This season I’m going to introduce a little chaos into my life by blogging about the trials and tribulations of photographing professional sport for a major agency.  To use the football transfer season analogy, I’ve just completed a move from French giants Agence France-Presse to the London outfit Action Images (who are part of the meteoric Thomson Reuters corporation).  To anyone who is aware of various intricacies of the photography game, this is a big move.  You might say I’ve been the young kid who rises through from non-league to league one, attracts the attention of a scout and finds himself thrust into the limelight at a top 5 Premier League club.  That’s right, I just compared myself to Wayne Rooney.

So, analogies aside, this blog is going to detail the glamorous life of photographing football, cricket, rugby and possibly such high-draw sports as tiddlywinks and chess.

Back to the blinking lights now…

Every season that passes I find myself doubting more and more my ability to photograph a football match and this year has been made all the worse by the fact that a number of my colleagues have been photographing some event in South Africa.  As a result at pre-season friendly time, I attend all sorts of games, such as tonight’s 5-star encounter between Bath City and Exeter City.  These games, with no pressure and very few big names are a good opportunity to try out new kit, or new ideas before the nitty-gritty starts in earnest in a few weeks time.  Just like the players themselves, it’s also a good way to warm-up and remind myself that I can photograph football.

Two weeks ago at Twerton Park for Cardiff City’s visit I came away feeling like the rank amateur writing to the help column in Amateur Photographer for tips.  Technology is a curse at times, and the settings that were amazing for cricket and golf a few weeks ago aren’t so great for football.  That lightbulb moment (as with all the best lightbulb moments) came to me in the car on the way home, so tonight is the final opportunity to try things out before my big glamorous debut on Saturday for Yeovil Town v Manchester United XI.