Right, this is the bit I hate... where do I start?
I'm 35 years old and have been working in the television and film industry since leaving sixth form college twelve years ago. In this time I have gained experience on a variety of different shoots, all over the country (and indeed the world!) and with many different cameras.
I have worked on dramas, commercials, corporates and documentaries, and am fully experienced with Digi Beta, Hi-Def, Arri SR2/SR3, Arri 435/535, Panavision, Moviecam, Bolex, Aaton LTR and XTR cameras. I also own my own 16mm timelapse kit.
I love my work, and friends working in 'normal' jobs are often jealous to hear about the different (sometimes famous!) people I meet and the locations I work in. I get to see some sights that they could never dream of and some they would never want to dream of! Work has taken me to many unusual and challenging locations; from the bottom of a 500ft deep coal mine to minefields in the Middle East and on luxury yachts on the Irish Sea surrounded by dolphins to sub zero oilfields in the North Atlantic Arctic!
My job is very rewarding for me; I take great pride in what I work on, and build close relationships with the rest of the crew. Although I'm usually the first on the set in the morning, and last off at night; I always try to keep my sense of humour!
I own an ever-expanding range of camera equipment, from lenses to tripods, the list is continually growing - call me for details if any equipment you need is not listed!
When I'm not working, I enjoy computers and the net, panoramic photography, taking Tinker [my border collie] and Shadow [my Siberian Husky] for long walks, or simply enjoying a drink in a bar with friends. Favourite haunts include TV21 Bar or 42nd Street in Manchester.
Another love is effects photography. I'm currently experimenting with infra-red photgraphy and the unexpected strange results it produces and also panoramic photography. I recently bought a unique camera from Switzerland, one of only a handful in the UK, which is capable of producing full 360 degree stills pictures. On a weekend off I enjoy nothing more than walking the dogs and taking landscape pictures.
Although I'm self taught, I've designed and programmed many of my own websites, from basic informative sites such as this to more complicated e-commerce websites such as Battery Studio and Strange Avenue, involving shopping carts and secure credit card authorisation.
I'm currently working on Bid Bullet, a website which automatically places Ebay bids seconds before the auction closes.
My favourite drink is Pernod / Absinthe with Baileys coming a close second. As far as food goes, I'm a vegetarian who virtually survives on pasta and pizzas; well, anything Italian!
I consider myself to have a wide taste in music, and listen to many different types. Current compact discs living in my player are:
Evanescense (Fallen)
Dido (No Angel)
Keane (Hope & Fears)
James (Best Of)
Marillion (Script Of A Jesters Tear)
Favourite films include 'Children Of Men' (stunning tracking cinematography), 'In Pursuit Of Happiness' (Just a fantastic feel-good script) and Life Of Brian' (He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!). I'm usually found at the cinema several nights a week.
