Just for a change... Some footballing youngsters...

[gmen]

I don't often get the chance to shoot kids playing the world's greatest sport ;) ...but a job last week saw me cover one of the very last matches to be played at (arguably) London's most famous club stadium.

Here are a few of the images. The general brief was to show the local team in the stadium environment as well as providing some coverage of the game itself. I found the whole thing to be a pretty big challenge as I'm simply not a regular youth sports shooter... it's a very different kettle of fish to my usual territory.

It was hard to resist a team group in front of the very famous 'Clock End'...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo001.jpg

The lads warm up in front of the 'North Bank'...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo002.jpg

A panoramic view of the team lining up before the match...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo003.jpg

Some action from the game...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo007.jpg

One of the last goals to be scored at this venue. I tried the wider view to add some context rather than the conventional tight crop...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo008.jpg

Now, this is my kind of celebration shot...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo005.jpg

...and some happy fans too...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo009.jpg

A more 'organised' team pic to finish ;) ...

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/bongo006.jpg

Thanks for looking. Any advice from the more experienced youth sports shooters would be appreciated... just in case I have to do it again :lol:

---- Gavin

[Hydro]

Great captures as usual, Gavin. I was excited to see you take some shots of this age group. Since youth sports (my kid's teams) is all I shoot, and because I set as my goal the results that you attain with your images (lofty aspiration, but worth working on) I often wondered how yours would look if you covered the little guys.

While working to improve the quality of the shots I take, sometimes I find myself wishing they would do a bit more. There is not much vertical game, so battling on a header doesn't happen that much, and with the smaller fields and this level of play the kids at times tend to bunch up and not do too much that is dramatic. I feel like I am always taking the same shots over and over again.

I know my kids don't read this forum, so I can say that.

Anyway, very enjoyable images once again. And once again, thanks so much for your tutorials and willingness to share with the rest of us.

Cheers,

RICK

[gmen]

While working to improve the quality of the shots I take, sometimes I find myself wishing they would do a bit more. There is not much vertical game, so battling on a header doesn't happen that much, and with the smaller fields and this level of play the kids at times tend to bunch up and not do too much that is dramatic. I feel like I am always taking the same shots over and over again.Thanks Rick ;)

I agree with you about wanting a bit more to happen. Because I was waiting for the usual peak action type stuff, I took very few shots during the game itself - less than a quarter of the number that I would have shot during a senior game... although the shorter playing time obviously influenced that as well.

This was no bad thing though as it made the job of sorting through them a lot easier :lol:

...and, yep, vertical compositions were very hard to come by except for solo action pics.

An enjoyable experience nevertheless!

---- Gavin

[superdiver]

"I don't often get the chance to shoot kids playing the world's greatest sport"

Where are the hockey pictures !?!?!?!?!?!


LOL..just kidding,...

top self as usual!

[gmen]

"I don't often get the chance to shoot kids playing the world's greatest sport"

Where are the hockey pictures !?!?!?!?!?!


LOL..just kidding,...

top self as usual!:lol: Cheers superdiver! We shall just have to agree to disagree about the World's greatest sport ;)

---- Gavin

[jeffahn]

Fan shots are superb.

[gmen]

Fan shots are superb.Cheers jeffahn... much appreciated.

---- Gavin

[c3p1]

Great shots as usual! I really enjoy your work and often share it with my kids!
Question: what wide angle did you use in the group shots. It was a real nice change to see that type of picture here as most captures are with a much longer lens.
Thanks, Paul

[gmen]

Great shots as usual! I really enjoy your work and often share it with my kids!
Question: what wide angle did you use in the group shots. It was a real nice change to see that type of picture here as most captures are with a much longer lens.
Thanks, PaulCheers Paul!

#1, #6 and #8 are taken with the 17-40mm f/4L and #3 is taken with the 15mm f2/2.8FE - all with a little pop of fill flash, all on EOS 1D MkII bodies.

---- Gavin

[DegasGoneDigital]

Great shots..........How did you do the panoramic shot? what lens did you use??

[gmen]

Great shots..........How did you do the panoramic shot? what lens did you use??Thank Degas... the panoramic image is taken with the 15mm fisheye lens.

---- Gavin

[Croasdail]

Ok help me out here..... is this stadium going away or did you mean one of the last matches of the year? Kids on fully size pitches is always tough.

BTW.... you all must have had a HUGE sigh of releif over the Trinidad game. A most unfortunate last 4 minutes for the boys from T&T. They actually got me pulling for them - nothing against the local boys, but the Trinidad team played great defense. Some awsome saves on both ends. Anyway.... cheers!

[gmen]

Ok help me out here..... is this stadium going away or did you mean one of the last matches of the year? Kids on fully size pitches is always tough.

BTW.... you all must have had a HUGE sigh of releif over the Trinidad game. A most unfortunate last 4 minutes for the boys from T&T. They actually got me pulling for them - nothing against the local boys, but the Trinidad team played great defense. Some awsome saves on both ends. Anyway.... cheers!Hi Mark...

It's the stadium that's going away... well, almost... it's being converted into flats... and yep, converted... the pitch is going to be turned into a garden/lawn area and the facades of the stands and some of the key features of the stadium are being retained.

As for England vs the T&T boys... well... it wasn't easy, but it never is when the opposition pack 10 players behind the ball every time you have possession... and hunt for the ball in twos and threes.

Once the substitutions were made and England started to play with a little bit more width, I felt that a goal would come (honest I did ;) )

---- Gavin

[DwightMcCann]

:lol: Cheers superdiver! We shall just have to agree to disagree about the World's greatest sport ;)

---- Gavin

Wait, wait, no we don't ... it is .... CRICKET! :p

[gmen]

It was certainly a fascinating day and I was interested to see how the images finally ran in the paper. I don't usually shoot 'feature' type stuff, so this 'photo-essay' approach was something a little bit different for me and something else to add to the learning curve. The tearsheet is in an external link so as not to exceed the image posting guidelines:

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/tear000.jpg

---- Gavin