There is certainly a place for entry-level, casual and single-function programs on the Mac OS X, I myself use quite a few, but the reason I turn to my Mac rather than my iPhone is in general to get serious work done. Serious work requires serious programs and at present there’s a real lack of these apps on the stores debut day. Lightroom 3, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Rapidweaver, the strength of these apps is in their breadth. I can get nearly all of my editing done in LR 3 without turning elsewhere. I don’t want to buy 8 different mini-apps to get the same thing done, it’s simply not as efficient. Yes I know, Rapidweaver is available in the App Store, but without wishing to labour the point, there’s a real dearth of ‘proper’ apps at present.

Still, it’s day one and it’s interesting and certainly not all bad! I was excited to get my hands on the new version of Tweetie (now Twitter for Mac) and it didn’t cost me a penny. Fun times. Anyway, those are my initial thoughts. I’m keen to see how things develop.

Tomorrow Apple are set to launch their Macintosh App Store. In my mind, this is pretty much set to revolutionise desktop software, initially on the Mac, and, in time, everywhere.

The first thing it’s going to do is affect the cost of software. The Mac OS App Store is Apple’s natural progression from the App Store model that has worked so well for iOS. Five years ago, when people talked about software, there was either free software, or there was software that cost a bit of money. Even the cheapest software, basic utilities for example, cost £10 or £20. With the launch of the iOS App Store, developers started thinking about pricing apps with impulse purchasing in mind. By reducing the price of software down into the realms of pocket money, for what, in some cases, are pretty capable products (take OnOne’s DSLRemote or VNC) they’ve made the incentive to buy huge. In doing so, many have made some serious money.

We’ll see how pricing goes in the early days of the Mac App Store, but it’s my bet that a lot of software, particularly that in the mid-range cost area, will tumble in price. It’d be great to see flagship applications like Adobe’s Creative Suite suddenly start selling for £50, but I think it’s probable that the uniqueness of these high-end products will insulate their extravagant price points. For a time at least. The low to mid-range area of the market in terms of price will cheapen considerably though. Apps that previously sold for £30 will start selling for £5. Apps that sold for £200 might sell for £50. The motivation is that people will actually buy as the cost is worth the ease that comes with that price. Easy updates, easy installs, easy all round. By contrast, the high price of software at present drives piracy, which in turn loses devs money. In the eyes of the developers, the cheaper price is worth it for the increased sales volume.

From my point of view, there may however be a downside with the introduction of the Mac App Store. My great fear is a move towards an over iOSing of OS X. By this, I am talking specifically about the removal of the users control over the operating system. Don’t get me wrong, there’s much I love about iOS. I enjoy the simplicity and streamlined nature of my iPhone. The minimal maintenance time owning and using it requires and the quality of the user experience. That said, I turn to my iMac and MacBook for entirely different tasks. They are both creative tools and for me, their power lies in the fact that OS X creates a strong framework, a scaffold if you will, around which I can operate as I please. I can choose where I place files, I can choose how I open files, I can control things in my own way. I’ve been working on updating my main website over the last few days and whenever I work in Dreamweaver it makes me appreciate the power and flexibility of Mac OS X. I really really hope Apple doesn’t take this away.

Here’s an example. Because I’m an anal control freak, I like to arrange my apps within a series of categorised folders within the main “Applications” folder. I label this folder “*Applications” so that it sits at the top of the main Applications folder and within it I have a “Web Browsers” folder, a “Graphics Manipulation” folder and so on and so forth. Mac OS X in it’s current guise allows me to do this. It doesn’t give a monkeys. The introduction of the Mac App Store and OS X 10.7 Lion’s emphasis on moving iOS features to the Mac worries me that Apple will sacrifice the flexibility and power of OS X in pursuit of a super-easy, instantly user friendly operating system that removes these choices from the user.

On the face of it, it should be possible to make the user experience for the casual user easier, while retaining the customisability a power user like myself craves. I really hope this is what the Mac App Store heralds the start of. Above all I hope it paves the way for more affordable software and less piracy - that’s definitely a win-win situation!

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-12-24T23:36:55+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/nov2010.html#unique-entry-id-136http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/nov2010.html#unique-entry-id-136

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-12-19T00:37:45+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/marwell_catchup.html#unique-entry-id-135http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/marwell_catchup.html#unique-entry-id-135Snow Leopards.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-12-06T15:06:56+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/frozenworld.html#unique-entry-id-134http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/frozenworld.html#unique-entry-id-134

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-12-05T14:17:59+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/pokernight.html#unique-entry-id-133http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/pokernight.html#unique-entry-id-133

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-10-18T12:51:31+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/windsor_autumn2010.html#unique-entry-id-131http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/windsor_autumn2010.html#unique-entry-id-131

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-10-06T19:23:32+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/b51e9efaa86e3027aa438eb6526fb8ff-130.html#unique-entry-id-130http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/b51e9efaa86e3027aa438eb6526fb8ff-130.html#unique-entry-id-130

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-09-29T12:36:16+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/iphone4sum2010.html#unique-entry-id-129http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/iphone4sum2010.html#unique-entry-id-129
These are some of my favourite images from the summer.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-09-01T23:24:06+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/snowleopard.html#unique-entry-id-128http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/snowleopard.html#unique-entry-id-128

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-08-25T12:39:40+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/fantasticmrfox.html#unique-entry-id-127http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/fantasticmrfox.html#unique-entry-id-127
I snuck to my camera bag only to find that neither my primary bodies had anything telephoto mounted. Quick as I could I swapped the lens on my 50D for the 300L and headed to the front door. The fox was sat in the back garden, but there wasn't a hope of getting through the back door unnoticed. The ground was dry so I decided to forgo shoes and left the front door swinging. I crept round the house trying to make as little noise as possible. I've followed this plan countless times before and fully expected to arrive to find a dissapointingly empty garden. The fox is question is, I believe, a cub and I think this contributed to my good luck. Fox-Cub the Younger wasn't rocking the uber-alertness of older, wiser Mum and Dad and I'm sure his naivety played in my favour.

I rounded the corner to find him sprawled out in the corner of the lawn. For a fraction of a second he looked utterly serene. He might as well have had a good book and a bottle of suntan cream. Almost instantly however that serenity was broken and the fox equivalent of a giant gulp had replaced the previously relaxed expression. Amazingly he didn't bolt immediately. The fox sat there thinking that Mum was right for almost a full 10 seconds before springing to his feet, assessing his options and making his escape. During that time I managed to capture the shots below, my favourites from a series of 11 frames.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-08-23T13:13:01+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/mansah.html#unique-entry-id-126http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/mansah.html#unique-entry-id-126

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-20T11:59:21+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/teachtalent.html#unique-entry-id-125http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/teachtalent.html#unique-entry-id-125
Right on time the formation turned up. Cutting an incredible sight, the Vulcan & Red Arrows streamed down the Rwy 24 centreline. Jimmy, taking on board my 5 mins of tuition raised the camera to his face and fired off the below frame. Impressive start huh?! I on the other hand, lifted my camera to my eye, wondered why the viewfinder was dark, realised I had the lens cap still on, fumbled with the lens cap and then snapped a mediocre image of the flypast disappearing behind a tree. School boy error. Epic fail. Here's Jimmy's picture below, and another showing his reaction to the days shooting. Admittedly it's been cropped and edited, but I think you'll agree, it's an awesome picture!

