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.