CameraLEICA CAMERA AG LEICA Q2LensSUMMILUX 1:1.7/28 ASPH.Focal28mm
Intent
Behind the frame
What I was trying to do:
Each World Cup or Euros since 2018 I've been photographing football fans watching the games in pubs. This image I call "England 3 - Mexico 2" from this year's World Cup. It was shot in The Box Bar in Piccadilly in Central London. I showed them my work and that persuaded them to let me shoot from the DJ booth during this championship. The game didn't kick off until 2am and there were 700+ (mainly English) fans who didn't expect to win. This was just before the confetti canons went off (I wasn't warned) and temporarily deafened me.
What worked:
It was just one frame from hundreds that night - most of which go straight into the bin - but it caught a moment and it works. The lighting conditions were constantly changing (like a nightclub) by the second. I shot at 1/125th at f2 and let the iso automatically do its thing from about 2500 to 25000. It was a good crowd who really couldn't believe their luck.
What I'd do differently:
Well I might have worn earplugs to be honest. And I went home from this game with viral pneumonia - it seems standing in front of 700 screaming fans in an enclosed room for six hours isn't just a covid risk... So maybe a facemask next time. But I've got the shooting of football fans in pubs down to a bit of a fine art now. This crowd was just MUCH bigger than I'm used to.
Response
Community feedback
Member comments
Colin M.1 Sep
A joyous image, Mike, sums it up for me ( have people in the series contacted you for a print because they were in a photo?).
Mike TaylorOP1 Sep
You know not a single person ever has.
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Response
Community feedback
Member comments
A joyous image, Mike, sums it up for me ( have people in the series contacted you for a print because they were in a photo?).
You know not a single person ever has.
Members can leave feedback on every submission. Join Framelines to take part.
Join Framelines