CREDIT: JAMES ROBINSON

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-18T19:20:34+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/787dreamliner.html#unique-entry-id-124http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/787dreamliner.html#unique-entry-id-124

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-17T02:12:08+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010fri16.html#unique-entry-id-123http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010fri16.html#unique-entry-id-123
The Eurofighter was another awesome display, and after what seemed to me at least to be a conservative first outing, took to the skies later in the day to prove that it's not just the US who can bring staggering jet fighters to the party. If you're not fully revved up for show week, I personally think you're either mad, or dead. Hope you enjoy this collection from today.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-16T02:13:41+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010thu15.html#unique-entry-id-122http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010thu15.html#unique-entry-id-122Wedding Consultation so gutted I missed the Raptor and The Arrows, but lots more days to come so I'm sure I'll get my chance. The blue sky was much appreciated, and the Falcon display raised the neck hairs as usual. Bloody awesome display in really quite strong winds. More to come folks, as for now, enjoy these; some of my favourites from today.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-15T10:31:16+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010wed14.html#unique-entry-id-121http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/farn2010wed14.html#unique-entry-id-121

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-13T19:02:37+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/worthycc2010.html#unique-entry-id-119http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/worthycc2010.html#unique-entry-id-119
The event is now in it's third year and this is the second time I've had the pleasure of covering it. The sun was shining and I've got a red forehead to prove it! It's been ages since I shot a cricket match so this was a real treat. Here are some of my favourites.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-07-01T14:35:51+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/jimmyhands.html#unique-entry-id-118http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/jimmyhands.html#unique-entry-id-118

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-06-29T16:12:14+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/iphonegems.html#unique-entry-id-117http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/iphonegems.html#unique-entry-id-117
One thing I'm hugely looking forward to from the new phone is using the camera and this inspired me to go back through my old iPhone pics hunting for any gems. In a world where higher megapixel counts and faster lenses often make us forget about the actual photography, it's fun to snap pictures with a tiny fixed lens and very little faff. Here are a few favourite images from the original iPhone and the newly replaced iPhone 3G.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-06-28T17:01:47+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/double_exposure.html#unique-entry-id-116http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/double_exposure.html#unique-entry-id-116

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-06-22T00:05:07+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/prom.html#unique-entry-id-115http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/prom.html#unique-entry-id-115

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-06-11T13:59:59+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/panoawards.html#unique-entry-id-114http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/panoawards.html#unique-entry-id-114

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-06-09T10:54:55+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/denstonecollege.html#unique-entry-id-113http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/denstonecollege.html#unique-entry-id-113

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyNews2010-05-21T17:34:20+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/heathfire2010.html#unique-entry-id-112http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/heathfire2010.html#unique-entry-id-112
As much of the fire is currently on military ranges the fire service can't enter to fight the fire directly due to the hazards of unexploded ordanance. As such they are forced to fight the fire from beyond the fences in many places. The fire seems relatively under control at this point, but as you'll see, it's created some dramatic landscapes.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-20T11:58:58+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/december2009.html#unique-entry-id-111http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/december2009.html#unique-entry-id-111

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-19T11:57:39+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/mum1969.html#unique-entry-id-110http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/mum1969.html#unique-entry-id-110

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-17T11:36:05+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/birdworld2010.html#unique-entry-id-109http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/birdworld2010.html#unique-entry-id-109

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-10T23:11:27+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/bluebells_may2010.html#unique-entry-id-108http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/bluebells_may2010.html#unique-entry-id-108

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-10T22:45:10+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/polaranoid2.html#unique-entry-id-107http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/polaranoid2.html#unique-entry-id-107

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-05-07T17:00:48+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/shortspring2010.html#unique-entry-id-106http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/shortspring2010.html#unique-entry-id-106

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comWeddingPhotographyPhotojournalism2010-05-05T12:29:00+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/lydia_nikos_volcano.html#unique-entry-id-105http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/lydia_nikos_volcano.html#unique-entry-id-105
So, slightly desperately, I googled “Photographers, Guildford” expecting to have to call a huge list of people in order to find anyone that would be available, let alone someone I was happy to take our photographs.

I spied a name on the google-list that somehow appealed - Tony Hart. I called him without even looking at the pictures and, purely by chance, he was free. We chatted, we shared a few common views on how wedding shots should be taken and we agreed for him to come out and meet us. What serendipity! I then looked at the pictures and found that he was exactly what we were looking for - lots of simple, unposed shots, often in Black and White, which caught the moments of the day perfectly. They were taken candidly, and often without the subject knowing the photographer was there. I think it was fate!

And, happily ever after, the family did make it to the wedding, but I’m so glad we had Tony there, he was a consummate professional and his shots capture all the special moments of a happy day.

Shoes - from Pinet in Bond Street, London. A lucky find in the sales! Dress - Design by Jenny Packham, found in Clifton Brides in Bath. It was the first I picked out and the last I tried on. It was perfectly simple and so elegant. The silk chiffon moved so beautifully. Bridesmaids dresses - I suggested they stayed with my colour scheme of pale and bright pink and pale green but they chose their own dresses. I didn’t see them until the day. They both chose Coast, Daisy in dashing bright pink and Eleanor elegant in long pale pink.

Groom’s suit, shoes, shirt and tie - From Reiss, their cuts really suit Nikos’ build. I was there to give advice but in the end it was Nikos’ choice as to what he wanted to have. Good choice I think! He insisted on wearing stripy socks of blue, yellow, pink and white. Flowers - masterminded by my mother, I only stipulated the colours. She, along with two family friends did all the church displays which were in a soft, English country style. Bouquets, button holes and marquee flowers were done by florist Angela Weaver.

The wedding was held in St Michael and All Angels, Thursley, Surrey. My godfather Reverend Peter Muir conducted the ceremony. We then moved on to an English pub lunch in the Three Horsehoes, also in Thursley. The food was amazing, especially the spit roast beef! - Lydia Mina

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comWeddingPhotographyPhotojournalism2010-04-22T13:39:39+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/adesheila_greatfosters.html#unique-entry-id-103http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/adesheila_greatfosters.html#unique-entry-id-103www.tony-hart.com

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-04-20T09:14:09+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/coventgardenmarch2010.html#unique-entry-id-102http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/coventgardenmarch2010.html#unique-entry-id-102

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-04-20T09:51:10+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/springsprung2010.html#unique-entry-id-101http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/springsprung2010.html#unique-entry-id-101

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-28T23:56:37+01:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/wales_2010.html#unique-entry-id-100http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/wales_2010.html#unique-entry-id-100

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyCheck This Out!2010-03-26T22:26:15+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/business_blog.html#unique-entry-id-99http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/business_blog.html#unique-entry-id-99Tony Hart Photo Blog will not replace Cogitations and indeed I envisage everything posted there also being posted here. However creating the new blog will allow me to do two things: a) Use Cogitations as a genuinely personal blog, writing and posting what I wish, without any conflict of interest! b) Add a relevant dynamic section to my business website that is both search engine friendly and easy to update on a day to day basis.

