Nothing stands still in the
world of professional PR and commercial photography, and that’s nowhere more
true than at www.davecharnleyphotography.com. You can’t afford to stand still in the photographic business, and I always
want to be in front of trends, looking for new, fresh approaches and ways to
extend my photography services to clients across the North East.
Adding video to my commercial and PR photography portfolio is the next logical step and will open up new markets for my work, and widen the range of services I provide to local authorities and private clients. Moving images add another dimension – they are so powerful, and can often tell a more detailed story than stills. Instead of a still shot of a company’s Managing Director on its About Us web page, imagine how much more impact a video of him or her talking about the company’s ethos and values would have.
I’m not a looking to break into news video journalism, although my years as a press photographer working on papers including the Middlesbrough Gazette and the Lancaster Evening Post gave me an insight into the world of newsrooms and picture desks that all comes in handy when I’m working on North East press and PR photoshoots.
I’m doing some intensive training with an experienced ex-BBC video journalist, as part of a small group that includes a Harrogate-based photographer and an ex-picture editor of the Yorkshire Post. One of the most important topics we are covering is planning the storyboard – it’s a vital piece of the jigsaw and one of the many elements to be considered before I even pick up my video camera, which is the same model that the BBC news teams use.
Editing is another specialist skill, and a fascinating part of the process. I’m learning so much, and I’ve even found myself analysing TV and film footage with a much more critical eye, which will help me when I am creating professionally-produced short, focused video reports for use on online news, corporate and community websites.
Just like stills photography, video is certainly not just a case of shoot and go. I spend hours in my Stockton studio, editing hundreds of images from each shoot to make sure they are pin-sharp, and colour references are all perfect. Add to that some time-consuming editing plus adding and synchronising sound, and it’s easy to understand why video editing is such a long and detailed process.
It’s a big commitment and will mean juggling the training with my work as a North East press, PR and commercial photographer but I see it as yet another string to my bow. Styles and trends evolve, new camera equipment is released and new markets open up, and I never want to stop learning. I’m dedicated to delivering a quality service and maintaining the same attention to detail on both stills and video, and using my skills and experience to create the images that keep my clients returning again and again.
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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography