Getting what you pay for.

I read an interesting article recently that more or less matched my own thoughts on the costs associated with wedding photography. It made me wonder why us poor wedding photographers even bother to get up in the morning, especially with so many half-wits spending weekends earning untaxed beer money with their own uninsured, unqualified, poor version of wedding photography.

Most folk are likely to have heard about the brides and grooms who have not received their wedding albums, or the job that the so called professional did was so bad, they cried for weeks afterwards. In other words, the photographer wrecked the wedding, and their memories were ruined. But is it a case of you really do get what you paid for?

Some out of work people are quick to see where they can make a fast, undeclared buck on top of their dole money, available from a few weekends work of quick snapping, before hobbling off to Asda for the one-hour wedding prints to be made. These characters, the hardy weekend warriors, might probably even account for more than half of the wedding images taken throughout the week..? Pay cheap – suffer the consequences..?

And yet the real photographers, those who can do the job expected of them, who are tax registered, properly insured, and expect the couple to be like-wise insured, are slowly reducing in numbers as the weekend warriors do their bit to ruin hopes and wishes.

It was with some amusement when a potential customer said they could get a similar level of service from A N Other, including a ‘proper’ digital album, for supposedly half my cost. I suggested she do it, and hopefully she kept smiling afterwards, because I knew it was not possible. But out of curiosity I researched the lady photographer in question. True enough, I found her price, but then there was the small print. This was for a maximum of three hours work (and not just on-site, but from where she lived and return), so on-site left maybe two hours? Additional time was then charged at £100 for each 30 minutes extra, so before you knew it that cheap product had suddenly becoming rather expensive...

If it is going to be done properly a true pro will not rush through with a scatter-gun approach, firing away at will, hoping enough images will be acceptable to make a poor quality album that would cost the picture-taker (I really cannot use the word photographer), less than £50 to make.

Money is not everything, but I believe you really do get what you pay for, which from a real pro photographer, is going to be quality, commitment, a love for the job, and standard of service.

Make sure proper research is done and be wary of dealing on cost alone – it could be a painful experience.

Lancaster Update

With a short break away from the gym, and following on from my previous Blog entry, after Jon undertook a kart test on a new Birel/BMB Formula KGP chassis at PF International at the weekend, he was in high spirits over the following days. In company with his father, 'General' Dave Thomson, and of course yours truly,(with Hayden-Media stickers on the radiator and side-pods), it was exciting to see that Jon was as sharp and as quick as he had ever been at the wheel of a kart.

In a master-class of modest understatement he said: "Well it was great to get back driving again, but being quick is what I do! It was good training and it felt great to have the old team back together, with dad, 'Generali' (Dave's nickname), and you, although we were missing Marky Mark (Rose) who was away this time in Italy (Jon had previously carried out a pre-Xmas test with Mark Rose of MRM Motorsport, who was a former British kart champion in 1993). As part of my pre-season preparations it could not have gone any better!"

It would be worth the wait just to once again see Jon in a kart race, but until his 2011 racing programme has been finalised, which should be soon, the rest of the karting fraternity can rest easy - he might decide not to return!

Happy Birthday Laura. So hard to believe it is now nearly two and a half years since the wedding!

World Series Renault Formula 3.5 racer Jon Lancaster, returned to his 'roots' at PF International this weekend, when he put a new Birel/BMB (Formula KGP) kart through its paces.

The former World vice-Champion kart ace soon got into the swing of things, and in spite of the bitterly cold conditions, where temperatures struggled to rise above 1 degC, Jon was very quick indeed!

Depending on his racing programme for 2011, Jon remains undecided if he will race karts this year, but if he does decide to do so, his presence back on the karting scene would definitely create added spice!

Craig Dolby - SuperLeague Formula driver

Whilst walking the 'camps' at the Autosport Show at the NEC in Birmingham on Saturday, I came across former kart racer Craig Dolby, who despite being immersed in conversation with one of the many visitors to the show, caught my eye as I walked past. I was impressed to find that Craig remembered me from an international event, and was even more impressed when he pin-pointed the race to Bombarral in Portugal... in 2002!

Craig has moved onwards since those early karting days in his career, and 2011 marks his third year in the growing ranks of SuperLeague Formula, an impressive formula that is showing popularity amongst football fans, as each team supports an international football club. In Craig's case this is Tottenham Hotspur, and his car, as the photographs show, looked quite superb. And as all good racing drivers must be able to do, Craig can talk the 'talk' and so becomes a sponsor's dream driver.

With 750bhp V12 engines, these machines are not for the faint of heart, with 20 drivers competing for prize money in excess of 5,000,000 Euros, over 12 action-packed weekends across no less than four continents.

The chances of Craig taking the SuperLeague Formula title in 2011 are strong, more so now that he has two years of experience in the formula to draw upon. And perhaps more to the point the rewards are high, with the better drivers able to earn a good living from the races, and especially the champion overall. With 100,000 Euro to the winner of each race, and 1,000,000 to the champion, it is perhaps not too difficult to appreciate the merits of competing in this series.

With races in Italy, Portugal, Holland, Germany, Spain, Belgium, China, and the UK, SuperLeague Formula is truly international, with Craig's British appearance scheduled for Donington Park over the weekend of 6/7 August 2011.

Leonardo Panayiotou

At the 2011 Autosport Show being held at the NEC in Birmingham this weekend, I met one of the most confident young racers in my career.

7-years old Leonardo (Leo) Panayiotou, who is not yet old enough to race, but is already being driver coached by former kart champion and BTCC and sports car racer, Luke Hines, is destined to make his karting debut this year.

Panayiotou Snr is certainly not putting his young son under any pressure to race. Having said that it is difficult not to be impressed by the evident professionalism, if only to make sure that if young Leo's desire remains strong, his preparation for mainstream karting will have been second to none.

With a plan that includes Leo making his Super 1 Championship debut before the 2011 season ends, it is a debut that I for one will be watching very closely.

Watch this space..!

Sad bereavement to OEKC team

Robert Bedwell (far right on the front row), has been in touch to inform me of the passing away of 'Chunky' (Graham), who is second from the left on the front row. This photograph was taken two years ago at the prestigious Wembley 24 hour race, when we raced the Daytona Rotax Max karts just before Xmas 2008.  'Chunky' was a quick guy and his passing will be felt deeply by his team-mates and friends.

As part of the Allstars team, when James and myself were part of the team led by Rick Parfitt (Jnr), we raced against the enduro experienced OEKC outfit, so can speak with first hand knowledge of just how quick they are.  Led by Russell Willcox from Box Technology (blue race suit back row), who both sponsors and organises the OEKC series, Robertn told me that without Russell's generosity and passion, it would be a very different series without his support.

'Chunky' received his final chequered flag on Saturday 9 October 2010, but in his memory, a memorial race is going to be held at Whilton Mill on 6 February 2011, when a copy of the photograph above will be on display. It is an event that will be an open endurance race, mainly for Rotax Max karts, although the Series regularly have Pro-karts and Bilands on the entry list, with each category receiving an 'equaliser' by way of a number of laps credit.  Robert informs me that this makes for a very interesting and exciting end to their endurance racing, as the different fuel strategies and reliability finally play out.

It sounds to me like a fitting way to remember a well-respected team-mate and friend, who will be sadly missed by all the OEKC competitors, and our thoughts are with his family.