Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod

WE are very privileged to be the official photographers for the internationally renowned Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. This feats of music, song and dance takes place in Llangollen, North Wales and brings together younger and older people from literally all over the world to celebrate peace and understanding through the mediums of music, song and dance.

This week long festival combines serious competition with entertainment and each evening is topped off by a 'celebrity' concert with world class performers which this year included, Lesley Garrett CBE, Alfie Boe, Karl Jenkins, Alison Balsom, Nicola Benedetti, John Owen-Jones and Wynne Evans - he of "Go Compare" fame (what a lovely man and such a fantastic voice).

As I say, the event lasts a whole week but this year was extra special with a special event on the very first day that took place at Westminster Hall within the Houses of Parliament in London. Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod joined forces with the Commonwealth Carnival to put on a special concert with performers and choirs from all over the Commonwealth to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

A selection of photographs depicting each of the day's activities will follow on this blog

We just love making people happy

We've just received this message posted on our Facebook page and I thought I'd share it with you on here as well. It was from Clare who was married on the 6th November 2010 at Thornton Manor on the Wirral
 

We've just got back from our honeymoon and I must say, you guys are amazing. The photos are outstanding, I love all of them and I'm lost for words. Thank you so much cant wait to plan our album i think you guys must be also magicians!!

 

It's so wonderful when we hear how pleased people are with what we do. It;s more than a job to us and this sort of response makes it so worthwhile and it's nice to know we are doing it right

 

Magnificent Chester Cathedral

We are very lucky in the UK that despite the best efforts of Henry VIII, many of our old religious buildings have remained largely intact, so we can still enjoy the magnificent architecture the likes of which could never be created today.

In Chester, we have the amazing Chester Cathedral and we have recently had the opportunity to photograph the interior when it was completely devoid of people

Here are a few photos from the set.

 

Boxall and Edmiston

One of the benefits of our profession is that we very often get to see places and meet people we would never otherwise meet. Sometimes this is getting to meet and chat to celebrities and other famous and interesting people and at other times, it's being granted access to facilities usually off limits to the general public.

The commission we had on the 10th August 2010 falls largely into the latter category.

We were commissioned by Sodick, the manufacturers of some highly specialised engineering equipment, to photograph their installation at Boxall and Edmiston, a firm in Shrewsbury in Shropshire. Even more interesting, this firm craft (I cannot say 'manufacture') the most exquisite shotguns. They are quite simply, works of art.

Here are just a couple of photos from the assignment

The Office (Episode 2)

Following on from our previous blog post, we travelled south for our friends at the Lifestyle Services Group (LSG) to their wholly owned subsidiary company called STAMS based in Hersham in Surrey.

As before, the requirement was to photograph the offices and the objects in them for a stock library of imagery they are building up. These will be images that can be used for the website, flyers, notices, press release in fact anywhere that images are required.

Here are a few of the photographs we took that day

Barrie Neil Photography

Ho.. ho... Hoseasons

When you get a telephone call from a travel company, your head immediately fills with images of working on white sandy beaches under a blazing tropical sun.

This image was quickly dispelled when instead, Nick at this particular travel firm for whom we have undertaken a number of previous commissions, brought me down to Earth by asking us to photograph a presentation to a Travel Agent in Chester.

Such is life but as it happens, this job was at our favourite travel agent in Chester, Deva Travel, who had received an award.

Quite a straightforward job although when there is very little company branding in evidence, getting the 'right' shot is never THAT easy

Waitrose store opening

The opening of a new shop is quite exciting and when it's a new Waitrose supermarket, then you know you are in for something special.

The 25th March 2010 saw us heading along the North Wales coast and across the Menai Bridge onto Anglesey. The new Waitrose store is within sight of the iconic bridge in the town of Menai Bridge itself.

Our brief was to capture both the exterior and interior fittings and filled shelves before the shop officially opened and then to photograph the activities and general excitement of a new store opening.

The store entrance and main sign

Store Manager, Gareth Hinds, outside his new store

Cutting the ribbon to officially open the store

The Sea Bass is locally sourced on Anglesey

Knickers again!

Once more unto the breaches dear friend.. will the punning never end? (you can live in hope).

Yes - back to the ladies wear department of the John Lewis shop in Cheadle to photograph people and areas of the department we were not able to cover on our visit on the 5th March 2010.

I never knew so much fun could be had in Ladies Wear!

My new best friend - a bit quiet though!

Checking the plans of the new department

You wait for a bus then 3 come at once......

One of our regular clients are Arriva Buses Wales and they have kept us quite busy lately as they are undergoing a huge programme of improvements to their fleet including making sure all of their buses have low rise floors making it easier for the elderly or disabled to enter and exit.

Well done Arriva

This event was held to mark three new vehicles going into service on St David's Day

The Mayor of Wrexham, Jim Kelly with Arriva Buses Wales MD, Michael Morton

Waitrose in Altrincham

Today (Thursday, 15th October 2009) saw the opening of a new Waitrose store at Broadheath near Altrincham in Cheshire and as usual, we were on hand to capture all of the exciting activities that took place during the day.

This is one of my favourite shots from the day showing the store just after we arrived at the crack of dawn this morning. Who would have thought a supermarket could look so attractive

The party's over.....

September swept in on a tide of the heaviest rain I've seen for a very long time (it certainly did in our part of the world anyway!) and we have just discovered that our house isn't quite as waterproof as we had thought (and hoped).

