An award winning photographer and photography business from the North West of England.
Darren Smith Photography (DSP) is an award winning architectural, product, and commercial photography company and studio based in Cheshire, UK.
We work with local businesses and multinational clients worldwide, delivering high‑quality imagery, photo shoots, and educational resources. Established in 2002, our team provides professional photography, editing, and bespoke commissions.
Darren Smith Photography is not a lone venture, with a dedicated editor, studio coordinator and an ever growing team of other professionals and printers available to meet the needs of our clients. This allows us to provide a range of available options, ensuring that our clients get exactly what they want and need.
Would you like to see some of the latest images that we have been working on?
Miniature Marigold
A miniature marigold flower growing in a west Midlands garden on a client photo shoot. These tiny flowers are dwarfed by their larger cousins.. Buy a print or wall art of this image.
Thinking Daisy
We often see a daisy thinking of springtime, however its detail when looking closer to it shows a lot more. Photograph shot in a Stockport garden near our studio during the summer.
Franziskaner kirche
Franziskaner kirche is located in the centre of the old town of Salzburg. It is one of the oldest churches in the city dating back to the eighth century. A mixture of Gothic and Romanesque architecture, it provides a quiet spot for reflection.
Stockport market
The market hall is one of the must-visit places in Stockport with small business owner stalls and local businesses selling various things. Many of which have links to Darren Smith Photography.
Local Muscle
These local men are waiting to assist arriving tourists in the city of Fes (Fez) Morocco. These carts are used to carry luggage and supplies though the narrow street of the Medina. Photograph shot in black and white.
Sunset at the Mosque
Sunset at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca Morocco. The Atlantic coast square is filled with visitors and local people after the sun went down during Eid.
Go with the Yorkshire weather
Sometimes Darren Smith Photography has to go with the Yorkshire weather. On a shoot at Ribble Head viaduct for a photo series on architecture of the Yorkshire Dales, we had thick fog throughout the day on this photoshoot.
A true British icon!
Celebrating a true British icon! The red phone box stands as a symbol of timeless design and heritage. It is also still in use in Austwick in the Yorkshire dales
What's the story...
A spring flower called "Morning Glory" opens during a warm string day in a Cheshire garden. Flowers like these lighten every mood.
White Chrysanthemum
This white chrysanthemum shot in the Darren Smith Photography studio in Cheshire is available as a print, poster, wall art or as a wall centrepiece.
Dandelion Flowers
Dandelion flowers are often considered a weed in gardens across the world but they add colour and vital nectar for insects.
Rosenheimer Platz
The pleasing colour scheme of the Rosenheimer Platz station on the suburban railway in Munich Germany. At this time, there were no passengers waiting for the next train.
New Night, New Life
The night gives any city a new way of looking at it. The Residenz in Munich certainly has a new look in the evening. The lights are lighting up doors to the former royal palace.
The Diana Temple
The Diana Temple (Dianatempel) in Munich's Hofgarten, found in the Residenz garden. Photograph shot at twilight.
Over the Barrel
Over the barrel springs to mind when seeing two beer barrels (kegs) which have rolled down the cobbled street in Macclesfield, Cheshire. The local pub had to collect them from the bottom of the street.
Old Macc
The old parts of Macclesfield are filled with narrow cobbled streets where people have homes and local business owners have set up their business. Many visit the area for this type of scene too.
Spring Daisy
Daisy flowers grow on the fields and pastures in a Manchester park. This popular little flower was singled out amongst a sea of white and yellow on a spring day.
Fluffy Longtail
One of the more cute animals of the world, a longtail tit, a small fluffy garden bird found in the gardens and hedges of Europe. This creature had many friends in a small flock of birds looking for food.
Calling a Mate
This easily recognisable sparrow was sat singing on a branch for 20 minutes, calling for a mate. When one arrived, he panicked and flew off.
Little Underbank
A photo from Little Underbank showing the bridge to St Peter's Square in Stockport. One of the city's most iconic landmarks. Shot during the winter in the North West of England.
The Rooftops of Stockport
The rooftops of Stockport, photographed in black and white. The different shops, businesses and homes in the city centre keep the eyes on the cityscape. The dramatic weather and cloud also adds to the scene of our home town.
Do you want to know what happens when you use Darren Smith Photography as a service?
Here are our frequently asked questions:
We provide architectural, product, commercial, portrait, and event photography as part of our core business, along with personalied commissions and one‑to‑one training for individuals, classes and schools.
We are based on the Stockport / Cheshire border and work across the whole of the North West of England. As a photography business we have the ability to work in the wider UK, and internationally for clients as much of our work can be done on location or remotely.
Yes — We have previously worked (and are inspired to work) with private and individual clients, small businesses, charities, agencies, and multinational brands. See our existing clients and our feedback for a taster.
You can book via the contact page We find this the easiest way to communicate at the start of our relationship. From there we will get a rough idea of what you are looking for. We will then contact you to confirm availability, discuss your requirements, and provide a clear quote for the services you desire from us.
