Back in March I was commissioned by Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF) to photograph their Chevithorne Appeal Launch at the Guildhall. I am very passionate about supporting local charities and it’s always a privilege to be involved with supporter events.
My brief was incredibly simple: capture high quality images of the event that could be used in various print and online media to report on the event and raise the profile of ELF. This kind of image is incredibly useful for the charity and can be used in multiple contexts.
What Was The Chevithorne Appeal Launch?
ELF work tirelessly to support critically ill patients and those in the last stages of their lives. The Chevithorne Appeal is hoping raise £420,000 to provide on-site accommodation for patients’ families while they receive hospital care in the Haematology Ward. This will enable loved ones to sleep on site.
“We know that, particularly at times of severe illness or difficult treatment, patients need not only excellent physical care but comfort, privacy, dignity, and the opportunity for loved ones to be able to stay with them. This is especially, though not exclusively, true toward the end of life and for younger or more vulnerable patients.” Dr Anthony Todd
The event at the Guildhall was an opportunity to showcase the work of ELF and the shine a spotlight on the Chevithorne Appeal. Weheard from the Lord Mayor, Councillor Percy Prowse, and the ELF Chair of Trustees, Dr Miles Joyner. There was also an opportunity to become an Appeal Partner and support the fundraising efforts that will be taking place in the coming months.
What Was My Role at the Event?
I was commissioned to photography the evening, with a view to the photos being used in Devon Life, the ELF website and the Express & Echo. Photographing an event of this nature always requires a delicate blend of technical skills and interpersonal skills. We need good images with the right exposure, lighting and backdrop, but it’s also very important to interact with guests and put everybody at ease.
I also needed to ensure that I had the names of each visitor that I photographed so that I could annotate the file names. This was necessary because guests’ details would be published underneath the photographs in Devon Life magazine.
After an hour’s work photographing the event I immediately started editing images. The photographs were turned around within 2 hours of the event and delivered to ELF via Dropbox and email the next morning. They could then be sent over to Devon Life and the Express & Echo ready for their print run. When I’m photographing fundraising or networking events it’s often important that the images are ready as soon as possible so that they can be published within a matter of days.
I was asked to capture the following images:
- The Lord Mayor, Councillor Percy Prowse, mingling and interacting with guests. ELF is the Lord Mayor’s chosen charity and he has been fundraising for the charity over the last 10 months.
- The Chair of Trustees, Dr Miles Joyner, explaining why ELF needs to fund a family suite in the Haematology Ward – so that critically ill and end of life patients can be with their families in comfort and privacy
- General shots of guests mingling and participating in the event
- The Board of Trustees and ELF staff for future website publicity
- Book an Exeter Charity Photographer
If you’re looking for a photographer for your next charitable event then I’d love to hear from you.