On a positive note, as much as we love summer and the warm weather and blue skies (not that we saw much of it this year), we also love Autumn (or Fall as our North American readers would have it). There is nothing quite like romping through woodlands on a crisp and dry autumn day, kicking up leaves before coming home to a nice hot cup of coffee and wondering how it was you didn't see that pile of doggy poo under the leaves (yuk!).

Anyway, talking of smelly things.. autumn also means it is political conference season.

All of the main political party organisations in the UK will have their conferences in late September nicely scheduled so that they don't clash with each other. These wonderfully stage managed affairs are dreadfully popular with the party members as they can appear to be doing something worthy for their chosen party when in reality they are looking forward to a few days debauchery at the seaside (my opinion only of course - I'm probably wrong!).

With our press photographers hat on, we are likely to be covering the Conservative Party Conference this year as it is being held 'on our patch' as it were (Manchester).

Joking apart, the conferences are great for us as photographers as we get to meet all the big wigs that either run the country, would like to run the country or pretend they would like to run the country but know they don't have a chance of ever doing it.

Anyhow, to get a flavour, here are a few photographs from previous conferences and for complete political neutrality, I've selected a couple of photos from each of the three main UK partys and they are displayed in no particular order.

Rt Hon. David Cameron MP

Ex Prime Minister, Tony Blair

Nick Clegg MP

William Hague MP

Ex Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith MP

Dr Vince Cable MP

Rt Hon. David Cameron MP

If you want to see more political photographs (who wouldn't) or indeed examples of the other sort of press and event photography we undertake, have a look at our press and event photography website which you can get to by clicking here

British designer Nick Munro

As I mentioned yesterday, we had an assignment to photograph one of the world's top designers, Nick Munro, as he visited the factory in Preston making furniture he has designed for the John Lewis Partnership.

We had fantastic day and all the craftsmen and other staff at the factory were really pleasant and helpful.

Nick Munro is a fantastic guy. So friendly and so talented and passionate about his work. It was a great honour and a real pleasure to have had the opportunity to meet and talk with him and to see some of his designs both complete and in production (fascinating to watch the furniture being made).

Here are just a couple of photos from yesterday

Nick Munro relaxes in one of his chairs

One of Nick's chair designs

Designs on furniture

Well I thought the title was clever!

On Monday (24th August 2009) we are photography internationally famous, British designer Nick Munro.

Nick has designed a unique range of furnishing items for John Lewis and we are meeting up at the John Lewis furniture factory in Preston for the shoot.

We are really looking forward to meeting and working with this talented man.

Later in the week we are off to Oxford for some tourists board publicity photography (if the weather behaves itself) and then on Sunday (30th August 2009), we are going to be at the wonderful Inglewood Manor at Ledsham on the Wirral for the wedding of Rebecca and Dave.

This week's diary

A bit different this week.

We have a wedding on Saturday in Prestbury (see the blog entry at barrieneilweddings.blogspot.com) but most of the week is going to be spent putting together some images from our collection for a forthcoming series of calendars.

We have been commissioned to provide images for a couple of calendars in preparation for publication at the end of 2010 (i.e. for 2011). You really do have to look ahead when it comes to publishing.

I'll put up some more details as the week progresses.

Other than that, we have a couple of client meetings and hopefully, we'll be able to squeeze in some time just for us as I fancy spending some money so I feel a shopping trip to Liverpool coming on

Waitrose in Sandbach (yet more cakes)

Our friends at the John Lewis Partnership asked us to pop down to their Waitrose shop in Sandbach, Cheshire to photograph the partners who are trialling a new style business dress.

We've been to this particular branch many times and the staff there are brilliant. It really must be so much fun working there (we get that feeling whenever we go to any of the John Lewis Partnership shops, all the partners as the staff are know, really do seem to enjoy being there).

The new business dress, with different styles depending upon the job the partner does, really does look very stylish. The only niggle for us was that we did the shoot very near to the counter where the home made cakes were being displayed. Get thee behind me Satan.. oh it was so tempting but we managed to resist (but only just!)

Busy few days ahead

Well we've nearly finished editing the thousands of photos taken at the three weddings we covered last week (the last one, should be finished tomorrow morning) and then it's straight into another two (Thursday 30th July and Saturday 1st August). Looking forward to them both.

Friday sees us racking up a few miles with a quick dash to the good people at Calumet in Manchester to get a couple of our cameras cleaned and serviced. Whilst they are giving two of our cameras the once over, we head south to Sandbach with our other cameras to photograph some new business suits beiomg trialed by the partners at Waitrose in the town.

Once that is done, we can head back to Manchester to pick up the shiny squeaky clean cameras and then head across to the Wirral to talk wedding albums with a client.

Can you get jet lag in a car?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to Llangollen we go...

We've just got back in from an early morning swim (exhausting) and then we are off for a quick photo shoot in Llangollen for a car magazine.

I don't expect to see Seven Dwarfs but a little bit of sunshine would be good (according to the weather forecast though, I've probably got more chance of the 7 Dwarfs!). Neil has just got the lawnmower out to give the grass the once over before we set off so that has definitely guaranteed rain.

After the shoot, I am sure we can squeeze in lunch at the fabulous Corn Mill by the riverside in the town centre (scrummy!) before heading back to Chester for a meeting with a client at the glorious Chester Cathedral.