Just married...

In a funny sort of way, covering the Royal Wedding is a bit like bad sex: you spend so much time preparing, getting ready, finding your positions, and then it's all over in a few seconds. This somewhat crude analogy applies equally to taking pictures at the public spectacle of Prince William and Kate Middleton's Big Day. Forget obtaining accreditation for a space outside Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, on the tribunes along the procession route, or any other fixed position, as a freelancer you might as well forget any of those altogether.

So I went scouting the previous days, checked access through barriers in the cordons surrounding the procession route, picked my spot, turned up early, and yet the crowds had already gathered long before me. Predictable, really. I inched my way in, as close to a barrier at The Mall as I could get, mounted a camera on my monopod, attached a remote release, held it a good two metres above me, pointed slightly downwards and fired a few frames.

The arrival and passing of the newly-wed couple was discernible by the volume of cheers and the direction of heads turning in the crowd. My camera on the pole followed, clicking away and I came up with a good image shot from a position well away from the royals. Since this event resembles a media overkill of hitherto unknown proportions, I simply didn't try competing with the wires - all you have is a few seconds as the carriage rolls past, and the rest is feature work.

Sergej Bubka

There was no special occasion for this interview, other than that he was in town and happy to talk to press. Sergej Bubka, multiple pole vault record holder was friendly and approachable and gave off this air of a relaxed, yet professional sportsman who has done far too many interviews during the course of his career. His humble manner, lively expressions and gestures made shooting the interview a pleasure. Although he has retrired from competition athletics 10 years ago, his records still remain in place today. Bubka won 6 consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympics gold and broke the world record for men's pole vaulting 35 times. Enjoy a few moments of it here:

Notting Hill colours

After yet another prolonged absence from London, I have taken last weekend's sunny weather to re-acquaint myself with the area I live in: Portobello and Notting Hill in West London. It was Sunday, a day to laze about, wander aimlessly and sip coffees in laid-back cafes away from the tourist crowds.

I met up with a friend and off we went exploring the backstreets around Portobello Market leading up to Westbourne Grove and Notting Hill. When trying to describe the area, the word that kept sticking in my mind was 'leafy': Although there is no particular abundance of trees in West London, the size of the houses, their colourful facades and geometric arrangements somehow suggested this air of wealth surrounding them. Armed only with a small GPS tracker and my trusty G10, I captured our little trip here: