Max exposure!

What can I say! A brilliant week so far. On saturday I exclusively covered Max Clifford and Jo Westwood's wedding and a great day it was too. I have known Max and Jo for a few years now and was really honoured to be asked to do it for them. It was held at Great Fosters in Egham and was a very low key affair with just 120 guests. There were a few names of course but by and large it was family and friends. managed to get a spread on sunday in the daily express and a pic in the News of the World and there are lots of bits and bobs about this week, was a great high point in my career. Tomorrow I have another high profile shoot in London but its not all glamour you know, at present I am editing away in a lonely studio!
I now have a PA by the name of Angharad Wynter - she has joined me after working on cruise ships and having studied photography at college. She is already getting up to speed with editing the portrait shoots and is fitting in quite well.

Shoots in the pipeline include some more names so watch out on my facebook page and I will try and update this again soon.

BBC Surrey come to Leatherhead

After the recent guest spot on BBC Surrey with Nick Wallis (Left),I went along to cover an outside broadcast in Leatherhead today at the Surrey County Council Traffic Management Centre.
Fascinating place and a great bunch of people. This is where all of the traffic light systems are controlled, road cameras and bus systems - one of the town's best kept secrets! They also deal with the current pothole situation after the roads were damaged by the extreme weather and there were representitives from Surrey CC on hand to answer questions - Got a bit of a grilling but handled it very well and professionally. It was good to see them making notes to ensure that action was taken too. Ursula Hudson from the Leatherhead advertiser was there too and she reminded me to ask for good news stories about the town so if anyone has anything newsworthy for our local rag then let me know and I will pass it on - there is no point us moaning that the paper is full of bad news if we are not going to help get the good news to them.
Revellers at the weekend would have had the misfortune to hear me sing as I was up on the mike on saturday night in my local. it was videoed too so I will probably end up looking like a prat on utube too!
Well done Denbies Vineyard on winning their recent contract with a national chain of public houses and welcome to the new thai restaurant that is opening where Estrellas used to be, I cant remember its name but am looking forward to a taster soon!
Don't forget to sign up on my Facebook page - just type andy newbold photography in the search bar and you can keep up with the stuff I get up to on a daily basis....

BBC Radio Surrey

Well finally things are starting to pick up and a little flow of work has started. This morning I was a guest on Nick Wallis's breakfast show on BBC Surrey which was a fun experience. The interview can be listened to up to a week after the 1st Feb, so if you want a listen here is the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0064kyv/Surrey_Breakfast_with_Nick_Wallis_01_02_2010/
Doing lots of work with the wonderful Surrey Life at the moment, so look out for my stuff in there - few famous faces too!
Big happy birthday to my friend Jade Tolfree!
regards to all!!

Bah

As the snow melts and that brown slushy stuff that is uncomfortable to walk in lies dismally on the floor I reflect on the past year. Last year saw a decline in business for photographers and a few I know fell by the wayside. It is sad to see that due to the availability of good quality, reasonably priced cameras and the digital techniques that are easily available to amateurs, the need for portrait and even commercial and wedding photographer is rapidly decreasing.
Last year was a tough one for me and I limped into 2010 with an uncertain future. I am sure I will find ways to keep going but I do wish it was easier sometimes.
At present I am suffering from a lack of motivation too which does not help much. Recent developments in my personal life and the aftermath of a disasterous christmas have left me jaded to say the least - There are no answers, time is all is required and in the meantime I get inspiration from people like my old photographer friend from Radio Jackie, Darren Graham who seems to be in about fifty places at once and comes up with some stunning photography on a daily basis - where do you get your energy man. Also I have been watching Channelle Sergius -Bruce's work via Facebook, a great and very positive wedding photographer.
So have I just ran out of steam or is it time for me to roll over and get a job at Chessington?
no doubt I will drag myself out of this depression in due course but so far 2010 - not impressed!

Merry Christmas all

Well it is that time of year again and I am just winding down the studio. It has been a tough one but I am still in business and for that I am grateful. Next year will see some interesting developments I think as I should have the opportunity to streamline my business a little.
I hope everyone has a brilliant time. I am very much looking forward to time with my family and some fun in the sun!
The studio will be closed throughout christmas and new year and will reopen on the 8th January.

At this time of year there are several people who I wish I could see - one in particular who I miss every single day and I hope that one day she will be a part of my life again but above all I want her to know that I love her and miss her very much :(
Big Hi to Mum and Dunc, Dad and all the rest of the family up north, My adopted Sister Tina and the Tolfrees and in particular my special friend Shorty! The Krohn Huses - Marit, Knut, Kristin and my beautiful girlfriend Hilde who keeps me sane and happy! - hello too to my friends, Andy Park, Euan & Jenny, Zen & Matthew, the Bretts, the Fowkeses, Caroline and Matthew, Max and Jo, Blue White, Billy Harvey, Andrew Half pint Gordon, Mark, Leo, Gaz & Em, Gary & Louise, Andras, Keion, Dan, Ahmed and every one else I have forgotten.
hope to see you all in the New Year xxx

Welshed out!

Just got back from the lovely village of Llyswen in the Brecon Beacons where I was covering the wedding of Mark and Helen Thomas - Mark is a well known ex newspaper editor and now manages various celebs and runs a PR agency so there were lots of media types there - great wedding, shame the weather was not up to scratch but it was a great venue and also featured singer Shola Ama who sang for the guests and a fireworks display. Now begins the job of editing the 1000 plus images.......

S'been a strange few days - last week was full of events and late nights, Saturday was a blast with a letting the hair down kinda night, and getting very wet at the end of it! and this week has so far included root canal, a very interesting town meeting, lots of editing and lots more worrying. For once the worrying was noit about the business but something far more serious. Little Sian Tolfree has been in hospital for an operation which was very complicated. Sian is a little star and has had a life of operations and dealing with her condition but never moans and is just about the most inspiring person you will ever meet. I have known the family for quite a while and am very close to them - throughout all of the imtense stresses they have had to endure they have remained very caring and thoughtful people and have become an extended family to me - to think of Sian going through more surgery was very difficult for everyone but especially her Mum, Dad and three siblings. I am happy to say that she seems to be recovering from the operation and that hopefully we will have her back in our lives very soon. Anyone who knows Sian will understand this and I hope will join me in wishing her a very speedy recovery.

nearly time to go home, had enough of sitting in front of the PC for one day - time for some quality time with my lady!

Tee Hee

Once again I have been a bad blogger and it has been too long since my last one. What can I say, I am a busy chap, what with keeping the business going, chamber of commerce and the other pies I have my fingers in.
The last few weeks have been very busy with events, charity stuff and general commercial stuff which has allowed me to get back on top of things and hopefully survive this annis horribillis - or whatever it is the Queen has from time to time.
loads of celeb stuff on at the moment - am working with the Princess Alice Hospice tonight and good old Mr Tarrant which should be great fun. Next week there are a couple of big names in the bag to drop too and if I get chance to blog afterwards I will let you know all about it.
Part of the reason I am slacking with my blog is Facebook, I have embraced it wholeheartedly and in fact have been building pages for other businesses in the town - Barton's Bookshop, Toni&Guy and helping with the Dukes Head one too. I guess this is the latest way to communicate with people so one has to keep up with the times. To become a fan of my own page click on the box to the right! next thing is to master tweeting!
A big happy birthday to my old mate Billy Harvey who recently turned 40 - we are all getting so old!!!
Thats it for now, will try harder I promise, hello to everyone and thank you for bothering to read!

Quick Blog!

....forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been far too long since my last blog.....
ok, I am a bad blogger... seriously, I have been bogged down with work over the past couple of weeks and so a big apology to anyone I have not been in contact with, (specially Blue in Scotland). Last week I was at the BGC Charity day at canary wharf and worked with loads of famous folk, they raised 8m for charity!! whatta result. Pics are online - follow the link on my homepage.
Been doing a lot of work with the childrens trust and rainbow trust lately ... a midnight walk with Daley Thomson and Kate Staples, entertainment in Epsom and family profiles in Wiltshire & Dorset to name but a few. All very rewarding I have to say.
Few hellos - Dan Vickery - apology up front for my leatherhead and Ashtead local blog, I am sure your Nan will love it ....., Blue, hope you are ok and doing well in the centres, evryone says hi, Andy P - catch up soon my old friend. Happy birthday to My Dad, & Kristin Krohn Huse.
see you all at the theatre for the 40th party! should be a hoot!!