Planes, trains and... Well, just planes, really!

Saturday 28th January saw me back on the road that is making films. I've got big plans for my final film, and I knew that the sooner I got things rolling, the easier the process would be.

I've always liked planes, there's just something fascinating about how they work, and why people go through all the training to fly them. But most people are familiar with the big commercial jets, and not the small, light aircraft that buzz around our skies. That's what my next film will look at, and I got the ball rolling with an early recce.

Myself, my cameraman Alex Dean, and my stills photographer, Richard Allan, headed to a small airfield that goes by the name of Tatenhill. The airfield is hidden away near Burton, Staffordshire, and it's a great location, with some lovely people.

We were able to take a look around the control tower, as well as the airfield itself. We also got to check out the Antonov AN-2 that's parked at the airfield. This gave us all some great opportunities for photography.

Richard has also written a blog entry about this recce, and has some stunning photographs of his own. His blog can be found here:

Richard's Blog and Photos

At the moment, shooting is due to commence in March, so I'm cracking on with the paperwork and such, and will update when I have more news.

Suddenly I See...

How do you follow the fastest team sport in the world, when you don't have 20/20 vision? It's a question few people will ever ask, but it's exactly what I do every week when I watch the Phoenix play.

It's not actually as hard to follow the game as I imagined it would be when I first started watching, although I have had a couple of seasons practice now. The thing that makes it easier for me, is that the sightlines at Altrincham are quite good. OK, you can't see the play if it goes directly under your block, but then you're helped out by the screens that are dotted around the rink.

I've learnt one very important lesson. Keep your eyes on the puck. It's announced each week, and it's important everyone does it, but more so if you can't see well. It moves very quickly and it's easy to lose. There is an incident known to friends of mine, and for simplicity's sake, we'll call it "the Puck Incident". Luckily, I didn't get smacked in the head on that occasion, but ask anyone who saw it, and they'll tell you that it was quite close. I was completely oblivious, but that's what a lack of peripheral vision will do for you!

The other thing I struggle with at a game, is spotting penalties and their respective calls. Sometimes I'll see what I think is a penalty, only for play to continue, and other times, the play will be stopped, and I'l be left asking "What happened? Who's getting called for what?" before I'm enlightened either by a fellow fan, or an announcement.

Other than that, my experiences of the game are the same as any other fan. Hockey was where I also developed my photography skills, which is another thing people are sometimes surprised by. I have had, since I was around 16, the innate ability to take an OK photo. With a bit of tuition from various people over the last few years, I've turned those OK photos, into some rather good ones. People ask how I can take such good pictures when I can't see as well as they can, and the honest answer is: I don't know. I just push the button, and hope for the best. Sometimes I get a great shot, other times, I don't, but that's not unique to me. That's something all photographers deal with on a daily basis.

I'm just living my life, watching hockey, and taking pictures, and on that note, I'll leave you with some of my favourite shots.