Some photography commissions require multiple shoots on different days across a number of locations. One such job was for South Tyneside Council Housing Services with a brief to visually document the breadth and variety of services delivered to residents across the region. This commission, to provide strong, relatable images for the Council’s newly developed website, took me from Hebburn to South Shields and Marsden to Boldon with plenty of other stops along the way.

The brief ranged from documenting site visits focusing on repairs and maintenance and photographing housing stock to capturing community engagement and highlighting the partnership approach with residents and communities.

A real mix of places and people with different approaches required for each element. For example, when capturing community meeting and engagement sessions, I adopted a more discreet and documentary-style approach to ensure all those taking part were comfortable and engaged with the process.

All aspects of the Housing Service’s work were included in the brief, including a trip to their Recycling Village where I focused on infrastructure such as skips and waste management to provide a strong visual representation of their environmental responsibility.

More interior-focused shoots included documenting kitchen and bathroom installations providing a clear before-and-after narrative to emphasise the positive impact of on-going improvement works across their housing portfolio.

This project-style photography commission necessitated a flexible and adaptive approach as each site brought with it a different challenge from busy construction sites to occupied homes along with both formal and informal community settings. The varied nature of the brief entailed working with personnel from across the Housing Service meaning clear and effective communication was key to the overall project.

While the images were taken at different times and in different locations, there had to be a consistency in style in order to provide a cohesive final set of images.

The extensive library of images I provided to South Tyneside Housing Services clearly show the full scope of their work – from frontline repairs to tenant engagement. The photographs capture the people, places and processes that form the core of the Housing Service’s work across South Tyneside. The narrative is one that is about both practices and people.

Essential Elements Creating Brand Consistency

While the images were taken at different times and in different locations, there had to be a brand consistency in style in order to provide a cohesive final set of images.

The extensive library of images I provided to South Tyneside Housing Services clearly show the full scope of their work – from frontline repairs to tenant engagement. The photographs capture the people, places and processes that form the core of the Housing Service’s work across South Tyneside. The narrative is one that is about both practices and people.