Taipei, Taiwan February 2023

In February of 2023, I had the pleasure of travelling to Taipei, Taiwan for a two-week marketing project. During my free time, I was able to explore some of the most breathtaking locations that Taipei has to offer. Below, I've highlighted three of my favourite spots that I captured through my lens.

First on my list is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a stunning location with an abundance of open space that's perfect for an evening stroll. While exploring Taipei's vibrant night markets was also a regular activity for me, Juifen was an extraordinary highlight of my trip. Though renowned for its tea house building, it was the foggy day that gave the town an eerie yet captivating ambience, making it an unforgettable experience.

Lastly, I captured stunning views atop Elephant Mountain, a must-visit spot that boasts a panoramic view of Taipei City, often considered superior to that of the famous Taipei 101 tower. With a total of 500 steps, it's a bit of a workout but undoubtedly worth it. I must confess that steps 150-250 were the most challenging for me, but I powered through and was rewarded with unforgettable views.

Overall, my time in Taipei was an amazing experience, and I'm excited to share it with you through the photos below. If you're interested in exploring more of the city's hidden gems, please feel free to send me a direct message on Instagram.

Iceland - November 2022 - 4 day Itinerary

Back in November, I took a short break to get away and enjoy myself with some friends after a very busy year. Honestly, it was so good to get away, drive around and enjoy doing some proper travelling again. Below you can find some things to think about if you are thinking of going to Iceland, my itinerary, a packing list and photos and travel vlogs.

Things to bear in mind.

What time of year are you going? I went in November which I believe is going into winter. There wasn’t snow when I went but it was still very cold due to the wind. There were only 5/6 hours of daylight. Which is something to bare in mind when planning your trip.

If you are thinking about driving around Iceland, here are two websites that you need to bookmark road.is and safetravel.is. These websites can alert you to road closures, weather alerts, and driving conditions.

I hired a Toyota Serento from Europcar from the Keflavik Airport. It was roughly £500 for the 4 days including the full insurance. The boot was large enough for 4 large suitcases which were ideal for us as a group of 4.

Iceland itinerary

Day One 

We land at Keflavik Airport at 10:30 am. If you plan to drink alcohol in your hotel rooms I recommend picking some up at the airport as it’s cheaper and easier than finding it elsewhere. Picked up our Toyota Sorento from Europcar.

20-minute drive to Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon was a great first spot to go when arriving in Iceland. With it being so close to the airport and out of the way of anything else on my itinerary it made sense to go straight from the airport. The Blue Lagoon itself was pretty cool, once you got over the eggy sulfur smell. It was relaxing and chilled having a drink in the water, the steam room was the perfect way to warm up from the wind chill. But as expected it was very busy. I have spoken to others recently and they recommend going to the Sky Lagoon or a natural off-the-road hot spring (Just be careful where you go). The silica mud mask wasn’t the best and dried out our faces quite a bit so I recommend going for the other option.

We drove 1 hour to Reykjavik. Checked in to our Air bnb accommodation right in the city. It was a perfect location to walk around and explore for the evening. We checked out The church that stands guard over Reykjavik called Hallgrímskirkja. And then walked through the town and down to the harbour. We went to the supermarket to grab some supplies from the car over the next few days. And finished the night by having a few drinks with dinner before going back to play some card games before driving in the morning.

Day 2 

8:00 am Wake up, get the car ready and check out.

9:00 am Set off, It was still dark at this time, so bare this in mind.

1hr drive to Kerid Crater

10:00 am Kerid Crater (Spend 45 mins max) 

Parking for Kerid Crater couldn’t be any closer. There is a small donation to the site for entry. (£9.44 for 4 people) I recommended walking the crater Anti Clockwise just for a more enjoyable experience of walking up. It was a lovely view from the top and a nice start to all the Icelandic landscapes to come.

10:45 am 1hr 5 min drive to Seljalandsfoss

11:50 am Seljalandsfoss (spend 1 hr in the area, walk anti-clockwise) 

The car park was very busy and you have to pay to park. It was around £4 depending on conversions. There are toilets and food available on site. It’s just a short walk from the car park til you get to the waterfall. I recommend doing the loop anti-clockwise. We walked it clockwise and climbing down some wet rock faces wasn’t the safest, climbing up would be easier. I’d also recommend a raincoat as the spray gets you soaked quickly.

Seljalandsfoss was one of those wow moments in Iceland. Such a picturesque view. It’s rare you can walk behind a waterfall so it was a cool exprience.

12:50 am 25-minute drive to Skógafoss

1:15 am Skógafoss Waterfall (1 hr in the area)

The light was amazing when we got to Skogafoss. Parking was a short walk away and free. It was super busy (I know my photo makes it looks empty, it’s photoshop’d ). We decided to walk up the stairs to see the lookout first. It’s not the hardest climb however I stopped a few times, and you have to walk around a lot of people stopping for breaks. There was a section which shook quite a lot. Once up at the lookout, it was a cool few. Due to time and potentially losing light, we decided not to explore the top much as it didn’t look as if there wasn’t much we could already see. After the descent, we went down to the base of Skogafoss waterfall.

2:15 pm 30 mins drive to Reynisfjara Beach

2:45 pm Reynisfjara Beach hour or more watch the sunset.

During the drive over the weather took a turn for the worst. It went from clear skies to clouds and rain. Throughout the trip, the weather was forever changing so I’d suggest being prepared for it to change. Parking for the beach near the cafe was £4.95 (depending on conversion). The sea was really choppy. And a lot of people stayed off the beach because of it. However, there were a few of us who decided to keep an eye on the sea and slowly walk along the coast. If you watch the video below you’ll see the big wave come over and us running away. We then drove back to our accommodation for the night.

Stay near Vik 

So we stayed at Black Beach Suites. Honestly, the room was amazing. Large back window for sky watching for the northern lights. Comfy beds, even the pull-out was comfier than the actual bed. Large bathroom, with a rain shower. It was a very nice place to stay for the night. We headed into Vik to Black Crust Pizzeria for dinner. Famous for its black-crust pizza. It was tasty and they had a few toppings that you don’t see at your Dominoes, Sweet dates being one of them. After dinner we headed back, Played card games and had a few drinks. We kept popping out to see if we could see the northern lights. My camera was picking it up in the distance but sadly we didn’t see them overhead. Annoyingly they were over Reykjavik that night. We looked online and set a few alarms in the night to check out if they did come, but sadly not.

Day 3

9:00 am Leave

20-minute drive to Hjörleifshöfði

9:20 am Hjörleifshöfði Yoda Cave

So our first spot of the day was a spot that wasn’t as touristy as the other main spots. It’s off the track and believe we only found it through Instagram or Tiktok. You drive off a main road onto a gravel road for a while. It doesn’t look like it leads to much. We pulled over at this point and decided to get a few driving drone shots of the car of the Vlog. The flat dark landscape contrasted well with the cloudy sky. The Sunrise was around 10:00 am. We check out the cave, the best view is from inside looking out giving the Yoda/Grogu-shaped hole. It’s definitely one for Star Wars lovers.

10:30 am 36-minute drive to Solheimasandur plane crash (40 minute at location)

Solheimasandur plane crash has bee on my bucketlist of places to take photos for a while. There is a car park marked on google maps which is very easy to find. Parking cost around £4.42 (Depending on conversion). So there is a few different options here on what you could do here. From the car park, it is around 5km to the crash site. This would take around 1 hour to walk each way. And tbh it’s just a flat landscape and there really isn’t anything to see on the way. However, there is a shuttle from the car park that happens every 30 minutes (I think). Now it isn’t cheap. It’s was £17 each. But when you think about the time you will save from not walking, and if you only have a few hours of sunlight a day it’s worth it. and with how the weather kept changing that day, it was great to stay dry. One minute it was sunshine, the next it was hail. gotta love Icelands weather.

The plane wreck is what is left of a US Navy Douglas Super DC-3 which crash landed here in 1973, whilst operating a supply mission between Hofn Hornafjördur Airport and Stokksnes, Iceland. Once at the site it can be very busy. Trying to get a shot of the plane without many people in it is very hard. Thank god for photoshop. You can go inside the pane, and on the right side, you can climb up onto the roof if you want to. This is the plane that features in Justin Biebers music video I’ll Show You. While we were there we had to take cover in the plane from the hail until the shuttle came back. And we even saw a double rainbow.

12:30 pm 1hr 55min drive 

2:25 pm Gullfoss ( 30 mins max) 

During the drive, we stopped off at a petrol garage got some snacks and made our way to Gullfoss. Gullfoss was one of the busiest spots of our trip. This is because of all the coaches running Golden circle tours. Gullfoss is the largest of the waterfalls that we saw on this trip. and we timed it just right so that we were there during golden hour, so the light was hitting the waterfall beautifully. Theres a few viewing points to check out while you’re here and a big gift shop if you wanted to grab some gifts.

2:55 pm 9-minute drive

3:05 pm Strokkur Geyser, (30 mins max) 

Strokkur Geyser was only a short drive from Gullfoss. There are a few gysers to see, smaller ones that erupt more frequently. with the largest that erupts every hour. The water is over 100C and the only thing stopping you from touching it is a small rope, so use common sense.

3:35pm 1hr 20 drive to Reykjavik 4:15pm Sunset 

After the Strokkur Geyser, we drove back to Reykjavik through National Park. It’s a really nice drive. We pulled over a few times in the lay by to take some photos. by the time we got to Reykjavik, it was dark. We checked into our Air bnb which was only a few roads away from our first one on day one. This Airbnb was great, it had so many rooms and a large open living space. Again it was only a short walk to the bars and restaurants. We got on scooters and decide to check out the lighthouse on the coast to see if we could see the northern lights as this was the spot people mentioned seeing it the night before. however, we didn’t see it, unfortunately. We went to bastards bar for some food and drinks and played some darts for the evening.

Stay at Reykjavik

Day 4

We got up, checked out our air bnb and drove the hours to the airport. Dropped out the car off outside the airport to the right. It’s only a short walk. then flew home to Heathrow Airport.

I hope you enjoyed the itinerary. Below you can see my Packing list, Photos of the trip and the 2 part Vlog.

Iceland Packing list (With amazon links to help)

• Power bank - https://amzn.to/3h3OR2G

• Car adapter (if the car doesn’t have CarPlay) - https://amzn.to/3uvlRUB

• Car phone holder - https://amzn.to/3HfWmhV

• Rain coat - https://amzn.to/3F4gIbb

• Rain trousers/snow trousers - https://amzn.to/3F4gIbb

• Crampons (shoe spikes) - https://amzn.to/3UDCmJ5

• Quick dry towel - https://amzn.to/3Hl52DL

• Sunglasses - Polarised preferred

• Merino Wool Thermals/ Base layers - https://amzn.to/3Y67WSv

• Snood - https://amzn.to/3P7uDBF

• Gloves - https://amzn.to/3VFxAvS

• Beanie

• Water bottle 

• Walking boots

• Moisturiser

• Lip balm

• Camera

• Tripod

• Torch

Caskets - The Only Ones (Music Video) Behind The Scenes

The track ‘The Only Ones’ was probably one of my favourite tracks off the Lost Souls album by Caskets. When I originally heard of Chris’s concept for the music video I thought it was mental. On this occasion, I was asked to not only shoot the BTS photos but to also camera operate a second camera alongside the amazing Oli Duncanson. Oli picked me up and we drove from the south up north. The traffic was awful and we were worried we were going to miss our start time. the drive up took over 6 hours as opposed to the usually 3.5 hours. We arrived at 10 pm and started shooting straight away. Little did we know we would be filming til 4:30 am the first night. So if you haven’t already go check out the music video for ‘The Only Ones’ by Caskets. It will make you understand this a lot better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk7L6UyM--I&ab_channel=SharpToneRecords

