DESTINATION MARKETING +
PLACEMAKING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR
NEW TRAFFORD COUNCIL CULTURE WEBSITE

DESTINATION MARKETING PHOTOGRAPHY FOR 'TRAFFORD IS', TRAFFORD COUNCIL’S NEW EVENTS + LISTINGS WEBSITE. LOCATION + LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURING A SENSE OF PLACE + THE EXTENSIVE RANGE OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ON OFFER.

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

"STEVE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR A PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT CAPTURING IMAGERY FOR TRAFFORD IS, A NEW WHAT'S ON WEBSITE FOR TRAFFORD. ORGANISED, PROFESSIONAL AND AN EXTREMELY TALENTED PHOTOGRAPHER, HE WAS A JOY TO WORK WITH AT ALL POINTS, DELIVERING BEAUTIFULLY ON A CHALLENGING BRIEF.

WE ARE DELIGHTED WITH THE FINAL IMAGE SELECTION, WHICH WILL BE USED TO POPULATE THE LANDING PAGES OF THE SITE AS WELL AS ACROSS MARKETING AND SOCIALS FOR TRAFFORD IS."

— Polly Checkland, Trafford Council

THE BRIEF

Imagine getting a brief from your local Council marketing team, for a project that would need you to explore every corner of your very own Manchester borough and seek out all of its cultural highlights! That.

Trafford Council got in touch about Trafford Is, their new website and digital guide promoting cultural and creative events across the borough, that required creative lifestyle photography for the local council marketing team to populate .

The job was to create an extensive bank of authentic imagery of Trafford’s events, venues and experiences that would be used across the new website, as well as across social media and their broader marketing. The brief was very clear on tone: nothing too polished, nothing too corporate, and definitely nothing that felt staged purely for the sake of it. 

They wanted honest, people-focused photography that could show Trafford in its best light while still feeling true to the place. 

What I really liked about this brief was that it went beyond just asking for a photographer to document things to do. It was also about capturing a sense of place. Trafford Is needed location and activity-based imagery, including a set of real showstopper shots that represented the very best and true nature of the borough. Some of the images would sit on landing pages, some would fill gaps in listings, and some might need to stop people in their tracks on billboards or posters. So the photography needed to remain flexible and dynamic yet still rooted in a clear visual civic identity. 

The first point of reference that came to mind was the Manchester Building Society project I shot last year. Different client, different outcome, but there was a similar placemaking thread running through it. Trafford is a diverse area and each region has its own identity and character, but I wanted to present it as an interconnected cultural community rather than as a collection of regions. 

THE PROCESS

This project began way before I picked up the camera. That is often the case as a public sector commercial photographer, especially on a brief like this, so I spent a lot of time doing my research – searching for events, venues, workshops, and local sources of information, as well as getting out on foot. Eventbrite, Facebook, 'what’s on' websites, flyers, local community groups and word of mouth all became part of the planning. So while some parts of Trafford are marketed really well, part of the process was scratching beneath the surface and finding creative ways into the areas that might otherwise be overlooked. What really helped was getting out into the community, to get closer to the people and places that genuinely shape the neighbourhood culture of Trafford and find out what activities were on offer.

I started with the location photography as that felt like the most natural way to get out and understand the borough properly. It gave me the chance to move around, talk to people, and start building a calendar of things that were happening. It also helped me think about how the still images could connect together as a set. Some locations worked well from the ground, others benefited from drone photography, and I wanted the final collection to have range in terms of scale, atmosphere and time of day. There was always going to be a challenge with the weather, especially with the winter timing of this brief – this is Manchester after all. Grey skies and puddles are unavoidable, so there’s no point pretending otherwise. It was always good when the sun came out though as the streets had a bit more life to them, but the change in weather added to the diversity of the results.

The shooting style I used followed the brief quite closely: observational where possible, lightly directed where needed. Most of the images were shot with a documentary photography approach, but there were moments where a bit of creative direction helped. A climber on a bouldering wall in Trafford Park is a good example. Sometimes you need to shape the frame slightly to get the right energy or composition. But in general, I wanted people to feel free to be themselves. When you’re working on community lifestyle photography or destination marketing photography, authenticity cuts through. People can tell when something feels forced.

Because Trafford is my home borough, I was more invested in this job. I wasn’t just completing a brief, I was building a visual document of Trafford (my home turf). I wanted the images to have impact, but also  to feel valuable in a deeper sense. To say something honest about the rich culture on offer. And that’s where the project became really enjoyable. One day I’m photographing a foraging workshop near Dunham Massey and learning about Jelly Ear mushrooms and Sheep Sorrel. Next day I’m discovering disc golf in Stretford and wondering how I’ve lived nearby without even knowing it was there. Then there were the local libraries in Sale and Altrincham which were standouts for me, not just because they photograph well, but because I realised that they are important community hotspots, rich with so much local history. 

THE RESPONSE

The final image set gave Trafford Is exactly what the project needed: a broad and lively bank of photography to populate the website, support marketing and shine a light on the broad range of events and activities happening across Trafford. And each area of the Trafford borough is represented showing a really exciting and diverse part of Greater Manchester. Trafford Park is steeped in history. Stretford is literally transforming every day, as a new urban centre is emerging. Sale and Altrincham have such distinct architectural character, and Urmston and Partington have a wonderful rural quality.

What Trafford Is really needed was photography with enough personality to hold together a broad destination brand, and by the time we wrapped, it felt like the project had found its identity. This kind of work becomes valuable when it helps connect people to a place before they've even clicked on an event listing. That was the most rewarding part of this job. That, and getting the chance to explore it more deeply and to help build a visual story around it felt like a privilege. 

(Really happy to be able to include a few examples of how my photography might be utilised alongside the branding that Studio DBD created for Trafford Is).

If you’re looking for destination marketing photography, placemaking photography for Manchester projects (or anywhere else frankly). Or campaign photography that Manchester organisations can use across web, print and social, this kind of documentary-led approach can make a real difference. Show what a place looks like, of course, but also observe the atmosphere and culture and try and capture that too. That gives a real sense of what it feels like to be there.

CONCLUSION

This project reminded me that the best place-based photography usually comes from spending time and following your nose a bit. Trafford Is was about far more than listings or obvious location shots, it was about building a visual civic identity for a borough full of contrast and life. No need to over-polish that. The character is there.

FAQS

What is destination marketing photography?


It’s photography created to promote a place rather than just a single product or business. In this case, the aim was to help Trafford Is present Trafford as a lively, varied destination for culture, sport, leisure and community activity. 

How do you photograph a whole borough without it feeling disconnected?


You look for patterns, atmosphere and recurring threads rather than treating every area as a separate box to tick. Trafford has very different neighbourhoods, but the photography works best when it feels like one wider cultural ecosystem. That was a big part of the approach here. 

Was the photography staged or documentary?


Mostly documentary, with a few lightly directed moments where needed. The brief specifically asked for imagery that felt spontaneous and unposed, so the aim was always to keep things natural and people-focused.

Why was weather such a factor on this shoot?


Because the original deadline landed in winter, and a lot of the job involved being out across Trafford capturing location-based imagery and live activity. The extension into April helped massively, both visually and practically.

What kind of clients need this sort of photography?


Councils, tourism teams, cultural organisations, place brands and public sector campaigns all benefit from strong documentary-led photography. Especially when the challenge is to communicate a sense of place, community and local identity in a way that feels real.