One of my recent commercial bookings was to photograph a VIP press call and stakeholder event at Durham Tees Valley Airport, between Darlington and Stockton on Tees. A large audience from Teesside and the surrounding area came
together for the launch of the 'A world on your doorstep' marketing drive. This is aimed at showcasing KLM’s three
flights a day to Amsterdam and its connections from there to 80 destinations
across the world, and emphasising the commitment to the airport by the airline
and its new owners Peel Investments (DTVA) Ltd.
My brief was to capture shots of the key speakers and circulate among the audience to get a set of photos that summed up the success of the event and could be used with press releases, online and in marketing materials. The good lighting and open layout of seating area in front of the speakers’ podium gave me a good environment to set about getting the best possible pictures of the presentations, the question and answer session and the networking session. Working fast is a must to photograph business events like this, where people want to make the most of their time and then be away.
Many of the shots were going in the photographic diary pages of magazines and newspapers across the north east so taking the photos and getting people’s names down meant some expert juggling of camera equipment and pen and paper, but after 20 years as a busy press photographer covering the North East of England I’ve got that element down to a fine art! Event photography is challenging. I need to be everywhere at once, working unobtrusively so the pictures show people looking relaxed, but all the while looking out for that front page picture opportunity. And I also work to give sub-editors a choice of styles, and landscape and portrait orientation to suit their page layout. But that’s where my newspaper background kicks in so it’s second nature to me to work discreetly but still get the pictures that the client needs.
The event was covered by the Northern Echo and the Gazette as well as local radio and TV, and working alongside other media people is great for seeing old friends and contacts from my newspaper days. As professionals we are all used to working around each other so everyone gets the shots and interviews they need, whether it’s for print, Facebook, online or broadcast media. While the guests were networking we went outside for some shots of Peter Nears, the Strategic Planning Director for the airport’s owner Peel Group; KLM’s Commercial Director Vincent Kas; and airport Chairman Robert Hough; against the crisp and colourful branding above the main entrance.
On commercial photoshoots key images for the media are often needed the same day, sometimes within the hour, but it’s all part of the service at www.davecharnleyphotography.com I recently covered the Olympic Torch relay in Saltburn and my images were with the picture desks within minutes of the torch going through – I might not get a medal for it but you could say it was my own personal best!
Many of the shots were going in the photographic diary pages of magazines and newspapers across the north east so taking the photos and getting people’s names down meant some expert juggling of camera equipment and pen and paper, but after 20 years as a busy press photographer covering the North East of England I’ve got that element down to a fine art! Event photography is challenging. I need to be everywhere at once, working unobtrusively so the pictures show people looking relaxed, but all the while looking out for that front page picture opportunity. And I also work to give sub-editors a choice of styles, and landscape and portrait orientation to suit their page layout. But that’s where my newspaper background kicks in so it’s second nature to me to work discreetly but still get the pictures that the client needs.
The event was covered by the Northern Echo and the Gazette as well as local radio and TV, and working alongside other media people is great for seeing old friends and contacts from my newspaper days. As professionals we are all used to working around each other so everyone gets the shots and interviews they need, whether it’s for print, Facebook, online or broadcast media. While the guests were networking we went outside for some shots of Peter Nears, the Strategic Planning Director for the airport’s owner Peel Group; KLM’s Commercial Director Vincent Kas; and airport Chairman Robert Hough; against the crisp and colourful branding above the main entrance.
On commercial photoshoots key images for the media are often needed the same day, sometimes within the hour, but it’s all part of the service at www.davecharnleyphotography.com I recently covered the Olympic Torch relay in Saltburn and my images were with the picture desks within minutes of the torch going through – I might not get a medal for it but you could say it was my own personal best!
