And all that jazz....

I spent most of last weekend at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival.

I was especially looking forward to the event as I had managed to gain permission from the Marketing Manager to be able to photograph the jazz musicians on the concourse.

I didn't get the opportunity to photograph artists in the small or main halls, but there is always next year !  On the Friday evening we saw a guy called Soweto Kinch - an amazing blend of rap, hip hop and jazz saxophone - a very talented person who would have been great to take pics of.  All was not lost though I did meet him afterwards !

Anyway, all day Saturday and Sunday was spent at The Sage relaxing to the great music in the afternoon jazz sessions. 

I took a load of photos, and here are just a few of the first ones I've had time to look at. I've got loads to get through !

This band were called The Henchmen and all looked very cool and were great musicians.  

It was a unique experience for me.  There was a press photographer running around the building and also the photographer belonging to The Sage. It was a chance for me to learn where to stand, how to come back/forwards into a space, how to appreciate artists space and also be aware of not blocking the audience view. 

Other than that, there were times where I was the sole photographer on the concourse, in front of crowds of people relaxing with drinks/food listening and watching the jazz artists.

It was very bright behind the artists and I did find it hard to expose for the sun behind them BUT I didn't feel too bad about the pics having blown highlights because I so enjoyed the weekend and I will definitely be up for doing it again !

This is musician is called Arthur Higgins - a very talented saxophonist.













There was a great mix of people,,,young and old, and I couldn't resist getting a few sneaky shots....

The Sage is great for photographers if you like angles and stark shots.

I'm hoping to get more photos up onto my Flickr site of the weekend - you can check the site out at www.flickr.com.shutterbugsheep

Park Life

I had a chance to go to Saltwell Park, Gateshead, yesterday for a few hours.  I've known this park for most of my life, I've seen so many changes to this Victorian space, and it was nice to go back when it was fairly quiet.

I've never liked the park when it's busy, the best times are when it's quiet.  Yesterday was very cold, so not many people around - ideal if you have a camera.

The light wasn't great to be honest, and anything that I wanted to photograph just seemed to come out flat.  I did get a few photos though and a chance to try a few new techniques.

This is the centre of the band stand. The only thing occupying this space yesterday was a bunch of wood pigeons !

There seems to be a few new sculptures dotted around the park, and this reflective sculpture resulted in a few distorted pics of me. I always seem to squint when I focus !

I'm not known for my bird photography, by any stretch of imagination ! I prefer photos of birds that seem almost retro, I prefer grainy images, almost dreamlike. I have tried to create a dream-like affect on these two...I like to evoke the feeling of freedom and motion.