Nathan Jess // Musician // Belfast

Last year, friend and talented musician Nathan Jess asked if I would hang out with him for an afternoon to get some shots to refresh his website, as he had a new album coming out. 

It wasn't planned but one of the shots got used for the new album artwork. The album comes out on the 10th February on Integrity Music and I can't wait to be there at the launch night in the Waterfront Studio Theatre. You can get your tickets HERE. You don't want to miss this! 

If being successful was solely based on talent and dedication, Nathan would be a superstar, lets just hope that everything lines up for as many people to hear his music as possible.

Looking forward to everyone getting to hear this. 

David C. Clements // The Empire Music Hall // Belfast December 2015

The week leading up to Christmas I continued working with David C. Clements in the lead up to his album launch in February at a very memorable  gig in The Empire Music Hall.

I had the opportunity to document the whole night and a lot of fun doing it.

Massive shoutouts have to go to:

Thomas at Old Fang.

Ian Jordan and everyone who fought against a temperamental in house sound system all night.

Jaime Niesh for his beautiful support performance.

and 

DCC and all his team. Incredible night. 

This debut album 'Longest Day in History' comes out on the 19 February, you can pre order it by clicking on the album cover below. He will also be playing an album launch show on the 11th March in Belfast click HERE for more details.

David C. Clements // Waterfall Shoot

David C. Clements is one of the finest singer songwriters around. In early 2016 he releases his long awaited debut album, The Longest Day in History. 

I feel privileged to be working with him and his team on photos. 

I look forward to sharing other photos from this campaign. 

On a mild summers day David & I came up with the concept of being submerged in water and put our ideas into action. We managed to come out in one piece, even after I slipped and nearly fell into the water, cameras and all, and then during the underwater shots, David nearly collapsed with the cold but was all good in the end. 

Location: Glenariff Forest Park, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

My Dear Mother EP has been released on a free download HERE if you want to hear a teaser to the album release. 

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Bears Den // Belfast

One of my albums of last year was Bear's Den – Islands - incredible work by a great band. However I was a bit late to the party, the first time they played Belfast I was relatively unaware of them. However in March I was doing wedding photos in Texas of all places, and the first dance was about to happen and these lads got up on stage to sing the couple through this normally slightly awkward tradition. It was only after they played I found out who they were. As you can see in the photo below, they fully bought into the Texan look! 

After leaving Texas I made sure to look up this 'first dance band' - to my joy, I loved their stuff. They also released one of the best & beautiful music videos I have ever seen - shot & directed by Marcus Haney - Elysium.

So when they were calling through Belfast to play in Voodoo & I was offered the opportunity to take some photos of the band as they hung out before the gig and then some shots of the gig itself, I jumped at the chance. Now the only time I have done music photography was YEARS ago at a Foy Vance gig and then more recently at an Ellie Goulding gig in Madison Square Garden in New York [Will feature this in a future blog]. So I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had met some of the band & their management team before, so knew it would be a good laugh anyway. I love documenting parts of experiences that people dont get to see, the behind the scenes parts. So here are a selection from soundcheck right through to the end of the show. I didn't do photos whilst we where eating dinner at Made In Belfast because we were all enjoying eating too much.

So do me a favour and have a look some of the photos from that night, however do yourself a favour and listen to their stuff and/or catch them on the remainder of their UK/European Tour - Dates HERE