Passion for Bikes | North Yorkshire and North East Cycling Photographer

One of my passions outside being a North Yorkshire commercial and PR photographer is cycling. When I look back I’m surprised just how much sport photography in the North East I’ve done for cycling and outdoor events, and I’ve even invested in a foldaway bike that goes in the back of my car so I can follow cyclists routes and photograph the action as it happens.

I’ve cycled since I was a youngster out on my bike all day long, in fact my early dreams were to work in a bike shop and repair bikes all day. But the life of a press photographer and subsequently a commercial and PR photographer called me, and I’m lucky enough to be able to combine my love of cycling with photography.

I’ve covered the Stockton triathlon (swim, cycle, run) and the Stockton duathlon (run, cycle, run) several times. There are three separate races run so everyone from first timers and novices to elite athletes can test their mettle.  It takes a lot of pre-race organisation to check out the best photography locations and then some fast moving between them on the day, to make sure I get the right shots.

Another client I love working with is Sustrans, the leading UK charity that encourages people to travel by bike.  I covered a Sustrans in Redcar that was designed to promote healthy cycling, and my photos were used in large format as full van wraparounds, which looked fantastic.  

I also covered last year’s Sky Ride in Middlesbrough, which is part of Middlesbrough Bike Week and runs along the beautiful Middlesbrough Riverside. I photographed both the event and the training day which was covered by the BBC, even going out along the route with the producer on my bike. I was asked to go back and cover the Sky Ride again last year but another PR photography job in Sunderland booking meant I couldn’t make it. This is part of a series of Sky Rides around the UK and a great event for all the family, and entrants could even find themselves cycling alongside stars like Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton. 

I haven’t decided whether to watch or work at the Tour de France that comes to Yorkshire this summer. I’d love to go and see the 190km stretch between Leeds and Harrogate ...but if Yorkshire Tea’s PR team is reading this and needs an extra photographer to cover the event, feel free to get in touch!

I was out biking around the Stockton area last night with my son, and it got me thinking about planning a European tour. In my youth I biked home across Europe from my stay on an Israeli kibbutz, carrying my trusty old camera and photographing my journey as I went. You can read more about that in my (blog here) – and it was such a great trip I’d love to recreate it.

Every event is different, whether I’m photographing elite athletes to fun family rides. Cycling is a great way to gets children interested in getting out and about instead of hunching over their gadgets. Most events include road closures so it’s safe for all age groups and abilities. Routes are often lined with spectators too, so there are some brilliant photo opportunities as children cycle past, beaming as they pedal along to the cheers of onlookers.  

If you haven’t sat on a bike for years, can I suggest you check out some of the fun rides in your area and give it a go? You’ll get some exercise, fresh air and fun, and you might even see yourself in one of my newspaper photos covering the event!

Teesside Freelance and Press Photographer | Redcar and Cleveland New Leisure Centre

As a North East freelance photographer I’ve documented the creation of many of the region’s new buildings, and it’s been a particular pleasure to photograph Redcar and Cleveland’s Leisure and Community Heart building from the laying of its foundations to the present day.

The building stands at the heart of Redcar, near the railway station, and my first commission was in October 2011 from builders Wilmott Dixon, who asked me to take some shots of the sod cutting by world champion triple jumper Jonathan Edwards, along with the mayor of Redcar and Cleveland at the time. It’s what photographers call a ‘shovel shot’, where we have to find a fresh and media-friendly shot of all the parties involved, celebrating the start of the build.  

In November 2012 I was back to photograph children from Redcar Primary School, who were very excited about being invited to sign the steel beams making up the skeleton of the building. The Middlesbrough Evening Gazette reported that most of the steel for the building’s frame has come from the Teesside Beam Mill at Lackenby, famous for providing beams for the likes of Canary Wharf, Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 and the new World Trade Centre in New York.

Two thirds of the way through the build I visited again to photograph progress, giving Redcar and Cleveland Council a library of photos from around the site that they could use in newsletters and press releases, to keep local people and the media informed about progress.

Around the same time, Wilmott Dixon asked me to document progress from a construction company’s viewpoint, and I was happy to be given access to all areas of this busy site. The £31m building has some beautiful features, such as the wood that has been incorporated into the design. It was good to see everything taking shape and I was able to get some good shots of work in progress, which the client could use to showcase their work in case studies and other marketing material, and on their website.

This was a really busy day, in addition to doing some shots at the Heart building, Wilmott Dixon asked me to take some photos at other projects, including a refurbished police station in Newcastle, St Benedict’s Hospice in Sunderland and the Redcar Beacon in Redcar.

A week before the official opening of the Heart building I was invited in to take some shots for the presentation that would be given to the VIPS and guests on the day, to introduce them to the building before it opened its doors to the public. With equipment and furnishings all in place it was really starting to come alive, and I took a series of shots at various locations around the interior to give people a feel for its wide range of facilities. 

Because the shots were needed for the presentation on the opening day, this job needed a quick turnaround at my Stockton photographic studio so I could get the photos back to the client within hours.

The official opening day saw 300 people, from VIPS and councillors to some of the construction company staff who had worked on the building, gathered together to watch the presentation.  Everyone was impressed by the tour of the building, which includes swimming pools, a wave simulator, café, fitness suites and conference facilities.

I’ve photographed many constructions projects in my years as a commercial and PR photographer in and around the North East and Yorkshire, but it was quite a privilege to document the building from the first groundworks right through to its launch.

I’m sure Redcar and Cleveland’s Leisure and Community Heart building will, as its name suggests, quickly become a building at the heart of the surrounding community.

