Posted by tomgold on April 15, 2012 – 3:30 pm
I’ve been photographing my son Donovan for five years now and not once has he ever shown even the slightest interest in photography… until now. Well yesterday afternoon to be exact, we were just sitting around in the kitchen and as I tested out a new prime lens on my Nikon (D3), Donovan asked to have a go. To my delight within about 60 seconds he’d already found the correct way to hold the camera (not that easy considering the size of the thing), mastered the concept of pressing the shutter half way to autofocus and managed to rattle off a few shots. A proud moment! So (resisting the excuse for another expensive trip to Jessop’s), I immediately set him up with one of my ‘old’ Nikon DSLR’s which had been knocking about in a drawer in my office since it’s retirement. This clearly inspired him into action, as he carried on snapping relentlessly for the rest of the day, even finding time to knock next door to take a (somewhat surprised) portrait of my neighbour! Today’s favourite subject has been his younger brother (Jefferson) and I’m pleased to report that Donovan has already shown a natural grasp of composition (the foundation of good image taking). Looking forward to many more photography tutorials to come!
Posted by tomgold on April 5, 2012 – 11:47 am
Having photographed dozens of weddings in and around Westminster over the years, I’ve discovered some of it’s many hidden treasures and was pleased to be asked to photograph the unique area of Shepherd Market, one of my favourite places in London’s Mayfair. As an ongoing project depicting the streets and individual businesses of the area, the photographs are intended to be used as part of a future exhibition. In the meantime this image, taken on an early morning shoot late last year, has just been published as the cover of the prestigious ‘Mayfair Resident Magazine’.
Shepherd Market is a unique and charming little square and piazza developed in 1735-46 by Edward Shepherd. With a rich history and individuality, It comprises a number of small side streets with various boutique shops, restaurants and impressive Victorian pubs. This tiny little enclave is hidden away between Piccadilly and Curzon Street, in the exclusive London borough of Mayfair.
Posted by tomgold on January 31, 2012 – 1:54 pm
It’s always great to have work published, so having recent features in Cosmopolitan Bride, Your London Wedding Magazine and now another five pages in the current issue of Perfect Wedding Magazine has been really satisfying, for me as a photographer, as well as exciting for my clients. This issue stars Christina and Gareth who got married in a beautiful little country church in Stapleford Abbotts, Essex. They went on to have their marquee reception in Christina’s family home nearby.
Posted by tomgold on January 26, 2012 – 1:53 pm
This is one of the first photographs that I ever took and remains one of my favourites.The subject of the image is Stanley Green (also known as ‘Protein Man’). Stanley patrolled Oxford Street for 25 years, bearing the placard shown below. I took the photograph in London back in 1988 at the age of 16, whilst on my way to photograph a football match at Fulham. I jumped off the bus at Oxford Circus and rattled off a few shots on my borrowed Pentax film camera. Luckily I managed to find 12p to buy a booklet, which explains his philosophy on the evils of eating protein, including some strong advice for people’s weddings and faithfulness in marriage. After Stanley’s death in 1993, his pamphlets and placard were given to the Museum of London. I am pleased to say that I still have my original copy of his manifesto, pictured below. One of London’s most fondly remembered eccentrics!
Posted by tomgold on January 23, 2012 – 8:25 pm
As a wedding photographer, London is always a regular fixture for work throughout the year. However I also cover a great many weddings outside of London, traveling to amazing venues all over the South East and UK, such as this wedding shot at Preston Court in Kent last year. As graphic artists, Laura and Kevin’s creative flair in the planning, made their vintage fairground style event a joy for me to photograph. They absolutely loved the images and much to their delight, so did the editor of Perfect Wedding Magazine, who decided to use them in a six page feature…
