This image was my winning entry in the “People and Portrait” category of the Microsoft Future Pro global competition. The image is of break dancers posing on the side of the Students Union in Cardiff. Two off camera flashes were used to light the dancers, freeze their motion and separate them from the background.

You can download a press release about my winning of the competition here. You can also see more on the Microsoft Pro Photo site.

The following post is a collection of images during my 5 day visit to Seattle.

Looking up at people in the Bellevue Art Museum

Part of the prize was flights and accommodation for the Microsoft Pro Photo Summit in Seattle, Washington USA. Despite having been to Canada numerous times, it was my first stop off in the States. The first night was a party for all the people at the conference, held in Bellevue Art Museum. The party was on the roof terrace and you could look up from below and see people’s feet! There was more crab than I could eat, total bliss.

Playing pool with the other winners of the competition

Drinks at Joe's bar, Bellevue

Entrance to the Westin Hotel, Bellevue

Local strimmer guy

Because of jet lag I was waking up at silly times in the morning, so deceided to walk around and see what I could find. I bumped into this guy doing some strimming. Or least trying to get the thing to work.

A local stacking chairs

Bainbridge seen from the ferry and a telephoto

One of the guys I met at the conference, Harris, recommened to go out on the ferry to Bainbridge island. It was well worth doing and there were some stunning views to be seen.

The City Line again as seeen from the ferry

There’s no better way to see the city scape

Mount Rainier seen from the Bainbridge Ferry

Happened upon a wedding

One of the buskers outside the public market, playing some good blues riffs

Back into Seattle with a fisheye

I managed to get to see a couple of galleries whilst there too, including Benham , Photographic Centre North West and the Seattle Art museum for a talk. I got talking to a bunch of people out there, and I hope some of them see this post.

I was lucky enough to catch a beautiful sunset at the airport, a perfect end to a great trip. The planes framed the sky nicely

I had a really good trip, met some really interesting and inspiring people. Many thanks to Microsoft, in particular for Jeff Green for sorting everything out! Seattle is deffintley a city I would like to go back to and spend a bit more time in.

Next week I will spending a week at The Times in London taking photos, looking forward to that a lot. Again here is a link to the press release about my winning of the event.