Middlebrough Press Photographer: Documentary coverage of the Duchess of Cornwall

My latest royal photographyjob was a freelance commission to document the Duchess of Cornwall’s visit to Teesside, to lend her support to a literacy campaign aimed at improving low levels of literacy. 




























I’m always happy to get jobs via recommendations from happy clients, and when the National Literacy Trust told me the VIP’s name was under wraps, 25 years as a press and commercial photographer mainly North East based, told me it was either royalty or a very senior politician.

As usual, the job was embargoed but I received the brief eight weeks in advance.This was my first job involving a new service from Dave Charnley Photography – adding sound to still images. I’m working with a specialist digital editor to create audio slideshows - photos with a soundtrack if you like.

Adding in sound means I can bring the shots to life and add atmosphere. For instance anyone choosing the CD option within my digital Intimate, Signature or Exclusive wedding packages could have key moments in the bride’s father’s speech added in to their album, or even the first dance music. It’s an exciting concept and I can see this service being popular with my wedding photography clients. It takes me into another area and extends my service range but at the same time doesn’t take away from my core photography business.

The weather on the day that the Duchess arrived at the Central Library to take part in a creative writing workshop held by children’s author Vivian French. Moving onto Middlesbrough’s Centre Square was glorious and the 500 school children from across eight Middlesbrough schools were in loud form.

The Duchess was wearing a pale green dress and coat that really added some colour to the photos, and I found her to be very engaging. She took a real interest in the children and their families and was happy to take part in the celebrations, with a deft high-five with Rory the Lion, Middlesbrough Football Club’s mascot!

Working with my usual simple bag of kit that is all I need to take great photos, I joined the group of other press and freelance photographers plus camera crews in central Middlebrough and had to move quickly to get the best shots for my client, the National Literacy Trust, who were sharing the photos with local press and Middlesbrough Borough Council’s press office. 

I followed the Duchess as she moved on to a reception at MIMA to meet some young literacy champions and service users from Middlesbrough Community Leaning Service. 

It was a busy itinerary to photography but even with a packed schedule and surrounded by photographers all wanting the same high impact shots, everyone agreed that the Duchess was exceptionally nice, and I was glad I had captured many of the behind the scenes moments of her chatting to children that made up the day, as well as the more ‘official’ versions.

My client was pleased with the results too, telling me ‘Huge thanks, the pictures are great and I’m really pleased with them - thanks!’  I never tire of hearing that the client is happy and that I’ve hit the mark.

Watch this space or checkout my web news section for more details on my new ‘photo film ’ packages – coming very soon!

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography

Architectural and Interiors Photography: Stockton, Middlesbrough, Durham & Redcar.

My work as a North East Commercial Photographer often involves photographing some of the region’s beautiful architecture, which can be anything from Eaglescliffe’s Preston Park to modern structures such as Stockton’s Infinity Bridge.

For me to take pictures without people in them is rare, but I love the challenge of using a building’s clean lines and surface textures to bring it to life. 

There can be a lot of waiting around though. For instance when I photographed four of Teesside’s  bridges for some boardroom art I had to make several trips to the sites, patiently waiting for the golden hours of dawn and dusk to get just the right light.

If a building is fully lit for the shoot it’s ideal, but sometimes the client’s needs dictate what time I can do the job and I have to work with what I’ve got, and put more time in back at the studio to apply a different finish or adjust colours.

I use a series of lenses, including concave to give an illusion of curves where none exist, depending on what the client wants the pictures for.  Most architects like to see the lines of their buildings clearly though, and I can spend hours in my Stockton studio making sure parallel and other lines are straight and true. 

When I use my cameras to tell a story of interiors, for instance for housing associations or new builds, it’s amazing what can be achieved with the judicious use of props and lighting, such as when I’m trying to make a well-used kitchen look brand new. 

I loved my recent commission to photograph the environmentally-friendly buildings that form part of Durham University’s Gateway project. I’ve admired the new buildings since construction started, and the Western red cedar clad exteriors gave me some strong colours and contrasts to work with.

Many of my recent commissions have been refurbishments rather than new builds.  For instance on Newcastle’s Northumberland Street the contemporary style of the new Primark building, with its curtain walling and an aluminium extruded veil all added up to some truly 21st century photos.  

Another interesting job was a new health centre in Prudhoe, which is a gem of a village set in the Tyne Valley.  Natural stone cladding and the clever use of glass come together in a light and airy building, and presented some great photo opportunities.

As well as individual buildings I’m also regularly asked to photograph the exterior and interior of shopping malls, for example recent commissions to photograph the launch of a new B&Q store in Middlesbrough, and the interior of the popular TK Maxx store in Middlesbrough’s Captain Cook Square.

In commercial property photography around the north east, particularly for speculative developments, the client wants to portray the building as a blank canvas so it’s logical to leave the building empty, but for shopping malls and stores the more potential footfall we can show by including people in shot, the better for the client.

It can be tricky if the client wants pictures without any people, and often involves a lot of waiting around for just the right moment.

But my clients trust me to spend as long as it takes to get the right result, and if they are happy, I’m happy.  

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography

Professional Photographer in Stockton on Tees - Great place to live and work!

My job as a North East photographer takes me all over the region, photographing everything from businessmen to brides, and celebrities to community champions.

One of the ways I judge my success as a professional commmercial photographer is when clients come back to me time after time. A recent three-year contract from Stockton Borough Council (my second long term contract with them) made me reflect on what a vibrant, lively place Stockton is, and the diverse range of photoshoots I’ve done around the borough lately.

The images that I returned with from the launch of the £7m restoration of Preston Park Museum and Grounds,near Eaglescliffe, Stockton on Tees, were amazing. Over 1000 tickets were sold and the crowd was entertained by a spectacular 3-D light show arranged by Novak Collective that took people through the long history of the hall. 

Changing colours and tricks such as butterflies coming out of flames made this a visual treat to photograph, even in the dark conditions. I was joined by several photographers from regional and national arts magazines, and former colleagues from my press photography days, as eager as I was not to miss out on some fabulous pictures.

Christmas shopping and festive fun were on the agenda for December’s Stockton Sparkles, promoting Stockton High Street’s independent shops and its Christmas market as the perfect shopping destination. This was another night time shoot where I was glad of my Canon 5D Mark III camera, and its ability to photograph with pin-sharp clarity in even the most inky conditions.  

When her Majesty the Queen carried out the official opening of Stockton's £6.4 million international white water course at the Tees Barrage International White Water Centre near Thornaby on Teesside, I was very pleased to document the event and add it to my list of ‘royal’ jobs. My set of long lenses were essential for this event, giving me some lovely clear shots of the Queen and Prince Philip that made the next day’s papers.

One of my annual favourites is Stockton International Riverside Festival, Europe's largest free open air festival, and now in its 25th year. A five-day programme of outdoor theatre, street entertainment, circus, music and dance transforms the centre of Stockton and is an event not to be missed – think of Edinburgh Festival and you’ll be somewhere near. 

It’s certainly a commission that keeps me on my toes, with pyrotechnics, giant figures roaming the streets and all kinds of activity going on it’s a good job I’ve developed a knack of being everywhere at once!

 Working with local councils is not just about photographing the big events though, a lot of the day to day photography work is very satisfying too. One day I might be taking pictures at a roadshow in Yarm to encourage people to live more healthily; on another I might visit a community housing project in Thornaby to photograph residents for the Stockton News; and in the same week I might visit a Billingham school to get pictures of children at play for a press story. 

The sheer variety of the job takes me back to my days as a press photographer based in Middlesbrough, and it’s partly the range of different jobs I go out to on a daily basis that keeps my work fresh.    

Developing a long term relationship with clients helps me to really get under the skin of what they are looking for and how they want the images to be used, whether it’s for brochures, the side of a bus, in the press or online. 

As well as being able to think up a fresh angle and a different approach, I pride myself on being available and professional, delivering the photos on time and always paying close attention to customer service.

Whether I’m doing sport, press, documentary wedding, commercial or advertising photography, my one aim is that my clients are delighted with every image. Every time. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography

Kibbutz Urim in Israel, including Far East & Europe bike ride.

Sorting through some of my thousands of photos recently, I came across the photo journal of my almost-gap year, when I worked as a volunteer in the Kibbutz Urim, Israel in 1989, and then cycled home 3000+ miles across Europe.  