You can buy any of our images by completing the order form. We find this the easiest way to communicate at the start of our relationship. From there we will get a good idea of what you are looking for. We will then contact you, discuss your requirements of your images, and provide a clear quote. If you have a specific image(s) in mind, let us knos by either describing the image or giving some of the text associated with the image(s)
Yes — we offer one‑to‑one training, small workshops and whole class sessions covering camera skills, lighting, editing and work flow. Darren is a qualified teacher and we have a number of associates who are also qualified teachers who are available to take sessions. All our staff who work with children are DBS certified. See our feedback for those who have previously taken a course with us.
Yes — all of our images, either on our social media pages of this website are available as prints, posters and wall art. Custom print requests are welcome including whole wall murals, backgrounds and wallpapers. See our services pages for previous pieces we have produced
Yes — all of our images, either on our social media pages of this website are available as NFT prints. Get in touch by completing the form on our orders page. We are aware that many scams are performed with NFT requests so it will always be on our platform of choice to protect our business and our clients.
At Darren Smith Photography, we aim to give the personal human touch to our images and to our work so editing is done using a human touch. This does not mean that all our work does not make use of the benefits of artificial intelligence, we use it for selecting images,scoping out a scene for clients and occasionally for removing distractions when it is more efficient.
All of our images are professionally edited and colour managed. We aim to match our associte partners printer profiles to get the best colour and quality from our images. We also edit images provided for us by clients and advanced retouching is available when required.
We will follow a procedure which allows our clients to be part of the process at every stage. It starts with a conversation about what you are looking to get from us. We will then set some clear achievable targets to meet your needs and give a clear quote for the session. If a location is specified, we will meet you at the location to discuss image possibilities. On the day agreed, the staff from DSP will arrive with plenty of time to set up, make sure you are happy and perform the photo shoot. Afterwards, a short time will be needed to edit the images before delivery
Yes — We work with agencies, manufacturers, and global brands, delivering consistent, high‑quality imagery for all our clients. Our studio is ready to go and for larger scale photo sessions, we have associate partnerships to deal with any situation. See our previous clients listed from the menu above
Yes — we shoot on location across the UK and internationally. Studio‑based product and portrait sessions are also available in our Stockport / Cheshire studio. A business like ours can be dynamic and flexible, we can easily work in your business premises or home.
It is always good practice to book in advance, For our future commercial clients we recommend that you typically book 2 to 4 weeks ahead. For our future personal clients, portrait shoots and smaller sessions can often be arranged sooner. If DSP cannot fulfil your exact dates or location, we have a number of associate photographers and editors who we trust who can fulfil you needs.
Yes — We work with agencies, manufacturers, and global brands, delivering consistent, high‑quality imagery for all our clients. Our studio is ready to go and for larger scale photo sessions, we have associate partnerships to deal with any situation. See our previous clients listed from the menu above
Yes — licensing is available for advertising, editorial, web, and print use. we can advise on the best licence for your project so get in touch and let us know your requirements through the orders page or the contact details below.
Yes — we undertake international commissions for commercial, architectural and product photography. Darren Smith Photography has an extensive portfolio for our international work. See our client portfolio to see what we can do.
Yes — We at DSP have an ethichal pledge which you can see at the bottom of the page. We also consider the environment at every point of our business. Using maximum planning to reduce transport, making use of our photography associates and business partners where large distances are expected. When working internationally, we will always look at the local population for guides and staff.
We have been in business since 2002 when Darren sold his first image as a poster print, our business has continued to grow over the last 24 years to include multiple clients and associated partnerships with other photographers, editors, printers and publishers. Our aim is to continue to meet the needs of our clients into the future.
Image prints start from a few pounds (£) and up depending on the size and detail required, Enhancements and restorations start from £5 for a simple edit. Commissions are charged based upon your needs, a simple product shoot packages start at £55, Real estate image from £25. Larger commercial packages and shoots from £300 per day
Yes - we are available to photograph events such as galas, weddings, prize ceremonies and business events. we adopt a personal approach and will speak to you in advance to see what you expect. We aim to blend into your event and not make ourselves the centre of attention, that is certainly our client who is that. Darren has a valid DBS certificate so can work with children.
Yes - our quote will include insurance for our contract and we will be open about this when we discuss the costs with you. We feel that you need to know what you are actually paying for.
For our private clients, we will provide teh prints you require on the print media you have chosen, however we will also provide a link to your own client area where you can download social media quality images to share with your firends and family, the only thing we ask is for a nod back to us. for commercial clients, this will depend upon the licencing agreed in the inisial contract.
This is a pretty open question and depends on the needs of our clients. For simple orders, we aim to send our your images within a few days including sending to our printing partners. For a session with multiple images such as an event or commercial shoot, time will ned to be taken to get your images correct. Our business model is to start editing your images within a day or so of returning to our studio. We aim to kee you up to date with samples and progress within 2 days.
We, the team here at Darren Smith Photography have always taken pride in our work as photographers, editors "creators". We have recently joined the growing cause to provide our customers and visitors with the best service we can do.
We have all signed up to the no-AI pledge as we prefer to show our personal touch in our work. Here is a link to the no-AI statement
Updated by the social team on 16/03/26