089
September 29, 2011

'Abra Abra Cadabra, Im Gonna Reach Out And Grab Ya'

Bradfordian, check.

Outstanding, check.

Turning up on time, fail.

Regardless, he could have turned up at a quarter passed midnight and i would have still been sat, excitedly waiting for the arrival of Dynamo, arguably one of the worlds best magic men, without doubt Great Britain's best. I've watched this lad since the day he freaked me out in the back of a Leeds nightclub some 8 years ago with his wizardry and the things he can do now simply make my head hurt. Like when you eat ice cream too fast, but worse.

Today i saw him turn 5 National Lottery tickets into £100. Right there, in front of my eyes and my lens. The only reaction you have is to laugh and its not because this is funny, its because you're scared. Something just happened that is hard to explain, of course it has an explanation, but so do Richard Avedon's In The American West prints, it doesn't mean they/it isn't genius.

I greatly admire what Dynamo has achieved. He grew up just 5 minuets away from where i did and it would have probably been easier for him to give up at times, perhaps get involved with the wrong types, but no....he taught himself something, something that is to most people unexplainable, magic. Now, if he could start to turn empty seats at Valley Parade into sacks of gold i would respect him quite a bit more, but for now the fact he is a fellow Bradfordian and from the same post code will do.

I overheard him say 'Im shy, i know i have the power and the skill to take over any room of any size, but i really don't want to be the centre of the attention, even though for my art i have to be. Thats not why i am a magician.' Thats what makes him so special. He doesn't walk around threatening to hide away in a glass box 100feet in the air with no food, he doesn't draw eyes on the palm of his hands and he doesn't have a somewhat average looking blonde assistant, he just does what he does and knocks your head of doing it.

Shazzamm? No.

088
September 28, 2011

'The Day i Decorated The London Underground'

I shot the new Duffer of St George campaign earlier this week, which will go live from the 4th October all over London and Manchester. It seems a far cry from the early days when we used to shoot it all with one reflector and it printed in FHM and Arena. The 'face' of Duffer this season is Calum McNab, a pwoper nawty geezer, well not really as he is an amazing lad with some of the best stories and use of the English language, i just typecast him. Shame on me. I feel like a right raging iron. See what i did there?

087
September 12, 2011

'Sit Thee Sen Darn Lad....and Put The Wood In't Ole'

The reason i havent been maintaining the upkeep of this wonderful little blog is i recently put my phone down, turned my mac's off and headed to the North Yorkshire Dales for 10 days with my family. It has nothing to do with laziness. Really it doesn't.

It was much needed, i have been a busy little boy over the last few months and i was almost at breaking point, so this rest couldnt have come soon enough. As much as i love working and living in London, too much of it is enough to break a man. One more 'darling' or double kiss and i may have been found yelling 'dont try and stop me' as i stood aloft, on top of Tower Bridge.

I digress, i packed my Vailence and GYAKUSOU (yes, i'm proving my seeding allowance) and headed to Askrigg, which lies in the world famous beauty spot of Wensleydale. If you dont know much about the Yorkshire Dales you can kindly revert from ever speaking to me again. Its a place which sits close to my heart, its where i made my own Secret Seven and Famous Five adventures as a child, the place i took my first egg and spoon victory ribbon and the place i first took my Peugeot Flame in 1992 to apparently 'test all the gears'.

I spent most of the time catching up with everything family. There isnt much else to do when you only have 4 TV channels and no internet. After the initial shock of finding out there was still a place where channel5 hadnt polluted i took part in many courageous things, such as caving (a guided tour) horse riding (i watch ed my girlfriend) and hiking (i walked on flatland) and generally took in all things countryside.

Alas, im not a fan of too much writing when it comes to my personal life, so i shall now stop.

**Instagram was not used in the making of these images, most of which were shot by my little brother anyway.

086
September 12, 2011

'Alvin...Simon...Theodore...doop doop...dooop doop doop doop'

I recently shot Chipmunk for a new adidas instore campaign with Footlocker. I learned alot that day, like some people can drink tea with as many as 6 sugars in and there is a drink called a mocha that you achieve by mixing Nescafe with Cadbury's hot chocolate. Hmmm.

No rodents were killed in the making of the campaign.

The results can now be seen here

085
August 21, 2011

'Dont be Afraid of Colour Love'

Ive been waiting to buy a bike for the last few years, always putting it off when it came to the handing over of the money.

I finally decided to buy this Pashley when i saw it in a bike shop in London last week. It wont be to everyones liking, i get various wolf whistles when cycling home through Bermondsey, but its my bike and i love it.

The colour scheme is described as Double Scoop, as its inspired by old Ice Cream sellers, but i prefer to look at it as the Miami Vice theme. 2 real men doing wel hard things. Anything but selling ice cream.

I wanted something that i didn't have to take so seriously, that i didn't have to clad myself in lycra to ride or age myself 15 years by folding it away every time i got into central. The classic beach cruiser seemed to deliver that, but has enough humour and traditional to stop me running back to Stussy to buy surf inspired clothing.