 This was one of the best experiences of my life. Being interested in photography since I was a teenager, I’d gone from working as a Butlins holiday camp photographer to getting a one way ticket to the Middle East. It had all the excitement and buzz of being at university but without the studying.

The Kibbutz Urim was near the town of Beersheba and was home to a mixed bunch of people from all over the world. Like many other news to communal life I was matched with a set of adopted parents who looked out for me.

My job was to help to irrigate the land with a series of giant hoses, all done under the supervision of a rather portly Egyptian Ishtak and Maurice. It was a hot summer and we kibbutzniks combined that with going to events and festivals whenever we could, enjoying being young and carefree and just having fun.

Although we worked really hard we got time off too, which we spent seeing the sights, including visiting the spectacular Negev desert, near Yeruham, which covers more than half of Israel. 

Before I left Dad gave me some great advice, saying it would be the trip of a lifetime and I should keep a journal. Alongside this I built up a big photo library, armed with my trusty camera.  It was a Olympus OM1n 35mm and also a zoom - nothing fancy, but it did its job and survived the trip. Amazingly, the quality of the slide photos is still good, especially considering they are 24 years old.

Dead Sea and Masada on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert 

Being only 20 miles from Gaza and knowing we had a weapons store on site brought its own worries and we learned to trust our instincts when we left the site. On a solo three-day hitchhiking trip I ended up on the West Bank, where people were concerned about my safety and I sensibly took their advice and made a quick exit!

In those days it wasn’t common to see people with cameras, and I was careful not to flash it about, but the locals were always interested (sometimes too much!) in my gear and happy to have their photos taken. I took roll after roll of Fuji 50asa slidefilm, documenting how families lived and worked and sparking an interest in reportage or ‘as it happens’ photography, a style I’ve since made my own.

At the end of summer one of my friends suggested we extend our trip and cycle home across Europe, and it sounded like a great idea.  I borrowed a girls bike from Matt Carr (above left) ex girlfriend on the Kibbutz and it really was no frills travelling - shorts, panniers, camera, bikes and a tent were all we needed and we left full of excitement and a dash of trepidation about what lay ahead.  We covered Israel, Cyprus, Rhodes, Greece, Turkey, and Istanbul and squeezed in a two day stopover at the Black Sea. 

View of the Bosphorus just before Istanbul, Turkey

Grand Bazaar in Istanbul 

21st Birthday Photo in Greece (top right)

As it was my 21^st birthday we celebrated with a bottle of the local equivalent of Lambrini, and at 10.02am, the exact time of my birth, I posed for a photo for my mum back home.  That’s now turned into an annual tradition for me and I’ve built up a photo journal of birthday pictures over the years, which are fascinating to look at.

In what was then Yugoslavia we hopped onto a train as one of the bikes was broken. We got some bad vibes and left the train at the invite of some local police, who waved their guns at us and made their instructions clear. When we continued our stint by train, we ended up bikeless at one point thanks to our bikes going to Italy while we were heading for Belgrade, which was very inconvenient.

Austria was one of my favourite countries and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The contrast between lakes, sun and snow was beautiful and I got some stunning landscape photos. All the way across the continent we swam in lakes and camped in forests.  It was a matter of pride never to stay on a proper campsite, even when we got eaten alive by mosquitoes.

In Germany I managed to get into the middle of a bunch of 40 semi-professional bike racers on the road. It must have been a fine sight, them in their sports gear on smart racing bikes, and me pedalling my way through the group on my pale blue girls bike, in my cut-off jeans and with my panniers flapping either side. Mr Bean rides again! (link)

In those days there were no mobiles or email, just good old fashioned airmail letters – when I remembered to send one home. So when I finally landed on my parent’s doorstep my mum hardly recognised me, I was brown as a berry and about two stone lighter than when I’d set off.

It was an amazing experience. I still feel very lucky to have done it, as it opened up my mind to different people and other cultures and ways of life. It also taught me how to use a camera, work fast and put people at their ease. All qualities that have stood me in good stead in my 25-year career as a press, commercial, wedding and portrait photographer.

I’ve still got my old faithful hat and my cycling shorts, and thanks to the many boxes of photographs I’ve got stored in the loft I can easily slip back on a nostalgic journey into what was a fantastic summer in my life. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography