Chris Burgess Photography

MMA Photo Shoot

2011-09-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to do an MMA shoot for a while now. Back in UK the sport is growing rapidly and our fighters are some of the most fearsome in the sport of MMA. I was hoping to shoot the likes of Dan Hardy or John Hathaway but alas with time not on my side before moving to Sri Lanka it had to go on that 'back burner' for a while. When I moved to Sri Lanka I really didn't expect to find an MMA gym. Not only that but this small band of pugilists take it very seriously and hold regular fight nights. Just like the early days of the UFC the fights take place between different disciplines in Sri Lanka. They have had matches against the Army, Navy, Judo and karate and so far come out with the overall wins. These guys are the real deal who train with dedication and commitment and within conditions that can only be described as raw. Anyone can train in a deluxe, air conditioned gym but it's the real fighters who will train regardless of conditions or equipment. So what if they haven't got state of art facilities and haven't got all the luxuries of a spa. They can't relax and unwind in sauna or steam room after a gruelling workout in what can only be described as, a very hot garage. You can tell it's not about working out and just feeling good it is most definitely about learning the craft of MMA and competing. The shoot took place in warehouse in Colombo and the fighters turned up, as promised. I had 3 fighters to shoot Dulshan, Chama and Madura 'The Destroyer'. I don't need to point out who is 'The Destroyer'. They were all in good spirits and up for getting some moody shots. Having a subject who isn't afraid of the lens is half the battle of getting a great portrait. I think you'll agree that if you can stare in an opponents eyes and beat him senseless then a camera is nothing. Here are some of the shots.

Had a great shoot and already have ideas for the next one.

Aspire Training

2010-12-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

About 6 months ago I entered a photography competition on the Professional Photographers website. I then received an e mail from the Annabel Williams informing me that I had been selected as one of the 6 finalists. My first thought was that it was a phishing e mail but I eventually looked into it and it was true. I traveled to Cumbria for what I thought was a very informal interview. I was placed in front of a panel of experts and answered a few questions. A week later I was told that it was very close and I was eventually chosen runner up. So, no cigar this time but I was invited on a 4 day course at the photography training school.

Fast forward 6 months and hear I am in Cumbria on my 2nd day on the course.

Day 1

Marketing and Branding

Day 2

Photographing Pre Wedding shoot and Wedding Shots

Day 3

Post Processing and Lightroom

Day 4

Sales and Album Design

It's a great course and learning so much. I will be uploading the shots here shortly.

Dick and Dorothy Golden Anniversary

2010-06-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Had a great time shooting a Golden Anniversary at the weekend. I had 3 generations of family and everyone looked great in front of the camera and had no problem relaxing for the shots. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves as much as I enjoyed taking the photographs.

Oliver Goldstein Party

2010-05-31T14:46:00.000-07:00

This was a Bar Mitzvar for Oliver Goldstein. I hadn't covered a Bar Mitzvah before so didn't quite know what to expect and was a little nervous as his father was a good friend of a work colleague. I had no need to worry as they treated me very well and trusted me to tell story of the night through my pictures. There were so many character and the Father and Oliver was the biggest.

Sara and Jess Wedding

2009-05-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

These are for Sara and Jess and all their family and friends to take a quick look at some of the shots I took at their wedding. Just wanted you both to know that we had a great time and everyone was so relaxed and friendly. Everyone thought it was a beautiful wedding. Hope you like these shots and loads more to come.

Most of these shots were reportage so I hope it was what you expected?

I loved the colours of this room. The ceiling made a fantastic backdrop.

That's your lot for now.

Polly and Simon's Wedding

2008-06-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Had another wedding to shoot and this time it was in a small unknown location called, 'Westminster'. What a backdrop for a great day? The wedding went smoothly and the shoot went well. Everyone who participated were great fun and I think enjoyed being photographed. Here is a selection of some of my favourite pics of the day. Any of the family and friends reading this will be glad to know that I have nearly finished the editing and will soon be putting all the guest shots on a website for all to view and purchase should you want to?

Thanks again to Polly, Simon and all of their family and friends for being so patient. I hope you will think that the shots were worth it?

Also, a big thank you to James for adding his own flavour and style as my 2nd Photographer.