We filmed the music video on a plot of land near the area of York. Shout out to Cris Greaves who sorted that. So there was going to be a lot of fire on this shoot, so safety first. The boys organised the Yorkshire Fire department to be on site for the music video. The first night we prominently filmed the wides of the whole band with the fire barrels behind them. It was very damp so keeping the barrels going proved difficult. There were many stop-starts to keep the intensity of the fire going. When there were enough wides, we then shot the wides with the cabs on fire. Chris organised these cabs to be purposely built so that when they were set on fire they would collapse inwards. As cabs are built like tanks and normal ones wouldn’t have had the same effect. During one taking Chris being the dancing extraordinaire, went a little too close to the fire. The next thing we see is him running offset, stripping off his skinny jeans, to find they caught on fire a little. Chris’s legs were fine, only a little warm and pink luckily. The only causalities of the night were someone left the van spare key behind the cabs, R.I.P Van keys.

Another event of the night was a couple who came onto the land who were neighbours to see what we were doing. Chris walking over ready to be super nice and apologetic for the noise was surprised to find out the lovely guy was one of the guys up top at Tanglewood guitars. They just wanted to watch what we were getting up to and thought it was great. And that’s how Caskets relationship with Tanglewood started. At 4:30 am we decided to call it a night/early morning because it was too damp to get the big bonfire going.

After what felt like 4 hours of sleep (it was more than that) I and Chris went for a fun trip to B & Q in search of new things to set on fire as the bonfire stake was too damp to light. We got it all, Log burners, Firelighters, Scrap wood and offcuts, if it could fit in the van, it was getting set on fire.

So if anyone has met the Casket crew on the road, you might have met our lovely tour driver Sim. He was the handyman behind building the narrative set for the video. after constructing the room, everyone constructed the Ikea sofa and hung the props to make it look like a room. Oli Chris and part went off the shoot the flowers on the lampost daytime shot and It just became a waiting game until the sun dropped.

Finally, it was dark. We lit the narrative set with an overhead large softbox on a Godox SL60W continuous light running from a generator. The two actors are long time band friends Pat Anderson and Jess Ayton. With no acting experience, they gave an unbelievable performance for the conflicted couple. Once the narrative of the couple was finished it came the moment we had all been waiting for. Setting fire to the set. It took a while for the fire to get going properly but once it was up there was not a lot of time to nail this shot. People were on hand to watch the fire to signal Pat to move. It was pretty amazing and then the wind took it and made a big old fire vortex thing. Just to everyone is aware this was filmed in the middle of a damp field with people on hand to control the fire.

Next on the shot list were the bonfire solo shots. Once the fire was going we knew we only had like two takes of each person. Starting with James and finishing with Chris. It was pretty epic looking. And the heat coming off the fire was unreal. James ran as soon as he could even though we were a good 5+ meters away. Sadly no one brought marshmallows. These were probably some of my favourite shots from this shoot. Also, Chris Did his guitar swing and the fire popped as he slammed his foot down.

The last shots of the boys were shooting solos over and through a burning barrel. For this, I took the left side and Oli shot the right side. It was super smokey.

Once the narrative of the couple was finished it came the moment we had all been waiting for. Setting fire to the set. It took a while for the fire to get going properly but once it was up there was not a lot of time to nail this shot. People were on hand to watch the fire to signal Pat to move. It was pretty amazing and then the wind took it and made a big old fire vortex thing. Just to everyone is aware this was filmed in the middle of a damp field with people on hand to control the fire.

The last shot for the night was the car hitting scene. Now it isn’t as easy as you think to pretend to get hit by a car. Craig drove the car. after a few attempts, and myself pretending to show the body movements. the shot was done! No Jess’s was harmed in the making of this shot, however, I did scratch my apple watch when I showed her how to move. The light trail effect Oli used in the edit really makes this shot. Now it was time to go to get 3 hours of sleep before driving back down south early as Oli had another Video to film, What a machine. Oli went back the following week to shoot the corridor storm out seems and Chris’s home to really add to the narrative.

So yeah that’s a lot of what went on for the shoot of The Only Ones. As always if you have any questions feel free to drop me a DM. Cheers!

Charlie

Caskets Headline Lost Souls in Full Key Club, Leeds Show 19-03-22

I drove up the day of the show meeting at Chris’s for around 1/2 pm. We loaded the van up and made our way to load in at The Key Club, Leeds. Load in was pretty easy. Round the back by the bins, down a set of stairs which brings you near the stage access. Once loaded in the boys started setting up, locating all the bits and separating our merch in the other room, being set up by Fletchie.

Once soundcheck was done everyone headed over to Stick or Twist for the Lost Souls Club meet & greet. We got to meet lots of the lovely fans and shot a few photos of people with the boys. Once we got back we chilled out backstage until the boys set.

