I'm a photographer shooting bands, weddings, families, kids and plenty of other random stuff and I post a good chunk of it right here along with occasional ramblings about what I've been up to.
I'm also husband to Evelyne and dad to Elliott. Our second baby is due in February.
Sit back, have a browse and hopefully you'll find some stuff you like. Feel free to comment (we love comments!) or just lurk in the shadows.
Just before Christmas I received an email from Los Angeles. It was from a band manager looking for a photographer to shoot some portraits of a guitarist called Aydin who is hoping to take the leap into the big time and a potential sponsorship with Fender Guitars.
Aydin came to the studio and, after a quick simple portrait against the white studio wall, we headed out into the streets of Digbeth. In just over an hour we got a great collection of varied images and Aydin was super-cool in front of the camera. Here’s just a few of the finished photos…
FAVOURITE!!!
A little bit of Oasis attitude
Good luck with everything Aydin. Don’t forget me when you’re famous!
Anneliese was on her way over for a family shoot in the park when the skies blackened. By the time she arrived with her husband Richard, their three kids, her brother and his family, the weather was looking somewhat grim! I put the kettle on…
Luckily it wasn’t too long before the skies began to look a little brighter and the rain eased off. We decided to head to the park. I grabbed a few shots of the kids and some group shots and then the weather turned again. It was even worse this time and we ran for cover.
We must have only had about 20 minutes to get some images but I reckon we got some good ones. Here are my faves…
At the end of each year I like to put together a round-up of the past 12 months as a way for friends and family to see what we’ve been up to. Quite a few read my blog regularly so will know already but for those that don’t it’s a quick catch-up. It’s also good to look back occasionally and see how things have changed, hopefully for the better.
2008 has probably been our busiest year ever! The photography business has gone from strength to strength with us shooting over 30 weddings this year, including our first overseas wedding in New York. Along the way we’ve made some fantastic new friends and had the privalege of sharing some amazing days with our clients. We love shooting weddings and every one is different. Thanks to all our couples for trusting us to capture such an important event for them.
On the music side of things it’s been an incredible year. I’ve photographed so many gigs and added some genuine legends to my portfolio… Elton John, the Sex Pistols, Liza Minelli, Bon Jovi, Kiss, Oasis, Jay Z and even Cliff Richard! I’m hoping to add AC/DC to that list in 2009. On top of that I shot my first magazine cover, featuring Napalm Death, which hits stores this month and I realised one of my ambitions by having a photo in the legendary Rolling Stone magazine.
At home, 2008 has been fun-packed and magical as Elliott continues to grow and keep us entertained. The most watched TV show in our house is now In The Night Garden and we’ve almost given up trying to keep the house tidy! CDs and records have been thrown out to make room for more and more toys and, with a new baby due to arrive next month, it’s only going to get worse! And I wouldn’t have it any other way Evelyne and I took Elliott to Barcelona in April and in July we celebrated his first birthday. We must have taken thousands of photos!!
Every year I put together a list of my fave albums from the year and below are the ones which have been on heavy rotation this year. It’s a varied mix for sure. So here they are, my top 20 albums of 2008:
1. Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
Without a doubt the album I’ve listened to more than any other and, in my opinion, one of the most underrated artists in the world. I love all Kathleen’s albums but this one is so packed full of emotion and incredible songwriting it has to be my favourite. Oh, and Kathleens’ profile picture on her MySpace page was taken by me! Check the clip below..
2. Gojira - The Way Of All Flesh
Brutally heavy yet intricate, intelligent and quite unique.
3. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Winner of this year’s Mercury Prize and stunning from beginning to end. A thing of beauty.
4. The Gaslight Anthem - The ‘59 Sound
Imagine The Clash jamming with Bruce Springsteen and you’ll be halfway there. Soulful americana meets punk rock. A fine album and a great live band.
5. Meshuggah - ObZen
Relentless, technically mindblowing and immensely heavy. Love it!
6. Rise Against - Appeal To Reason
They just keep getting better.
7. The Bronx - The Bronx III
One of the best live bands on the planet.
8. Gemma Hayes - The Hollow Of Morning
The lovely Gemma returned to form with this gorgeous record.
9. Norma Jean - The Anti Mother
Who says christians and rock & roll don’t mix? Actually, I think it was Billy Connolly. He’s wrong!
So there you have it, another year over and 12 months of the unknown ahead. I look forward to plenty more adventures and good times in 2009. If you have the inclination, you can keep up with our exploits on the blog or Twitter. For those on Facebook have look at the Steve Gerrard Photography page on Facebook.
Thanks to all our friends, family and lovely clients who made 2008 such a great year for us. Best wishes for 2009.
After a relaxing Christmas with the family, this morning we woke up to the news that my brother and his wife, Goong, had had a baby boy at 6am.
It’s their first baby together and everyone is doing well. As they live in Dublin I’m not sure when I’ll get to meet my new nephew, whom they’ve named Hugo, but hopefully it won’t be too long.
So I just want to congratulate Paul and Goong on a job well done.
It seems to be the time for babies. Our friends Charlotte & Steve (whose wedding we covered back in March) just had a baby girl before Christmas, Alan & Sara had a boy, Emily & Stef are all set to have their baby in the next few weeks and Evelyne’s sister is due in 3 months. And, of course, our 2nd baby boy is due to arrive in February! It’s an exciting time. Wish us all luck
T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even Elliott! He’s a bit too young to be excited about Christmas yet I suppose. We have all that to come in future Christmases I’m sure. Hopefully he’ll still enjoy opening his presents in the morning
So, I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to anyone reading this. Thanks for all the comments and support over the months of 2008 and I look forward to a fun-filled 2009. It’s sure to be interesting, hopefully in all sorts of fantastic ways.
In the meantime, I’ll leave you with this little ditty… Have a great Christmas!
