'Free Charity Photography for a Year' with Stockton Commercial Photographer

A TEESSIDE based photographer is celebrating five years in business by offering one North East charity the chance to Win Free Photography for a Year*

Stockton-based photographer Dave Charnley set up his business Dave Charnley Photography in 2008 after a 20-year career as a press photographer, including a 11-year stint with the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette.  Specialising in commercial photography for businesses and PR agencies, and natural reportage weddings, his client base stretches from North Yorkshire to the Scottish border

 To celebrate five years of photographing everyone from celebrities and the Royal Family to brides and business people, he is giving away a full day’s photography time*, worth hundreds of pounds, to the winning local charity.

Dave said: “In my years as a North East photographer I’ve worked with lots of charities, and I know how hard it is for the smaller ones, particularly at the minute when everyone is cutting back and donations are at an all-time low.

“There is so much great work going on in our region but it’s hard for small organisations to afford professional publicity pictures.

“I’m giving away a full day of my time, and that can be taken in one day or split into shorter sessions over a period of a year if that’s what the winner prefers.

“If you look at the bigger charities you can see a picture really does tell a thousand words, and this is my way of marking five years in business and giving local charities a chance to compete with the big names.

“I’m hoping a great set of pictures that they can use on posters, leaflets and websites or send to the media with news stories will help encourage more support and donations to come in.”

Entries are open to any charitable organisation within a 50 mile radius of Stockton, approximately from around Durham down to Redcar, and from Hartlepool across to Northallerton.

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Entries close at midnight on March 31^st 2013 and to enter, charity representatives should visit http://www.davecharnleyphotography.com/contact.html and leave... 

• Name
• Daytime contact number
• Charity’s name (including registered charity number)
• Email address 
• Website address (if you have one)

The Free Prize Draw will be carried out by an independent person, and the winner will be notified by phone and email in April 2013.

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Terms & Conditions*

• Must be a registered local charity (number requested)
• 8 hours photography which can be broken up into 5 different shoots, from April 2013 to April 2014 or all one full day ...the choice is yours!
• 50 miles radius from TS18 
• Draw will be by an independent person
• Full details must be complete or could be void: Name, a daytime contact number, the charity’s name (including its registered charity number), email address and its website address (if you have one)
• Commercial Photography could be pr event, commercial images, charity day/night event, press launch or portaits.

Photographers Prove Powerful Advertising: North East Retail Photography

Look at successful businesses, and ask yourself why they are doing so well. It’s likely to be because their marketing is strong. And a big part of a successful marketing campaign is the imagery you use, which is why an experienced commercial photographer can be your greatest ally. 

Stock shots are not always a bad choice, but they can be a false economy if you are trying to create a living, breathing brand that people will identify with.Compare the Pound Shop with Apple. See how they are both very visually aware, but how different and distinctive the imagery they use is? That’s because both organisations know their customers - and what will appeal to them - very well indeed.

You can describe a product, a service or a mood very easily with the right pictures. Just by creating a certain look you can encourage people to eat, visit, donate or buy.I was out shopping recently and was struck by how simple but effective the Clarks Shoes photos are. They use clean, crisp shots of the product being used, not just in the box or artfully posed on a point of sale stand. Children are shown playing around in trainers, or setting off for school in smart shoes, creating an aspirational lifestyle feel that works really well.

You can portray something honestly, but still put your best foot forward. For instance if you own a cafe with a reputation for first class full English breakfast, you don’t want to put lettuce in the photos and pretend to be a healthy option or something you are not. But you don’t want to look like a greasy spoon cafe either, and that’s where keeping your imagery ‘real’ comes in.

Experts say we are all exposed to hundreds of marketing messages a day. That’s a lot of information to process, especially online, where you are relying only on your visual sense to get a feel for the product or service. Online imagery has to really earn its keep.  A good example is Argos, which recently posted results that show that 42% of its business is now done online, and it is re-organising its business model to account for customers who prefer to shop online rather than in-store.

A big number of Ebay sellers who sell high-value branded goods will now invest in good photography too. Financially it’s an astute move. When the product shows to its best advantage the buyers start bidding.  

It’s not always about having the product in shot though. Look at Coca-Cola – they don’t sell the drink, they sell the life, and they do that through clever use of images. You don’t have to have a big budget to create pictures that are unique to you. Small businesses can stand out just as much as the big boys if they work with a photographer who is skilled at planning out a shoot to get best value.

Using my cafe example again, I might suggest to the client that we shoot mouth-watering ice creams for use in summer, some hearty soups for winter and a purple and gold table dressing theme for Christmas. Those images could be used on menus and in advertising, on canvas boards around the cafe or even blown up to form an eye-catching wraparound graphic on the outside of the building.

Advertisers say the best way to reach time-pressed consumers is to try to catch their eye at every turn, and I am in full agreement. It actually pains me when I see a small or start-up business taking a phone pic, adding an Instagram filter and blowing up a grainy pic to use in their publicity.

It’s such a shame when all it takes is a bit of thought and the right photographer to create memorable, show-stopping images that make your business stand out. 

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Direct Website Link to Dave Charnley Photography