Hands on

Thought I had better get more hands on with the blog.
I caught some good hand movement at a speed networking session this week - there was a nice pair of manicured hands to concentrate the focus on and I just waited for others be in the frame.

 And then, the
 next evening
 at an awards
 dinner when the
 casino tables came out.....

The London Marathon

Good luck to all and especially any friends and fellow Richmond parkrun runners who are lucky enough and tough enough to be running on Sunday.

Let's hope it runs smoothly and although Mo Farah is strangely stopping half way around  - go Mo.

M

Richmond parkrun

                                                                    www.parkrun.com

Good looking exhibition stand

Some really creative looking stands at the VM & Display Show in the Business Design Centre.

Here you are invited to sit and watch the flowers change colour.

They have positioned this one nicely bang in the middle of the show floor, the arches of the BDC framing it perfectly - I've got too obsessed with lining things up!

www.vmanddisplay.com 
at
www.businessdesigncentre.co.uk










         

Lady Thatcher

Only a couple of years ago Lady Thatcher was still attending functions like this one at the London Guildhall; although she didn't attend the whole event, she didn't disappoint the hundreds of her supporters waiting to shake hands.

Lady Thatcher Funeral

Crush barriers go up outside parliament for Wednesdays funeral

Just finished working in the Commons tonight and heard Lady Thatcher will be laid to rest in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster tomorrow.    

The 105th year of the Ideal Home Show at Earls Court

www.idealhomeshow.co.uk

And I think I've worked there for about 15 of those years - the facade is completly covered with Earls Court town houses.

I hear just one more year there before Earls Court Exhibition Centre is demolished.

The Houses of Parliament

A rare chance to photograph where the Right Honourables mould our society - and have a drink or two.

This is one of the committee rooms with the light streaming in from the Thameside windows.

Best with, or without flash?

Microsoft's Dave Coplin

Bold slides and well thought out stage sets really make a difference to the shots you can get at conferences - but you have got to have your shutter finger at the ready - here, the speaker is on the move all the time so I had the Al Servo on following him around waiting for the right moment. Then, just as he clicked a bold slide on the screen, he turned with a great expression and....

The genuine Rank Gong

Then more gaming and gambling at the London Affiliate Conference down by the Thames at the Old Billingsgate Market.
www.igbaffiliate.com
This is Kate, who won Rank's competion to become the new gong girl with the less attractive Mr T lookalike - Rank were making quite a noise at the show banging the original 75 year old gong from the old movies. www.facebook.com/RankgroupAffiliates
This year's gong girl is at www.kateholderness.wordpress.com.

ICE

It has been a big week for gaming in London with ICE on at Excel, a real international event with a lot of entertaining and partying for the exhibitors - it is a very sociable event. www.icetotallygaming.com

Brighton

A fresh sunny morning down in Brighton at the Hilton for www.spatex.co.uk, couldn't resist the beach for a while - no one was swimming - they were all in SPATEX, quite rightly checking out heated pools.

Zoom effect

www.eco.co.uk

In the middle of a busy couple of weeks - I like to twist the lens out on a slowish shutter speed to get this zoom effect - you can just manage to hold the central part of the frame focused, in this case a branded remote controlled helium ballon - haven't seen one of them for a while at an exhibition.

Central London

Working at an event in Westminster today - made the time to get this great view; dull and dreary though. 

But what a difference it makes to wait for the right light - Big Ben says I waited nearly 9 hours for this shot.
www.apollophotographers.co.uk

London - Toy Fair

The Toy Fair is on at Olympia until Thursday - somebody has been busy with their Christmas lego.

www.btha.co.uk/toy-fair

Snowy NEC

www.apollophotographers.co.uk

Despite the arctic weather, getting to the NEC was easy enough this week but I expect the visitors to the Motorcycle Trade Show choose 4 wheels rather than 2.  
www.thenec.co.uk

Boat Show

www.apollophotographers.co.uk

At Excel, the London International Boat Show was wrapped up for another year - Chelsea's John Terry was among the rich and famous eyeing up these Sunseekers. It is really striking when you see the size of these boats up close, especially out of the water at the exhibition. 
www.londonboatshow.com

2012 party over

www.apollophotographers.co.uk

What a year.
The 2012 parties have been partied and awards winners rewarded; oh well, maybe next year.

At the bottom of the cricket pitch in the Honourable Artillery Club grounds they put up a huge marquee for the December parties with the most fantastic lighting - not easy to photograph there but looks good when you get it right.
www.thehac.org.uk