Hey – no pics this post!
But prepping for long haul south tomorrow Sat 30 July to Teignmouth, Bognor Regis, Weston Super Mare and Windermere to photograph Vision Hotels . Vision Hotels operates exactly like a commercial business, but are different because they are a non-profit organisation and are part of Action for Blind People.
Umm… 24 hour driving and photography for a week – cool.
Thanks Jill at The Suite Company
I covered this, the 3rd of the EuropaBio conference at the 5 star Sheraton Grand & Spa in Edinburgh with a drinks reception at Edinburgh Castle.
350 delegates pretty well filled the main room. Lighting on the stage was a challenge to say the least (none) but was able to direct the flash directly to a near white ceiling which resulted in light coming from above the speakers and with the bounce card out it worked out OK.
See here for some short interviews filmed on the first day and here for some interesting stuff on the way tyres may be made in the future.
At the request of Chief Operating Officer, Marco Truffelli, I covered free of charge their Annual Charity Ball in Dundee on 19 March 2010, which was held to raise funds for CHAS - Children’s Hospice Association Scotland. Nearly £30,000 was raised.
James Brown, Magician and Pickpocket was flown specially from Dorset for ‘pre dinner pickpocketing’. Absolutely terrific. Seeing is not believing in this case, with several card tricks for me on a one to one in a quite spell and I just couldn’t work them out.
And you can see the expression on the girls faces in this photo as they witnessed the lady’s watch filched without noticing it until it appeared behind her shoulders.
Over £32k was raised…
Craig Stevenson wins lifetime achievement award at the Hospitality Industry Awards dinner in Glasgow on 18 March at the Radisson Blu Hotel Glasgow.
I was the photographer for the 2nd year at this glamorous event in Glasgow and took PR photographs that were required for immediate press release the next morning. Craig was a great subject and seeing a plate of bright green apples started to juggle with them.
From a series of several shots, this one below stood out for me. It was used in this article.
Umm… I said ‘JUMP ‘ and, well, jump they did!
Cool – a hotel General Manager, a Director of a premier Scottish catering company, a hospitality consultant, the MD of a top events company, the PA of a chain of boutique hotels, the Editor of a Scottish catering magazine, top PR company MD, all managed on my command to hit the air at the same time. Took two shots – and they had barely had time to have a drink before the evening started.
I was covering the HIT Dinner in Glasgow for the second year - 18 March 2010.
Been booked again for a fabulous hospitality industry dinner in Glasgow - this year at the Radisson Blu Hotel. Really fun event to do. These guys know how to party!
Err…some good entertainment too but guess these girls won’t be on again!
VIE at Home (previously Richard Branson’s Virgin VIE brand) held their leadership awards and gala dinner at Edinburgh’s Dalmahoy Hotel. VIE is a home selling programme of quality cosmetics and jewelry.
Ros Simmons, the new CEO, who bought out the firm from Branson, gave out numerous awards with some to group managers with turnovers of over £1.5m
A sparkling event that was great fun to cover – as you can see!
Nice to see your pictures in print.
These were from images I took for the Duisdale and Toravaig Hotels on the Isle of Skye – a 4 page spread.
Nice little hotel in south Edinburgh. Shots of rooms, restaurant and front hall.
Front Hall- Ben Doran Hotel Edinburgh
Ben Doran Hotel's 'reception'
Breakfast and Dining Room
Back again to the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow to shoot two sample rooms.
Weird, walking along corridors stripped back to bare walls and floor boards, lit only by builders running lights and then into two finished sample guest rooms complete with tiled bathrooms. Despite major works still to be carried out in the building’s infrastructure these rooms give the company the ability to finalise looks, themes and fittings.
Sample guest room Grand Central Hotel Glasgow
This image was a composite of 3 images taken at different speeds and combined in Photomatix Pro and then finished in Adobe Lightroom. It gives a much fuller tonal range including the light through the window.
The hotel had been so run down by the previous operators, Comfort Hotels, that the local authority refused permission to access the lower floors that have in the past been service areas and kitchens. I understand that this was from a safety point of view as the place was over run by rats and rubbish. Probably something else too!