The Croydon Advertiser has expanded its image library by launching a multimedia blog thanks to the enthusiasm and expertise of its photography staff.

It is such a success that Northcliffe Media, which recently bought the newspaper, could look at rolling it out across the company’s other newspaper sites.

Sitbonzo.com, originally launched in December 2006, displays high quality images of stories and events covered by the Croydon Advertiser.

It is seen as the perfect solution for staff photographers who submit their best work and then have it turned into a photographic slideshow with sound.

Getting the story from the subjects while on assignment provides a backdrop to the rolling picture show.

Describing the project’s success, David Berman, chief photographer at the Advertiser, said: “It is also a good thing for our freelancers as they get to expand their photo work beyond simply photographing a particular image to be printed in the news.”

The photographers now see their work as much more than getting a single shot for the paper or website, and tell more of the story through a series of pictures.

David started his photographic career by driving a minicab by day, taking a photojournalism course at night – and began by submitting Ice hockey pics to the local South London Guardian.

He now runs a busy desk with three full time photographers and a scanner/imaging person, supported by a pool of regular freelancers.