Il Divo - UK - Birmingham NEC - 18th April 2006

[Joe]

Wow !!! Great pic of Dave, Hayley and Roger ! The close-up photo of Hayley is gorgeous! The pics of Hayley on stage are wonderful for being full-zoom. When I went to Hayley's performance in Easton last October, my camera's flash went off by accident and I thought I was nicked for sure.

[Raymond]

Thank you for sharing the photos. Hayley is gorgeous with a bright smile in the last photo.

Raymond

[Richard]

Thanks for sharing the beautiful photographs Dave!

The close-up of Hayley would make a wonderful cover picture on a CD, DVD or tour brochure. I bet you'll make a large print and frame it! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best Wishes,

Richard

[Andrew]

Hi Dave,

Wow! - Those photographs of Hayley are fantastic!

I'm very impressed indeed...

Well done!

Regards,

Andrew

[alien]

Thanks for going through all the trouble posting the photos Dave!

Looks like Hayley really enjoyed herself touring with Il Divo and she looked great in that blue dress.

Dave should be given second title of "Official HWI Spy Photographer" i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Allen

[postscript]

Hi Dave.
Birmingham on the 18th April hand held at 3200 ISO !! Wow. Very good. I've used an SLR telephoto at that speed BUT not only on a tripod but with a plunger on the button! Graininess really depends upon the light values: too bright grain shows and you want to drop to 1600, which is why i run two cameras BUT not two sets of telephotos I fear!

My problem now is finding a digital back to which i can fix my telephoto.

Knowing the difficulty, personally, I think you have done superbly well.

Peter

[postscript]

Well done Roger and Dave. I really did not think there would be an opportunity to meet up with Hayley not only because of the size of the event but also because IL Divo are 'in charge'.

Peter

[Steve H]

Hi Peter and Dave,

Well having seen how well Dave's pictures have come out I have gone out and brought a Minolta Dynax 5D it comes with an 18-50mm lens, but like Dave already have two lenses from my old Minolta 7000 which are AF lenses, one is 35-135 and the other is 75-300, I used to use them when I ran Lena Zavaroni's fan club (many many years ago).

www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/615_304050.html

It seems a good deal, but I would welcome any comments, I particularly liked the anti-shake feature which will help with the long lenses. I got it for £422 from Jessops. I hope to have mastered it by the time I go to Wisley!

Steve H

[Stuart H]

Hi Dave

What great photos! You must be very pleased with the camera. I have been toying with the idea of a digital SLR since Hayley visited the school and I ordered one today. We could do with a new thread for newbee SLR digital photographers who can draw on your knowledge and pick your brains.

This is the one I have ordered with two lenses, 14-45mm (28-90mm) 1:3.5-5.6, 40-150mm (80-300mm) 1:3.5-4.5.

www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/e500-review/index.shtml

Like Steve, I cant wait to try it out on Hayley!

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

Stuart

[Dave]

Well everyone, you are all very kind but in all the excitement, two of the most important parts of Hayley's performance in Birmingham were barely mentioned or forgotton about - how could we, Roger? Well the MOST important part was the middle - Hayley sung her seven songs quite beautifully although she was puzzled by a slight ticking noise she could hear on stage and asked us if the sound had been OK, with no cutouts. We assured her that it had been perfect - and so it was!

But... at the start, Hayley had a full and proper introduction by the announcer - this was brilliant, as it often doesn't happen.

And of course, at the end, Hayley received that wonderful presentation of flowers by divas from the il Divo forum - what a lovely thought on their part, they are all SO nice about and to "our" Hayley! Many thanks from me to them, it capped Hayley's performance beautifully!

Next Job: Photo team Hayley - let's have a think about that Photography thread... somewhere or other!

Cheers, Dave

[postscript]

Steve, what an opportune post.

My SLR is a Minolta Dynax 5 and some time next week, I was intending visiting Jessops in Watford or St Albans with my kit and check out possible backs for my lenses! The telephoto is a Sigma 75-300mm

Peter

[postscript]

Dave,

Thanks for the update on the flowers at Birmingham from the Divas on the Il Divo Forum. That was indeed really nice of them. I warm to them very much indeed. Its great to know Hayley has their respect and they go out of their way to show it.
That is superb.

Peter

[postscript]

Following on Steve, yes, anti-shake stabilisation is a must on telephoto esepcially with a 75-300mm lens. I'm not sure if any anti-shake would counter my wobbliness though, hence preferring a tripod and even a syringe trigger!

I assume you are talking digital, though? I always think of SLR being film.

Peter

[postscript]

roger said:

Steve Abbott had previously told me that he would endeavour to organise a meeting for tonight. ...

We later calculated that we spent forty minutes with her - longer than she had been on stage! She convinced me that she was really enjoying the tour with Il Divo and that they were all (including the crew) one big "family".

Hayley wanted me to say hi to everyone and is genuinely very grateful for the support you all give. I am sure Dave (who is still on the road) will have more to add so I will sign off for now as it is 3:30am here!

Roger

Its great that she really is enjoying herself and having a great time. Obviously in interviews she wouldn't say other but knowing her as you do I know you would find ways of conveying reality within accepted bounds were that to be the case, so it is good to feel she's having fun. Regardless of audience widening and general visibility or other relevance to her own progression, while it is all a rush, let's face it, she really is seeing the world and what better time to do it than when you are young. Its an absolutely incredible opportunity for her.

Thanks for the reassurances and the sharing. Have I met Ali? Was he one of the black-suited ones at Manchester and elsehwere? It's also good to know Steve is still there even if he wasn't--if you know what I mean!

Peter

[postscript]

Addendum, sorry Roger.

Having had forty minutes with Hayley privately, surely there is something to which you would have said, 'Hayley, how much of this can we report on? Can we say this, but leave out that?' Didn't you?

Peter