Basically, not a lot will change, but I'm writing this so that I've clarified what is happening and why. Hope you'll all keep reading both blogs!

All the best,

Tony ]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-23T17:35:50+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/ec4c8e0e74c409d1e3c9791a1c0e6dd7-98.html#unique-entry-id-98http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/ec4c8e0e74c409d1e3c9791a1c0e6dd7-98.html#unique-entry-id-98

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-22T20:34:42+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/d568cdf632275c1848c94debb8184ce0-97.html#unique-entry-id-97http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/d568cdf632275c1848c94debb8184ce0-97.html#unique-entry-id-97

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-22T16:57:35+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/marchwanderings.html#unique-entry-id-95http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/marchwanderings.html#unique-entry-id-95

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyRugby2010-03-18T16:08:52+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/1ca836418a70337f62f571d0741baaba-94.html#unique-entry-id-94http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/1ca836418a70337f62f571d0741baaba-94.html#unique-entry-id-94

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comWeddingPhotographyPhotojournalism2010-03-15T13:33:20+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/what_goes_into_a_wedding.html#unique-entry-id-93http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/what_goes_into_a_wedding.html#unique-entry-id-93Twitter, I came across an extremely contentious blog posting from a bride to be. It was contentious because the bride had asked the very relevant question "why does wedding photography cost so much?". She was asking a perfectly valid question but some, both those within the wedding industry along with some brides and grooms took exception to the tone in which she questioned, what she perceived to be, extravagant pricing. Her blog posting drew hundreds of responses and sadly in the end got quite ugly. I chose not to get involved, and in hindsight I'm glad I didn't.

Nonetheless the posting raised some legitimate questions and in the wake of that article I've been wanting to write a piece detailing what goes into shooting a wedding day to a professional standard. It's not my intention to further stir what became extremely volatile waters, and with that in mind I thought it was worth letting things calm down a touch before posting an article from the photographers point of view. I'd also like to make clear that this article should not be viewed as a 'response' to that article, but rather 'inspired' by. The original article made some extremely valid points and it clarified to me the understandable view of someone outside the industry looking in. To that end, I hope this article will go some way to explaining what goes into the job. My aim is to make it interesting and enlightening - a behind the scenes if you will.

Initial Consultation

The absolute first stage of booking a wedding is obviously the initial enquiry. Nine times out of ten this comes by way of email via the wedding enquiry form on my website. The form asks the prospective client for some basic contact details and includes a message box that gives them the opportunity to send through any other relevant information such as proposed date and venue. I generally respond to enquiries within the hour. I include a copy of my wedding brochure in PDF format which includes a breakdown of my pricing and options, and of course let the couple know my availabilty for the date in question.

At this point, if the client likes my work, options and of course pricing (!) we arrange an initial consultation. It's an entirely obligation and pressure free event. An opportunity for me to get to know prospective clients and their forthcoming wedding and more importantly an opportunity for them to get to know me. It tends to last between 30 minutes and an hour and generally I conduct them in my clients homes. We're all busy people and all the more so with a wedding on the horizon, and I've found that it definately eases the pressure on the bride and groom if I can make the effort by going to them. From time to time an initial consultation doesn't translate into a booked wedding, but this is rare and the risk of a wasted journey is worth it in my eyes. I consider customer service to be a vital tenet of my business approach and I consider making the effort to visit clients for free, no-pressure consultations a big part of that.

The consultation consists of a number of things. First off we go through the shape of the wedding, the details that help flesh it out in my mind. What, where, who, when - that sort of thing. Next up I get the bride and groom to talk to me about which elements of my photographic style drew them to me and their vision for the wedding pictures. Likes/dislikes, particular images that grabbed their eye, all of these questions are important.

By the time we reach the initial consultation the couple have invariably seen my portfolio and generally have a good understanding of my style. Nonetheless this discussion helps me understand what they love and why. It's an important part of how I'll approach the day from a thinking perspective. From time to time I've come across clients who had something quite different in mind from the photojournalism I offer. It's rare, but occassionally there are times when I have to suggest other photographers to a prospective client because their vision and the way I shoot simply don't match. I consider it absolutely crucial that client and photographer see eye-to-eye, both on a personal level, and stylistically and it's important to me that I'm the right fit for my clients.

I always bring a range of albums to my consultations and generally get the couple to flick through them while we chat things over. Its a great way of letting the client see real weddings from beginning to end as well as the actual albums themselves. We wrap up the session with a discussion of the different levels of coverage, presentation options and cover any questions the couple may not have had answered. At the end of consultations, I always ask if the couple would like to go ahead and book but there is never any pressure to decide there and then. It's hugely important that people get a chance to digest what they've heard, consider and have a private chat together.

Booking

If the client then decides to go ahead and book, the contract is signed and a booking fee taken. The date is now deemed to be secure. At the time of booking I only require a commitment to the level of coverage the clients want, and not a decision on albums, photobooks and prints. All my packages include image discs and so it's my firm belief that forcing people into taking albums that at this stage they may not be sure they want or need is simply unfair and pushy. Both PhotoBooks and Jorgensen albums have been popular when booked after a wedding, so I see no need to make these an obligation. At the end of the day, many people choose not to have a traditional wedding album these days so it seems strange to me to make it de riguer by including it as part of a package.

Scouting & Research

Prior to the wedding day I make it my business to see a number of things and talk to a variety of people. First and foremost it's essential that I have a good understanding of the venue and know it well. I always scout out both the wedding venue and the church well ahead of the date and make sure to do so at a time of day similar to the time I expect to be shooting there. As available light is a central part of my photographic style, the direction and quality of light is a big part of my research. Understanding it on location is everything. I always make at least one pre-wedding visit, often returning more than once to view the setting in a variety of ambient light conditions.

I also speak to venue staff and like to get acquainted with whoever will be in charge of events on the day. Wedding co-ordinators and venue managers have a lot to think about and I find it makes life easier for all involved if I can touch base with them and run through any relevant specifics with them. One of the most important conversations I have is with whoever is running the ceremony be they a priest, vicar or registrar. It's my experience that these people are usually hugely helpful, but I like to make sure they're happy with my role and intention as a photographer so there is no chance of misunderstanding.

Finally I always plan transport in considerable detail. This is particularly important for weddings where the ceremony and reception are taking place in seperate locations. If I am covering a brides preparations on one side of town, have to get to church on the other side of town and then onto a venue at a third location, timing can be critical. It's essential that I know the way and know where I can get quickly parked. It may sound obvious, but in the modern era of GPS and turn by turn directions, it's all to easy to forget to do these basic bits of preparation. I always make sure I know the way from A to B from memory, so if the sat nav decides not to play ball then it's not the end of the world. If the route involves places that can be severely affected by traffic congestion, I work out a route B. Come the wedding day, I carry plenty of cash so in a worst case scenario of a breakdown or a flat tyre I can always take a cab. This level of preparation helps to make sure that on the day I can focus on picture taking and not be distracted by trying to figure out how to be in the right place at the right time.

Pre-Wedding Meeting

About two to three weeks prior to the wedding date I arrange a pre-wedding meeting with the bride and groom. Like the initial consultation, this is usually conducted at the clients home. It is an opportunity to remember each other - it can be a long time between booking and the actual wedding - and to go over the forthcoming day. By this stage, schedules tend to be set, the wedding party is generally confirmed and the details much firmer in everyones mind. We go through all the specifics and nuances of the wedding day and confirm when the formals will take place and who will feature in each group. I take away a confirmed schedule and a confirmed list of formals, the bride and groom take away peace of mind.

The Day Before

In the week leading up to the wedding I keep a close eye on the weather outlook. Generally this only translates into minor adjustments in my mental approach to the day, but it does allow for forethought and contingency planning if torrential rain or other extreme weather conditions are on the cards. I also check to see what time sunset will be on the day of the wedding and where West is in relation to the venue. The day before, I check a variety of weather forecasts and make final decisions regarding where I intend to shoot the formal groups in the event of Plan A (where the weather does what I expect) and Plan B (when it doesn't).

The day before the wedding I double check my clothes (suit trousers, belt, shirt) make sure they're ironed and crease-free and polish my shoes. I print backup Google map directions to and from all of the relevant locations, label them, and pop them in the car glove box. I check my iPhone has all the key contact details and then charge the battery overnight. I transfer all the formal shot details, including names and roles within the wedding party, along with any other useful details onto pocket sized index cards, hole-punch the corner and then fasten them together with a piece of twine. I've found this low-tech solution to be the most effective method of quickly prompting my memory during the process of shooting the formals. The hole punch/twine solution works better than a staple as it allows me to permanently 'turn the page' without the stack of cards wanting to snap back to where it was. If neccessary I pop out and make sure I have a full tank of fuel.

Next up, I take my three camera bodies (two primary, one backup) and clean all of the sensors using Visible Dust sensor brushes. I then shoot some test shots to confirm that there are no dust spots present on the sensor. I then clean my lenses so they are dust and smudge free using a blower, lens brush and microfibre cloth. Once this is done, I run all my memory cards through the cameras, formatting them and putting them into a flash card wallet. On all cameras I double check a number of options including RAW format, autofocus custom functions and the user definable presets. I load two clean cards into my primary cameras, confirm they're empty and then move the menu screen so it's not, due to last use, resting on the 'format card' option. I then check my speedlite batteries to confirm they've plenty of juice. Finally I remove all batteries from the cameras, put them on to charge and make sure I have the right straps on the right bodies.

At this point I tend to go and eat dinner and switch off for a few hours. I find there's a lot of tension prior to a wedding day and it's worth taking the time to try and relax. I tend to watch some rugby or play a little XBox, but above all, I try not to think about the wedding for a bit. At about 9 I come back to the office, take the batteries off the charger, load them into the cameras, stick the spares into my Think Tank roller bag and the load the case up with all my bodies and lenses. I open up my lighting case and make sure everything is present and correct. I rarely use studio lights, but they do get used for some formal shots and they always get taken along. Everything is then zipped and locked and placed in the lobby ready for the morning along with other essentials like tripods and shoes. I like to get an early night prior to a wedding so at this point it's off to bed for a good sleep.

The Wedding Day!

On the day itself I wake up early, long before I have to be anywhere. I have as big a breakfast as I can manage. I'm not a big morning eater, but weddings are long events so experience has taught me that it's best to fuel up. After dressing, I head to the lobby, unzip my Think Tank bag and check two things in particular - that I have charged batteries and empty memory cards in my cameras and plenty of spares of each sitting ready in the bag. As mentioned, this was all checked the night before, but I like to check again - it gives me peace of mind.

The camera bag, the lighting roller case, tripods, power reels, a waterproof jacket and plenty of water is loaded into the boot of the car. Personal stuff like wallet and phone are collected and the formal index cards parked in my right pocket. At this point I do a final mental check, the sat nav is loaded and it's off to the first port of call.

If I'm running my automated PhotoBooth then I tend to head to the venue first and set this up if at all possible. It takes a while to prepare and if there is the opportunity to get this done in the morning before I am due elsewhere it's a half hour saved that pays dividends. On the way to the first location, generally either the church or wherever the bride is getting prepared I tend to listen to something energising on the iPod. I'm a big fan of film scores so that's often a favourite. At this point it's about getting your game face on and being in the right frame of mind. The preparation is done and it's a matter of being switched on and mentally sharp.

The wedding itself doesn't require half as much explanation as you might imagine. It's a matter of keeping the observational side of the brain working, 'seeing as the camera sees' and keeping an eye on the schedule so you're in the right place at the right time. I arrive to the ceremony location early and, prior to the arrival of anyone else, I'll walk around the church for a bit. I've already done my research for good shooting spots, but based on the prevailing light and expected position of bride and groom I now make some final loose plans about where I hope to be during which element of the marriage ceremony. I describe these plans as loose because you have to be prepared to go with the flow. Things change and not everything can be preplanned. When the unexpected occurs you have to react quickly and being too set on a certain course of events can cause the mind to freeze.

During the service itself I pay as much attention to the person conducting the wedding as anything else. The unintentional cues this person gives are integral to how I move around a wedding. Being unobtrusive is a major part of the way I shoot and so economising movement in a quiet church or ceremony room is very important.

The formals typically take place at some point between the end of the ceremony and the wedding breakfast and, from my point of view, are the most structured part of the day. I limit formals to eight distinct groups. This is so that the formals don't become unwieldy and overtake the day. It's my view that if a bride and groom desire more formals, they should be considering a more traditional photographic approach entirely. By limiting the formals to eight groups, it gives time to do each one properly rather than having to rush through at a pace that doesn't do the images justice. Pageboys and flowergirls, not to mention adults, can be flighty things at weddings so I allocate five minutes to each shot to ensure that sufficient time is available. Typically each group takes no more than 3 minutes, but by doing things this way we acheive a great result without compromising a genuinely photojournalistic approach. During this period of the wedding I ask the best man and ushers to assist me in rounding up the relevant people and aim to work firmly and speedily. Guests rarely want to stand around being directed and so efficiency is crucial. Done well, the formal groups should be completed accurately and quickly.