I got some backstage content before the show started and then followed Matt as he walked on. In the first part of the first song, I focused on James to get as much drum content to begin with. Followed by some on-stage shots. I then made my way into the crowd to shoot from the front. It was not the easiest crowd to manoeuvre. Sold out Key Club is a very busy room. If you saw me, you probably just saw my camera in the air as I got thrown around near the mosh pit. Moving across from right to left to focus on each member upfront. Getting over to the left side was difficult. After that making my way slowly back to shoot wide crowd shots. For hopes and dreams, I was onstage with Matt filming the whole song. One of the stand out moments is walking around from backstage and hearing the bit before Craig’s solo in ‘Nothing to Hide’ and sprinting through the crowd to film the solo. Another is seeing someone pickup Cris Greaves and then being not allowed back down by the guy.

The boys smashed it. To see this album from the beginning to a sold-out show and everyone singing the words was something to be proud of. After the set, we all celebrated with a drink. Sadly I wasn’t going to be at the London date due to other commitments, But by what the boys have said, it was just as incredible.

Hope you enjoyed the story and enjoy the video and photos below.

Charlie :)

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 6 - Mama Roux's, Birmingham // Dark & Beautiful Secrets NORMANDIE Tour

Last day of the tour. I won’t lie it was great waking up in my own bed after van bunks, sofas and floors. I drove separately with Fletchie (Merch Queen) as I was driving home after the gig in Birmingham as the rest of the crew/band that was going to Leeds/The North.

Driving through Birmingham was a little bit of a nightmare. There were loads of road works and one-way systems. But we finally got there. I parked up in the car park next to Mama Roux’s and started to edit in the car while we waited for the van to catch up and arrive. Pulled up in this cool-looking car park. We loaded into one side of the venue to them be told the artist area was on the other side. That was fun haha.

The decor of the venue is something I’ve never seen before. It’s like an Italian looking village of houses on the wall and then loads of moons above the stage. There’s also a balcony area which was better than Islington as the edge was set back looking onto the. stage, as opposed to being above.

During soundcheck, I shot some photos of James at his kit and his cymbals. As I got to meet Joe from Meinl and shot some photos of him with James and Anton from Normandie. Before the boys played we got a tour crew photo, as I was due to leave straight after the set. The show was great. Getting on stage was a mission. Having to squeeze between a light and a cymbal during song breaks to get behind James for some drum shots. The was a no photo pit show, so I was right in the crowd and the atmosphere. My favourite photo from this gig was the balcony view of the stage with the lights on during their last song.

I was supposed to go after Caskets set but I ended up hanging out long with all the bands, saying goodbye to all the crew members and bands. It was great to be out on the road after so long. As always I love the Caskets band/crew and wouldn’t change them for anything. It was a weird feeling that it was over when I was driving home. I got back home at 1:30 am. and then set my alarm early to get onto editing the footage and photos. Life of a tour photographer.

If there’s anything you would like to know about this tour that you wished I went into more detail about, please feel free to drop me a DM on Instagram.

Enjoy the highlight video and the photos below. This is the end of the Caskets Tour Blog series, Hope you’ve enjoyed it.

Charlie

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 5 - Islington 02 Academy, London / Dark & Beautiful Secrets Normandie Tour

We start the day feeling a little sorry for ourselves. My hangover was pretty rough I won’t lie. I blame Chris for being King Sambuca. Sambuca doesn’t like me. We set off for London from Southampton. Probably about 3 hours to the venue. We arrive at the Islington O2 Academy. Learning the maze of the backstage and the hundreds of steps to get from there to the stage. I must have gone up and down those stairs like 30 odd times that night. Last time I was in this venue I was working with a DJ alongside an Afrobeats artist and never ventured backstage properly. The green room was great, had a full-on shower set up. You woudnt’t believe how great it is to have a venue with a nice shower.

While the boys chilled after load in and soundcheck I was trying to work out where I should be for parts of the set. There’s a barrier photo pit. The room was the largest cap venue of the tour. I decided I would start the set from the balcony and get some overhead shots. So tonight was a buyout instead of catering so I quickly popped to Macdonalds before the show started. The queue was so long, Sadly they were letting in people so slow that my friends who got in line an hour early even missed half of Caskets set.

So I started from the balcony. This was a very different angle from the other venues on the tour. It was okay but nothing groundbreaking in my opinion. the balcony hung over the stag too far, it would have been nicer if it was set back further. I then shot from the back and then head to the photo pit. Manoeuvring on the stage was tight. Trying to get behind Normandie’s drumkit to get shots of James on the support kit off to the side was a mission. Erratic lights and trying not to step on any cables, it’s not always easy getting into some positions. It was well worth the crowd shot of the boys and the crowd though.

After Caskets Set I hung out with my friends and partner, and actually watched full sets of Thousand Below and Normandie. It was nice not running to the green room to edit straight away. After my friends left I went and joined the boys backstage for some drinks with lots of their industry friends. Safe to say I was of the soft drinks after the night before. After we loaded out went to mine to sleep for the night before the last night of the tour in Birmingham.

Hope you enjoy the highlight video and the photos below!

Charlie

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 4 - The Joiners, Southampton / Dark & Beautiful Secrets Normandie Tour

Day 4 of the tour begins with the drive down from Chris’s in Leeds. 5 hours or so before getting to Southampton. The boys have played Joiners before so we kind of knew what to expect in terms of load in etc. Parking can be difficult depending on how busy the car park behind is. After the other bands loaded in we pulled the van up to the side and loaded everything through. There isn’t much storage space for shells or cases so we had to store a majority in the van, to make the changeover run smoothly.

The venue supplied us with an incredible Shepards Pie. Now I don’t mean incredible on a rider food level, I mean on a restaurant-grade level. The staff were amazing and very welcoming.

