Dave Charnley Photography

PR Photography Headshots for Middlesbrough Jo Hand Recruitment

2012-02-03T08:50:00.018Z

My many years as a press photographer in Middlesbrough stood me in good stead with marketing and PR agencies, who know that only the best pictures will be chosen by the press, or influence the people reading marketing literature or browsing websites.

Teesside-based Jo Hand Recruitment is a respected name in the competitive world of recruitment. Its marketing agency commissioned me to take a series of pictures to support the forward marketing plan, for use in brochures, newsletters, on the website and with press releases.

The brief was to capture corporate headshots of the people behind the business, showing the approachable, knowledgeable team that founder Jo Hand has built around her. As a professional press and pr photographer in Stockton on Tees I have a portable studio with high performance flashguns, reflectors and other tools of the trade. This meant I could quickly turn the firm’s central Middlesbrough office into a studio. The fresh and fabulous lime green walls - the company’s signature brand colour – created a perfect backdrop for pictures of the team.

Part of the brief was also to reinforce the company’s roots in the region. Teesside, north Yorkshire and County Durham are the heartland of Jo Hand Recruitment’s customer base so the next job was to go out and vary the shots by working with a range of local landmarks. I chose two iconic backdrops that are right on the doorstep, to save Jo travelling time. First stop was the 35ft high tempered steel Bottle of Notes sculpture in the centre of Middlesbrough, with its clean lines providing a perfect background. We followed up with some lovely shots in front of the funky new CIAC RiversideOne apartments, in the Middlehaven district.

Jo and her team were relaxed in front of the camera and a delight to work with. Press and PR photography is essentially about people, and I like to retain the same relaxed, informal style that I use in my wedding and portrait photography

In the studio I edited around 40 key images, making adjustments and checking colours. Because I use top quality lenses I can capture natural brightness in a subject, bringing out the warmth of people’s faces, keeping the colours true and resulting in minimum re-touching. The two-hour PR photography shoot in Middlesbrough meant I was able to give the marketing agency a great range of images to use in its plans to help Jo Hand Recruitment reinforce its position as one of Teesside’s leading recruitment agencies.

Middlesbrough Architectural, Interior & Commercial Photographer

2012-01-12T19:06:00.007Z

Photographing homes, offices, shops or public buildings might not involve people, but it takes the same level of creativity as I use in my portrait, wedding and corporate photography bookings. Because most of my work comes via recommendation or from clients I’ve worked with before in the north east, they often trust me with a very simple brief such as ‘I need some shots of a building’.

I never know what to expect and it can be a challenge to arrive at a building to find it only part complete. It’s understandable because developers need to get a fast return on their investment and market their properties as soon as the paint is dry and it means I often have to work around builders and decorators and their equipment to get the shots I want.

The trick with property, particularly industrial buildings and office exteriors, is to look for lines and shapes while steering away from the wackiness of steep angles and overly-slanted buildings, which are not appropriate for commercial property photography. I like to keep images clean and crisp, and use a mix of wide angle and also use short telephoto lenses, combined with post-production skills on Photoshop to keep the parallels lined up and the pictures pleasing to the eye.

The best light conditions are often in the early morning or late at night, when the tonal range of colours is most vibrant. And those are perfect times for taking pictures without people too, which can date a photograph. Sometimes I’m helped by the exterior of a building being lit, so I can use shadows to create depth.

I was pleased to be asked by Middlesbrough Erimus Housing to photograph its innovative Bohouse development, which is part of the Boho Zone, the commercial quarter for Middlesbrough’s digital media, digital technology and creative sectors. Bohouse provides flexible living and working space, encouraging people to work from home and set up new creative and digital media businesses. My brief was to produce lively, contemporary pictures that would help to fill the last few apartments in central Middlesbrough.

The bathroom and kitchen showroom job presented an interesting challenge. To create a luxury feel I wanted to use the purple light set into the spa bath, which meant some clever – and quick - work with three flashguns to get just the right look for the glossy magazine for which the pictures were destined.

Good quality architectural and interior photography encourages interest in a property for sale or rent, and the kitchen and living room interiors shots were taken to showcase a Fabrick Housing development on Teesside. Happily, because the homes had been ‘dressed’ by interior designers, I had a range of colourful accessories to use as props to create a fresh, aspirational feel to the photography.

Sometimes it’s a case of looking for that one great picture that sums up the building. A long shot of a B&Q lighting centre reflected in a steel lightshade perfectly captured the enormous range of products available. At the other end of the scale a job to photograph a very practical sports centre interior forced me to look for an unusual angle, and I opted for a remote fish eye lens, set inside a locker, to bring a different perspective.

Redcar seafront’s £8.3m Hub is a new 35,000 sq ft business centre for the creative industries sector, and part of the town’s seafront improvement scheme that includes a 80ft high ‘vertical pier’. I was asked to photograph the architects’ model of how the finished development will look, and worked with natural lighting to reproduce the remarkable light conditions only found at the coast.

Whether it’s industrial, commercial or residential photography, my job is to let the pictures speak for the buildings, and encourage people to live, work and relax there.

Family Portraits in Stockton on Tees makes mum's Christmas present

2012-01-03T16:57:00.010Z

This recent family portrait session in Stockton on Tees with sisters Jessica and Emily was an absolute pleasure.

Through our children I’ve known the family for years and when the girls’ father Charlie did a DIY job for me, I suggested a natural location portrait session with the girls to return the favour.

Whether it’s portrait or wedding photography, my job is to capture those unguarded moments where the personality shines through. It’s particularly rewarding to photograph children – as a Dad myself I know they grow up so fast, and you never have a camera around at the right moment.

There are lots of options for where to set portrait photography locations - younger children ones will run around and play and give you some great picture opportunities, but for older subjects I sometimes suggest we get them to do something absorbing like playing a musical instrument or maybe playing sport. You maybe would like the 'Day in the Life' (new for 2012) photojournalist photoshoot which will document 2 to 4 hours of your day out, it could even be a relaxed trip to a beautiful market town, coffee shop, Saltburn beach, the list is endless...

Here in the North East we are spoiled for choice when it comes to beautiful settings, and we chose Ropner Park in Stockton. With its tree-lined walks, bandstand and duck pond it’s a perfect location for relaxed, informal portrait photography around Teesside. The girls’ father Charlie came along and we strolled around the park chatting so that everyone was at their ease before I started work. As with all my family portrait sessions, the girls themselves created the story and the pictures, my job was to observe and get the shots as they arose as well as a few lifestyle photographs.

As we were constantly moving there was little time to arrange the composition and lighting but that’s how I like to work. It produces a really natural, un-staged feel to the photography and I was able to capture the expressions on the sisters’ faces as they laughed and joked with each other. I encouraged the girls to get involved and feel part of the shoot, taking it in turns to hold the light reflector and coming up with some suggestions for shots too. Jessica was particularly good – I may have to watch out for some future competition there!

Back at the studio I reviewed several hundred pictures, producing a blend of black and white and some in colour to vary the feel and texture. For me, lifestyle photography is about keeping the colours true and the picture honest. Over-polishing pictures flattens them and takes away their heart. I put together a CD of pictures that made a great Christmas present for the girls’ Mum, and their Dad won lots of brownie points for presenting his wife with a set of beautiful portraits of their much-loved daughters.

It made my day on Christmas Day morning to get a text from the girls’ mother Jane, which read: “Merry Christmas. You have given me the best present ever. I’m reduced to tears, they are beautiful”

Corporate PR Photography for Fabrick Housing Group in Middlesbrough

2011-11-28T17:40:00.001Z

Everyone needs a good quality place to live, and Fabrick Housing Group based in Middlesbrough prides itself on building communities through rental, shared equity and shared ownership. The company manages 15,000 homes, from North Tyneside to York. Fabrick Housing Group includes Erimus Housing and Tees Valley Housing and I’ve worked with them for several years over the north east, so I understand the company’s ethos the community feel it wants from its imagery.

When one of the marketing team, a contact from my days as a press photographer at the Middlesbrough Gazette, rang me to talk about a multiple location commercial photo shoot across Teesside and County Durham, I knew it would be a busy day.

The core of the company’s business is people, so it’s logical that they figure largely in its marketing materials. The photo brief was to produce a set of clean, bright shots to reflect the heart of the business and the diversity of the communities it works in. These were to be added to its photo library and used on the website, for news releases, in newsletters, the annual report and other materials.

To give Fabrick’s graphic designers a free hand with future layouts I planned a series of landscape and portrait formats, giving these additions to Fabrick’s image library maximum flexibility.

Because I’m familiar with Fabrick I had some ideas for the type of shots that would work well. One of the marketing team came out on location with me, which was really useful. As we moved round the sites I was constantly referring to the photo brief and scanning the opportunities for a great photo, while they were highlighting what was important and relevant to the business so we worked well together. As the day progressed I was also able to show them what photographers call back of camera shots so they can see the photo stock we were building up.

It was a full day that saw us travel between Redcar, Stockton on Tees, Middlesbrough and Darlington photographing people and properties, with shots ranging from happy tenants and busy workmen, to a young apprentice on a building site, and senior executives back at headquarters. I’m a big fan of working quickly, with the minimum of fuss, and my style is natural, informal photography.

Speed is a necessity because whatever their role, anyone with a busy job does not want to stop to have their photograph taken! If you are too slow, the subject gets uncomfortable and the picture loses its energy and looks forced. If your subject is a man with a toolbox, you would be very unpopular with the foreman too, who could get twitchy about the time spent holding the job up.

Everyone was very helpful, the weather was kind to us all day and we were able to get all the shots the brief demanded. It was an action-packed day, but once I had processed the images back at my studio, we had a great set of commercial photos that Fabrick can use to show how it is helping to build neighbourhoods and benefit the people at the heart of its communities.

Unique Christmas Gift: One to One Photography Training

2011-11-21T19:13:00.004Z

Would you like to capture great photographs? Our 'One to One Photography Training Day's are perfect way to learn at any level and age. Many of you have loved the 'One to One' training with Middlesbrough Award Winning Photographer Dave Charnley and this Personal Photography Experience could possibly be a Christmas present or unique gift for a loved one (ask about gift vouchers)

Dave would be happy to base the training at a location of your choice and covering a subject of your choice (e.g. kids, sport, off camera flash, landscape, natural light, Photoshop on the computer - anything!) Your 'one to one' bespoked course gives you a fantastic opportunity to sample life through the eyes of a professional photographer with over 20-years experience.

Teesside based commercial, wedding and portrait photographer Dave Charnley offers valuable advice and tuition on technical side of photography too. We can cover topics such as use of lenses, Photoshop skills, shutter speeds, working in natural light, technical skills, working with a flash and how to create an eye catching composition.

One to One Packages:

Refresher Session £ 75

Morning / Afternoon £165

Evening Session £175

Full Day Session £295

Please contact us for more detailed information about each package or check available dates.

Christmas Portrait Gift Vouchers: Special Present Ideas

2011-11-03T15:03:00.020Z

Are you thinking about a special Christmas present for someone?

What about a fun photo shoot at a location of your choice - home, park or maybe down by the river ...or even on a boat if you like!

We offer a wide selection of top quality finished portrait photography products from canvas prints, framed images, picture books, music storyboard DVD's, digital disc service and print only options - happy to explain what this all means!

Perfect time to call 01642 586269(Office) or email to find out about our fantastic portrait gift vouchers for Xmas day presents.

Wedding Photography: Wedding Day Bliss at Headlam Hall, Durham

2011-10-18T11:30:00.021+01:00

It never fails to feel special when I’m asked to record someone’s big day, and the wedding of childhood sweethearts Helen and Phil, who got married at Headlam Hall Hotel near Durham, was no exception. Wedding photography involves a great deal of trust. It’s the start of a new life for the couple, and there is no second chance to capture images that sum up the essence and emotion of the day. Phil got in touch in March 2010 via my website at www.davecharnleyphotography.com to discuss wedding photography options at the venue. Headlam Hall is a luxury country house set in its own grounds, and a well-deserved winner of the North East England Small Hotel of the Year 2009/10.

Phil and Helen chose a tailored version of my Signature package. This includes eight hours of photography ranging from the preparations to the reception, with over 100 images hand finished and presented in a beautiful 14” x 10” album with a choice of layouts, leather finishes and covers. They also opted also to have their chosen high resolution images on a disk, so they could share the digital wedding photographs with friends and family.

My 20 years of experience as a wedding, press and commercial photographer has helped me develop an unobtrusive, informal style. I often work on my own rather than bring an assistant, as it helps to build a rapport with the guests. Many of them – especially the children – like being involved in the pictures and doing things like holding the remote flash. Playing a part in the process helps to set people at their ease and results in more natural wedding photographs.

I’m always on the lookout for offbeat moments that sum up the spirit of the day. It’s a fact of life that sometimes children have a fit of giggles or come over all shy at a key moment; babies will start to cry or the chauffeur will be caught reading the paper outside the church. But these are all as much a part of the day as the ceremony is, and are often among the shots that the bride and groom choose for their wedding album.

Every wedding is individual and takes a lot of thought and planning so I also like to include the table settings, the wedding rings and other elements that are special to the couple. On the day I arrived early to get some pictures of the preparations. Helen was one of the most relaxed brides-to-be that I’ve ever worked with, and one of my favourite photos details the younger children being helped into their outfits as she is silhouetted against the window in her designer dress and veil, with a soft cloud of hairspray reflected in the light.

Once the guests had arrived and everyone had enjoyed a glass of bubbly there was a touching ceremony held in the beautifully decorated Edwardian Suite, with its arched glass ceiling flooding the room with light and resulting in some happy shots of the newly married couple.The wedding breakfast and speeches – which included some special moments from the bride’s father and brother – were followed by the opportunity for Helen and Phil to take a breather as we went outdoors in perfect weather conditions and used the rich blue evening sky as a backdrop for some garden shots.

As dusk fell the party got underway and Helen and Phil took to the floor for the traditional wedding first dance. At this point people want to let their hair down and enjoy the evening, so I worked my way round the room as everyone got into the party spirit, before quietly disappearing and leaving family and friends to celebrate the union of this lovely couple.

As I write, Helen and Phil have made the final decision on the pictures they want included in their album, and I’m proud to have played my part in creating some very special wedding day memories for them.

Press Release Photography: Same-Day Commercial Photography For Hartlepool Stadium Group

2011-10-06T16:04:00.044+01:00

As a former Middlesbrough Evening Gazette press photographer I’ve photographed everyone from royalty, senior business figures and media stars through to community champions, children and winners of giant leek competitions. Working with such a range of subjects means your job on the day is not only to capture the perfect image, you have to do it in double quick time too!

A recent booking to photograph Stephen Phipson, the new Chief Executive of the £44m electronics manufacturer Stadium Group in Hartlepool came via the company’s marketing manager, who had seen my work on www.davecharnleyphotography.com

Stacey wanted a same day service, and like most in-house communications teams and PR agencies she had a detailed photo brief ready for me. This is a useful tool that guides me as to what sort of shots the client wants to achieve, and what they are to be used for, whether that’s to go with news stories for regional and national newspapers and magazines, in-house documents, websites or other communications channels. In Stacey’s case, she wanted a variety of press photos that she could use to illustrate press releases, news stories and interviews with the new CEO. Some of them were to be in a photography style that fitted with Stadium Group’s existing image library, and she wanted a range of internal and external backgrounds, some branding in shot and a choice of portrait and landscape layouts.

