festival (July)


Justin Townes Earle (Truck Festival - July)


Feed The Rhino (Hevy Fest - Aug)


The Dillinger Escape Plan (Hevy Fest - Aug)


The Ghost Of A Thousand (Hevy Fest - Aug)




Shambala Festival (Aug)




Scarlett Girls (Facedown Club - September)

Bestival (Sep)




Paloma Faith (Bestival - Sep)


English National Ballet (Bestival - Sep)

Tara Mcpherson signing(Sep)


Molly Crabapple (Dr Sketchy's London - Sep)


Johnny Cupcakes x Nickelodeon London launch (Sep)




Johnny Cupcakes - Something In The Cupcake Mix launch (Oct)


Fuel Girls (London Tattoo Convention (Sep)




Tat (Facedown Club - Oct)


London at night (Oct)


Occupy London protest (Oct)


London Rollergirls (Oct)


Saves The Day (Nov)


Architects (Dec)



More than ever I have no idea what next year holds, this year has been eventful and I'm not getting my hopes up that it will continue this way but I have some plans and some ideas that I hope I get the chance to see through. I'd like to learn to video and the editing that goes with it. Fingers crossed for a good year.

So if you know anything at all about me or read anything on my old blog, you'll know how much I love Gallows. I sadly missed the last few shows with Frank Carter and normally when a band gets a new singer I'd be worried about their future. With Wade joining the band from Alexisonfire (who were amazing), I didn't need to be won over... I was in from the start (even without hearing the new EP)!

Gallows had a lot of people trying to write them off but I really hope their shows this week (Wade's first with the band in the UK) silenced a lot of those people. Tuesday's show at XOYO was genuinely one of the best shows of theirs I've seen. I got to photograph them over the two days which was amazing (apart from destroying my my 50mm lens). I also got to shoot some group shots too which I was nervous about before hand. A combination of the right venue and my lack of confidence with flash meant I decided to shoot them using the ambient light that was around, I know they aren't perfect but I'm fairly happy with them.

Massive thank you as alway to Clare, Stu, Lee, Steph, Lags and Wade. I cannot wait to see where this band goes from here.



The photos of Gallows, Sharks, Feed The Rhino and Brontide can be seen here.


I also went and checked out Lags Gallows new band (Moones) on Monday which was really interesting and I enjoyed their set.

There are more photos of Moones here.

I've photographed at Facedown quite a few times now and things are normally pretty standard but getting the chance to see one of my favourite bands at the moment for the last time this year will always peak my interest. Before the show I looked back and realised it was just just over a year ago that I first saw Japanese Voyeurs in the same venue (The Scala) as Facedown is in.As usual JV sound great and the lighting was pretty decent.

After doing a chunk of black & white recently I wanted to shoot in colour and without flash. I've been thinking a lot about wanting to start filming bands and shows, I tried a bit at FD and I'm not sure if the footage is any good or useable but it's something to practice editing with.



I also photographed Scarlett Girls who were also performing.



The rest of the photos of the night can be seen here.

I should hopefully be at two Gallows shows next week, the first in the UK with Wade on vocals and to say I'm excited is a massive understatement. Gallows playing London in December is fast becoming tradition. One I really hope continues. I may also have one more show before the end of the year but I'm waiting for confirmation on that. 2012 is shaping up to have some amazing gigs early in the year which I'm excited about.