My work as a North East Commercial Photographer often involves photographing some of the region’s beautiful
architecture, which can be anything from Eaglescliffe’s Preston Park to modern structures
such as Stockton’s Infinity Bridge.
For me to take pictures without people in them is rare, but I
love the challenge of using a building’s clean lines and surface textures to
bring it to life.
There can be a lot of waiting
around though. For instance when I photographed four of Teesside’s bridges for some boardroom art I had to
make several trips to the sites, patiently waiting for the golden hours of dawn
and dusk to get just the right light.
If a building is fully lit
for the shoot it’s ideal, but sometimes the client’s needs dictate what time I
can do the job and I have to work with what I’ve got, and put more time in back
at the studio to apply a different finish or adjust colours.
I use a series of lenses,
including concave to give an illusion of curves where none exist, depending on
what the client wants the pictures for. Most architects like to see the lines of their buildings
clearly though, and I can spend hours in my Stockton studio making sure
parallel and other lines are straight and true.
When I use my cameras to tell
a story of interiors, for instance for housing associations or new builds, it’s
amazing what can be achieved with the judicious use of props and lighting, such
as when I’m trying to make a well-used kitchen look brand new.
I loved my recent commission
to photograph the environmentally-friendly buildings that form part of Durham
University’s Gateway project. I’ve admired the new buildings since construction
started, and the Western red cedar clad exteriors gave me some strong colours
and contrasts to work with.
Many of my recent
commissions have been refurbishments rather than new builds. For instance on Newcastle’s
Northumberland Street the contemporary style of the new Primark building, with
its curtain walling and an aluminium extruded veil all added up to some truly
21st century photos.
Another interesting job was
a new health centre in Prudhoe, which is a gem of a village set in the Tyne
Valley. Natural stone cladding and
the clever use of glass come together in a light and airy building, and
presented some great photo opportunities.
As well as individual
buildings I’m also regularly asked to photograph the exterior and interior of
shopping malls, for example recent commissions to photograph the launch of a
new B&Q store in Middlesbrough, and the interior of the popular TK Maxx
store in Middlesbrough’s Captain Cook Square.
In commercial property photography around the north east, particularly for speculative developments, the client wants to
portray the building as a blank canvas so it’s logical to leave the building
empty, but for shopping malls and stores the more potential footfall we can
show by including people in shot, the better for the client.
It can be tricky if the
client wants pictures without any people, and often involves a lot of waiting
around for just the right moment.
But my clients trust me to
spend as long as it takes to get the right result, and if they are happy, I’m
happy.