So if you haven’t been toThe Joiners before. The room layout is kinda like an L shape. the main front areas with a long corridor going back from one side, with a little corridor by the toilets to access the stage left side. That corridor by the toilets is a lifesaver from getting to the front of the room to the back of the room for photos. There isn’t a barrier, however, the stage is quite a bit taller than some of the venues on this tour, for example, Cathouse. Photographing from the crowd can really make the photos seem personal and up-close. You just have to be careful with the odd mosher getting chucked in your direction. As always the boys smashed this set. Stage access was really hard due to the amount of equipment that was on the side of the stage and the lighting rig on the stage. Once the set was finished, we opened the fire exits and flung out all the equipment to be put back into the van where all the cases and shells were. Trying to do it as quick as possible before Thousand Below started as I was covering them for photos and footage that night too.

Once I finished photographing TB I briefly said hi to a few friends before going upstairs to the green room to get on with the edits. I wanted to get them turned around asap for the band as I know London tomorrow might be hectic. Once the editing was sorted I came down to find the plan had changed for the evening. Originally we were gonna crash at the mine which is closer to London, But we decide to go out for the night in Southampton, get a few drinks. One of the publications that interviewed the boys kindly offered us a place to stay and park the van up. Thanks Jodie!

The night out was really good. Half the boys stayed in, but the other half went around town and caught up with some other band pals. The cocktail pints in the Hobbit and Star Inn will get you drunk quickly. The rest of the night is a blur, I just remember partying with the TB boys and the lovely blue pints. To come back to find the house had a garden bar. How we drank so much we will never know.

Woke up in the van in the morning to be greeted by the best fry up breakfast by the hosts. We couldn’t have been taken better care of.

Next stop London, with a very hazy head. Enjoy the photos and video below!

Charlie

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 3 - Cathouse, Glasgow / Dark & Beautiful Secrets Normandie Tour

So after a lovely sleep on the van floor in a Tebay services. We raided the shop to see what food was on offer before making our way to Ben’s flat for a freshen up in Glasgow. Now it wouldn’t be a trip to Glasgow without seeing one drunk on the street picking fights with randomers. Luckily he didn’t give us any hassle.

Once we were all showered and ready we set off for the Cathouse. Pulling the van up on the busy street, taking shifts of watching the van while the others walk up the endless amounts of steps to the gig room. It was the right work out I won’t lie. Once load in was done, and sorting out the lack of space for merch a few of us popped out to KFC for a snack before the venue supplied us was some amazing burritos after the boys set.

I loved having a barrier at this show. It allowed me to move around a lot easier than the two previous nights. Stage access was great to reach James for drum shots. The only challenge was ducking near the front more than the other venues to not block people's view too much. Thank god for the barrier steps. The boys smashed it as always. Caught Craig doing a guitar spin on film, that’s in the video. After the boys set I shot a little for Thousand Below before going to the green room for a beer and to edit. Not many people know that most tour photographers edit straight after the set for an instant turnaround. I prefer doing this so I can rest in the van and I’m not having to look at a shaky laptop screen. We had to be in Southampton the next day. I know what you’re thinking. It was over 400 miles. We drove back to Leeds to crash at Chris’s before making the rest of the trip in the morning. Shout out to Sim for being a soldier of a van driver.

Next stop Southampton!

Charlie

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 2 - The Rebellion, Manchester / Dark & Beautiful Secrets Normandie Tour

We start the day by waking up at the College and taking a group photo outside the front door. Everyone looked at me funny for choosing the blue waiting room looking foam chairs over the mattresses but it was super comfy. Would highly recommend it if you are crashing there.

We get to The Rebellion. Load in, set up merch, drop bags to the green groom space. We were sharing the space with the lovely lads in Thousand Below. Craig drew onto a drum skin and all the lads signed it. Now finding all the members to sign something isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Benji will be off having a cig, Matt will be hunting for crisps, James will be staring at his drums somewhere. It’s always a task for the lads to be in one place. The toilets indoors were being refurbed so there was a row of portaloos in the smoking area, and a festival urinal. That was odd.

Shooting this show was a laugh. Again like the night before there wasn’t a photographer’s pit so I was right in the crowd. If you see me at shows in the crowds you’d probably just hear me going ‘Excuse me, sorry, I just need to get through here, thanks’ like 100 times. I try not to stay in one spot too long so I don’t affect anyone's experience of the show. I even took lots of lovely photos of our handsome sound guy Ben.

After the show, we had the decision whether to drive to Newcastle for a place we could stay at before Glasgow or sleep 9 of us in a van that should only sleep 6 in a service station and save a few hours driving. we chose the latter. It was a very cosy night in the van at the service station. The floor of the van was less comfortable than the blue waiting room chairs. And to be woken up in the night by Craig grabbing my nose in his sleep, that was fun haha.

Enjoy the video and photos below. Next stop Cathouse Glasgow!

Charlie

Caskets Oct Tour 21 - Day 1 - The Fleece, Bristol / Dark & Beautiful Secrets Normandie Tour

Flashback to October 2021. My guys in Caskets had me out on the road with them to document them on Normandie’s Dark & Beautiful Secrets Tour alongside Thousand Below. Caskets were travelling down from Leeds and I went by train from Farnborough to meet them at load in at The Fleece.

