What Makes a Good Press Photograph?

A good press shot has to be nice and clean, and doesn’t always necessarily need to have the client’s brand in shot, as some of the following images demonstrate. 

Over years of experience I’ve learned that some pictures just happen right in front of you, while some need to be created. Sometimes I only have a few minutes to ‘see’ or create a shot, for instance if I’m photographing Prince Charles I can’t very well ask him to repeat a certain handshake. Part of getting good press pictures is being able to think quickly – I’m sometimes moving between two or three jobs in the same couple of hours so spending more than 20 years as first a press photographer and then a commercial photographer was good basic training.

When I photographed the Santa Run at Central Square in Middlesbrough I was high above the crowd and asked them to come forward so I could crop in tight and create a close shot with lots of cheery red and white making the picture very appealing to the media, particularly at Christmas.

When Redcar and Cleveland Council asked me to photograph County Durham artist and former steel fabricator Ray Lonsdale at the official unveiling of his weathered steel installation at the new £3.5m South Bank Eco Village I was pleased to see a great picture opportunity as the ‘Blank Canvas’ piece was in the form of two men holding a slab of steel between them. The artwork made an ideal bench that, shot from low down, created a very pleasing shape against the sky. The picture had much more punch than a group of dignitaries lined up and obviously appealed to press including the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette and Darlington's Northern Echo, and also appeared across online media such as Flickr and Pinterest and even on Ray Lonsdale’s own Facebook page.  If you haven’t seen Ray’s work do look him up – he is receiving increasing artistic acclaim and he’s also the creator of the now iconic WWI ‘Tommy’ statue that stands in Seaham, County Durham.

The Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge over the River Tees is the longest working transporter bridge in the world, and this picture was taken at the opening of the new Tees Transporter Bridge Visitor Experience Project in November 2015. Artist Mackenzie Thorpe is very engaging subject, and usually attracts lots of interest from the media. First job was go up in the new glass viewing lift to get some shots of Mackenzie against some panoramic views, before descending to cover the official opening of the car barrier. My suggestion that he stood in front of the barrier and appeared to push it to form a frame for the picture worked well shot with a wide angle lens, and fitted with the ‘opening’ theme and the forward-thinking approach of Middlesbrough Council.

You might recognise Jason Bradbury from his time on the Channel 5 Gadget Show, and I took this cool photograph of him for the Tees Valley ‘Get your head into digital’ campaign launch in Middlesbrough. To create a fresh, original shot I asked Jason to take a selfie with his iPad and turn the screen towards me, so I could create a shot of the two halves of his face, one real and one on the screen.  Jason declared the results to be ‘awesome’ and liked my tweet about the picture, which was retweeted loads of times. 

To sum up what makes a good press picture I’d say it must tell a story in one shot, be different, get creative, and include some real energy. Sounds simple? I’ve been doing this job for two decades and I’m always learning something new every day!  

Press Passes Giving You Access To All Areas.

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.  

SIRF Photo Coverage | Community Carnival to Fire Artists Cie Carabosse

I’m proud to live in Stockton and was delighted to be the North East commercial and PR photographer commissioned to cover SIRF, the Stockton International Riverside Festival this year.

Now in its 27th year, SIRF 2015 consisted of four days of circus, dance, music and street theatre, all designed to celebrate Stockton Council’s imaginative redevelopment of the town centre. Many of the eight events I covered took place around the stunning new water feature in the town’s central area, which is ideal for outdoor performances.

Arts events photography is a challenging job. It’s a big responsibility to capture the spirit and energy of an event, and use pictures to get across what the artist or company wants to convey.  

Many of the performances took place in the evenings so I was coping with different light conditions and working to bring detail into the pictures.  To add to the pressure I was working to tight deadlines, particularly in the evenings with a 9.20pm cut off for newspapers such as the Middlesbrough Gazette and Darlington Northern Echo, and had nine destinations to get the pictures over to, so there was not a moment to spare.

The SIRF Community Carnival used giant puppets and featured drummers, brass bands and dancers to tell the colourful story of how Stockton became a festival town. There were around 20 groups drawn from all sections of the community, travelling in a two-mile procession down Church Road to Stockton High Street before ending on Stockton Riverside so it was a big job to track them and make sure I didn’t miss any of the groups out.  

The festival proper was launched when the Instant Light circus troupe arrived in Stockton by boat. The troupe led the audience along the Riverside to see BoO, an astonishing trapeze show by French company CirkVOST who used hundreds of bamboo poles in their show. 

These are just a few of the performances I covered: Pelat by Joan Catala: described by its creators as ‘a proposal that erases the boundaries between dance, circus, theater, and performance’, this act involved the artist using a huge piece of wood the size of a telegraph pole. He danced around it, played with it and balanced on it, to gasps of admiration from the crowd. This was a real performance with elements of surprise, humour and even danger at every move, and the crowds loved it, particularly the finale, which saw him put his trust in the crowd as they supported the pole while he balanced on the end of it high in the air. 

451 by Periplum: this open air spectacular created by an immersive theatre company was a real feast for the senses. Depicting a scary world where books and free thinking are banned, it is inspired by Ray Bradbury’s 1953 dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451. Night time photography capturing huge ladders, smoke and flames plus some amazing pyrotechnics was all part of the challenge for me, and produced some stunning pictures.

Flycycle and Submercycle by Pif Paf: this performance was a great hit with the children, involving imaginative stories and special journeys to Dum Dum land on fantastical cycle-like constructions that the children could try out for themselves.

Love Struck by Ballet Lorent: another evening performance, this told the story of love and romance between John Walker, inventor of the friction match and the beautiful circus performer Vesta. It had the audience spellbound, and thanks to picnic chairs, rugs and refreshments everyone ignored the slight chill of the North East evening. 

French fire artists Cie Carabosse: this spectacle of fire, light and music took place in the garden around the disused Trinity church, where artists had transformed the space into a fire garden. I wasn’t the only person to be fascinated by the way lights had been arranged inside Tshirts and hung in the trees, and flaming plant pots hung inside an orb to create a dandelion clock effect. 

Although there was a lot of fire around, the area had been made totally safe so people could get up close and enjoy the spectacle.  I used a tripod camera and remote flash to light up the trees, and one of my favourite installations involved tangles of fine wire wool hung on chains and set alight. Great fun to photograph, these shots were well-used by local newspapers.

The street theatre, dance and music celebration that is SIRF has been called ‘The world’s best international festival of outdoor art’ by the Chief Executive of Arts Council England and I wouldn’t argue with that. Check out the website at www.sirf.co.uk to read more about the performances and see some of my pictures.

Early Dawn Industrial Photography on the River Tees in Stockton

In the course of my career as a North East Commercial and PR photographer I’m used to working odd hours to get the right pictures, and a commission to photograph some maintenance activities on the River Tees between 1am and 3am whetted my appetite for some night time photography.

The job involved taking night shots of a huge crane on top of the Tees Barrage on Navigation Way, in Stockton on Tees. This was part of some planned maintenance by the organisation responsible for the barrage, the Canal and River Trust, which is based in Little Venice, London.

Tees Barrage was the largest civil engineering project in the UK when it was built 20 years ago, and controls the flow of the river, preventing flooding in the surrounding area. It also controls the flow of water to the Tees Barrage Water Centre, which is a popular spot for white water rafting, sailing, rowing, powerboat racing and other water sports.

The Trust needed the crane in place to lower a huge temporary dam into the river so the water could be pumped out to allow access to staff carrying out vital maintenance work to the four huge 50 tonne 'fish belly' flood gates. The work was being done at night to cause minimum disruption to the flow of traffic and to the David Lloyd Health Club, the pub and other businesses in the immediate area, hence the night time photoshoot.

The large crane against the backdrop of the night sky made for a range of dramatic pictures and as the sun started to come up on a beautiful July morning, the soft pinks and blues of the dawn melted into some stunning colours as the area started to come back to life.

I was pleased to see the industrial pictures distributed by the Press Association and picked up by regional newspapers such as the Middlesbrough Gazette, make national titles such as the Guardian, and get used in BBC and ITV website news items.

The Dave Charnley Photography byline on the photos led to a crane company getting in touch about future industrial photography commissions, saying they worked with a lot of photographers but ‘hadn’t seen many like you, who’ve got it’, which was very flattering.

The Tees Barrage is an impressive feat of engineering which took four years to build and contains 650 tonnes of steel, and it was a privilege to see it up close and from a viewpoint most people would never see. If you missed the special open day in August for the public, keep an eye on the Canal and River Trust’s website at www.canalandrivertrust.org.uk for next year’s maintenance schedule and you just might get the rare chance to go down 40ft and walk on the bed of the River Tees – a tale to tell the grandchildren, for sure.

North East Commercial Photographer | Middlesbrough Creative Marketing Agency The Creative Alchemist

I am asked to do commercial photography for many North East PR and marketing agencies, and I was pleased when long-time contact and managing director Lisa Holt chose me to take the photographs to publicise her new company, Teesside-based The Creative Alchemist.

Based at the Boho One building in Middlesbrough, Lisa needed photos to help launch her new brand across the web and in a range of marketing materials, designed to put the company on the map. Experienced marketers who know the value of strong imagery are a pleasure to work with and the team had brought along a change of clothes so we could create a portfolio of images that would give maximum variety and longevity.

The company’s strong and memorable brand identity runs through the stylish offices and includes a bright yellow wall that from a PR and marketing photographer’s point of view was an absolute gift for the interior shots.

Playing to the brand’s strengths I spent some time documenting a creative planning meeting, as the team forgot about the camera and became engrossed in creating the best solution for their client. 

The same room had a series of framed images on the wall which proved useful reflectors from which to bounce images off. I was working closely with designer Kerry helping me highlight key areas like the frames, seating and the modular bookcases, giving me a chance to create frames by shooting through them from the back.  

As we moved outside the weather was kind to us and not too sunny. Although you wouldn’t think it, sunlight can be very harsh to work with, in contrast to a slightly cloudy day with its softer light.

We did a mixture of exterior shots using the building as a backdrop. It’s a joy to photograph at Boho One as it’s the flagship building of Middlesbrough’s new exciting Boho Zone, which forms the digital, creative and business hub of the Tees Valley. 

Designed by xsite architecture, the £9m building stands on Bridge Street West in central Middlesbrough and presents great opportunities for commercial photography, with its mixture of textures and colours plus branded doors, windows and interior partitions.   

Doing some of the commercial portraits outside gave me the chance to incorporate some greenery into the shots too, and a use a bright red wall and grey clapperboard cladding to add some background contrast.  

I like to approach corporate portraiture slightly differently, preferring to get people to look sometimes away from the camera to achieve a more thoughtful shot that captures the personality of the subject.

Some of the pictures were done on a covered walkway, and as with most photography shoots there were some comical moments. These occurred when the girls’ high heels were occasionally getting stuck in the wooden floor slats, generating some genuine laughter.

The Creative Alchemist crew were a fantastic team to work with and I hope their very real passion and positivity shines through their new image library and helps them grow their client portfolio across the North East.

The Creative Alchemist Website Link

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.