Interior and Architectural Photographer of Darlington College in County Durham.

It was a pleasure to photograph Darlington College’s extension and refurbishment on behalf of Harrow Consulting, a leading North East chartered building surveyor and architectural designer.

The six-month programme at the college, which sits on Haughton Road, saw the creation of a new Construction Innovation Centre, internal refurbishment and expansion of the existing Learning Resource Centre, all aimed at offering an exceptional student learning experience within the construction
and engineering sectors.

The Construction and Innovation Centre was opened by Prince Andrew, on a recent visit to the North East to see various initiatives aimed at tacking youth unemployment. The work has added another 2,300 sq metres of light and airy space to the college, including a new student entrance with lockers and changing facilities, where students must put on high-vis vests, overalls, protective glasses and safety boots. 

The brief was to take predominantly architectural photography of the Darlington College in County Durham, plus a few staff shots (not included in blog).  When I’m doing architectural photography over the North East I make great use of perspective and colour to give viewers a sense of how the architects have used all the tools of their trade to create spaces that people will enjoy occupying, whether that’s for work or pleasure. The new extension and refurbishment certainly gave me a lot of options, with a bold set of colours and different textures wherever I looked.

The Construction Innovation Centre gives students access to plumbing, brickwork, electrical and painting and decoration workshops, plus gas assessment and a green energy training area.  I was impressed by the fully equipped training rooms housing all the equipment that students could require, and rows of steel tools against brick walls and wood panels provided some great depth to the photos.  

The courses are supported by new IT seminar and conferencing suites and a Learning Resource Centre, with glass walls so beloved of photographers promoting a real sense of space and giving me opportunities to use the reflections they threw off.

Although classes were in session I was able to discreetly get a few interiors photographs without disturbing the Darlington students. An large element of being a successful commercial photographer is being able to work around people, so the photos are fresh and look unstaged.

Even the corridors have been carefully planned out, with white walls and large format graphics breaking up the long stretches.  The cheery café area features red and grey tables and chairs, with the colours echoed in the nearby comfy seating areas, which look very inviting. 

Moving outside the Darlington College to shoot some exterior architectural photographs the curved overhang with its steel and glass frontage sat nicely with walls in blocked shades of grey and white. Highlighted against a brilliantly blue sky, I had everything a photographer needs to createcrisp, clear exterior photos and back at my Stockton photographic studio I was very pleased with the results of this half-day shoot

Scotland Corporate, Editorial and Freelance Photographer | Worlds Biggest Passenger Jet A380 Emirates Airbus in Glasgow

A commission from Saltburn commercial photographer Cal Carey saw me heading back to my Scottish roots recently, to photograph the world's biggest passenger jet as it landed in Scotland for the first time to celebrate a 10-year link between Glasgow Airport and Emirates airlines.

An early 5.30am start from Teesside saw us arrive at the airport at 10.30am, in plenty of time to set up. The local and national Scottish press photographers were out in force, and it was good to see a couple of familiar faces from my press photography days, Colin Mearns from the Glasgow Herald was amongst the pack who I remembered from a couple of years back. 

Press photographers and reporters from Edinburgh Scotsman, Glasgow Herald, Glasgow Evening Times, Daily Record, as well as the BBC, Sky News and ITV were just a handful of media gathered to greet the £248 million brand new A380 airbus, which with its shower spas, passenger lounge and bar, is able to take massive 517 travellers.   

This was a very important moment in the airport’s history and understandably, the client wanted to make the most of photo opportunities of the visit, and when they asked Cal if he could recommend a photographer who would work with him as a team, he kindly suggested me.

A good press and commercial photographer can work fast and be in several places at once, but the high profile event matched with airport security made it difficult to quickly move around all areas of the venue as we usually would, hence the need for a team.

While Cal started off airside to cover the plane’s impressive arrival and cover the passengers and VIPs alighting, I was in the airport photographing the guests gathered to watch speeches by Emirates' executive Hubert Frach and airport boss Amanda McMillan. As part of the celebrations the pair exchanged ‘high quality’ model aircrafts and also cut what looked like a very tasty cake.

At any event like this it’s important to cover the assembled guests as well as the VIPs, to give a real feel for the event. Although the hall was packed I was able to move around discreetly with my camera and get some natural corporate photography shots of the Glasgow guests without interfering with the proceedings. Although it was mainly a business audience dressed in dark clothing, the uniforms of the cabin crew added a splash of red that matched the stunning standard rose displays in the entrance.

After the ceremony I was delighted to be able to join Cal airside to take some shots of the aircraft’s interior and go into the cockpit and meet the pilots, particularly Iain Weir, who grew up in nearby Clydebank.

Hubert Frach showing people round the plane and chatting with cabin crew, many of whom had been hand picked as coming from Glasgow and surrounding areas. The tour presented me with some good interiors photography opportunities to show off the attention to detail that has been put into this very impressive aircraft and the distinctive Commonwealth Games logo on its fuselage, marking Emirates’ sponsorship of the games. 

Media interviews ran slightly over schedule making the plane slightly late taking off for its return trip to Dubai, but I think everyone there would agree it was well worth it, and a great day for Glasgow, as the first Scottish city to welcome this super jumbo aircraft.

Cal was staying over in Glasgow so while I was on the train back to Teesside I took the chance to edit the photos so that as soon as I landed back at my Stockton photography studio I could download over 100 shots to Dropbox for the client to view that evening. 

A good day’s work and one that I hope Cal and I can repeat in the future.