Documentary Photography of the Positively Stockton on Tees (Psst) Campaign

In my work as a North East commercial and PR photographer I know how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful region, among people with warmth, a great sense of humour and tons of community spirit, and the news that the next series of Channel4’s Benefits Street was to be filmed on Kingston Road on the Tilery estate in Stockton saw feelings running high here in the region.

All of which meant I was delighted to be asked to cover the Positively Stockton on Tees (Psst...) campaign, the world’s biggest ever game of Chinese Whispers, designed to spread positive messages about the town.

Fronted by Wildcats of Kilkenny’s Mike McGrother and world and European champion sprinter Richard Kilty, the event ran over March 13^th and 14^th and saw colourful clowns from the Urban Kaos street dance group escorting the message along a human chain using transport ranging from buses and bikes to rowing boats and jet-skis, and raising money for Comic Relief along the way.

Weeks of planning went into the shoot to make sure we were in the right place at the right time to capture pictures that would generate positive PR for the town.

I was kept on my toes shooting documentary photography in venues including shopping centres, schools, a care home, a bike rally and a bowling green, plus the organisers had publicised a handful of spots where locals could take part, such as Infinity Bridge and Ropner Park in Stockton, and Preston Hall at Eaglescliffe. These drew crowds of people all keen to join the chain and pass on the secret that Stockton on Tees is a great place to live and work.

All ages took part, from children through to people in their 90s, and included everyone from hairdressers and traffic wardens to police officers and passers-by, all very happy to have their photos taken and making the my job easy.

My biggest challenge as a photographer was to stay on the move while editing the photos and sending across to the client so they could be out via social media streams as the event happened.  I prefer a combination of a lightweight laptop for flexibility and speed without sacrificing the quality of the images. 

Finishing off on Saturday at Wynyard Hall, the event was very well received and a lot of fun to be part of.  All credit to the organisers – the whisper campaign was a perfect way to celebrate community pride in the face of a series seeking to paint Stockton in an unfair light on national television.

The first series of Benefits Street generated huge national controversy around its portrayal of people living on benefits, and the airing of series two has been delayed due to General Election restrictions so it remains to be seen how it portrays our town.  But I was proud to play my part in the ‘Positively Stockton on Tees’ campaign using positive images that will help to counteract any negative publicity generated by the series.

From the Cold Store to Firestation | Yorkshire Commercial and Advertising Photographer

As a North East and Yorkshire photographer with decades of experience in press and commercial photography, if I had a pound for every time someone told me that today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip paper I’d be a very rich man.

The phrase really came to life for me with a recent advertising photography commission to produce a range of photos for Wraggs in Leeds, a Collins Seafood company dating back to the 1950s, which supplies ‘Frozen at Sea’ fish products to an impressive number of fish and chip shops throughout Yorkshire and the East Midlands, as well as to wholesalers and smaller businesses.

The brief was to produce a range of PR and marketing photos that can be used across print products such asbrochures and posters through to the company’s website and social media feeds.

The day started at 5am when myself and Olly from Harvey & Hugo, Darlington-based PR agency, set out for the first shoot. When we arrived in Leeds there was a fleet of vans already loaded up with frozen food so I could get some product and vehicle shots – complete with cheery drivers - done before the vans went out on deliveries.

I’ve photographed in most locations over the years but working in a cold store with temperatures of -22 degrees was a new experience for me.  At that temperature the brain – or certainly my brain – definitely works more slowly so I had to get a move on before I froze like the fish I was photographing. Fortunately my cameras are capable of shooting in low temperatures so I had no worries about the resulting pictures.

It was certainly a treat to move from the cold stores into the toasty warm offices and switch to getting some shots of senior management in meetings, and some of the staff working at their desks, incorporating the striking blue and white logo where I could.

A two hour drive down the A1 to South Yorkshire saw us take a series of ‘finished article’ photos at a former fire station in Doncaster, which has been converted into an award-winning fish and chip shop – from the cold stores to the fire station as it were.

Freshly cooked food was beautifully plated up for us and I got some mouth-watering shots of the fabulous Yorkshire fish and chips and accompanying side dishes on offer. The big bonus of the day was that we actually got to sit down and eat some of the lovely food I had been photographing – what an absolutely great perk of the job!

I actually learned quite a lot about the humble dish of fish and chips too, for instance that there is typically less than 10% fat in a portion of fish and chips, making it healthier than a burger, pizza, kebab or a curry. 

The client was very happy with the resulting shots and I’ll look at fish and chips with a much more discerning eye in future, now I’ve documented the journey from freezer to plate.

Durham and Middlesbrough Editorial Documentary Photographer | Reportage Commissions

In my work as a North East photographer specialising in documentary photography, sometimes also called reportage photography, people often ask me what those terms mean.

The best way I can describe it is photography that records events and moments as they happen, rather than them being overly-directed or staged. Reportage is much more than simply strolling about with a camera, an event has to be able to flow and the photographer should adopt a fly on the wall approach to get the best results.

I’ve done hundreds of royalty and VIP photography photo-calls  and it wouldn’t do to be ordering people around in order to get the photos my client wants, instead I have to work with what’s in front of me and be quick and experienced enough to see the shot coming. There’s a saying in photography circles that goes ‘if you can see the shot, you’ve missed it’, and it’s very true.

Event photography over the north east is particularly challenging, with so many off the cuff moments going on simultaneously, plus a list of people who must be on the photos. Sometimes I’m asked to squeeze in a few head shots and corporate portraits of particularly key business people. The results are often used to promote future events so it’s important to capture the feel and atmosphere so that the photographs are equally at home in brochures, newspapers and magazines, annual reports, newsletters, online and a host of other uses.

Recent reportage photography commissions included a job at Durham's Gala Theatre, for Harlands Accountants. Another photography commission was in Middlesbrough Theatre documenting a stage dress rehearsal. All three clients had the same aim – to get a selection of good quality photos of events and performances that they can use to celebrate or publicise future events.

Middlesbrough’s Myplace centre provides leisure, social, advice and learning facilities for young people. The historic Custom House stands in the shadow of the Transporter Bridge over the Tees and has stood empty since the 1980s, but a £4m transformation by Middlesbrough Council has resulted in a world class youth facility and created a gift of a location for a photographer. The Council asked me to photograph the opening of the centre (pictured below), on North Street in Middlehaven, as well as library images of ‘feel good’ shots showcasing the refurbishment and the wide range of facilities, which young people helped to plan and design. 

Another commercial photography job with a completely different flavour was a VIP presscall and stakeholder event at Durham Tees Valley Airport. A large audience from Teesside and the surrounding area came together for the launch of the 'A world on your doorstep' marketing drive, to promote KLM’s three flights a day to Amsterdam and its connections from there to 80 destinations across the world.

My brief was to capture shots of the key speakers and circulate among the audience to get a set of photos that summed up the success of the event and could be used with press releases, online and in marketing materials. 

Every event demands a different focus, and for documentary photography the idea is to be unobtrusive and blend into the event, so I rarely use flash. I don’t want to get in the way of the action, particularly if I’m photographing key speakers on stage. I will often move around so people are comfortable seeing me before I pick up my camera and take a few shots. The only time I consider flash is if I have to photograph a big line up of people, say at an awards ceremony where I need more light, but even then I turn the setting to low light to minimise disruption.

At networking, or meet and greet, photography jobs I would use a wide angle lens and take long shots. The last thing people at a business event want is a camera in their face.

I enjoy being able to do things with today’s high-tech camera equipment that just were not possible five years ago. I’ve learned an awful lot in my 25+ years of professional commercial and PR photography in the North East & Scotland, and invested in thousands of pounds worth of gear because I want to get the best possible shot every time, for every client.