Platinum

MGM pool fashion shoot..

Day 4 in Las Vegas.

Tonight was the Wedding & Portrait Photographer's International awards ceremony sponsored by Nikon, much like the Oscars of the photography world. I had a cosy seat up front watching Kevin Kubuta whose actions you may already use, doing a double hosting act on stage. The winning entries from all over the world left me open mouthed and gasping with emotion. One of the Russian winners starting speaking his native tongue on stage much to the enjoyment of the audience as his partner attempted to translate for him and would as an aside remark that he'd only translated half of what had been said. I can't wait to share the winning entries when I get the link.

There's a reason I love this image. Back in the 1980s when I was at London Uni, my walls were entirely covered with black and white images of the first supermodels, Cindy, Naomi, Tatiana, Linda and Christi. I collected Vogue magazines, a collection I still have and wonder what to do with. The faces were, on reflection, a little daunting when you first walked into the room. It was one of my earliest inspirations for photography, that along with the images I'd see in National Geographic. I was studying Geography at the time so my natural route for a couple of decades became travel photojournalism, being able to take a month off a year from my career in marketing to scour the Earth for photographic opportunities. And I did, covering about 50 countries. It became my greatest passion in life, my heaven on Earth. But I didn't pursue any interests in fashion photography, perhaps being too in awe of Stephen Miesel, Mario Testino and their contemporaries. It was actually never the fashion that interested me, simply the incredible images. So today I feel proud that this image is indeed mine.