And that's a wrap!

As the curtain goes down on our 10th year of capturing the Celebrate Voice Festival, we look back at our favourites from this year’s event. Over the decade since we started, the festival has gone from strength to strength and this year’s was the best yet.

The festival opened with the world-renowned BBC Singers (conducted by Bob Chilcott), performing in Wilton Italianate Church. The beautiful choral music filled this equally gorgeous venue with an uplifting mix of songs and melodies.

Ronnie Scott’s All Stars returned to the festival from the internationally-renowned London Jazz Club, with songstress Natalie Williams, one of the UK's most popular soul/jazz artists. People travel from around the world to visit the Soho club, but we were lucky enough to be part of this fabulous evening in our own home-town city of Salisbury.

Come and Sing HMS Pinafore, was a chance for members of the public to immerse themselves in the action, and be part of the production with the stars. A morning of rehearsals, led by Musical Director David Gostick was followed by a performance in which the public became the chorus, and put what they had learnt into action.

Comedic opera “Cosi Fan Tutte” was a riot of a show, full of fun and hi-jinx (set in a 1950s holiday camp; with a nod of inspiration from Hi-de-Hi). The trials of life, love, romance and betrayal twisted and turned to keep us enthralled to the end.

Live at the Musicals brought together Zoe Curlett, Katy Hanna, Keiron Crook and Simon Shorten direct from the glittering stages of the West End, to perform a wonderful mix of iconic and universally loved show tunes. This really was an intimate, up close and personal performance, and we LOVED it.

Comedy and Cabaret at its very best with performances by award winning and acclaimed comedians Amy Webber and Andrew Drew. Their solo shows had the audience (and us) in stitches with their individual takes on modern life and employment issues.

Always the biggest highlight of the festival for us. SEND brings local people with learning difficulties together with the professional singers, to produce and star in their own special performance. It’s just the most amazing, incredibly joyous, emotionally uplifting and inclusive celebration of our local community, and it’s the one we look forward to the most each year.

Showcasing up and coming talent, we were treated to performances by local young artists. Recommended by their schools, these truly are the stars of the future and the ones to watch. We are so looking forward to seeing how their careers progress.

One last word - if the Celebrate Voice Festival has somehow escaped your notice, please do watch out for next year’s offering. It’s well worth the visit and maybe we will see you there!

We love it when a plan comes together!

When we acquired our pro series drone we hoped that our clients would love the new angle it offered. We are so pleased that its proving to be an asset in all sorts of ways.

Whether we are capturing a building for archive purposes, investigating difficult to access areas for maintenance purposes, or looking at your event in a different way, it's always interesting seeing things from a new perspective.

In the image above you can see that the church needed a little attention right at the most awkward point. In the past it would have taken significant investment in scaffolding to see exactly what was going on. The drone was able to quickly identify. the work that was needed and the skills and equipment necessary (and saved a small fortune to boot).

The beautiful St Nicholas Hospital has stood on this site for approximately 800 years and must have seen so many changes in its time. Thanks to aerial photography the archives will now record exactly how it looks today for future generations to come.

This client wanted to show the setting for their summer party. What a great event in such a beautiful setting.

Approved by the CAA to fly drones for commercial use, we are fully qualified and insured, and always work within the latest UK regulations. We use professional drones to deliver 4K video and high-resolution images to our clients.

Click here to contact us about elevating your business with professional drone photography.

Wow! Just Wow!

We recently had the pleasure of hearing and photographing the totally amazing Claire Lomas MBE - Wife, Mother of two, Sportswoman, Fundraiser, Campaigner, Speaker, Pilot, Motorcyclist and all round inspiration.

Having spent the last 16 years paralysed from the chest down after a freak horse-riding accident, Claire shared her personal story and the split second that changed her life forever. Listening to her story told candidly, with humour and sensitivity by the lady herself, we laughed with her in some places, and cried in others.

Claire quotes that “whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can’t – you are right”. She teaches you that a positive growth mindset has huge impact on reaching your full potential, that adversity can be overcome, goals can be achieved, and dreams are to be followed.“

Southampton International Boatshow 2023

We are always reminded that another year is coming to a close when we finish shooting at the annual Southampton International Boatshow Lunch with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, Paris Smith LLP, Leonardo Group, and British Marine.

This event goes from strength to strength and each year there is something new. This year was no exception: Daredevil Stunts, Incredible Yachts, Inspirational Speakers, Great Company – this event has it all!

Chalk Valley History Festival

Chalke Valley History Festival lets you to step back in time and experience what life would have been like at any point in history.  Transporting you back to the world of Edwardian Explorers, Medieval Serving Wenches, and sharing with you the trials and tribulations of Sailors in the Napoleonic era, it’s an informative and fun few days.

As you wander through the festival you encounter volunteers dressed in authentic period costumes, who will happily share with you the nitty gritty of their lives. WWII and modern day soldiers rub shoulders with Chelsea Pensioners and charities like the War Graves Commission and Gurkha trust.

Social History buffs are enthralled by talks from ex Prime Minister John Major, and Marina Litvenenko, whilst those interested in gardening enjoy the talk by our national treasure, Alan Titchmarsh.

Although principally shooting press images, John loves this type of shoot as it also gives him a chance to get in touch with his creative side and experiment with a variety of subjects and styles.

See you next year maybe? If you spot us, come and say hello!

Southampton International Boat Show 2021

Kayaks, Catamarans and Superyachts

Mayflower Park Southampton 10-19 September 2021

This year the Southampton International Boat Show is back and promises to be bigger and better than ever! John Rose Photography will of course be there to capture the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce Lunch being held at the Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel. The event recognises the chamber’s 50+ years association with the famous show.

The show organisers promise that there will be “a boat for everyone” on display at this years’ show and we can’t wait to see what John might come home with…

Salisbury's answer to Ascot was good (to firm!)

  Big hats, small hats, fascinators, flowers feathers and a multitude of colors styles and designs. Ladies night at Salisbury Racecourse is always a very well attended an amazingly colorful affair, and this year was no exception.

The eight finalists at Salisbury Racecourse Ladies Night

Without doubt this really is one of the most important and popular meetings in the race calendar at Salisbury Racecourse as well as the calendars of the women of Salisbury and surrounding areas. This is of course a favorite event to cover for us at John Rose Photography, with 7 races  the going was Good to Firm which mad for some great results.

Gabriella Gowman, Beseed Dressed at Salisbury Racecourse Ladies Night

We are always delighted to cover this glamorous event for Salisbury Life Magazine and have done now for three years. This year we also covered for the Salisbury Journal and Wiltshire Society. It gives us the opportunity to capture some amazing images as well as the opportunity to catch up with so many familiar faces - friends, clients and anyone really that knows us. Each year just gets better and better.

Susie Cooke, Best Shoes at Salisbury Racecourse Ladies Night

More than 4,000 spectators attended this years race meeting and out of those, 18 lucky ladies were chosen to enter this years "Best Dressed" competition showcasing not only the Best Dressed lady, but also best shoes, best hat, most exotic outfit. 

Fake That at Salisbury Racecourse

This years overall winner was the lovely Gabriella Gowman, with Sarah Oak winning best hat and Susie Cooke not only winning best shoes but also walking away with a top prize kindly provided by the Westover Group - the use of a brand new £15,000 car for 1 year. Congratulations to all the ladies for being selected to enter. 

Entertainment at the end of the days racing was provided by 'premier Take That tribute band' – Fake That! –live on stage. The after party continued at Salisbury's Chapel Night Club.