Equipment Investment | Canon Camera Kit and Elinchrom Studio Lights

I started my career as a North East freelance photographer with a basic kit consisting of a couple of lenses and a Canon 20D camera.Over the last 8 years I have developed my skills working in many sectors including Editorial, PR, Commercial, Architecture, Portraits, Sport, Education, Corporate and Industrial Photography across the North East and Yorkshire area. Therefore over the years I've built up a extensive professional camera kit, now helping me produce the best possible pictures for clients ranging from advertising and PR agencies to industrial plants and local authorities. 

After cameras and lenses, studio lights are the next most important kit. A location magazine photography shoot might take 1-3 hours in total, to set up the right lighting and create the right look and feel – sometimes it could be a simple white or plain background for maximum flexibility. 

I often have to work quickly and effectively so I’ve fine tuned the kit that I use. I have a set of four lightweight portable Elinchrom lights, usually only using three of them, but carry a spare in case of emergencies. I’m often faced with fluorescent light issues which is a nightmare to work with as it gives a yellow cast and a flicker that totally ruins the images especially on the Canon 5D III. I invested in a powerful 1000w and 500w kit that can light up even the biggest of spaces, such as a games hall or a large gym beautifully. This helps me to strike the medium between needing good light and not wanting to battle with the mixed colour balance. 

I have 10 Canon lenses in my collection, from a 11mm extreme wide angle, tele-convertors to a 300mm F2.8 IS lens, giving me optimum flexibility and quality for sport, commercial or architecture work. One of my favourite and my least expensive lens is the 85mm F1.8 portrait lens that delivers fantastic quality portraits. I used the Canon 100mm F2.8 IS lens for commissions such as a recent Teesside photography job to document a jewellery exhibition at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA).   

The key to creating the right set of camera kit is to build a collection that allows the photographer to work fast without sacrificing quality. I have two camera bodies, a Canon 5D Mk III which delivers high quality performance in very low light.

I eagerly awaited the launch of the new Canon 5DS this year, but it’s proved a big disappointment for me! Canon have gone for increasing the megapixels rather than boosting low light capacity or other elements that professional photographers look for and since the quality remains really the same as the previous model I don’t see any benefit in spending £6600 on two new cameras. The changes seem to be aimed at landscape photographers rather than documentary and PR photographers.

My camera kit is versatile enough to produce pictures with a wide range of types and uses, and at quality levels good enough for large format work such as billboards, and for event photography ranging from indoor awards ceremonies and outdoor sporting occasions through to royal visits and night-time ‘fire and ice’ winter festivals.  

Continuous investment pays off as in most walks of life, but of course it’s not always about the gear, it’s about how you use it (cliche I know). Even a £300 camera can produce great quality pictures in the right hands and in good light. There can be an element of snobbery about what camera kit someone is using, but when you cover many jobs a week you want it to work well and not let you down. 

These days I’m not afraid to admit that I can get excited about camera bags than technical kit. Being able fit all the cameras, lenses, lights and other paraphernalia into two lightweight bags makes me one very happy commercial photographer.

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.

North East Sport Photographer | FlowRider Pro Am finals in Redcar

Clearing the snow off my car to drive through the snow and cover a national surfing competition recently felt slightly odd, but as a North East freelance photographer every day brings variety, from corporate portraiture in a boardroom to exciting outdoor events.

 The occasion this time was the FlowRider Pro/Am finals at the Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart, which saw competitors from across the country descend on the town. Heart offers a variety of ways to stay active, with a state of the art gym, a multi-use sports hall, group exercise classes, Flowrider, swimming pool and water confidence pool.

The two-day event saw flowboard and bodyboard riders put their colourful boards through their tricks, with 12 young riders competing on Saturday, and eight amateur adults plus seven professionals battling for top spot on the Sunday.

If you’ve never seen wave riding, you’re missing a treat. It’s a tough physical challenge involving breathtaking moves that take hours of practice to perfect. Surfers come down the waves pretty quickly so as a sport photographer my challenge was to keep up with the action as it happened. There is nothing worse than being slightly behind a shot and missing what would have been a perfect photographic moment.

I was so busy concentrating and looking for the shot that I forgot to look out for the water, and managed to get completely soaked at one point when a wave came over, to the amusement of the spectators. Fortunately the camera I was using is waterproof, so I carried on taking shots like a trooper, albeit a bit soggily.

I love photographing water and experimenting with slow and fast shutter speeds for different effects. A slower speed gives effect such as a trail of water, while a fast speed picks up the people action in sharp definition. It’s not possible yet, but I’m sure one day technology will move on so photographers can capture both effects in a single shot.

As well as shot of the action I mixed in some of the spectators and the facilities, including some of people taking their own photos on iPads and phones, to add variety.

Half a dozen students from Teesside University were also busy filming the event, using GoPro hand held cameras. Some of the surfers also took real action shots using selfie sticks – surfing and filming took some real skill and was amazing to see. 

I was pleased to see my photos used for PR and publicity purposes, and widely distributed across the North East media and across social media channels.

A summer-themed event held in winter, this competition was a great chance to get more people interested in the sport and and there is talk of it becoming a twice-yearly event, which would be a great chance to put Redcar Heart on the map.