The first port of call is getting our bearings. Saying hi to the other bands/crew members and introducing ourselves if we haven’t met yet. Where the green room is, where does merch go, access points I can get to get shots. The first night of the tour always has a lot more nerves than most of the other dates. Getting into the groove of being on the road and playing. For me the first night is learning what the band do at parts of the songs, will there be jumps, if there are parts where the crowd might wave torches or clap, Is there a part where the drum fills look amazing. This determines where I should be in the venue during the set. This was the first gig I was trying out my new modded fish eye lens. I enjoyed what I got from it. Let me know if you would like me to go into my gear more.

The lads played amazing. The crowd really looked like they enjoyed it and the room was packed front to back. It was so good to be at shows again, even just being able to see the live music again. And getting to see the new tracks from Lost Souls which I covered the writing and recording process. It was great!

After the show, we drove to stay the night at the College, Thanks to the guys for allowing us to crash there. You know it’s a cool place when you skateboard down a hallway in the middle of the night to go to the toilet.

Keep an eye out for the next blog on Day 2 Manchester! Enjoy the Day 1 video and photos below.

Charlie

Paphos, Cyprus December 2021

A little winter getaway to Paphos Cyprus was well needed after the busy year. It was my first time on this side of the island, previously stayed in Ayia Napa area 7 years prior. I managed to check out a lot of the spots that this side of the island had to offer. Sunset Point, The harbour, Tomb of the Kings, Aproditie’s Rock, The Sea Caves And Edro III. The weather was lovely for the most part. 18-21 degrees most of the time, but there was one day of torrential rain and a storm, but what do you expect for weather in December. All in all, it was a lovely week, got the recharge my partner and I needed from a busy work season. A few surprises with PCR testings after we landed, 2 days prior and when we got home, but it is what it is. There were a few spot’s we’d like to have checked out like, Adonis falls and the Templar village, but sadly as we didn’t have a 4WD, this was not possible on this visit. For someone who would leave the country every other month for most work, being grounded in the UK for nearly 2 years definitely made me appreciate my travels a lot more. This trip was well needed. I look forward to sharing more trips now that the world is getting back to normal. Enjoy the photos below.

Charlie :)

Caskets - Lost in Echoes Music Video BTS

Flashback to early 2021, The boys made the long trip down from Leeds to Fareham in the south of the UK. Luckily this is my neck of the woods so was around an hour for me which beats the 5 hours for them. This video was shot at Lite Up Events with Life Is Art Visuals. Was a nice chilled morning while the equipment was getting rigged. Or at least it was until we realised someone left Matt’s clothes bag. Myself and James went to every supermarket nearby which sold clothes while the rest of the boys prepped for the video. We must have gone to 2 Asda’s, a Sainsbury’s and 2 tesco’s. Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a black or yellow tee or hoody on a Sunday morning. We did our best and somehow Matt had video clothes by the end of it.

There were 3 stage setups. Full band with the screens angled on either side. Solo shots with the screens making a corridor with low fog. and lastly the big screen behind for solo shots with pink overhead lighting. The footage of matt on the screens was recorded a few weeks prior by myself and Cris Greaves. And all the artwork was created by Chris of Caskets and then animated by Cris Greaves. The video had cool Tron vibes. all the colours, CRT effects, and the lighting style. The fog takes were probably the most tricky. Having a small window between great look fog to OMG it’s so foggy we can’t see anything. The music video itself was all filmed in that day. If I remember rightly we wrapped at around 6/7 pm. It was a long slog for the boys to get back up north that night. All in all, it was a fun day. If there’s anything, in particular, you guys would like to know about the video, be sure to drop me or Caskets a message or join the Lost Souls Club for more content.

As always, fewer words, more photos. Enjoy the BTS shots below.

Charlie :)

James Bluck @ The Box Ministry Of Sound London

My older brother from a very young age was always interested in music and events. From annoying the DJ at the working men’s club in Battersea from the age of 5 to where he is now, Playing Ministry of Sound in London. I’ve covered a lot of his events over the last decade (I feel old saying that) And luckily I was able to document James’s first night playing The Box at Ministry of Sound.

Here is one of the raw clips and a selection of my favourite shots from the night below.

Thanks

Charlie

Thousand Below // Dark & Beautiful Secrets UK Tour// October 2021

Whilst out with Caskets on the Normandie Dark & Beautiful Secrets UK tour back in October 2021, I was asked by the boys in Thousand Below to Video for a blog James was making and Snap a few photos. Here are my favourite shots of them. Enjoy!

Sleep Token @ 02 Shepard's Bush Empire 20/11/21

Back in November, I was asked to help cover Sleep Token’s performance by my good friend Tom Russell. I was on hand to help film wide shots for an upcoming video. After The song finished was then able to capture these shots below. Sleep Token honestly is one of the best bands to come out in recent years in my opinion. The whole vibe and feel of the shows. It really makes it a different experience. Enjoy the photos below.

Caskets (Formerly Captives) - Glass Heart Music Video: Behind The Scenes

Back in October 2019 near the end of my time documenting Caskets recording process, Caskets were set to record their music video for their first single ‘Glass Heart’ of their upcoming album. More blogs will be coming out about the Recording process soon once the boys start releasing more of the documentary and songs.

Prior to the video Chris (Bassist and boss man of Caskets) spent time sorting the props for the music video. Chris designed the boiler suit design, James (Drummer of Caskets) printed them and myself and Chris had the fun job for wearing the suits in, so they didn’t look brand new. doing that to 16 boiler suits takes time, using the contents of Chris’s garage with use of a saw, a lighter, some sand paper and good old dirt from the floor we completed our task of essentially fucking up the boiler suits. Chris got the glass heart made from Etsy, the quality and detail in the heart was unreal. I was definitely scared to be anywhere near the box with it in. The school tables were borrowed from a school in Barnsley from a friend of the band Lily. Authentic chewing gum and all.

