My First Time Pitch Side for Stevenage vs Derby County

Being alert for a full ninety minutes is tiring but essential to capture great action shots in the moment. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 1600.

To those who know me well it’s no secret that I am a (long suffering) Derby County fan. Yet, despite football being the main sport I follow I’ve only ever shot hockey or cricket matches. I had meant to reach out to my most local club beforehand, but I never quite found the time. Luckily a chance encounter at another event gave me the opportunity to photograph one of Stevenage’s pre-season home matches for a local media outlet. Against my very own Derby County.

The players walking out. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 500.

Goal kicks were a good opportunity to capture dynamic kicking shots. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

Having never done sports photography at this level before I knew there would be a steep learning curve, but even I was surprised at how steep it really was. My first mistake of the day was my tripod. What was wrong with it? Well, it was simply not allowed. As I was unfolding it, I was told by a steward they were prohibited due to their obstruction of walkways and my only option was a monopod. Thankfully I do own a decent one, but there was hardly time to pop back home and get it.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

A Stevenage player almost heads the ball into his own net as he defends against a Derby attack. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

Watching the more seasoned photographers with their setup also gave me plenty of hints on what else I was missing. They had small camping stools to sit on which, alongside their monopods, gave themselves a comfortable and stable position to shoot for the full ninety minutes. Meanwhile I was relegated to handholding my heavy 300mm F2.8 lens in the last throws of the UKs worst ever heatwave. They also had second cameras with shorter lenses to get closer shots of players, but I decided against that given I needed to keep it simple with a single lens for my first match.

Derby manager Liam Rosenior looks on. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

Keep alert to capture battles for the ball. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

Another expectation that was sprung on me was the need to deliver photos part way through the game for the match report which would be realised immediately after. Again, the more seasoned photographers actually had laptops out just before and during halftime for this whereas I had to make do on using my phone app. Frustratingly it took about the entirety of the first half to get it working. Something I need to practice using and see how much editing I can do between what is built in in-camera and what I can do on my phone.

This was the best shot I managed to take of Stevenage’s goal. You can see the ball in the back of the net. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

Players leaping into the air to head the ball made for some of my favourite shots from the game. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 800.

The ref has a word. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 1600.

Derby County goalie Wildsmith leaps for a save. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 1600.

As the game is played on a bigger pitch than hockey and play go can quickly from end-to-end, working out where to stand also proved a bit of trial and error although I did get some good advice from the others. Standing on the side of the pitch did give a wide range of coverage but with my long 300mm lens it probably was better to stand behind the goal to get shots of players attacking whilst giving me a long line of view down to the other goal. I will certainly need to go through a level of refinement with my monopod and seat and combining those two will definitely help in framing and keeping things level.

The rain lit up through the floodlights adds more atmosphere to the photo. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 2500.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 2000.

The more seasoned photographers were more prepared for rain than I was. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 2000.

The other things I need to bring next time are a raincoat and a towel to cover my lens in case of rain! Despite the weather we’ve been having the heavens did open, but thankfully I could shelter in the empty stand to keep myself and my gear dry. Not something that will be possible in a competitive match with a full stadium.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 2000.

1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 2000.

Overall, the experience has given me a lot to think about and areas to improve on. You’re never going to get it all right on a first attempt, but I do feel like I’ve learned a lot that will make a big difference next time around. Onwards and upwards and hopefully Derby wins next time!

You can read the Nub News match report (with my photos) by clicking here.

The Derby players applauded the fans who’d travelled down to watch. They actually outnumbered the home support on the night. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 3200.

The fans in turn gave them a standing ovation. The bound between player and fan grew a lot over the rough ride of the previous season. 1/800s 300mm F2.8 ISO 3200.

People waited outside the stadium after the match in order to meet the players and get their autographs. I myself managed to have a conversation with Curtis Davies who captained the team on the night. 1/200s 70mm F4.0 ISO 5000.

If you enjoyed this blog then please consider leaving a tip below.