Busy CEOs don’t have time to waste and want the photographer in and out in a flash (no pun intended!), so I arrived early and had a quick look around Stadium Group’s site to assess the possibilities. In the one-hour shoot I worked quickly to capture a range of formal and informal shots of Stephen, using a combination of natural light, reflectors and a remote flash. To get some branding in some of the images I took one picture through a window etched with the company logo, plus a series of shots with Stephen in front of the company’s glass-fronted reception area.

Working with the light streaming through glass or bouncing off it was technically complex but resulted in some nice variations on the standard corporate headshot. Stephen is comfortable in front of a camera so I was able to add a touch of informality to some of the shots, moving round the room and using different camera angles while he talked to colleagues around a boardroom table.

Stadium Group is a big employer on Teesside so the media is always interested in developments at the company. The shots have been added to Stadium’s stock library of photos and have already been widely used in the regional and national press and TV coverage of Stephen’s new appointment.

Portrait Photography: Fun Family Portraits in Stockton

2011-09-30T17:09:00.022+01:00

One of the great things about being a family portrait photographer is getting to know families and being invited back to record events and key moments throughout their lives.

I had the pleasure of documenting Jessica’s parents’ wedding at Riverside Stadium, Teesside the home of Middlesbrough Football Club, and I was pleased to subsequently be asked back to do a second family portrait session with them and their energetic daughter Jessica.

Active three-year olds do not find it easy to sit still for long, so we planned the shoot around a visit to Ropner Park in Stockton, where there was plenty of room for Jessica to run round and have some fun in an informal setting, while we captured her on camera.

We were aiming for a relaxed session with no posing and no schedule so our first stop was the duck pond, where I left taking photographs for little while, Jessica then started to feed the ducks and I chatted with her and her parents until everyone was at their ease and then started capturing the key moments.

Ropner Park is a green oasis in the heart of Stockton on Tees, with wide walkways, a fountain, a play area and lots of grassy areas perfect for children to play on. We chose a midweek day so the park wouldn’t be too busy, and the weather was kind to us, with blue sky and soft autumn light forming a perfect background.

I worked as we walked, using two cameras with a small choice of lenses - simple! Over the years my background as a press photographer has come in handy – being able to work quickly and with minimum fuss is essential if you aim to work with children and animals! Towards the end of our walk Jessica made a bee line for the play area, which we had deliberately skirted around earlier so we could make the most of the park before she spotted all the play equipment. A quick change of jackets brought some variety into the mix, and I got some action close ups of her having a great time, fearlessly dangling off the rope swing and whizzing down the slide.

The one and half hour portrait session flew by, and resulted in a wide range of photos of Jessica ‘hiding’ in the bushes, running, laughing, playing and riding on her Dad’s shoulders – all typical activities for an active child of her age, and not a staged shot in sight. Back at the office I was really pleased with the 100 or so unobtrusive, natural pictures that captured a lovely afternoon, and would make an ideal photobook Christmas gift or multi aperture frames. The whole family were relaxed and easy to work with, and I was touched by the words in the email that Jessica’s mum Joanne sent me following the shoot:

"This is the third time we have used Dave's talents and again we have been thrilled with the outcome. As parents to a very inquisitive, lively and energetic almost-three year old, we dreaded the prospect of being cooped up in a portrait studio. Trying to coax smiles and force our daughter to sit still seemed far too stressful. Dave's unique portrait sessions put paid to those fears and we simply enjoyed a relaxed family trip to the local park. There were no rigid schedules to follow and no scenario was forced, and all our pictures reflect this. We love all the action shots and the finished pictures are simply stunning with lots to choose from. We would highly recommend Dave Charnley Photography to anyone and plan on using him again in the future! "

What a great ending to a fun family photo shoot.

France Camping Holiday: Brittany, Bordeaux and Paris

2011-08-24T10:12:00.037+01:00

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

People often ask me if taking my camera away with me is like a busman’s holiday, but the truth is photography is not work to me, it’s part of who I am.

Our recent family trip to France meant shaking out a tent that hadn’t seen the light of day since last summer. My wife Lynne did all the organising, we bought a trailer and a roofbox, stuffed in everything apart from the kitchen sink and set off with our two children, armed with my trusty Panasonic LX3 camera and a Michelin map.

Headed off from Teesside very early, catching the P&O ferry from Dover to Calais and taking the obligatory shot of the beautiful white cliffs as we sailed away. Little stop near Calais then drove on to Le Letty campsite, at Bénodet in Brittany in time to get the tent all up and sorted by supper time, and the chance for a well-deserved cold beer.

This fabulous site was right on the beach, with plenty of sporting activities on offer, including canoeing, tennis courts, and a swimming pool complete with slides. After three days there the forecast was poor so we headed South towards Bordeaux, arriving at 7pm to find all the good sites were full – yes, we had managed to pick the biggest public holiday of the year to arrive without booking accommodation. I will draw a veil over where we slept that night, but we were pleased that the car is a good size!

The next day took us on to the Panorama du Pyla site at Arcachon, a tranquil nature reserve whose massive sand dunes, the Dune du Pylas, make it a popular spot for kite flying. The site is tucked away between the pine forest and the beach, and we were spoilt for choice with swimming, surfing, bike rides, paragliding and fishing just a few of the things that attract people to this beautiful area.

We also managed to squeeze in plenty of time lying around watching the paragliders float lazily around the sky attached to jewel-coloured kites, set against the bluest of skies. It was like free therapy, as my wife remarked from her prone position on the beach towel next to mine.

The number of photos I took made me wonder why colours seem so much more vivid when you’re on holiday, and how we managed before digital photography and the opportunity to take as many images as you have memory cards.

Our canvas neighbours Helen and Rick, who were on holiday with their two sons, sent us a glorious photo of a paraglider coming in to land against the setting sun. It’s not one of my own pictures but it perfectly captured the essence of our stay at the site, and I’d be very pleased to have it in my portfolio.

The French are more relaxed than the UK about impromptu roadside camping, and one of the delights of our trip was spotting numerous gorgeous old VW campervans tucked away in the edges of woodland and in laybys.

We rounded off our holiday with 24 hours in Paris, buying a family Metro pass for the bargain price of just 25 euros, and packing in a whistle-stop tour of attractions. The spectacular glass Pyramide du Louvre gave me the chance to seek out an unusual shot taken from inside, and of course what photographer could resist the chance to take photos from the top of the Eiffel Tower?

Inside the Louvre, people were standing 10-deep in front of the Mona Lisa. Camera flashes were going off like fireflies in a forest but sadly, most people seemed keener just to record the experience, rather than appreciate the painting’s beauty.

Going past an unofficial shrine to Princess Diana, the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel, was a sobering moment. We lifted our mood with a walk along the Seine as darkness fell, to the strains of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ – a popular choice for Parisian buskers and a tune we heard several times!

Arriving home I found out we had clocked up around 2,500 miles, and once we had unpacked the car and shaken the sand out of all our kit it fell to me to do what all holidaymakers do - even professional photographers – and sort out all the holiday pics.

Civil Partnership Ceremony: Sarah & Janet in Leyburn, North Yorkshire

2011-07-18T02:03:00.022+01:00

Almost all of the family occasion photography I document comes through word of mouth from happy clients or previous connections, and a recent request to photograph the civil partnership ceremony of Sarah and Janet was no exception. I first met Sarah when she was a firefighter based in Redcar and I was a press photographer for the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette, so it was lovely to bump into her again when I was doing some family portraits at her brother Jeremy’s home.

Sarah and her partner Janet chose the magnificent Thornborough Hall near Leyburn for the ceremony, and the sun shone on the happy couple as they pledged their commitment to each other.This was an intimate gathering of family and friends, with many of the guests having joined Sarah and Janet for the week before the ceremony, staying at the reception venue, Hill Top Farm at Askrigg. This is set in the idyllic surroundings of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and ideal for groups who want to take advantage of its facilities and explore the surrounding countryside.

As befits such a relaxed and down to earth pair, this was an intimate gathering, and ‘informal’ and ‘unstuffy’ were the day’s watchwords. The couple opted for the three hour photography package documenting the civil partnership ceremony and the celebrations that followed. I was delighted to capture the happy mood of the event in a series of photos marking the start of their new life together, and to get the following email from Jeremy:

“Just a quick line to say that the photographs were fantastic – you have done us proud! Everyone who sees them is blown away, and Sarah and Janet are over the moon.

“I am really pleased that Annmarie and I were able to give them such a nice present. Once again, many thanks – you’ll be my first and only call next time we need a photographer, and I’ve already recommended you to a number of people!”

Commercial Photography: 29th Redcar Half Marathon

2011-07-04T22:54:00.063+01:00

Redcar seafront saw hundreds of runners covering the 13.1 miles route in the town’s annual half marathon. I was commissioned to do a commercial photoshoot along with Middlesbrough Evening Gazette and Darlington's Northern Echo press photographers to capture the fantastic event, it got under way by Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jo Jackson.

Professional, amateur and wheelchair racers had travelled to Redcar, Teesside from all over the UK to try and beat their personal bests. Thankfully the weather was mostly sunny for the 100’s of spectators lining the streets to cheer the runners on.

Amazingly this was the 29th year of the Redcar Half Marathon, which was organised by Tees Valley Leisure. A total of 1,550 competitor’s took part in this years half marathon and the first wheelchair racer over the line was Simon Lawson, 29, of Maryport, in Cumbria, who was trained by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson (pictured above in green) and her husband Ian, who both also took part. Simon, who won the event last year, said: “The conditions were good and I enjoyed it.”

Graeme Taylor, 25, from Jarrow and Hebburn Running Club (No 210) was the first runner over the line in a very respectable one hour 10 minutes. The first woman to finish was 30-year-old Carolyn Summersgill, from Coulby Newham, who runs with Middlesbrough and Cleveland Harriers. “I didn’t expect to win,” she said. “It was a bit warm to start with but then it clouded over and got windy which cooled us down.

Portrait Photography: Baby Bump Photoshoot in Teesside

2011-06-27T15:53:00.047+01:00

I recently had the pleasure of photographing a very special portrait photo shoot with Cheryl and Ash. They were expecting their first baby and wanted to capture some special moments to document this exciting time.

Cheryl bought Ash the romantic gift of an Exclusive Portrait Photoshoot voucher for Valentines Day, but with not long to go until 'due date', we had to get cracking organising some perfect locations for the shoot. They wanted some 'studio style' pictures taking inside and some more 'natural reportage pictures' taking outside. I recommended that the couple brought a change of tops to give some variation in the shots too.

So first part of the shoot I was armed with a small portable flash system to create clean studio images in their own home – simple! Just over half an hour of inside shots, then headed off to Stockton’s beautiful Ropner Park and I'm sure you'll agree that the resulting images work really well.

Cheryl and Ash were amazing and I even joked that they should consider professional modelling, as they were so relaxed. I was eager to see the images, edited them within a two days and hand delivered them to Cheryl and Ash’s surprise, an email soon arrived with this kind message…

"We have just got in what a lovely surprise, to find the photographs were ready! The photos are brilliant, there's so many to choose from our baby bump photo shoot. We can't stop looking at them! We love the ones of us lying down in the Ropner Park. Thank you so much we had a brilliant day"

Ash and Cheryl, Stockton on Tees

Commercial Photography: 'Surfs up' at UK Professional Surf Tour, Saltburn

2011-06-10T19:52:00.001+01:00

One of the things I enjoy the most about being a professional commercial photographer in the North East is the variety of projects that I get to work on. So, when the head of the marketing team for TK Maxx contacted me recently I was eager to be involved in their project to shoot the UK Professional Surf Tour in Saltburn.

