A Final Farewell

A Final Farewell

I've been asked if I will continue posting photos now that I am done with my portion of the tour. I do plan to get some additional photos online as I sift through the thousands of photos I took in search of the best to be used in the book. I will of course not be able to post everything here as I want to leave some suprise for what will be in the book! If you have not already, please be sure to visit the Osmond Store or Donny.com store and pre-order your book. This will be a limited printing based on the pre-sale numbers, so if you wait to purchase you may miss out on the limited edition record of this amazing event.

This photo was taken at the last show in London at the O2 Arena. This is the last performance in the UK of the Osmonds all together. It was a very emotional moment for the Osmonds and the fans alike. The original 4 performing Osmond Brothers are being applauded by their younger siblings as this tour was really celebrating their 50 year anniversary of performing.

This is one of those times that I am happy with the shot I got, but also sad that I couldn't be in two places at once. I wanted the scene with the enormous crowd being a part of it, which is why I chose to be back stage. What I didn't realize is how emotional this was for the Osmonds, and being behind them I missed the opportunity to capture those emotional expressions from the front. What can you do but be happy with what you were able to capture, right?

The Press Junket

Press Photo - #1 DVD in the UK!

Yesterday I was able to tag along while the Osmonds went through a huge press junket. They met with press people from all the major networks, radio and tv. It had my head swimming with all the different things going on, so I can appreciate the stamina they have to stick through all the questions and pictures. The Osmonds were meeting with them to celebrate the #1 ranking of their concert DVD on the UK charts and to promote the last show at the O2.

Press Junket

The photographers were a hoot to watch. All calling out "over here," "To your right," "To your left," etc. Flashes were popping like crazy. Then, minutes later, they all pulled out their laptops and raced to be the first to upload their images.

Meet the Press

After the photo session the Osmonds met with a ton of radio, newspaper and TV press in a separate room. The same thing gets repeated each time as the questions are asked, but they do it with a smile and like it is the first time they have been asked those very same questions.

Donny Goofing Labels

The first interviewer handed out some labels jokingly, and that is something that Donny just can't take seriously. After everyone put on labels of other names, Donny collected and placed all of them on himself.

Book Presale Coming Soon!

Just a quick note to let you know the book is going to be offered for presale starting next week. Stay tuned for more info! I am excited to share this with you and grateful for all those that will enjoy it.

Gadfield Elm

Gadfield Elm Chapel

Well, it has been a few days since my last posting, and plenty has been going on. With the busy schedule and some work to catch up on, I haven't had a spare moment. I'll try to do a little catch up today with multiple posts.

Donny had visited Gadfield Elm Chapel on a previous tour and made it a point to have it included as a stop off in our travel yesterday. We don't make regular stops when traveling, so this was as special occasion simply to have a stop! I was grateful for the experience, both personally and for the opportunity to photograph the occasion.

If you are unfamiliar with Gadfield Elm, and I was, here is a link with more information. The short version is that Gadfield Elm was the first chapel for the LDS church. It is really a fascinating story.

Arriving for the visit

Everyone was excited to make the visit, so we all offloaded from the bus and began to explore. We happened to be visiting on a day it was normally unstaffed, but Peter Gardner made himself available for our being there. Anne Zoers and another photographer were there as well. There so kind to show us around and give us some background on everything. Shown in the photo here, Jay is greeted by Peter while the others are observing the sign that normally gives instructions for gaining access to the building if no one is there. It is really a neat concept because the combination lock code can be obtained if you are able to answer some numerical questions based in LDS knowledge. Sorry, no picture of the sign itself, you have to figure it out on the spot if you are going to visit :)

Receiving some history while in the chapel

We were so fortunate to hear some of the preservation and renovation information first hand. I had no idea until the stories were being shared that the elderly gentleman was actually there when the trust purchased the chapel and that he and his wife were some of the many local members who helped restore the building. He assisted the stone mason team who took the chapel apart stone by stone, and with numbered order rebuilt most of the chapel with the original stones. Simply amazing.

Internalizing the Moment

After exploring the various parts of the small building, we had to be on our way. We all took a few minutes to internalize the moment, especially after sharing a hymn together in the chapel. This is one of those memories I will keep with me.

Tight Corner!

I've mentioned before that we have the right people for every job on this tour; and the bus driver is no exception. How he was able to negotiate this corner (after having turned the bus around just previously) was amazing to me. You see any room to spare on either side? I sure don't!

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