charity photo auction

a few weeks ago i was asked to supply a signed print which would form

part of an exhibition at the getty images gallery in london.

the exhibition would culminate in an auction on the final evening with all

proceeds going to the howards way walk charity

www.howardswaywalk.co.uk

last wednesday evening i skulked along to attend the auction, to chat with 

a few friends and of course to see if anybody would actually bid on my print.

here are a few snapshots i took during the evening.

this is garth.

i met garth in new york a few years back when he was doing the marathon

and i was taking photos of people doing the marathon.

in this photo he's pretending to be more interested in photography than beer.

these two are arguing about who likes kate moss the most

you know the routine right ?

these three people seem to recognise a beautiful photo when they see one

that's your 5-a-day right there.

to me, these two look like they're arguing 

but i could be wrong.

obviously i was wearing trainers but...

i did spot a few brogues kicking around.

personally i'm not in favour of the suede brogues with rubber soles.

what do you think ? brogues should be leather right ? with leather soles.

this print by chris smith is one of my favourite photos and it was getting

quite a bit of attention on the night

how much do you think it went for ?

this bloke is having a stare-off with richard harris

my money is on harris.

jamie was being ignored

as was the king of pop

the little old bloke in his shop was getting a bit of attention though

i'm pretty sure he sold for more than jamie and jacko too.

there were a few sport photos in the auction

including one by my old mate andy ( the usain bolt print )

this is my mate elvis

he looks like he's about to tell me something important.

then again...

ok, the bidding started and everybody got into the spirit

the auctioneer was doing a cracking job

apart from here when i scratched my head ...

... and nearly won a photo of an old motorbike

ha ha !

ignoring the auction, neil and levon reminisce about old times... ( ahem )

before posing for an official portrait

with harris and senna.

i don't know who did this photo but it's ewan mcgregor in bed with jude law.

good old jude law eh ?

the auction was cracking along at a fair old pace

and most prints were going for a decent price.

not too expensive, yet not embarrassingly cheap.

i was in two minds about bidding on this print.

it's by one of my photographic heroes... in fact probably my only

photographic hero... no, hero isn't the word, but he's a photographer

who's work i like... hmmm, i explained that well then !

oh, it's by martin parr.

not long after the martin parr print it was time for the chris smith

muhammad ali print to be auctioned.

this bloke wanted it very much. this was about half-way through the auction of it

when it was down to two bidders and the price was going through the roof.

this was the other bidder

here she is being encouraged by the crowd as she contemplates upping her offer.

in the end, the bloke won the chris smith print

i won't say how much it sold for, but it was a fair whack.

while chris smith was selling, chris terry's print waited patiently in the corner

the auction was in alphabetical order by the way

which meant that one of the last prints to be taken off the wall and held up in front

of the bidders was...

fried breakfast on the a1, by mark whitfield

i won't say how much it sold for, i won't even tell you that it sold for more

than the usain bolt print or the jamie oliver print... ooops !

but what i will tell you is that it was bought by a welshman.

it was a top night and the auction was for a great cause.

£10,125 was raised for charity on the night, and although thanks should definitely

go to all those who bought prints, i think special thanks should go to my mate 

elvis for organising the whole thing. well played.

www.focusonlife.co.uk