If a PhotoBooth is in use at the reception I return to this every half hour or so to make sure it's still running smoothly and doesn't need a new memory card. I obviously stop for lunch, but try and eat reasonably quickly. As a photojournalist it's my job to shoot things as they happen and moments don't wait. During receptions I sometimes spend 5 or 10 minutes in one great, well appointed position, waiting for the right moment to occur to make the shot. Observation is everything.

None of my wedding packages include a time limit so I tend to work through until the close of the wedding celebrations, typically at midnight or sometimes even later. By this stage I'm invariably knackered, but it's also one of the most enjoyable periods of the wedding from a photographic point of view. The light is always challenging by this point, but the timetable is loose and the opportunity to 'find' or 'make' shots is considerable. It's a very creative period and less pressurised than earlier parts of the day. It's a real chance to relax and enjoy the job.

Once everything winds down, I pack my gear, making a point of putting everything back in it's proper place and taking special care to file my memory cards. I load the car, say my goodbyes to the bride and groom and drive home.

No matter how tired I am, when I arrive, I download the memory cards to my computer and duplicate the files to an external disc. At this point I copy the files into Lightroom and set it to render previews. Once this operation - which takes some time, is underway - I'm happy to hit the hay safe in the knowledge that the precious files are safely in three places - the external disc, my Mac's internal disc and my Drobo which houses my Lightroom library. They are of course also still on the original memory cards. These are not wiped until the wedding has been fully edited and backed up. By this stage it's commonly 3 am.

Editing

The next morning, if I haven't already, I'm pretty keen to review the images from the wedding day. The first stage of editing is to simply bin the chaff. Most photographers refer to this as culling. Some images are immediately binned due to inaccurate focus, close eyed 'blinks', or the odd inadvertent shot of the ground. This first run through is about selecting the rejects. I shoot upwards of 2000 images at a standard wedding and culling the junk is the first stage. This usually brings the image count down by 15-20% or so.

Next, I use Lightroom's 'Pick' functionality to flag a loose initial selection. This tends to be larger than the final selection, generally as with two very similar good frames I will select both initially and make a final call on which is the better at a later stage. At this stage I've normally reduced the selection down to somewhere between 300-500 images. I then take an enforced break. 2000+ photos is a lot to look through and after a while you end up going a little photo numb. After a certain point I lose track of what's a great image and what's merely a good image and by taking a break it gives the eyes time to recover and resets my judgement.

Post-Processing

Once this initial selection is done, I start working on the job of post-processing the images within Lightroom. At the most basic level every image is individually adjusted for colour and white balance, black and white conversions are done, excessive noise is managed, sharpening is applied, the image is selectively dodged and burned, minor imperfections removed and the image is cropped if neccessary. 90% of this work is done within Lightroom, but every now and again an image needs further work and this is then exported to Photoshop for additional processing.

Formal shots are left to the end as these require a slightly different approach and often require more work due to the presence of 'blinks' in larger groups. With a formal of more than ten people, no matter how many frames you take, it's often the case that someone somewhere is looking the wrong way or blinking. The solution is generally not difficult and involves cloning the offending set of eyes out and replacing them with the same set from another frame where the owner has their eyes open. With milliseconds between frames it is very easy to make it entirely imperceptible and always appeals to my slightly childish side because I can make the person open and close their eyes by simply toggling the visibilty of the eye layer in Photoshop!

Once all the images are processed a final set of editing is done. I run through all the edited images and where neccessary reject images that don't make the grade or are near-duplicates of others. I then look through all the unselected pictures to check there are no gems that have been missed, if there are, they are added and processed.

At this point I have the final selection ready, edited and processed. The photographs are generally pretty much fine in chronological order, but in seeking to tell the story of the wedding day it's normally worth rearranging a few images - often detail shots - to heighten the narrative sense. Once this is done, a final run through is done to confirm that the images flow well and they are then named and numbered. The editing and post-processing of a wedding typically takes me about three days. At this point, the final edit (in both RAW and JPEG format) is backed up to archive DVD, the rejected frames deleted and the entire wedding, including unflagged photos is archived on the Drobo. The unflagged frames are kept for two years and then deleted.

Web Previews, Albums & Prints

The final wedding edit is then exported from Lightroom and uploaded into Slideshow Pro Director, the software which runs the slideshow galleries on my website. The flash slideshow is prepared and embeded into a new webpage constructed in Adobe Dreamweaver and this too is then uploaded to my site.

Via a Lightroom plugin, I build a second gallery, with identical content, setup to allow clients to purchase prints directly from me. The folder containing the two galleries is then password protected and a link added to my client area page. Everything is double checked and I then send the bride and groom an email telling them their photos are ready and available online.

The next stage is to prepare the Slideshow DVD and Digital Negative Discs that I include with all of my packages. These two discs contain all the edited pictures and if the couple have selected the PhotoBooth option, all the PhotoBooth images as well. The Slideshow DVD is set to the music of the clients choice and is playable on a regular home DVD player. It's a great way for people to look through their pictures with family and friends. The Digital Negative Disc is akin to being handed the negatives in the days of film photography and consists of all the finished pictures, in full resolution, ready for printing or reproduction. These are prepared, the DVD discs printed with the wedding details and then packaged in a bespoke case.

Finally, if the bride and groom have chosen album or print options these are designed/prepared and sent to the printers. I do all album design and firmly believe that it's part of my job as the creator of the images to present them in the best way possible. Once the albums have been designed, they are sent to the relevant printing/finishing companies for final assembly. I always have albums delivered to me rather than direct to the client so that I can quality check the final product before passing it on to the couple.

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At this point I would consider a wedding pretty much complete. It's been a long journey from initial consultation to album delivery but the time spent in preparation and planning, not to mention the attention to detail throughout, all has a part to play in ensuring a first class end result.

This article has spilled to a much greater length than I intended. I originally envisaged a simple look at the mechanics of being a professional wedding photographer, however, in discussing the process of shooting a wedding from beginning to end it's become rather detailed. Hopefully it still achieves it's original aim of looking at what goes into a wedding and challenging the oft held, rarely voiced, assumption that a wedding photographer only works on the wedding day. Above all, I hope it's been an interesting read. Well done for making it this far!]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-08T17:05:11+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/crowandsquirrel.html#unique-entry-id-92http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/crowandsquirrel.html#unique-entry-id-92

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyRugby2010-03-04T15:44:16+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/englandrugby4mar2010.html#unique-entry-id-91http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/englandrugby4mar2010.html#unique-entry-id-91
Either way those present looked in good spirits and it was good to see Jonny Wilkinson cracking a smile for once. Ben Foden also looked rather sprightly, dressed more appropriately for a summer kick around than a near freezing training run at Pennyhill Park!