On Saturday 14th May, camera at the ready, I arrived at Saltburn eager to capture the energy and action of the day. My brief was to document the tour dates in Saltburn and to shoot lifestyle images of the spectators too. The photoshoot was going really well for the first hour and then, the good old English weather stayed true to form and the heavens opened up! Although Saltburn is an amazing part of the world in any weather the decision was made to come back the next day.

Success! The weather was much brighter on Sunday and the Pro Surfers were 'making some shapes' near the pier. I caught some great action shots with a telephoto lens and a variety of 'scene setting' lifestyle shots* to compliment the set.
*A special thank you to Laura from Marske who looked fantastic in her bobble hat.

The high-resolution fully edited disc was dispatched ‘special delivery’ to London and was quickly uploaded onto their TK Maxx Blog.

Lets hope the UK Professional Surf Tour event will be a regular feature in Redcar, Cleveland and Teesside. Maybe next time I might even don my wetsuit and get some pictures from the waves!

Wedding Photography: Georgina & Ian, Wilton Castle and Wynyard Hall

2011-06-06T16:00:00.006+01:00

Throughout the years, I've been invited to do Wedding Photography at a variety of venues throughout the North East. However, its fair to say I was very intrigued when Georgina and Ian told me where they were hosting their wedding celebrations. You see, its not often you get the opportunity to photograph a Wedding at the beautiful Wilton Castle in Redcar. But as Georgina’s Mum lives on the estate, a special concession was approved for the big day.

What a day it was!
Georgina and Ian from Middlesbrough were married in Wilton Church, Redcar - a beautiful setting in itself! Then it was off to celebrate in a marquee, nestled perfectly next to the old tennis courts, on the Wilton Castle Estate. (With only 200 yards to go, at least there weren't any traffic issues!) Professional dance teacher Georgina, looked stunning and the couple seemed extremely relaxed all day. To top it all off, the weather was amazing and the venue looked simply spectacular.

I took a blend of formal and reportage photographs, documenting the whole day as it unfolded. By 9.30pm, I had taken such a variety of images, I found it hard to choose my favourites for this post! However, I picked out some that I thought really capture the elegance and charm of Georgina and Ian's big day. Overall, it was a pleasure to be involved in such a special and personal wedding.

P.S. Alas, I too was caught on film, enjoying the food at the back of the marquee. I might have to show this little gem, on a future ‘Photographers Life Blog’... well maybe...

Commercial Photography - X Factor Warm Welcome to Newcastle

2011-03-03T16:17:00.023Z

Here at Dave Charnley Photography we would like to give a warm welcome to my first official Blog!
I hope you enjoy the new addition to the family. There are so many varied jobs to include here, it will be great to give you a little flavour of what I do.

We start with a commercial photoshoot in Newcastle... We thought that the Former The X Factor contestant, Danyl Johnson was a great fun way to start things off. He performed at the ultimate ‘The X Factor party’ night at the Kensington House Aparthotel in Newcastle to lucky Susan Killilea who won a Chicago Town X Factor Pizza competition, to have Danyl perform to her and a few friends.

Brazen PR company emailed me with a full commercial photography brief. They required photographs to supply to the press and for promotional material.

During the party Danyl performed a range of songs, including Michael Jackson's 'Man In The Mirror', 'Purple Rain' by Prince, and 'Sorry' - an original song co-written by Danyl. During the night Danyl texed fellow X-Factor South Shields finalist Joe McElderry to see if he could pop along, don’t know if he made it? but if he didn’t he could check out my fun tweet. http://yfrog.com/2o4wtz

They took advantage of our 'Same Day Service' and images were emailed the next morning. Then a ‘high resolution’ disc of the images dispatched first class.