North East Commercial Photographer | Middlesbrough Creative Marketing Agency The Creative Alchemist

I am asked to do commercial photography for many North East PR and marketing agencies, and I was pleased when long-time contact and managing director Lisa Holt chose me to take the photographs to publicise her new company, Teesside-based The Creative Alchemist.

Based at the Boho One building in Middlesbrough, Lisa needed photos to help launch her new brand across the web and in a range of marketing materials, designed to put the company on the map. Experienced marketers who know the value of strong imagery are a pleasure to work with and the team had brought along a change of clothes so we could create a portfolio of images that would give maximum variety and longevity.

The company’s strong and memorable brand identity runs through the stylish offices and includes a bright yellow wall that from a PR and marketing photographer’s point of view was an absolute gift for the interior shots.

Playing to the brand’s strengths I spent some time documenting a creative planning meeting, as the team forgot about the camera and became engrossed in creating the best solution for their client. 

The same room had a series of framed images on the wall which proved useful reflectors from which to bounce images off. I was working closely with designer Kerry helping me highlight key areas like the frames, seating and the modular bookcases, giving me a chance to create frames by shooting through them from the back.  

As we moved outside the weather was kind to us and not too sunny. Although you wouldn’t think it, sunlight can be very harsh to work with, in contrast to a slightly cloudy day with its softer light.

We did a mixture of exterior shots using the building as a backdrop. It’s a joy to photograph at Boho One as it’s the flagship building of Middlesbrough’s new exciting Boho Zone, which forms the digital, creative and business hub of the Tees Valley. 

Designed by xsite architecture, the £9m building stands on Bridge Street West in central Middlesbrough and presents great opportunities for commercial photography, with its mixture of textures and colours plus branded doors, windows and interior partitions.   

Doing some of the commercial portraits outside gave me the chance to incorporate some greenery into the shots too, and a use a bright red wall and grey clapperboard cladding to add some background contrast.  

I like to approach corporate portraiture slightly differently, preferring to get people to look sometimes away from the camera to achieve a more thoughtful shot that captures the personality of the subject.

Some of the pictures were done on a covered walkway, and as with most photography shoots there were some comical moments. These occurred when the girls’ high heels were occasionally getting stuck in the wooden floor slats, generating some genuine laughter.

The Creative Alchemist crew were a fantastic team to work with and I hope their very real passion and positivity shines through their new image library and helps them grow their client portfolio across the North East.

The Creative Alchemist Website Link

Yorkshire and North East Documentary Photographer | The Decisive Moment

There are as many styles of photography as there are photographers, and every professional photographer will adapt to meet the needs of the job, but my signature style is documentary photography.

This style records real moments – not staged or posed, just as they happen and without interference. It requires a totally different skill to the world of press, PR and corporate photography. Shooting a subject who is not looking straight at the camera or a situation where people are unaware of the photographer makes a shot more real and believable, especially if it’s taken from further away, to leave some space around the subject.

I like to use natural light wherever I can, using flash would be intrusive when photographing a conference or a bunch of school students engrossed in a science lesson or a boardroom business event. At most events like these I introduce myself, then fade into the background so eventually they forget me and my camera are even there. Over the last 25 years as a north east commercial photographer I’ve found that’s how to get shots of everyday happenings and turn them into pictures that are a breath of fresh air.

A recent commission to cover the Positively Stockton on Tees campaign was a great example of documentary photography and saw me covering street scenes, visiting schools, a bike rally, a bowling green and a care home. At the home I took pictures of residents chatting, concentrating on a game of bingo, and using a walking frame to move around the lounge. By moving back from the shot I was able to use the walking frame as my shot frame – a good example of how documentary photography is all about seeing things differently.  

My vantage point can be crucial. When I recorded the re-launch of Stockton High Street, which was a great honour, I perched on top of a tall building to get a good viewpoint of the theatre crowds and the 50-foot high man walking through the town. Going down on foot to mingle with the crowds worked well too, I was able to get close enough to photograph people enjoying all the activities plus children – and some adults – splashing about in the street fountain.  This is another example of documentary approach, where it doesn’t have to be about recording a specific occasion, and more about capturing reality as it happens.  

I work simply, carrying two cameras and a discreet set of lenses that are not big enough for people to notice. Not lugging lots of kit about means I am free to scan a room or an outdoor event, looking for a person who might be laughing, or engaged in conversation. By blanking out the background sound I can concentrate on images. I tend to switch things off in my head so I can focus on getting the perfect composition and frame, it’s like switching on a different mindset.

Documentary photography can be very exciting, for instance working backstage at a fashion show at MIMA in Middlesbrough, where pictures of the goodie bags were just as important in picking up the atmosphere of the event as those of the catwalk models.  

