This December has proved to be somewhat of a sporting month for me with regular commissions for both football and rugby matches. Not a bad thing considering I am a sports fan, and so far this season I have attended more football matches than for the whole of 2022/23.
A privileged position it may be, but it's not without its downsides. While attending the Gateshead v Southend United football match a few weeks ago, I was sat with my laptop pitchside prior to kick off when all of a sudden the sprinklers came on and gave me a proper soaking much to the amusement of the Southend fans. Add to this the uncertainty of being in the right position at the right time to capture the defining instants of a game, stressing over the often temperamental or sporadic WiFi signals at grounds which is necessary in order to distribute taken images, and competing with (at higher profile matches) a host of other photographers to capture those key moments and make them available to a multitude of news outlets as quickly as possible.
So why do I regularly subject myself to this pressure? Fortunately it is an immensely satisfying experience to have your work published and 20 years on from when I first started as a professional photographer, this feeling has not waned.
#goal #try #middlesbrough #hullcity #dmp #sale #leicesterlions #southendunited #gateshead #football #rugby #sportsphotography @MowdenPark @FocusImagesLtd