North East and Yorkshire Commercial Photographer: Wide Variety of Photography Commissions

As a North East PR and commercial photographer covering Teesside, Tyne & Wear, Durham, Yorkshire and Northumberland I’m lucky to be given a massively wide variety of photography jobs.   

I thought I’d run through a few recent jobs, to show the depth and breadth of my work for PR and marketing agencies, photography agencies and freelancers, plus private and public sector clients. This year I’ve seen increasing amounts of work coming from London, Manchester, Aberdeen and Edinburgh PR and marketing agencies, which means my website is reaching potential clients outside the North East, which is great.  

River Rat Race, Stockton: This is the third year Stockton Borough Council has asked me to document the race, which is best described as a wet assault course, and includes some running, splashing, walking the plank and kayaking around a 10k stretch of the River Tees. It’s a job that means  working at a fast pace, moving the 10k course that takes in the Infinity Bridge, the Victoria Bridge, the Newport Bridge and the Barrage Bridge alongside the entrants so I can capture the spirit of the event and come away with hundreds of photographs of people enjoying the day.

Industrial shoot:  A PR consultant who specialises in the industrial sector booked me for a commercial photography shoot in Peterlee, at a business that manufactures metal tubes. Having taken my studio kit I was able to get close to some welding action and get some high quality shots of various processes. There is a lot of beauty to be found in industrial settings, from surface textures to different shades of grey in what at first glance does not look very visually appealing – spotting the opportunity is the trick to successful commercial photography.

Whitby Esk Energy Project, Ruswarp:  my client is a large UK supermarket chain with a top reputation for corporate social responsibility, and I was booked to take photos of the 50kW Archimedes screw hydroelectric power turbine on the River Esk at Ruswarp, nr Whitby in North Yorkshire. The event was an open afternoon held as part of September’s Community Energy Fortnight, and drew around 60 people, all keen to make the most of the opportunity to get a close look at the machinery and tour the turbine site. The subsequent press pictures went out to media including the Leeds Yorkshire Post, Whitby Gazette, Middlesbrough Gazette and Northern Echo in Darlington.

Borough Green Farm, Great Ayton, North Yorkshire: the farm has been shortlisted for a prestigious award, to celebrate its approach to using the latest milking and feeding technology to reduce costs and increase productivity. The job meant being suited up to go into the milking parlour, which instantly took me back to my days as a press photographer in Middlesbrough. The photos of the farm and the Fullwood Merlin robots that milk the 110-strong herd will go up on a big screen on awards night, so the quality had to be pin-sharp.

Newcastle PDSA PetAid Hospital: I was asked to go in and take some photographs of the injuries to a group of cats, which made a national news story, and the photos are also being used on social media and in the PDSA’s fundraising literature and web activity.

Butterwick Hospice in Stockton: I’m a regular visitor to the hospice, which serves the surrounding community and is an amazing, inspirational place. I went along to photograph the opening of the refurbished garden, which has been transformed by The Garden Centre and Greenfingers, a charity dedicated to creating gardens in children’s hospices, into a tranquil spot for residents, staff and visitors to enjoy time. The renovated garden has a new water feature, vegetable beds and new softer, sensory planting plus a ground level trampoline to play on. The renovation was a real community effort, and I was pleased to see the photos in local North East press and online.

Teesside University, Middlesbrough:  This was a shoot for the new brochure and magazine, showcasing the university’s facilities and the wide range of courses available. Today’s universities have to operate on commercial lines, attracting UK and overseas students and maintaining high standards of service, so good quality images that inspire new and existing students are essential.

Great North Run, Newcastle upon Tyne: My client was the British Heart Foundation, and the Great North Run is a regular fixture in my calendar. In some years I’ve done the run at the same time as taking photos, but this year it was photos only. It’s always a pleasure to work at this event, the atmosphere is fantastic and everyone is out to have a good time and support each other. It makes for some great photographs of people laughing, puffing and sometimes running through the pain to raise money for good causes. 

Sorry I couldn't resist a shot of Super Mo

I hope that’s given you a small glimpse into life behind the lens as a North East PR, Editorial and commercial photographer. It’s a job I love and I’m lucky enough to work with a diverse range of clients on some really interesting projects – long may it continue. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography