The last blog entry I made was at the end of my holiday. Since then I have been really down in the dumps worrying about big changes in my job which demotivated me to such an extent that I was seriously worried that all my creativity had leaked away never to return. Things looked up today and I have the feeling that there may be light ahead.

The times they are a changing. The Chief photographer job at the Ad has now been made redundant and the picture desk centralised. Four Chiefs are now One and to be honest, I found the prospect of managing a team of 20 a bit daunting. The new Chief is a nice guy and I am looking forward to being able to concentrate on being just a shooter again.
Multimedia has taken a back seat at the paper, but I hope to be able to continue in some small way. Maybe just here on the SB site until the desire to service the Web returns. I guess after the economy gets back on track.

I really took the rise out of my old collegue Kevin when he decided to make the move to the Advertiser sister paper, The Surrey Mirror, saying that he would be shooting pictures of cows that had been tipped over by scallywags. I now find the draw of a new job and new opportunities pretty attractive and come the 11th of May I’ll be based in the leafy town of Reigate. ( just north of Gatwick airport ) Sorry Kev

The Advertiser has traditionally been a great team and always a superb news patch. Inner city angst and middle class contentment. I’ll miss the, hard to describe, feeling of turning up at dawn to a breaking news scene. First press there, contacting the newsteam, dealing with the police, briefing your reporter and chatting with other photographers, grinning when the TV crews eventually turn up. If you are a journalist, you know that ‘being there’ vibe.

With having a ‘normal’ job (i.e. not having to work 8am-8pm) the sitbonzo brand has scope to expand into a co-op of talented photographers, video shooters and multimedia enthusiasts. I will continue to try and bring us together to have educational and fun shoots.

Now, to think of an interesting leaving party…….

Florida April 14th

You join me almost at the end of our mostly hot and sunny time here.
The sky is black and WRCA radio is telling us of the weather system
raking the area currently on track to pass by in a matter of mome

….Not quite as exciting as we all expected, a lot of flashing lights
and noise. Not dissimilar from downtown Orlando. Americans, nice as
they are, appear to be intent on covering their rather lovely country
in tarmac. The Interstate system is great but do you really need six
lanes each direction? Well, the answer is, Yes of course we do
especially if we insist on driving 5.7 litre pick-ups.

I was rather unhappy that the little Sitbonzo’s first introduction to
the US was going to be the Blackpoolesque scene of row upon row of
fast food joints and the worst of American corporate culture along
the tourist trails.
In previous travels, the US has shown me much and I have seen the
more interesting and eclectic side to a generally warm and welcoming
people. I was greatly relieved to find them still alive and well if
hiding away from the Interstates.
Family run stores and restaurants harder to find than before but so
much more rewarding. I didn’t manage to do the full ‘ America
Unchained’ (book and film by Dave Gorman) but I think I may return to
make some kind of documentary of the new trailer park life that many
middle class seem to be now forced to adopt. My buddies Rob and
Ingrid, who came down for a few days over Easter tell me there is now
a tent city in Sacramento!

While we still have some days left its off to the beach. Yes, there
is a tornado warning but….. How bad could it be? Keep the video
camera handy.

Later dudes.