A photoshoot that left a lasting impression

Good photography is an important means of recording an event, telling a story, and promoting an organisation or brand.

“Chris has got an idea. He’s checked out a site in the centre of Newcastle. He’ll be in touch.”

That was the sign off to an email from Richard Dawson, business journalist, North East Times Magazine. He’d asked for an interview about my lockdown startup Wadds Inc. and fixed up a photoshoot.

I received an email from North East Times Magazine’s lead photographer Chris Owens a day or so later. We’d never met before, but I knew him by name. He’d taken photos of lots of people I know including striking images of my wife Sarah Waddington.

“There’s an old Art Deco carpark in the town centre that’s due to be shut down. I think it would make a great location for a shoot.”

This is how I ended up at 9am on a Monday morning in December at Dex Garage, New Bridge Street, Newcastle for a socially distanced photoshoot.

Sarah, on learning that North East Times Magazine had arranged a shoot, had marched me into Leaf Clothing, Pilgrim Street, over the weekend.

I knew from the outset that Chris and I would get along. I’ve a deep respect for anyone that is so committed to the creative process that they’d do a recce of a run-down carpark.

In fact I’d underestimated Chris. He’s a visual storyteller. Portraiture is his craft. Photography is his art.

Dex Garage was built in the 1930s and today has fallen into disrepair. Its closure is imminent. The carpark originally included rest and washing facilities for chauffeurs waiting for their employers and washing and servicing facilities for cars.

We headed up to the top floor of the car park to views over Newcastle City Library.

My Grandad always headed to the top floor of a carpark. You get the best sights of a locations and you’ll always get a space, Grandad would say.

It’s this wisdom that led me to discover views of Newcastle from Manors, Sage Gateshead and Times Square, and now I learned the Dex, at least until it closes.

Over the course of the next hour, we wandered around the decaying Art Deco building and talked about our lockdown experiences, creativity, visual identity and Newcastle. Chris took photos along the way.

It wasn’t so much a photoshoot as a meeting with a new friend and creative professional.

In business, photography is almost always an afterthought. Bland, beige stock photography has become commonplace.

Good photography is an important means of recording an event, telling a story and promoting an organisation or brand. Chris achieved all three in our short meeting.

The return on investment of good photography pays back several times over. Think about the images that leave an impression in a print publication or stop you scrolling in the digital sphere.

Photography is strong means of supporting an organisation’s image and reputation. Used well by individuals it creates a lasting impression.

I was so pleased with the results that I bought the copyright from Chris. North East Times Magazine used one of the photos on the January cover.

Thanks to Richard Dawson and the team at North East Times Magazine but especially Chris Owens.