Kent Press Photographer Archives - Page 2 of 2

VEBT Finals Margate – August 2013

Posted on August 29, 2013 by mattbristow

VEBT Finals Margate – the Beach Vollyball seasons grand crechendo

The VEBT Finals Margate or to give them their full name Volleyball England Beach Tour Finals. I hadn’t covered any beach volleyball, or volleyball for that matter! before so I was looking forward to this one. However the day I was there it was overcast and generally a bit rainy. A long way from the vision I had in my head of what it should be like! you know bright sunshine and crowds of people. It did by all accounts brighten up on the Sunday when I wasn’t there!

However the sporting action was something else. With an array of GB Olympic atheletes playing the quality was truely the best there was in the UK. I spent most of my time covering the main court.

The atheletes were very clearly at the top of their game and it was a real pleasure to watch and photograph here are a few of my personal favorites.

6′ 10″ Chris Gregory part of the winning mens pairing spikes the ball

And a few extra ones.

Full results can be found at https://volleyballengland.org and my full set of pictures can be viewed at SportsPix

GB Basketball v’s Peurto Rico

Posted on August 16, 2013 by mattbristow

GB Basketball at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

GB Basketball started their EuroBasket warm up campaign at the Copper Box Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Its pretty much the only Olympic building actually being utilised which is a real shame. I took this panoramic during the warm up from the top seating tier. Quite possibly one of the most taken views of the Copper Box Arena, but I couldn’t resist it!

The support game was an exhibition wheel chair match between GB and Help for Heros. It was the first time I have ever seen a wheel chair game. It looks very physical and its very, very fast. Here is a small selection of my favorite frames.

The main game was played infront of a capacity crowd at the Copper Box Arena.

It was Coach Joe Prunty‘s first game in charge.

It was also the start of Team GB’s preperation of their EuroBasket 2013 Campaign. If you want to read a full match report head over to the GB Basketball website site.

I just love how close I am allowed to get. In a universe far, far away I used to play basketball. I know that physically I wouldn’t be up to it but I can still read the game. I shot this at 24mm right under the basket.

But for now here are a few of my favorites from the game. My full set can be seen on the SportPix website

Esimit Europa 2 – More than a boat

Posted on August 11, 2013 by mattbristow

Esimit Europa 2 in Cowes, Isle of Wight

I was fortunate enough to get an invite to the media launch of the Esimit Europa 2. So it was off to Cowes on the Isle of Wight for me. Shortly after it had taken line honours in the big boat class at Cowes and just before thier next challenge the Rolex Fastnet race.

Its is one of the worlds fastest and technologically advanced sailing yachts in the world. Its stats are mind boggling. 30 meters long, the mast is 44 meters tall a crew of 18 and a top speed of over 38 knots!

It is the only yacht sailing under the European flag and under the patronage of Jose Manuel Barroso president of the European Commission. It further enjoys the support of the European Commission, The Russian Government and numerous European diplomats. Promoting their message ‘All together – for Europe’. Theres alot more information to be found on their website https://www.esimit.com

I spent an hour and a half on it, most of it at 45 degrees!

Igor Simčič at the helm, owner, who is joining his team for the fastnet race.

Yacht skipper Jochen Schümann.

At the helm Ed Wright, European and World Finn Class Champion and winner of ISAF World Cup Series.

To see my full set of images please visit Stockpix.eu.

Even a Professional Photographer deserves a Holiday

Posted on August 6, 2013 by mattbristow

As I go about my daily work as a professional photographer I always think July is a weird month, neither here nor there.

So we normally have a holiday. Well even a professional photographer is allowed one they? But before I could have a well-earned rest there was still some assignments to take care of. As well as the end of the plethora of school sports days and proms that happen at this time of the year.

The beginning of the month saw me on the red carpet in Leicester Square, London for the World Premier of Status Quo’s first feature film ‘Bula Quo’

Status Quo's Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt | Professional Photographer Matt Bristow

Status Quo’s Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt – quite simply legends!

Actress Laura Aikman | Professional Photographer Matt Bristow

The beautiful Laura Aikman poses with a fan at the star-studded Premiere of ‘BULA QUO’.

Later in the month with the help of good friend and fellow professional photographer Ross I’Anson. We headed off on a road trip to Belgium to an extremely hot Massmechelen in South East Belgium for round 5 of the British Rallycross Championship. I really enjoy going there its a tight circuit and always entertaining. The rest of my galleries from the round can be found at https://rallyx.rubberduckdoes.com. My race report is over on The Checkered Flag

British Rallycross Championship Round 5 Maasmechelen, Belgium | Professional Photographer Matt Bristow

Kevin Procter looses a rear damper in the Super car heat 2

Championship leader and the winner in Belgium, Julian Godfrey.

A quick interior and food product shoot for the guys at The Vinorium. Who are opening a new Deli and eatery. If you’re in the Ashford area I really recommend you take the time to visit them to sample their quality wines and mouth watering foods.

So it was holiday time and off to France we went. I didn’t do much snapping as my gear was commandeered by my niece! But I did take the time to get a couple of frames. No brief just what I felt like! Something I think that most professional photographers loose sight of.

I’m a sucker for panoramas and I hate heights! But I couldn’t resist a quick handheld 6 frame panoramic of the Bologne skyline.

Panoramic cityscape of Bologne-Sur-Mer

Never shoot into the sun is a rule you are told from day one when you study photography. Well I have news for you that isn’t always the case. Your flash can over power the sun, well kind of!

Quick Portrait – Rules were made to be ignored!

I haven’t shot a startrail for ages. Nothing fancy just in the garden of our holiday home. A quick 60 frame stack. Shot at an exposure of 30 seconds with 30 seconds gap between. With a couple of random strobe bursts for the foreground.

Startrails in France

Any questions or comments please leave them below. I’ll answer everything in as much detail as I can.

British Rallycross Championship | Flying Swift

Posted on July 18, 2013 by mattbristow

Covering the British Rallycross Championship

When I covering the British Rallycross Championship it really does mean that sometimes its all about being in the right place at the right time and of course being ready and having everything close to hand!

This time Championship contender Grahame Rodemark was good enough to launch his car into the air at round 1 of the Britsh Rallycross Championship at Lydden Hill Race Circuit in Kent, UK.

British Rallycross Championship Round 1 Lydden Hill 16th March 2013 MSA Suzuki Swift Sport Winner Graham Rodemark gets airbourne (c) MATT BRISTOW

This post is for the guys over on Kickstarter and the Capture Camera Clip V2.

Kent Press Photographer – Sport and Her Majesty!

Posted on July 10, 2013 by mattbristow

This is the time of year as a kent press photographer I spend most of my working days covering school sports days and atheletics meetings

Its all about the facial expressions and the achievments for event coverage, its what parents want to see, but as a Kent press photographer I cant help but focus on the action!

However I did find time for a few other assignments!

Between the 17th and 21st I was accredited to cover the 118th Amateur Golf Championships at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal. When I applied I had thought it was going to be an easy week a bit of work walking around a nice sunny links course. I couldn’t have been more wrong! torrential rain and hurricane strength wind

It was very hard work but hugely enjoyable, especially as it was right on the door step and didn’t require traveling.

Congratulations to Garrick Porteous on his well played victory.

The 5 Scots have been part of Canterbury for 10 years and are leaving at the end of this year, so anything to do with them is a good job to cover. So when the battalian exercised their freedom of the city by marching through the high street it was an easy decision to go and do it. Stuff like this is all about finding that angle that nobody else has high low, infront. Sometimes you have to get in the way! if the band members looking at me weren’t playing I think they would be pointing and laughing at me!

I also managed to get on some scaffolding to get some high shots, which only cost me a few beer vouchers. But alas all the shots were totally shite. So as you can probably tell I worked hard at this one. So in the cathedral yard I casually snapped the mascot entering to check my flash was working OK before the march arrived. This was the image that the Daily Telegraph picked up on! (page 6 on the 16th if anyones interested)

This also lead onto an invite to go and cover the Queens visit to Howe Barracks

Earlier in the month I also got to go and do an editorial portrait of the voice of Big Brother none other than Marus Bentley

London Fashion Week – Devil in the detail

A busy month this month. But an obvious winner. Was the razamataz that is London Fashion Week.

Occasionally my Press Photography takes me to London. So London Fashion Week, for me at least, consisted of three days and 14 shows. Some good, some fantastic. Here’s a quick retrospective from this seasons extravaganza! No apologies for the massive post.

There was the usual sideline of celebrity appearances and media crushes. Fortunately I didn’t have to do battle this year.

Zoe Jordan opened the week with her catwalk show at Somerset House and set the standard for the week.

Bora Aksu showing that the devil really is in the detail with intricate head pieces.

KTZ – extravagant and imaginative. Definitely one of the highlights of the week for me.

Felder Felder were next and even though my marked up area was in a shocking position way off to the side managed to get this.

Jean-Pierre Braganza

PPQ

Saturday was an unearthly early start but that was soon forgotten as the days show are traditionally the most extravagant. The 09:00 show was DAKS.

The Jasper Conran show was erm very red!

John Rocha as always didn’t disappoint. Sometimes you get lucky when someone else pops a flash just at the right time to make your frame that much better.

Todd Lynn. I’m still trying to work out about the nose rings that all the models were wearing. If anyone knows I’d love to know why!

The remainder of the day I changed venue to Free Masons Hall for Fashion Scout and quite by chance caught Bernard Chandran’s show and glad I did.

I was actually there to see Ashley Isham. Long flowing fabrics are obviously dangerous to wear take note kids!

One of the shows I always go out of my way to see is Pam Hoggs this season she managed to out Hogg even herself with the normal display of less is more. It was a stunning show drawing heavily on Japanese influences.

The last presentation I covered was the Pringle of Scotland presentation at the Bankside Gallery.

Any comments as usually are welcomed.