The video is set in Bolton, at a very spacious warehouse, at Atlas Studios. Perks of documenting everything is you get out of carrying all the gear in. for the load in at least. All the extras were friends of the band. And the video was being shot by Life is Art. And as you can see from the video their work is amazing.

First part of the day was filming the narrative. The worker scenes of them crushing petals into the mysterious yellow liquid. The most exciting parts of the scenes were definitely when Craig ( Guitarist of Caskets) was tackled to the ground. The poor guy had to do that scene at least 4 times. Another fun scene was the flipping of the tables. R.I.P pestle and mortars. So as well as shooting the behind the scenes, I also was an extra. See if you can spot me in the video. I was one of the group that had to put yellow contacts in for the end of the video. I can confirm putting contact in for the first time sucks. And Matt (Singer of Caskets) was crying a good hour. I can safely say I wont be winning any oscars for my parts.

After all the narrative shots, the boys set up at the other end of the warehouse. Shot all the performance shot. It was amazing how much natural light the window lets in. Lots of takes later of the boys going ham and we were finished. The boys did well. Big shout out to everyone involved it was a great day of hanging out.

Enough words, hope you enjoy looking through the pictures of the shoot below. And I’ll be releasing blogs about Caskets recording their album soon.

If you haven’t already, check out the music video for Glass Heart - Caskets

Stay Safe!

Charlie

Singapore February 2020

This February I was sent to Singapore between working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was my first proper time in Singapore. The only other times being my transfer home on the way back from Australia, and my lovely 6 hours wait in Changi Airport before going to the Philippines in 2019. I was only here a few days so I had to make the most of it outside of work. Luckily enough I was working on Sentosa Island and could spend my break exploring and chilling. Honestly, Sentosa Island is amazing, It literally has so much to do from a Luge to a Bungee. Fun fact the little bridge you cross onto the little island off of the beach, that spot is the most southern point in Asia.

One evening we checked out the Garden By The Bay at Marina Sands. We timed it right to seen the light show in the evening which is synced to the orchestra music playing. I would definitely check that out. In regards to eating, While I was there I was staying at Hotel Boss. And just underneath was a Hawker Market. Really good cheap food. Which was great as a dish would be like 5 dollars. Obviously, with all the media coverage, I couldn’t mention the Covid-19. While I was out in Singapore everywhere I went you would be temperature checked and given hand sanitiser. And everyone was wearing masks in airports. This was just before it really hit Europe. Loads of people were worried about me travelling but it was honestly okay. The weeks after in the UK were probably way worse than what I saw in Asia. But yeah back to photography. Check out my photos below! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog!

Travel: OZ Blog Ep: 19 - Week 12 The End - Sydney

What’s up, everyone! if you have got this far in my OZ Blog series, Thankyou! This is the 19th and final blog of my trip. Its been a great experience blogging all this. These blogs were to basically just be a diary for myself and a way to showcase all my photos from the trip. This blog is about my final month in Australia where I spent it in Sydney. There’s a lot to cover so I’ll keep it brief. As always if you want any information or if you have a question, slide into my DM’s and I’ll get back at ya.

So for my entire stay here, I was in Bounce Hostel (R.I.P) Situated right next to the central station. It was honestly the best hostel to spend a long time. Super clean, amazing staff and great social spaces. It was a real shame the light rail took over the building for demolition in September 2018. So these final weeks I rarely took my camera out. It was mostly socialising, having a drink and just making the most of it before coming home. Bounce honestly was great and I made so many good friends there during myself. I don’t need to name who I’m on about. Partying every night was amazing, going to so many bars, having the best time.

Besides partying I did go see some things. One of the coolest being Vivid the Sydney light festival. We went a couple of nights as it was so big, wandered around looking at all the light shows. It was pretty cool. Check out the photos below. Sadly not long after this Jack went home and our lovely little 3 man bro team became two.

Another spot I finally checked out was The Blue Mountains. Had a little family day out. Myself, Gabby, Audra, Dan and Mark. he weather held up thank god, being June/July it could be pretty miserable some days. Again check out the photos below. It’s crazy how some tourist think going down the steep steps in high heels is a great idea.

I ended up going for some trail shifts at a few bars while in Sydney. It was a great laugh and to be honest I could have seen myself staying if I didn’t have wedding bookings to come back to.

So my last days were coming to an end. Mark was set up with his job 2 weeks prior to my leaving, which meant I spent a lot of time with others in the group which was great. Taking days out like Paintballing and I thought one of the best ways to finish the trip was doing something I did when I first got to Australia. The Bondi to Coogee walk. Had an amazing day with Dan, Matt and Lucy to finish up having some beers near shark point for the last time. We spent my final night checking out a karaoke bar and in true English fashion, getting drunk and singing Wonderwall as a group. Luckily for you i’m not adding that video.

Overall Australia was probably the greatest experience of my life. Being away for 4 months, learning so much, moving around so much, and always being out of your comfort zone is amazing. I can safely say due to this trip I could show up in most countries and know some there. Fortunately enough 2 years have nearly past now and I have met up with a fair few of the friends from this trip. This won’t be the last time I go to Aus, I do plan to go back a do the west coast someday. Shout out to everyone I met along the way. It’s the people you meet on your travels that make them even greater. But for now Australia Peace out!

Travel: OZ Blog Ep: 18 - Week 11 Melbourne

Sup people! This blog is about my stay in Melbourne. The first hostel we stayed at was Space hostel. It wasn’t a bad hostel at all. Super clean, well-designed rooms. But for me, it was lacking the social side of a hostel and after being on the road just us three for a week we were ready to get social again. I think we moved hostels a few 2 days after our arrival. Mark went to go catch up and stay with a friend for a bit while myself and Jack moved to United Backpackers. Which was more social, not as clean, but honestly we wanted the social side more than anything.