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-03-02T14:25:34+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/c29aa3360ee34b9959f2be644440a7ea-90.html#unique-entry-id-90http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/c29aa3360ee34b9959f2be644440a7ea-90.html#unique-entry-id-90

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyWedding2010-02-26T16:32:02+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/a211ec9ece2845c47435b1e0a67bbb58-89.html#unique-entry-id-89http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/a211ec9ece2845c47435b1e0a67bbb58-89.html#unique-entry-id-89

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyRugby2010-02-23T16:36:54+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/fdd86b8ce5df2884aad1d0d43cb9ca64-88.html#unique-entry-id-88http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/fdd86b8ce5df2884aad1d0d43cb9ca64-88.html#unique-entry-id-88

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-02-22T16:16:20+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/274b3b9a1bf2868781f82cfd31788c53-87.html#unique-entry-id-87http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/274b3b9a1bf2868781f82cfd31788c53-87.html#unique-entry-id-87

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-02-19T22:20:50+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/8deab5fe8336e36c9e6df1f1846c8b0c-86.html#unique-entry-id-86http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/8deab5fe8336e36c9e6df1f1846c8b0c-86.html#unique-entry-id-86

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-02-19T21:40:10+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/a07114059902c062a1b301d914f21031-85.html#unique-entry-id-85http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/a07114059902c062a1b301d914f21031-85.html#unique-entry-id-85

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyCompetition2010-02-12T15:21:08+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/9485f820527ceef98a6a04996a84f1dc-84.html#unique-entry-id-84http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/9485f820527ceef98a6a04996a84f1dc-84.html#unique-entry-id-84here.

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotography2010-02-10T15:49:16+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/winterfilms09_10.html#unique-entry-id-83http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/winterfilms09_10.html#unique-entry-id-83

]]>tony-hart@ntlworld.comPhotographyCompetition2010-02-01T13:20:38+00:00http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/2011_wedding_photo_comp.html#unique-entry-id-82http://www.cogitations.co.uk/files/2011_wedding_photo_comp.html#unique-entry-id-82If you're planning your wedding for 2011 you should enter this competition. The winner will receive my flagship wedding coverage package along with all the usual consultations and advice entirely free of charge. Simply answer the question below - the solution is hidden within my albums over at www.tony-hart.com - to be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win. Three runners-up will also receive prizes. (Terms & Conditions Apply)

• Premier Wedding Coverage - Complete photographic coverage of your wedding day, starting with the Brides preparations all the way through until the end of the evening celebrations. No time constraints on the coverage.

• Editing & Post-Production - The day's best images are selected and individually produced to further enhance them. Although I do not specify a certain number of images, this typically translates into a final selection of well over 200 photographs.

• Online Web Gallery - A password protected web gallery is made available on my website to allow you to view your images in the comfort and convenience of your home. Additionally print purchases can be made from within the gallery if you wish.

• Slideshow DVD & Digital Negative DVD - Provided together in a presentation box, these two DVD's include all of the edited images from your wedding day. The slideshow DVD allows you to view your images set to music on either TV or computer while the Digital Negative DVD includes full-resolution copies of your images ready for printing or other media along with an unlimited-use license allowing you complete freedom to reproduce your images however you see fit.

Three runners-up will receive:

• A framed, signed 12x8 print (or equivalent) of the image of their choice drawn from the 'Other Subjects' section of www.tony-hart.com

How To Enter:

Q: An image of the chapel and quad of Keble College, Oxford University is hidden within my website at www.tony-hart.com Which image number, in which album is it?

1. Visit www.tony-hart.com and search the site until you've found the image referenced in the question above. Note the image number within the album and the name of the album it resides within.

2. Using the contact form at www.tony-hart.com fill in your details, selecting 'Competition' as the area of enquiry and including the words '2011 Wedding Competition' in the message box followed by your answer. Remember to include both the image number and the album in which you found the picture. Submit the form.

3. Correct entries will be notified via email and entered into a prize draw to be held in September 2010.

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Eligibility:
i. The competition is only open to residents of the United Kingdom planning to get married within the UK. Non-UK residents or weddings planned for overseas are not eligible.
ii. The competition is only open to weddings planned for 2011. Weddings occurring outside this timeframe are not eligible.
iii. Only participants are eligible to win, prizes are non-transferable.
Terms and Conditions:
i. To be considered valid, winning entries must meet the following conditions:
- Entry must be made via the contact form located at: http://www.tony-hart.com/contact.html
- Entry must include both phone number and email address
- Area of Enquiry field must be 'Competition'
- Message field must begin '2011 Wedding Competition' and state picture number and relevant album correctly
ii. Image order is subject to change as the portfolio changes. Correct entries will therefore only be recognised as such if the image number given is correct at the time of entry.
iii. The competition shall be open to entries between 1pm GMT Monday 1st February 2010 and 1pm GMT Monday 20th September 2010. Entries outside of this window will not be considered.
iv. No cash alternative shall be offered. Prizes are as stated.
v. One entry per person.
vi. Tony Hart makes no guarantee that he will be available on wedding dates. To this end, winners are subject to availability. In the event of a competition winners wedding date falling on a date that Tony Hart is unavailable the winner will be offered a consolation pre-wedding engagement session and another winner drawn at random until a wedding date is chosen on which Tony Hart is available.
vii. For weddings located more than 25 miles from GU15 1EH the winning participant will be liable for an additional travel fee charged at 40p per mile based on AA routings.
viii. When a wedding is located more than 100 miles from GU15 1EH the winning participant will be charged for reasonable overnight accomodation near the wedding venue.
ix. Winning participants are bound by the conditions of Tony Hart's standard contract as listed under the headings: Cancellation, Images, Copyright and Expenses.
x. Winning participants may add further options to their prize, however these are chargeable in line with Tony Hart's standard pricing.
xi. Once the entry date, as detailed in clause ii, has elapsed, correct entries will be collated and then a prize draw held. Correct entries will be transferred to paper, deposited into a hat and drawn at random. The first entry drawn will be the Grand Prize Winner. Two further entries shall be drawn and these shall be awarded runners-up prizes. In the event of a wedding date being unavailable, further draws will be made, as detailed in clause iv, until an available date is drawn. Winners will be notified by 1st October 2010.

It's pretty much universally accepted that at Apple's Media Event on the 27th they will announce some sort of tablet device. Anyone who knows me well will also know that I'm a veteran Apple geek, user and observer. Out of personal interest and a desire to lay my cards on table regarding the device, here's my analysis. I've got no insider knowledge, and no sources, these are merely educated guesses.

9.7" Screen - It seems that rumors of 10.1" screens are wrong and that we will be looking at a 9.7 inch form factor. Personally I think it will be much like a giant iPhone, but I also think that some form of ergonomic design will exist to make it easier to hand hold. Something that will spend so much time in the hand and on the lap will require, in my view, some subtle design features to make it comfortable to use.

Mac OS X - The tablet will run a full version of Mac OS X, but will integrate a variety of features to make it more suitable for a primarily hands on input method. Multi-touch gestures first seen on the iPhone and MacBook trackpads will be widespread and more extensive, and an onscreen touch keyboard is a given.

