Provincewide HOG: Meet n' Greet Bangor

Whilst covering the Armed Forces Day in Bangor, I came across a group of Harley Davidson Motorbike owners. They were holding a group meet and greet so I asked if I could photograph their bikes. I think this has started a new love affair for me, move over VW Camper I think you may have been replaced.

Slimming World Scale Up to Scale Down

I was recently invited by a friend to walk up Slieve Donard with Moira Slimming World group whilst photographing them for a feature for the Slimming World Internal Magazine. I havent walked a fell in ages and as Northern Ireland has no mountains to speak of it should be a breeze.

Or so I thought...

The Mourne Mountains lie in the South East Northern Ireland and Slieve Donard is its highest peak at 2789 ft.

As we drove towards Newcastle I realised I had totally underestimated it. I watched as the peak loomed before me and said "Ooh its bigger than I thought..."

I enjoyed the day overall, the last ascent was a bit cheeky but I was left humbled by the performance of some of the ladies of the group. One was 64!

Enjoy these images from the day...

NI Landmarks

The final one: Giant's Causeway

Landscapes NI: 2

The second batch of my NI Landscapes:

Landscapes NI: 1

I was busy out shooting Landscape images of recognisable places from around Northern Ireland. Here are some of the results:

The big freeze: NI

When the freeze came to Northern Ireland, Lisburn was relatively unscathed. It wasnt a problem on the roads either, it did get a bit tough pushing a pram though...

Best Overall Image: Army Photography Competition 2009

Downtime

Backround

The image ‘Downtime’ was taken on my birthday whilst I was on the Combat Camera Team in 2009.

In the final stages of Op Panthers Claw, The Light Dragoons Battlegroup had taken objectives around the town of Babaji in the Gereshk district. A Company 2 MERCIANS had taken up residence on at a location where voting registration could now take place for local Afghans. The CCT team went in to cover the voting registration and I was busy filming and gathering and footage.

Once finished I asked my photographer colleague, Sergeant Dan Harmer RLC, for his camera so I could get some images.

The Image

The image itself was part of a wider portfolio of how soldiers spend their ‘downtime’, the time that is their own and they are not on duty.

The soldiers of A Company had made best of their surroundings and had moved into a half built subterranean dwelling.

I was originally brought into the scene by the light coming through a small window and the meagre setup of the soldier who was just making the best of it. Doing exactly what he may do at home, having a brew and reading the paper.

I set about trying to emphasise the light and his existence with the boots and the mess tin, his tea is in a cut down water bottle.

I was tempted to crop the rifle but chose not to as I feel it adds the sense of the nature of Operations in Afghanistan.