Within it are some superb members photographs and a stunning cover shot by Adam Hislop featuring The Paris Port Dover Pipe Band. This year’s calendar is set to be the best yet!
We are honoured that joining us once again is Penny Lancaster who graduated from her photography lessons with a diploma. Since then she has enjoyed her success as a specialized photographer. She has worked on many projects for newspapers, magazines and also took a contract for a year with HELLO! magazine to shoot celebrities. Following this she received assignments for beauty and fashion for magazines targeting females such as The Sunday Times, Cosmo and Essentials. She also takes pictures of her husband Rod, for newspapers, fan mail, magazines and tour programs.
We also have a photograph from Ken McKay who, as a freelance photographer, takes photos at ITV including Loose Women and X Factor. Ken has been taking photographs of TV, music and sports stars for over 40 years and is joining us for the first time.
Also, joining us this year is Eddie Sanderson who was born and educated in England. His competence and mastery of his craft as an award winning photographer grew out of years he spent working for British and International publications and TV companies. With over 40 years of experience as a feature photographer traveling the world, his work is syndicated in over 20 countries with more than 1000 magazine covers worldwide. His wide range of work includes fine art, celebrity home shoots, music icons, fashion, corporate jets, nature, royalty & presidents. Eddie is now completing his second book titled ‘Every Picture tell a Story’. A collection of photographs and anecdotes of iconic music figures and celebrities that he has photographed over the past four decades. Eddie told SMILER: “Rod and I go back a long way. Kimberly and my son Scott are the same age, and we used to take them to soccer (and the pub) when they were kids. We also started the EXILES football team with Lionel Conway.“
Current top photographer Dafydd Jones whose achievements include BA Fine Arts, Winchester School of Arts Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Fine Art Foundation course in art Oxford Polytechnic. Dafydd has been a contracted photographer at the Tatler, Vanity Fair, the New York Observer, the Sunday Telegraph, The Times and Independent. As a sign of the turbulence in newspapers he managed to be ‘sacked’ by the Telegraph 4 times under different regimes and is also joining us for the first time.
Joining us for the second year is Bruce Kessler from the excellent Rock in Houston website who, for more than 30 years, has photographed virtually every major rock concert to play Houston. Bruce began his concert photography career in the early 1970’s when ticket holders could easily bring cameras to concerts. Bruce would buy a ticket and shoot from his seat until he crossed paths with Larry Lent at a concert in 1974. From that point on, Bruce learned all about access. Having never heard of a backstage pass – let alone a photo pass – Bruce quickly learned from Larry how to gain better access to the front of the stage by impressing concert promoters or road managers with his photo portfolio. With time, Bruce had made a name for himself so that he was regularly granted photo credentials. Over the years Bruce shot for his school papers, local music magazines, record companies and radio stations. Bruce went on to be the house photographer for the Agora Ballroom and eventually the house photographer for the Summit. The biggest privilege that Bruce received was to be the staff photographer for Houston-based Pace Concerts and its successive incarnations. In 2006, Bruce decided that the party was over and that it was time to turn out the lights (although an occasional flicker sometimes was seen in later years)! SMILER is very pleased to showcase some of his stunning shots.
We are also very pleased to have returning again Shannon Holliday who is a freelance photographer taking pictures of the things and people she loves. Luckily for SMILER Rod is one of them. Shannon says: “To create memories on paper for me and to share with others to create a smile. I sell a few, I donate and share a lot. This is not a job, it is my life; to see and meet wonderful people, to find beauty in everything and every place I go far and near.” Shannon graduated from New York Institute of Photography in 2009, is a member of the International Freelance photographers Organisation 2009- present and a member of the New Orleans photo Alliance 2008-present.
Once again our calendar will be printed A3 size on top quality 200gsm silk paper with a 400gsm laminated cover and once again we will have a special treat for the members who order early!
The calendar is strictly limited so order now to avoid disappointment. Worldwide shipping starts at the end of September.