We found out quickly that Melbourne was more of a work-life city rather than a tourist city. A lot of people I spoke to prior was saying it’s not a touristy as Sydney but is better for work-life, and I could see that. nonetheless, there are still many things to check out while here. Across the days myself and jack checked out a few museums and the botanical garden. They were okay, honestly, we were just passing time. Probably one of the coolest things in the city we checked out was probably the Graffiti. Hosier Lane, ACDC Lane, and Duckboard Place were some of my favourites.

Some of the other places we checked out in the daytime were Queen Victoria Market and the Brighton Beach Huts. The market was a great place to get some small cheap souvenirs for people back home. the famous kangaroo and koala keyrings. The beach huts were a nice day out too. The design son the huts were pretty cool. And we got to see some Penguins! even if it was only for a few seconds.

in terms of nightlife. we went to a few of the bars around the hostel near Flinders street. The two most memorable nights was going back to Queen Victoria market at night, getting some amazing food, drinking warm cider and watching a folk band. The other was in St Kilda, we walked into a fish and chip shop which had a hidden speakeasy in the fridge. Nice little cocktail bar, but a bit expensive for a backpacker. We really enjoy our stay in Melbourne which was a little under a week. We then grabbed a flight all three of us to Sydney where we were going to spend the last of our trip.

Next stop, Sydney.

Travel: OZ Blog Ep: 17 - Week 11 Great White Shark Cage Diving/ Great Ocean Road

After the ‘Rock to Water’ tour, we spent 2 nights in Adelaide. We got an Air BnB which was a great change from the constant moving around and sleeping in swags. And there was even a bath! It had been like nearly 3 months since a bath (DISCLAIMER: we shower, we aren’t scruffs). We hit up the local woollies grabbed some snacks and food and made fajitas that night. The morning after we grabbed our Juicy Campervan and drove towards Port Lincoln, where we were going to be doing out Shark cage diving. After a couple of hours driving, a quick stop off to pull over in some town on route to cooking in the van, and many many miles. We got to the diving shop, so we pulled up into a parking space and went to sleep for the night. Surprisingly the van was really comfy, myself and Jack slept in the main compartment and mark in the pullout roof level bed.

Early morning wake up, we went into the shop, filled out the paperwork, bought some strong sickness tablets, as if the Great barrier reef was anything to go by, regardless to if you normally don’t get sick, take them. And still, what a surprise myself and jack felt sick. feeling sick, however, made us have an amazing memory. So we were at the back of the boat, water flying everywhere as its choppy, us looking at the horizon to feel better and all of a sudden a dolphin came out of no here and was follow our boat in the breakwater behind. It was amazing, however, our phones were in the main cabin as it was wet so we didn’t get a video sadly.

The boat was kitted out with a 15ft telescopic cage that drops off the back and floats on the sea level, this allows us to get in and out as we please and also has the oxygen mask tubes attached, meaning all we need is a wetsuit on, no tanks on our backs. Also at the rear of the boat is a tank which you can climb down into and watch what’s going on under the boat, meaning you can take photos with your phone. The cage was surrounded by fish. This was from them playing music underwater to attract the fish rather than baiting them. I thought I was going mad at one point where I could hear ACDC highway to hell underwater.

Honestly, the whole experience was amazing, I first sighted a great white shark when I was on the boat and the boys were in the cage. Watching the size of this beast break the water near the surface was unreal. Like you know they are big, but to see it with your own eyes is something else. We managed to sight great whites another 3 times throughout the day before coming back. I would highly recommend this peaceful and eco trip, to experience the giant beasts calmly and naturally. The food onboard was amazing also. So if this is something that is on your bucket list. Check out Charted Bay Adventures in Port Lincoln.

Once off the boat, our next point of call was finding a campsite on route back towards Adeliade to the continue on The Great Ocean Road. Of course I can’t remember the spot we pulled up in. It was pitch black by the time we got to the campsite, we made some dinner. Was probably burgers or sausages as that’s what we seem to live off while on the road as it was cheap and quick to cook. We spent part of the night shooting long exposures of the milky way, and messing around with jack holding a torch. The photos can be seen below. We woke up in the morning to find a waterfall on the edge of the camp. Pretty cool right!

On route to the Grampians, we stopped off to take some photos on the road with the mountainscape in the background. We walked around the Grampians taking some shots of the amazing views. It was basically deserted the whole way until we got to the top on one of the peaks with a lookout. If you like a hike I would recommend. After the hike we went into town where we bought some fish and chips before heading on our way to another campsite. where we got stuck in the mud for a bit, which was fun to get out of.

Over the next few days, we drove from the Grampians to Melbourne. Stopping at many points of interest including London Bridge, Thunder Cave and The Famous Twelve Apostles to name a few. With a very sketchy night camping and coasting along with no fuel. But we did it. The Great Ocean Road was amazing, and we were very lucky with the weather. I do however wish I saw it at the start of my trip not last, as it was very underwhelming after seeing amazing spots like the outback and Springbrook national park. nonetheless, it was still great. It was very touristy, coaches full of them. Luckily we were able to see spots early and miss the crowds in some cases. It was fun living in a van, but we did miss having showers as often as we would like. Check out the photos across this blog and the video below-showing a lot of the spots. When we arrived at Melbourne we dropped the van off. No problems. We had a great experience with the juicy Campers. The only thing I would say is they drink a lot of fuel.

Next blog, Melbourne!