Durham and Middlesbrough Editorial Documentary Photographer | Reportage Commissions

In my work as a North East photographer specialising in documentary photography, sometimes also called reportage photography, people often ask me what those terms mean.

The best way I can describe it is photography that records events and moments as they happen, rather than them being overly-directed or staged. Reportage is much more than simply strolling about with a camera, an event has to be able to flow and the photographer should adopt a fly on the wall approach to get the best results.

I’ve done hundreds of royalty and VIP photography photo-calls  and it wouldn’t do to be ordering people around in order to get the photos my client wants, instead I have to work with what’s in front of me and be quick and experienced enough to see the shot coming. There’s a saying in photography circles that goes ‘if you can see the shot, you’ve missed it’, and it’s very true.

Event photography over the north east is particularly challenging, with so many off the cuff moments going on simultaneously, plus a list of people who must be on the photos. Sometimes I’m asked to squeeze in a few head shots and corporate portraits of particularly key business people. The results are often used to promote future events so it’s important to capture the feel and atmosphere so that the photographs are equally at home in brochures, newspapers and magazines, annual reports, newsletters, online and a host of other uses.

Recent reportage photography commissions included a job at Durham's Gala Theatre, for Harlands Accountants. Another photography commission was in Middlesbrough Theatre documenting a stage dress rehearsal. All three clients had the same aim – to get a selection of good quality photos of events and performances that they can use to celebrate or publicise future events.

Middlesbrough’s Myplace centre provides leisure, social, advice and learning facilities for young people. The historic Custom House stands in the shadow of the Transporter Bridge over the Tees and has stood empty since the 1980s, but a £4m transformation by Middlesbrough Council has resulted in a world class youth facility and created a gift of a location for a photographer. The Council asked me to photograph the opening of the centre (pictured below), on North Street in Middlehaven, as well as library images of ‘feel good’ shots showcasing the refurbishment and the wide range of facilities, which young people helped to plan and design. 

Another commercial photography job with a completely different flavour was a VIP presscall and stakeholder event at Durham Tees Valley Airport. A large audience from Teesside and the surrounding area came together for the launch of the 'A world on your doorstep' marketing drive, to promote KLM’s three flights a day to Amsterdam and its connections from there to 80 destinations across the world.

My brief was to capture shots of the key speakers and circulate among the audience to get a set of photos that summed up the success of the event and could be used with press releases, online and in marketing materials. 

Every event demands a different focus, and for documentary photography the idea is to be unobtrusive and blend into the event, so I rarely use flash. I don’t want to get in the way of the action, particularly if I’m photographing key speakers on stage. I will often move around so people are comfortable seeing me before I pick up my camera and take a few shots. The only time I consider flash is if I have to photograph a big line up of people, say at an awards ceremony where I need more light, but even then I turn the setting to low light to minimise disruption.

At networking, or meet and greet, photography jobs I would use a wide angle lens and take long shots. The last thing people at a business event want is a camera in their face.

I enjoy being able to do things with today’s high-tech camera equipment that just were not possible five years ago. I’ve learned an awful lot in my 25+ years of professional commercial and PR photography in the North East & Scotland, and invested in thousands of pounds worth of gear because I want to get the best possible shot every time, for every client.