Gadget Show Jason Bradbury launched Tees Valley 'Get Your Head into Digital' Event

The Tees Valley ‘Get your head into digital’ campaign scheme aimed to boost digital skills in North East businesses, and when award winning Cool Blue Brand Communications wanted a North East PR and commercial photographer to cover the launch events in Middlesbrough and Darlington, they booked me to do this job.

The morning event saw me do a two-hour photo shoot at the Thistle Hotel in Middlesbrough, before covering the second event at Teesside University campus in Darlington. Channel 5’s Gadget Show presenter Jason Bradbury was a guest speaker at both events, where the audiences had gathered to hear more about the free digital skills workshops that are being held for businesses in Stockton, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Darlington and Redcar and Cleveland.

Jason was a great speaker, demystifying digital and informative about how using digital tools will help businesses grow and be more effective. He was joined on the speakers panel by Bob Coff, Managing Director of the Middlesbrough Gazette, a good speaker and very down to earth; and Michael Ryding, Director of DigitalCity, who spoke about the economic benefits to businesses of all sizes and sectors. 

To fit with the theme and get some freshness and originality into the photos I asked Jason to take a selfie with his iPad and then turn the screen towards me, so I could get a shot of him behind the screen and match up the images. I was really pleased with the results, which Jason declared to be ‘awesome’ and he even liked my tweet about it, which was subsequently retweeted over 600 times.

I used the same technique to photograph members of the audience, and I was pleased to see the photographs used across North East newspapers and online media.

A couple of weeks before the events I had also been out to take some case study photos of local employer Terry Goldspink of freight and international shipping company Evolution Forwarding, which is on track to achieve a £1m turnover, with 90% of its business coming from the internet.

It was my pleasure to cover the launch of a scheme that could benefit thousands of businesses in the region. To find out more about the scheme visit www.headintodigital.com and see how your business could benefit from adopting digital tools. 

Facebook Black and White Photography Challenge | Solway to Saltburn

As a north east professional photographer I like to keep my work fresh and I belong to many groups and forums to keep up to date and challenge myself. A York-based press photographer Mike Tipping recently challenged me to join in a Facebook five-day black and white challenge. The idea was to post a black and white photo every day for five days, and nominate other photographers to do the same.

I used a mix of photos I had on file and new ones. It was great fun to take part in and a good reminder of how powerful black and white photos can be. When you remove colour, you’re distilling images down to shape, form and contrast to tell the story and it was interesting to see such a wide variation of shots and what other photographers had done.

Day 1 – this was a photo I took in Portling, on the Solway coast during the worst snow in Scotland for 30 years.  I love the moody feel and the way the rock face is silhouetted against the sky, and how the black and white format really makes the dripping icicles stand out. 

Day 2 – I spotted a huge flock of Starlings feeding in a field between Marske and Recar, and when they flew off I jumped in my car and followed them until they landed at The Stray, a 2-mile long strip of grassland bordering the beach at Redcar. Shot against the light, you can see the amazing detail on the birds’ feathers, which I thought made up a visually very pleasing shot.

Day 3 – for my third day I chose a photo of a chap jumping in the air on Saltburn Pier. He is comedian Victoria Wood’s brother and a very colourful character who was in the town that day to promote the region, and was easy to work with. His straw bowler and pinstripes gave him a great ‘going yachting’ look, and the shot of him with his arms outstretched and mirroring the shape of the pier meant that several photos from this shoot appeared in the Middlesbrough Gazette. 

Day 4 – this was taken at the Stockton Light and Sound Festival in Thornaby, next to the University campus. I used a remote flash to photograph the performer using the firesticks, which also perfectly framed the couple snatching a kiss behind him. Black and white made for a very atmospheric feel to this night shoot.

Day 5 was one of my favourite shots, a picture taken in Preston Park showing Britains Got Talent motorbike and rider flying through the air. Shooting upwards gave me a plain white background and a perfect contrast between the rider and his disconnected bike. The two were reunited at ground level without any injuries, you will be pleased to hear.

I found the five-day black and white challenge very useful, and in turn I challenged my cousin Kevin Henderson in Scotland, Stu Bolton and Tom Banks from the Darlington-based Northern Echo, and Katie Lynn from the Middlesbrough Gazette. All of them produced some impressive shots, and contributed to a great challenge for professional photographers.

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North East Professional Editorial and Press Photographer: Trusted With Confidential Information

Over the past 25 years as a commercial and press photographer in North East England I’ve been privy to some highly confidential business developments and embargoed events. 

I’ve built long term relationships with clients who trust my professionalism and discretion.

Photographing the royal family is top of my list of sensitive jobs, and I am regularly booked several weeks in advance, under strict embargo. The royals’ itineraries are quite rightly a closely guarded secret, well-organised and scripted and there is often little opportunity to check out the venue without having to explain why I want to look around. 

My background as an ex-press photographer in South West Scotland and North East England comes into play on these jobs, I am used to assessing where the best shots will be, and working quickly and with minimum fuss.

Knowing the protocol to be observed is essential when doing royal photography. Many of them are likely to go slightly off-piste when they choose, breaking away from the hand-shaking opportunities to chat to people in depth, and then it’s a case of staying unobtrusive but still getting the shot.  All north east royal photography jobs involve getting security approval from Buckingham Palace, and a press pass. The days of being sent to the Tower might be over, but it would still not do to put my foot in it - I am always conscious that I am representing my client on the day.

Some of my recent royal photography includes the Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Teesside to support a literacy project; the Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to the Crime Reduction Initiative’s recovery centre in Stockton; and HRH The Queen’s official opening of the Tees Barrage International White Water centre near Thornaby on Teesside.

Business announcements (good news images below) such as mergers, takeovers and new partnerships are another area of photography where any hint of a leak could be disastrous. It’s vital that the photographs reflect the messages my client wants to get across, whether it’s good news or a sombre announcement about a plant closure and the loss of jobs.

Photographing children is probably the biggest minefield and an area where it’s essential to book an experienced North East professional photographer. Before I even pick up the camera I check that parent permissions are in place and all the health and safety considerations have been taken into account. 

I’ve photographed lots of school prospectuses and college brochures around County Durham, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle, which involved taken pictures of hundreds of young people over the years, and as always, getting the best shots comes back to a level of trust between the client, the photographer and the subject. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography

Runners to Royals - North East Editorial and Press Photographer

I remember my very first celebrity photograph. I was a really keen athlete as a young man and I even qualified for Scotland's national shot putt finals at Edinburgh Meadowbank Stadium. I was just a teenager when I then saw Scottish Olympic sprinter Alan Wells, and being unsure of myself I tried to casually get a shot before eventually asking him if I could take a photograph. He was quite curt and it taught me a lesson about how to get the best pictures when working with minor and major celebrities, VIPs and royalty. I’m not star stuck at all now – I wouldn’t get the pictures if I was.

One of my first big assignments as professional press photographer in Scotland was covering the visit of John Major for Dumfries and Galloway Council. It was my first experience of being part of a newspaper press pack, and having to be courteous but still get the right shots for the picture desks.

In my days on newspapers and then after I set up as a freelance editorial photographer in the North East I must have photographed thousands of politicians, celebrities and members of the royal family. Like every other north east commercial photography assignment, the trick is to work fast and spot the shot before it happens.

People in the sports world are usually preoccupied with doing their job when you point a camera at them, and it’s important to be there for the action shot. One shot I took out of a car alongside Dame Tanni Grey Thompson was a fast decision that worked well, and one that help me win a photography award.

Some of the other sporting names I’ve photographed have been great fun. George Best was a great character and a gentleman, and no problem to photograph. Film and music stars cross my path regularly, and I’ve photographed people including Morrissey, Victoria Beckham, Marc Owen, Billie Piper, Caprice, Stella McCartney and Bob Hoskins too, when he was filming in nearby Whitby.

I love getting a quirky commission, especially if you are part of selected

few. For instance I was the only North East photographer to be chosen by global news agency Reuters to shoot American artist Spencer Tunick’s famous Naked City art installation, which saw 1700 people pose naked in Gateshead’s Baltic Square, and my pictures were picked up by international media within moments of the shoot. 

Photographing actor of MartinClunes portraits was another great job.  As part of the BBC Islands of Britain series he visited Piel Island near Morecambe to see the ceremony where the King of Piel Island gets crowned by beer poured over his head. I was offcourse happy when my photos of Martin made The Times and other national newspapers - job done!

