The thoughts and musings of David Muscroft during his lifetime in photography...

Carnival Masks

3rd February, 2008

The Fecos at Limoux   Limoux Carnival, or 'Fecos' to use its traditional French name, is staged in the small market town of Limoux between Carcassonne and the Spanish border. Dating back centuries local Guilds don elaborate costumes and parade through the town at weekends from January to March. This kind of local event is what travel photography is all about for me.The challenge of extracting the true flavour of an event and seeing it in print has always driven my work. Another interesting speciality of the town is its 'Blanquette'......the original sparkling wine which was invented here well before the Champagne regions' own version was invented.Certainly a bottle of this local fizz is a wonderful way to celebrate another satisfying days shooting. Somebody has to do it !

Floods have always been around.

th February,

Wellies waiting for the bus,South Yorkshire 1977   This was a best selling picture of mine at the time, it appeared in all of the national newspapers and subsequently in magazines in the UK and worldwide. I really can't remember whether or not I had been commissioned to go out and cover the flooding,or whether I was just on the road and got lucky. it's not as graphic as some of the current scenes on our TV screens, but does go to show that extreme weather has been with us pretty much all the time.

How did they do that ?

8th January, 2008

A roundabout in Sheffield   Sometimes it is worth carrying a camera ! It's tricky taking pictures while you're driving, but at least it was only at a walking pace. The picture poses its own question, and we can only guess how a small hatchback got up there !

100 smiles for sarah and Andy

3rd January, 2008

100 smiles for Sarah and Andy   I last saw sarah at her Hen Party........and was rewarded with a couple of dozen gals (crammed into what should have been a too-small room for a group shot) and the end result was a great picture ! Well,here she is again, and this time with new husband Andy......... surrounded by over 100 smiling guests. I never cease to be amazed at how the most improbable and seemingly tricky shots to organise actually happen like a dream !

Why Don't They Stay That Way ?

th January,

William and Edward Xmas 1994   Little darlings aren't they ? This was 12 years ago when my boys didn't mind having their picture taken.Now they'd moan first and demand a modelling fee second.Or maybe a bigger and better Christmas present on the proceeds of the picture fee.

An artist at work

20th December, 2007

Eddie Hallam   Capturing the essential character of an artist,sportsman or performer at work is probably the most satisfying of commissions. Eddie Hallam lives just over the hill from me,and uses his lifetime of experience as a biologist to create wonderful wildlife sculptures,mainly seabirds. What makes this portrait so compelling is the look of concentration in Eddies' eye as he uses a blowtorch to patinate this bronze Guillemot. Suggested in the background is the wonderful artisan clutter of his workshop........tools,materials and works in progress all clamour for space ......... waiting to be wielded,shaped and brought to life in the hands of a master artisan.

Oh What a night !

3rd December, 2007

Sarah's hens   Shooting weddings are about more than just the big day. I love to get a great shot in the can well before the real action starts, just to convince my clients that the magic CAN and WILL happen ! Ask enough questions and the shot is there for the taking. Sarah's hen weekend featured a 'Murder & Mystery' fancy dress night at a country retreat (no half measures here !), with 27 'ladies' dressed to kill. Sounds simple ? Never one to be faint hearted, and even after all this time I'm blessed with more dumb nerve than sense, so I hope to get there with a few bottles of bubbly and let the rest take care of itself ? Yeah right ! Fitting 27 gals into a shot in even a large dining room was a challenge, and then the flash kit decided not to play ball (even though it was tested back at base!). But once the shot was arranged the girls performed marvellously,Sarah got on with hamming it up centre stage and the shot's a winner ! Hope you love the pictures Sarah...........and here's to many more stunning shots on the 27th!

THE EYES HAVE IT

27th November, 2007

EAGLE OWL   The eyes are the window on the soul...........or so the saying goes. I'm not often philosophical, but I have to wonder if the feeling of detached menace which seems to emanate from this captive raptor is actual. Or is it just our human interpretation of what we would interpret from that gaze ? In any case I took the shot,partly out of admiration for this majestic bird of prey,and partly out of my professional experience which suggests its saleability.

On the wild side.

25th November, 2007

Wild side   Its that time of year.......and if I can stay awake (and sober !) long enough for the party to get in full swing then the photo opportunities will get a little hairy ! Not my usual 'engagement portrait' couple these ...... but pretty exciting stuff to shoot. When its a challenge to make yourself heard over the disco and the smoke machine is obscuring the action its a relief to get ANYTHING in the can ! Thanks for the invite Tim ! It was more exciting than most assignments !

Pocket Rocket

22nd October, 2007

There I was,upside down and trying to hang on to lunch.   Well,thats what the Editor of Pilot Magazine called it anyway. In fact its a 1960's Folland Gnat jet training aircraft,as originally flown by the RAF's Red Arrows. Point is,dear reader, thats where it all started for me ; looking up at a blue sky full of flashing red jets. I was hoping for it to be the start of a career flying these things,but that wasn't to be (the RAF pre-selection team at Biggin Hill failed me on every count !) . Instead,and fortuitously as it turned out, I also got hooked on taking pictures of 'planes, and then of absolutely anything that took my fancy. But its still my dream..........to walk out to the jet, strap in, do the checks, call the tower for clearance, and then burn away an awful lot of the tax payers money on aviation fuel ! I got a pilots licence at the end of the eighties (Cessna's not jets). I played around with other peoples 'toys' in the early nineties (hence this magazine front cover image shot from another Gnat). But its not quite the same as strapping in for real.

« Back to previous page