Integrated Stylus - This is a bit out there I know, but I've got a feeling that the handwriting recognition of Newton days will return in a far more powerful, more polished form. I might not be for the iPad name, but the rumor does make you think about it as a virtual notepad. Typing and multitouch is great, but we all still jot stuff down. I'd bet on handwriting recognition being to the tablet what multi-touch was to the iPhone. Rumors of a stylus are about, and while I can't see it as a primary input method, the ability to use the device like a giant graphics tablet is certainly there.

New Levels of Integration - There is so much scope for a device like this to be used like a Star Trek style tricorder. I'm convinced that Apple will leverage their existing Remote Desktop software to build a system that will allow you to control other devices (i.e. computers and iPhones) from afar. Jobs has been banging on about the digital lifestyle for years now. With an in-house Apple branded router in the stable, I envisage the tablet really tying things together and doing some pretty special things for 'remote' computing. Think of Sophos music streaming control pad, done big, done Apple.

E-Reader - The glaring difference between the iTablet and it's predecessor 'wow' products - iPhone and iPod - is that it is attempting to create a need rather than update an existing product. While tablets have existed in the past, they have never been even vaguely mainstream. Portable music and mobile phones however have been ubiquitous for years, long before the introduction of Apple's game changers. Books and media on the Apple Tablet are in my view going to be the killer app that the company hopes will kick-start the device.

We all still read vast quantities of stuff, be it novels, magazines or newspapers. The technology is very much in place and the growth of devices like the Kindle and Sony E-Reader have paved the way. We all needed music and phones before the iPod and iPhone debuted, and this was part of what drove their success. In my view the written word will be Apple's flagship feature and the missing piece which takes this device from, cool but novel to must-have.

Canvas - That's what I think they'll name it. All sorts of iPad rumors are awash today, but given the style of Apple's special event invitations, the need to differentiate the name audibly from iPod and the desire to maybe come up with a catchier less generic name, I figure Canvas is what they'll plump for. Back in the days of Spymac, the iWalk seemed a certainty. Despite all the 'evidence' it never came to be and we ended up with the iPod. I might be well of base on this and admit it's little more than a guess, but I hope to see Canvas. (Given Steve Jobs' propensity for anality, I imagine after reading my blog - he's a subscriber don't you know... - he'll change the name just to be difficult!

So there are my predictions. I'm sure there's some other stuff I've thought of over the months of this rumor churning, but there we go. Roll on next Wednesday!

'Big Ted' as he is affectionately known certainly has his detractors, but is there a better option? For my money, Marcus Horan is a good player who is always good. Andrew Sheridan is a prop who can on occasion be great. Unfortunately it's often that he's just ok and nothing more. However, he's familiar with the SA front-row having met them in the rarified atmosphere of the RWC final, and for this reason, Sheridan is my pick - just.

2. Hooker: Jerry Flannery - Munster & Ireland

It was a close call here between Flannery and Mears. For me, partly I've chosen Flannery as a concession to the criticism of having too many English players in my team. Flannery has a certain grit about him, he's a scraper and I like his demeanour. On the other hand, Lee Mears had an exemplary Six Nations. England's lineout was very very efficient, losing only something like one lineout on their own throw for the entirety of the competition, an astonishing stat in an international tournament. The Boks have the ultimate lineout in world rugby, and combating that is essential. Mears throwing is better than Flannery's and for that reason he is on the bench.

3. Tighthead Prop: Gethin Jenkins - Cardiff Blues & Wales

This is the first really easy choice. Gethin Jenkins is the standout prop in the home nations and even when not on form has an underlying class that few can match. He's an absolute bullock round the park, fast as can be and extremely good in both defense and attack. As far as powerful ball carriers go, he's one of the very best. Add to this a solid scrummaging technique and an ability to prop on either side if necessary and Jenkins is far and away the best choice for the no.3 shirt.

4. Lock: Paul O'Connell - Munster & Ireland

Paul O'Connell is one of the real standout players in the entire home nations. His power, lineout precision and TCUP demeanor are all immense. In the Grand Slam match against Wales his brilliance and composure helped steady the ship while his teammate O'Callaghan was losing his head. An easy choice and a potential captain.

5. Lock: Alun Wyn Jones - Ospreys & Wales

Another easy choice. Alun Wyn Jones is a superb lock with all the attributes to be among the world's best. He's got a real fire in his eyes too, clearly a man who doesn't like losing. The lock partnership of Jones and O'Connell should be a shoe-in and undoubtedly the least controversial and most obvious selection across the whole team. It's a good thing too as Matfield and Botha are the Righteous Brothers of international lock play. Cue a titanic battle come June 20th.

6. Blindside Flanker: Ryan Jones - Ospreys & Wales

The Welsh captain is best as an 8, but against the Boks who have a fearsome backrow in the likes of Burger and Spies and co, the lions are going to want a large dollop of power. Ryan Jones shot to prominence along with Simon Easterby on the last Lions tour, impressing on a tour where the team were really put to the sword. The Lions leave as underdogs again this time, but Ryan Jones' passion and his been there done that attitude will be like gold-dust in South Africa. His form hasn't been superb of late, but I'd pick him over the competition due to his experience and power.

7. Openside Flanker: Martyn Williams - Cardiff Blues & Wales

If Richie McCaw is the undisputed king of the 7's, few would argue that Martyn Williams is the greatest in the NH. The guy is simply superb and ought to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. Schalk Burger is a prolific ball carrier and a great ball-winner on the floor, but while he might be a juggernaut on the move he doesn't hold a candle to Williams on the floor. Martyn Williams is quite simply one of the best ball winners in the world and his ability to do win ball and link forwards with backs makes him an easy and obvious selection. Williams may meet Juan Smith, another awesome back-row forward. While I think Smith is probably Williams' equal with ball in hand, I believe that on the floor Martyn Williams will have the edge.

8. Number Eight: Jamie Heaslip - Leinster & Ireland

The form player in the 8 shirt. Heaslip is exactly what you want in a modern number 8. He's big, carries well has excellent hands and can seriously shift for a 17st lump. His sidestep in the Ireland v France game was a thing of beauty and his ball carrying power will be much needed. Back row trio's are all about balance and whether to err towards size and power or technicality and agility. This backrow combo is undoubtedly massive, but that is a must when playing against South Africa. Heaslip and Jones will hope to cancel out Spies and Burger while Williams will outscrap anyone bar McCaw on the floor. This is the gameplan I think the Lions need to aim for and it is absolutely key to the whole series.