CASS: The Movie

2008-05-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

Towards the end of last year I got the opportunity to work on a film as the stills photographer. The film was the life story of, 'Cass Pennant'. If you are into football you may have heard of him? He was one of the main members of the notorious ICF and considered one of the hardest men in Britain. The film charters his early childhood struggles to his extremely violent adulthood. When I read the script I knew it was going to be very photogenic. I was also asked to shoot the cover of the book. Both are to be released in mid 2008.

Tom and Krishni's Wedding Down Under

2008-01-29T05:32:00.000-08:00

Got to shoot a wedding in Australia this time. The day was fantastic and what more could you ask for when you have the beach and the sun?

Children Portraits

2007-11-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

Now apart from having hundreds of shots of my own daughter, most of them in my own collection. I do think there is something magical to be captured when it comes to parents and their bundle of joy. Just a few from my Parents series.

Richard and Rebecca's Wedding

2007-09-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Recently photographed Rich and Rebecca's Wedding on the 25th August 2007. The week before the wedding was one of the coldest and wettest weeks in years. We were all relieved as the sun came out on Saturday morning and the whole day was bathed in beautiful sunshine. It wasn't difficult capturing the emotion of this couple, and the day, as it was very relaxed and everyone so friendly. They even had a helicopter to transport them from the ceremony to the reception, what a way to arrive! Richard is a camera operator in Film and TV so the pressure was on to make the pictures of their day filmic and to choose my settings correctly. Was a tough day but got some great shots of the easy going couple.

The Subways

2007-06-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

This was taken on, 'The Subways' second music video, 'Rock and Roll Queen'. It was a very long day and as you can see by the end of the day's shoot there was quite a bit of mess.

Peaches Geldof

2007-06-22T04:18:00.000-07:00

Did a job for Sky with Peaches Geldof. Enjoyed working with her as she is so relaxed in front of the camera. As you can see none of these are posed for me. All taken reportage style between takes. These are a few of my favourites from the day.

Helen & Michael's Wedding

2007-06-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Helen and Michael were great to photograph. They didn't really have any ideas of what I should shoot or how I should shoot their wedding. I gave them a few ideas and they went for every one of them. They weren't thinking of how and weren't that bothered about their photographs. Until, of course, when they got back from their honeymoon they were itching to see what I had shot. I'll no doubt be posting the photographs from the Christening of their new little boy, Miles, very soon.

Ricky Hatton

2007-06-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

I got the chance to photograph one of my favourite boxers this country has right now. Being a fight fan I jumped at the chance to watch Ricky in a training session leading up to one of his many defence fights. Not everyday you get the chance to watch and photograph a 2 time World Boxing Champion.

My Trip to Sri Lanka

2007-06-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Just some of the pictures I took in Sri Lanka. I was there over Christmas and New Year 2007. It has to be one of those most amazing countries in the world? My Wife is Sri Lankan so I'll go visiting quite alot. I would recommend anyone experiencing what this beautiful country has to offer. I'll be posting more pictures from Sri Lanka soon. The photograph of the boy has been published in Digital Camera magazine recently and I have entered it into the Digital Camera Magazine Photographer of the Year Competition. If you love photography you should check the site out. If not, just go and put your vote in for your favourites. www.poty2007.co.uk

Serena and Satya

2007-06-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of the last pictures of my wife Serena before our little one was born. As you can see she's absolutley glowing and so glad I took pictures of her during the pregnacy. This is one of my favourites.

Last Wednesday 13th June 2007 our little daughter was born. We had a home birth and Serena was in labour for only 7 1/2 hours. I can't explain the feeling we both feel for our little one but it is the best feeling in the world. Both Mummy and little one our recovering nicely. This is the first picture I have published of her

Wedding Photos

2007-06-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

These were taken on a day with Digital Camera Magazine. They chose a few photographers to shoot a wedding which was then published in the magazine. The day was very long but really enjoyed it and learnt so much.

Casino Royale

2007-06-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

I worked on Casino Royale last year and how pleased was I when the stills photographer told me he took a few shots? I've worked in this industry for 10 years now and this is the first time I've got a picture of me at work. Thanks Jay