Sunrise Celebration 2012

26 June 12

Posted at 4:35

 

I've been back from Sunset Celebration 2012 for a couple of days. Everything's dried out and now mud free!! I was really looking forward to shooting Sunrise Festival this year as it was a hightlight last year and a source of some varied and succesful images. Sunset Celebration is a fairly small festival, about 20,000 I think. It rightfully claims to be the greenest of all festivals and definately provides the best toilets, in terms of cleanliness and lack of odour, of any festival I have visited. The location is between Frome and Bruton in Somerset so very close to Worthy Farm Pilton where Glastonbury is held. In fact this year it was held on Glastonbury weekend to take in the summer solstice as this year there is no Glastonbury. Hence the poor weather! Sunrise is more than just a music festival, check out the Sunrise website


There will be no avoiding Sunrise 2012 being remembered for the mud. Not just for one or two days but throughout. My first photo was not a set up. This car attempted to leave on the Saturday morning but soon became so entrenched even a four wheel drive jeep could not pull it free. Look at that registration!

Sunrise - Stuck

For many folk the mud was a source of fun - especially in a rare sunny moment..

Sunrise - It's Not Chocolate

....but for others it was all a bit of a chore...

Sunrise - Family

Well I won't dwell any further on rain and mud other than to compliment the organisers and volunteers as throughout they worked tirelesssly in what were at times some extreme conditions.

My main reason for returning to shoot at Sunrise was the presence of Chai Wallahs  . They have a bunch of amazing artists and they also have a big tent so was in the dry.

Joe Driscoll appeared a couple of times, excellent as always (it's a photo of  Joe's foot on my homepage). Joe introduced Sekou Kouyate on the Thursday evening and they played together. Joe and Sekou have been collaborating since they met at a French music Nuits Metis in Marseille.

Sekou also played at the Local Posse set on Friday and with Afri Quoi the same evening.

Sekou Kouyate

Sunrise -Sekou Kouyate

One of my highlights this year was Sonny Green who also joined Joe and Sekou on Thursday and played a big part in the Local Posse set on Friday. I believe it was Sonny's first appearance at Chai Wallahs. Doubt it won't be the last!

Sonny Green

Sunrise - Sonny Green

Sonny comes from Dalston although in his lyrics it sounds as though he's originally from Southend. His words are brilliant, he's passionate about his message. His poetry over hip hop gets his message across. Sonny Green.

Sunrise - Sonny Green 2

As I'm writing about lyrics and messages it's a great lead in to Dizraeli and the Small Gods. Awesome!

Dizraeli

Sunrise - Dizraeli

And of course one of Dizraeli's Small Gods is the Godess female beatbox world champion Belle Ehresmann, known as Bellatrix.

Bellatrix

Sunrise - Bellatrix

Belle beatboxes, plays bass and double bass in multiple groups and on a variety of musical collborations. What a talent. I'll be shooting Belle again with her all girl group The Boxettes  at Rhythms of the World (ROTW) at Hitchin Priory on 14th July. Tickets are on sales now ROTW  

There was a brilliant line up at Chai Wallahs throughout the festival right from Breezy Lee who started the show off on Thursday through to Sunday night.

Breezy Lee

Sunrise - Breezy Lee

The crowd enjoyed the vibes in Chai Wallahs, from girls having fun..

Sunrise - Girls Have Fun

....to this three year old 

Sunrise - Three

and some seasoned party goers pulling faces through the rain across the way

Sunrise -Tash

On Saturday morning in the media tent I met a young Australian photographer, based in London, Pat Webb. Pat had just arrived at what I assume was his first UK festival as he was somewhat unprepared for the mud. His new grey trainers looked a sorry state. Pat was far from downhearted, he was working for Ghetto Funk  whose DJs were running Beyond the Stars. Check out Pat's website LoredesignPat invited me along to the Ghetto Funk session. Below are a few of my images from Ghetto Funk's Saturday night.

Entry to the tent is through a Dr Who Tardis and along this tunnel..

Sunrise - Inside the Tardis

finally arriving though a veil into the tent/club

Sunrise - Ghetto Funk arriving

once inside there are plenty of party people...

Sunrise - Pink Boy

who are of course shy and reserved

Sunrise - Blue Boy

great tunes, fun folk and an all night party

Sunrise - Ghetto Funk dance

Well that's the first few of my Sunrise Celebration photos. More will appear here on my website, flickr and across the festival and artists websites shortly.

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London Street Art

15 June 12

Posted at 2:51

One of my current projects is on street artist Stik. I am aiming to record all of his existing street art before more disappears. As a result I am spending a lot of time trudging round the East End. I don't plan to post any of the project until it's complete but walking the streets of London it's not esy to ignore other street art. So not surprisingly I am capturing some of that as well. I keep a record of the work as it is seen in the street, a photographic record of the piece in situ. I also create my own version of the image, perhaps removing unsightly objects (cctv cameras, air conditioning units, other street artist's abuse and stickers etc.)

First image is by an artist, David Shillinglaw. David is not a traditional 'street artist' he is an artist and will paint on just about anything anywhere. He's a sound bloke as well!

Shillinglaw Street

Shillinglaw Street Art

David designed the sleeve for The Travelling Band's album Screaming is Something. Check them out here  you will no doubt recognise the style. Last year I shot the opening night of one of David's exhibitions in Brick Lane which is also where you can see this piece. Check out the images here


Next one of ROA's animals - a rabbit in Hackney road at the junction with Weymouth street. ROA's images are instantly recognisable, they are really large and striking. ROA is a street artist from Ghent in Belgium. His works can be found around the globe. There are many in London.


Roa Rabbit

I posted a shot of one in a blog  last January at Rivington Studios - I believe it's gone now.

Here is another ROA, a crane in Brick Lane

ROA Crane

 

This is my favourite of the week. It's in Cremer Street and I only came across it as I was looking for a Stik in the same street. It's by Cept, a London street artist. Originally there was what has been described as a classic Cept on this wall. Hackney council received compliants about it so demanded the wall's owners remove it. The cost would have been £5000 so the owners asked Cept to paint a new piece over the top of it. Seems a bit of a nonsense to me but I do like this piece and may even do a canvass of it.

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Old Street is a mass of graffiti forever changing especially at the junction with Great Eastern Street. Here is the latest offering with a message for the Queen. Check out ourbarebones

OLd Street Jubilee

 

Last of all Banksey's latest which I shot a few weeks ago. It's near Turnpike Lane tube station. I shot this less than 48 hours after he painted it but already it had been covered with a perspex screen, hence the bit of reflection. I guess it's better than Robbo just obliterating the work.

Banksy's Jubilee Offering

Banksy Jubilee

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Venasque to Vaison

11 June 12

Posted at 3:57

For the last few days we have been walking and shooting in the foothills of Mount Ventoux. We walked from Venasque to Vaison la Romaine covering around 150km. We sampled the cuisine of the Vaucluse, and of course the wines! We enjoyed the sunshine that appears to have been absent from England since we have been away and all we had to carry were cameras and a picnic - our baggage was transported ahead each day! The trip enabled me to test the new Nikon D800. Below are a few of the first images I have processed.

Venasque

The countryside near Venasque.

Crillon Le Brave

The hilltop village of Crillon Le Brave

The Dentelles

Looking back at the Dentelles

Pont Saint Benezet

Pont St Benezet, Avignon

Girl on a Scooter

Girl on a Scooter,  Avignon

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