Raves & Rants . . from Penzance

I had been out on a windy, rainy, grey and overcast day to do an interior shoot. Naturally the interior had to have a 'sunny, summery feel'.  Presumably that was the reason it was commissioned in mid December then. Plus it was incredibly urgent, needed immediate post-processing and sending to the client immediately after that, if not sooner. A-Frames  So much, so normal. But I knew there was a decent swell running which, if the correct bit of shelter from a difficult wind could be tracked down, would undoubtedly turn up some decent looking waves. With only a brief window of opportunity due to the shortness of the days at this time of year, looking was all I had time to do. Empty, but no time to surf it The First Law of Surfing being what it is, I presently came across several sheltered spots which were firing. Solo pilot Having driven around looking at all the places I couldn't surf, I ended up in St Ives with just enough daylight left to make the in...

Meet Tony Plant. An underground artist whose work varies from metallic installations in places you wouldn't expect to find art, to paintings, to photography, to coloured water pools.   You may inadvertently see his work whilst out for a walk, but if the tide has risen and fallen again, you may equally not.  Tony Plant The rock pool creations are ephemeral, fleeting, often gone before he can pick up a camera to record them.  A blink, a passing wave, and you'd never know that something had happened here just moments ago. Colour pool Despite the questionable practice of tipping paint into the ocean, these creations are obviously all unique. And does the impossibility of selling this artwork make it more valid as art?  Driven by passion rather than the need for financial gain? Red A true artist, most likely to exhibit in places you're very unlikely to go, you can catch a little bit of his work here: Tony Plant Return to ...

I was going swim out and shoot surf with top water photographer Tony Plant today, if only I didn't have to drive away to shoot Tony Blair . . . . . . . . . . There were some cranking barrels to be had at this little secret spot today. Tony was there with Ben Skinner . I would have gone in, if only I didn't have leave to do a portrait session with our now-almost-forgotten ex-Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Not the real one, though, you understand. A lookalike, John Brolly , who has impersonated him in films, videos, and famously for Alison Jackson's classic set of faked photos. He has travelled all over the globe making appearances on the back of it. Work must be tough now Gordon has got in ! John now holds the unenviable position of Mock Mayor of the Quay, as part of the Golowan Festival . Sorry can't put up my pictures of him until after the magazine has published, but keep an eye on Cornwall Today. So preferring barrels to politics, I went back to the secret spot, and...