9. Scrum-Half: Mike Phillips - Ospreys & Wales

A tough call is some ways, but Mike Phillips is about as imposing as scrum-halves get and that can only be a good thing in SA. He doesn't have the finesse of Dwayne Peel, the player, for my money with the best technical skills of the possibles, nor the balance of Harry Ellis, nor the experience behind a reversing pack that Mike Blair has, but Phillips brings the 'Grrrr' in large quantities and won't be bullied by the physicality of South Africa. My view is that while Mike Blair is a fine player, he's not the outstanding player some think he is. It's my belief that Peel and Ellis ought to be closer to the number nine Jersey than Blair. Peel is scrum-half efficiency personified, with an excellent pass and a dazzling array of technical skills. Ellis by contrast understands the simplicity of scrum-half play, and with a good team around him he works as an excellent facilitator. He knows that it's his job to ship the ball on as SOON as it's available. Dilly dallying as some scrummies do is simply defensive christmas, so I like his immediacy when presented with the ball. The difference? Ellis has some decent form of late while Peel has been a bit up and down. For me though, Phillips is a fairly easy choice. Power and aggression please.

10. Fly-Half: Stephen Jones - Scarlets & Wales

Not only are Jones and Phillips very familiar with each other, but Stephen Jones' more direct playing style and physical ruggedness win him the 10 jersey in front of O'Gara. It's really a matter of what you want your 10 to do, and for that reason O'Gara has himself a place on the bench. The Lions need to be flexible and be willing to play the game they need to play to win. If they find out halfway through the opening test that they can't smash through or carve round the SA defence, O'Gara offers a sublime tactical kicking option to pin the Boks back into the corners and play chess-like Rugby. Stephen Jones should however be the starting choice. He's a simple player in some ways like Harry Ellis, he knows that it's his job to unleash those around him and his goal-kicking under pressure is probably a notch or two above O'Gara's in my mind. The partnership with Phillips should hopefully build a double-pivot platform for the strike runners to play off.

11. Left Wing: Shane Williams - Ospreys & Wales

Over the past few years Williams has undoubtedly been the most deadly finisher in the world. If the Lions give him a sniff, the Boks might as well add the extra 5 to the scoreboard themselves, he is that good. However, despite this superb attacking ability, he is still a defensive frailty. For many years I used to lambast him as the swinging door of international rugby - as likely to cause a team to concede a try as score one. Compared to someone like Jason Robinson who was as tenacious in defense as he was scything in attack - despite his size - Williams is an unbalanced player. However, while his defense hasn't improved, his attacking is now so potent that I don't think the Boks have a player that can match the individual attacking threat of Williams. For this reason, he makes my team. Last time out against wunder wing Bryan Habana, Shane Williams came out dominant, and Habana's form has undoubtedly waned since 2007. That said, he still oozes class and if he starts turning on the burners we need to have an antidote waiting in the wings.

12. Inside Centre: Riki Flutey - Wasps & England

Flutey might play for England now, but he plays like a great All Black centre. England like to play there passing centre at 12 (a recurring error in my view) and there bosch-man at 13, whereas New Zealand play their guile at 13 and the direct player at 12. Despite this difference, Riki Flutey is strikingly similar to All Black greats like Conrad Smith and Aaron Mauger. He's the thinking-man's centre and compared to other options he offers incision and passing in equal quantity. Flutey had an awesome 6N and ended up as the top try scorer, a stat that never lies. He just plays like an All Black and in my book that's the rugby equivalent of fighting like a Spartan or flying like a naval aviator. He's bloody good and I look forward to watching him play.

13. Outside Centre: Brian O'Driscoll - Leinster & Ireland

Who else? One of the true greats of the modern game. Up there with names like Carter, Wilkinson and McCaw. His will to win and his sheer brilliance is extraordinary. He also comes across as a thoroughly nice guy and a player that is easy to respect and like. An obvious Captain and a leader players would follow to hell and back. He has definitely lost a yard of pace since we saw his magic back in 2001, but his will more than cancels out the aging process. As we saw in the 6N he was back to his stunning best. It seemed at times that he was winning matches almost single handedly through a careful application of incision and guts based purely on what was needed most at the time. He's world class, in BOD we trust.

14. Right Wing: Mark Cueto - Sale & England

Tommy Bowe seems to be the front runner for this position, but in my view he's simply not done anything truly outstanding to warrant his selection. He's very good, but I haven't yet been wowed by him. Cueto by contrast is back to his formidable best and has been scoring tries for fun for both England & Sale. He's big, powerful and his wheels are definitely well oiled. England's opening try against France was case in point. Morgan Parra is a quick chap, but there was something truly majestic about the sprawling heap that he was left in by Cueto's gas. It was the rugby equivalent of an ace in tennis. Parra, outstretched in limb rending desperation didn't so much as touch him and it was due to his outright pace, a quality that is in my mind essential in a good winger. I can just about tolerate a wing with no defensive attributes, but I can't live with a winger who might get beaten in a race to the line. Cueto's English and therefore out of fashion but he's the right choice.

15. Full-Back: Lee Byrne - Scarlets & Wales

Another player who oozes class. Jeremy Guscott, punditry idiot though he is, labelled him the best player in the world at the start of the six nations and while this sort of over-blown excess is a weakness in Guscott as an analyst, he wasn't far off. Byrne is simply bloody good. Solid as a rock under the high ball and in defense he's also a wicked finisher. He's the incumbent and it's his jersey to lose. That said, the Lions are blessed with serious strength in depth at the back. Both Rob Kearney and Delon Armitage have quickly matured into very very good players who have a real aura of confidence and quality about them. Both are great catchers of the ball and while Armitage offers outright pace and an elusiveness that should see him carve through any half gap, Kearney brings considerable power not dissimilar to Mark Cueto.

REPLACEMENTS BENCH

Very England heavy I admit, but the bench ought to be about having options and having the next best contenders ready and waiting, this selection I think offers it.

John Hayes - Unglamorous as they come but a more passionate player you will not find. Has grown from a symbol of mediocrity into a long-lived warhorse that draws comparisons to the great Jason Leonard

Lee Mears - An excellent ball carrier and the best lineout exponent in Britain and Ireland on current form. Unglamorous but very good.

Nick Kennedy - A lineout specialist is something that any team worth their salt should be taking to South Africa. Kennedy is the best lineout operator in the NH and offers a real threat to the dominance of Matfield and Botha.

Tom Croft - A great ball winner and the pace of a winger. Youth and exuberance and bags of talent. Joe Worsley and David Wallace were both options for this spot but neither offer the positivity and adaptability of Croft. He's also a great line-out option.

Ronan O'Gara - More of an option than a sub. He's as good as Stephen Jones but simply with a different game. The starter should be based on how the Lions want to play and who lines up against them.

Harry Ellis - A quality unfussy scrum-half with a turn of pace and solid defense. Will invite the Lions backline to play with pace and to keep the ball in hand.

Matthew Tait - In my view one of the finest attacking threats in the whole of the NH. I'd like to see McGeechan have faith in him at 13 during the midweek where Sale and England have so rarely done. He's my 'pet' selection if you will, and maybe in a different environment with different coaches he'd be rewarded with the position that his class deserves. On the bench for the tests as a useful utility back. He's bloody good, but even I don't think he unseats O'Driscoll!