In my years as a photographer with the Middlesbrough Gazette
and then as a North East freelance commercial and PR photographer I must have
amassed hundreds of press passes. These are the keys to the kingdom in terms of
having unique access at sporting grounds, royal visits, arts events and music
gigs where security is a key factor.
As you would expect, top of the tree when it comes to event
security are those involving royal visits and I’ve probably photographed 20 royal
visits to the region between Dumfries and Galloway down to Teesside in the last
few years, including photographing the Duchess of Cambridge when she visited
the Crime Reduction Initiative’s Recovery Service centre on William Street in
Stockton on Tees. As well as capturing the Duchess talking to assembled guests
this job involved moving into another area of the building to take some
pictures of her chatting with service users in a private meeting away from the
rest of the assembled guests, which was quite a privilege – it’s not very often
that it’s just me and a senior member of the royal family in a room together
but luckily having done this job for years I’m not over-awed by VIPs.
To get my press pass for a royal visit usually involves
several conversations and meetings with various Kensington Palace staff, who
require references, my passport and a host of other details before we even
start planning the photoshoot.
It’s not just the royal visit organisers who prefer to have ‘invitation-only’
photographers covering their events. In 2005 I was really pleased to be
selected by world famous news agency Reuters when they wanted a North East
photographer to take pictures of the American artist Spencer Tunick and his
naked people installation on the Newcastle and Gateshead banks of the Tyne. A
chilly 3am start saw around 1700 volunteers stripping off for the camera and
strolling around the streets in various poses directed by the artist. This was
one of those occasions when the fewer photographers and bystanders around, the
better.
At a celebrity or music event I’m often surrounded by other
photographers of course, whether they are professionals or amateurs armed with
camera phones, but my press pass gives me privileged access to all areas. I’ve
covered gigs where I’ve looked out on audiences of around 10,000 people that are
just a sea of camera flashes, most of which would generate grainy pictures of
tiny figures on a dark stage, while I’ve been able to get close enough to the
performers to get shots that have been used by all the major newspapers and
news outlets the following day.
Whether I need a specific press pass or not I always carry
my British Press Photography Association card and my driving licence around. Together
these make up some useful ID for a variety of occasions, particularly when I’m
doing school photography or in environments where there are vulnerable people
for instance.
Even though I’ve been doing this job for years I still get a
real buzz from slinging my press pass round my neck and setting out to get
something different, whether that’s a set of pictures covering a four-hour VIP
visit or a handful of key shots that perfectly sum up an event and its
atmosphere for my client.
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