A lot of the magic happens when you ignore the obvious and instead look around, through, up, down, light, shade, different lens, slow shutter speed and even use reflections. At a job to cover the launch of the £7m restoration of Preston Park Museum and Grounds at Eaglescliffe in Stockton I photographed the drummers from behind rather than in front, so they form part of the picture rather than being the obvious main focus of attention. The colours together with the night sky gives an alien look to the picture, particularly with the moon fragment just visible.

Cartier Bresson, regarded as one of the finest documentary photographers the world has ever seen, is passionate about the style and his book ‘Decisive moment’ is referred to as a masterpiece. Even if you never pick up a camera, give this book a try, it’s full of wisdom. Bresson entreats photographers to engage with their subject, otherwise, he says, the emotion of the moment is lost.

He puts it far better than I could but in my own small way that’s what I’m aiming for too. If documentary photography is good enough for a photography legend, it’s good enough for me.

North East Press Photographer | Mackenzie Thorpe Middlesbrough Railway Posters

It was a pleasure to be invited to photograph the stunning work of local artist Mackenzie Thorpe’s at Middlesbrough Railway Station recently. He’s a world-renowned artist whose work has been shown in the US, Australia and Japan and sells for thousands of pounds and I’ve met him several times when I’ve been out on other Teesside commercial photography jobs.

Middlesbrough Council had invited the Middlesbrough-born artist to display two of his paintings at the railway station, and despite being busy preparing for a show in New York, he created a series of 15 pictures, 11 of which have been made into huge posters and displayed on the station platforms.

The theme was ‘Heart of the North’ and the posters celebrate some of the beauty spots and icons of Teesside and North Yorkshire. The posters reflect Middlesbrough’s heritage and include images of Saltburn, Seal Sands, Captain Cook’s Monument, the Transporter Bridge, Roseberry Topping and Middlesbrough Football Club.

We met at Boho One, the commercial flagship building for the DigitalCity project. Councillor Dave Budd (now Mayor of Middlesbrough) introduced Mackenzie and spoke about how the project had come about, and Mackenzie chatted to invited guests who were keen to hear more about his work.

Next it was on to the railway station to meet some of my old colleagues and friends from north east media outlets including the Northern Echo and Middlesbrough Gazette, plus the TV cameras, who were there to cover the event. 

The following day we went on to the Thirteen building, a light and airy gallery next to Middlesbrough Football Club, to see the full set of original paintings on display. A very down to earth artist who is passionate about the area, Mackenzie showed visitors around his artwork and took part in a question and answer session.

Thirteen is a lovely space, and as a fan of all things industrial my favourite painting was the image of Darlington Railway Station, which is almost monotone and has a dreamy quality that really appealed to me. The media choice that made the headlines over the next few days was an image of the Transporter Bridge with a big red heart in the centre adding the splash of colour that picture editors look for - a gift to photographers.  

As an ex-press staff photographer of many years I love a good headline, especially the Middlesbrough Gazette’s, which read: Mackenzie Thorpe finds new platform for work at Middlesbrough Railway Station.  If you’re travelling through the station, do keep an eye out for his work on Platforms 1 and 2.

North East Education Photographer | Teacher First magazine photography in Stockton on Tees

I clock up thousands of miles in my job as a Teesside-based photographer - being Stockton-based I’m ideally located for major transport links, often cover commercial, education and magazine photography jobs in York, Newcastle, Carlisle and Leeds all within an hour’s travel time. Although a recent commission from a client in Cardiff was fairly short notice I was very happy to make the journey, particularly as a job which was a fair distance away had come about via the client seeing my work at www.davecharnleyphotography.com  

The Teach First organisation finds, trains and supports young people to become brilliant teachers, as part of its aim to help combat educational inequality in the UK. I was hired by Teacher First’s Manchester-based media agency to take a series of shots of a teacher at Thornaby Academy in Stockton on Tees to promote the organisation through its annual report, quarterly magazine, website and online media channels.

I had a long chat with the agency beforehand so I understood exactly what look and feel they wanted from the photography. Time spent on planning is never wasted. It gives clients reassurance that I can deliver the results they want, and helps me to formulate a plan for the style of picture opportunities I’m looking for on the day. I never leave for a job without a plan in my head.

On the day I worked with a highly regarded young English teacher Laura Travis, adopting an unstaged, magazine-style approach, taking pictures in classroom and active drama environments using natural light. Her engaging teaching style clearly went down well with students, whose parents and guardians had all signed consent forms – a very important point when photographing young people.

I was careful to make good use of space on some of the images, both to let them breathe and to help designers. Having some clear space where text can be overlaid, for instance for use on websites, is really useful.   

The two and a half hour shoot generated between 60 and 70 shots, and when I dropped off my client from the agency at the railway station, she was kind enough to give me some great feedback on how the shoot had gone. I also received a very complimentary email saying how much the agency loved the pictures. 

I was pleased to see my pictures appearing on the Teach First website within a few weeks of the job, and happy to have helped to help promote this unique organisation and its fantastic work.

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.