My assignment in Kosovo in the 1990s was slightly less glamorous. I went out with the British Army, shadowing Brigadier Richard Dannett as part of a commission to cover the Green Howard regiment, based at Catterick. The sleeping accommodation was fairly basic and we flew in helicopters, went out on night manoeuvres and generally, wherever the Green Howards were going, I went too.

In general, less well known celebrities can be the most awkward to photograph, while top stars and royalty are easy to work with. People like the Queen and the Prince of Wales, who are used to having their photograph taken, understand what makes a good shot, and are generally fuss-free and very obliging.


I remember how relaxed the Countess of Wessex was when she opened a shop in Northallerton, and a commission to document the Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Teesside, to lend her support to a literacy campaign was an equally smooth day.

Clients who book me for celebrity, VIP and royal photography range from councils to north east newspapers and uk news agencies. Some of the pictures I take are not for public consumption, such as some of the ones I took on the occasion (some inside shots) of the Duchess of Cambridge’s first visit to the North East, following her appointment as patron of Action on Addiction. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography

North East School, College & University Photographer : Brochure, Prospectus, Awards & Press Photography

 

The old adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ always springs to mind when I’m photographing North East schools, colleges and universities. 

In my 25 years’ experience of commercial, portrait and wedding photography I’ve successfully turned my lens to a wide range of subjects, but I particularly enjoy working in the education sector. It’s a chance to create pictures that reflect the spirit of a place and give people a natural, uncontrived glimpse of life there.

As a parent I know that people want to see that the school or college is a safe, supportive learning environment and somewhere that children and young adults can flourish academically and develop their confidence. And what better way to do that than to use images to show, rather than tell them? A website or printed prospectus is often their first impression, so the images used in printed marketing materials or online have to make the place stand out from its competitors and encourage parents and potential students to visit.

As an former - newspaper photographer working across the North East, my patch was 40 square miles and as well as covering Teesside I've photographed schools in Durham, Gateshead and Newcastle - in fact I’ve probably covered nearly every school from the Tees Valley across to Bishop Auckland.

I don’t get my camera out until everyone is relaxed.  I try to make every subject feel important and to treat everyone sensitively whether they are small children or teenagers, while also dealing with the different challenges every environment presents.

My style is to keep the pictures real and vibrant, and a world away from fluffy, American-style campus or crazy leaping around shots. The lighting, the lens you use, the angle you shoot at – it all makes a big difference to the finished result and I find that a little bit of staging mixed with some natural reportage pictures always deliver the best results. 

Clever design needs good images, so I’m always thinking about how I can vary the shots to give designers a good range to choose from when they are creating the layout. This means including a mix of portrait and landscape orientation, varying the colours and even adding some shots with pale backgrounds so text can be laid over them.

All the pictures are high resolution so they can be used in print material such as prospectus and newsletters, as well as online or in large format, for instance on open day posters and display boards. While I have a portable studio that I sometimes take along, I usually keep my kit simple and find that two camera bodies, a remote flash trigger and a couple of lenses is all I need to produce great photos.

The many images in this blog are taken from just a few of the schools I’ve worked with, including Pallister Park Primary School in Middlesbrough, Parkside School in Durham, Thornaby Community School, Stockton on Tees and Errington Primary School on Marske.

Earlier this year I blogged about London publisher St James’s House, which asked me to take a series of photographs for the learning and education section of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Album 2012. This was a big job and saw me working at some innovative sites such as the Excelsior Academy in Denton to the West of Newcastle, Durham Trinity School and Sports College, and Elmore School near Pittington, County Durham.

The result was a set of colourful, lively lifestyle photographs showing north east pupils studying and taking part in activities such as dance, drama, music and sport, all of which gave a flavour of school life in and out of the classrooms.   

 

As well as taking prospectus photographs I’m often asked in to cover news stories such as donations, new buildings, sports days, pupil achievements, royal visits and awards ceremonies. All of them benefit from a good photo to help sell the story to newspapers and magazines. My picture of Dragons’ Den Duncan Bannatyne from Darlington receiving his honorary degree at the University of Teesside was used by several national publications.

I’m genuinely enjoy my work in the education sector, and I’m pleased to be using my professional skills and experience in support of our North East schools and the learning and development of all our young people.

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography