The World Cup

The World Cup is over. Through all the politics, visa issues and everything else surrounding the tournament, Spain emerged as worthy winners. They didn’t make a messi of their final match against Argentina.

It was a World Cup that many Arsenal fans struggled to get excited about. Following last season’s title win and parade, our dopamine levels hadn’t quite returned to normal. There was also the overarching worry of injuries to the tired legs of Rice, Saka and Saliba.

I watched all of the games before the round of 16 at home, with interest levels slowly rising the further into the competition we got. When it came to the later stages, it was time to get out and take in the atmosphere.

First up was Mexico. Knowing the kick off was late and mid-week, I headed to one of my favourite bars, ‘all my friends’ in Hackney Wick as I knew their music would keep me going. The kick off scheduled for 1am was delayed to 2am, so there were a lot of tired heads around; a bit of a change from the more energetic scenes I’m used to for football matches.

Tiredness gave way to celebrations as Bellingham’s quick-fire brace sent us on our way. Being a bit of a hipster place, there weren’t many football shirts around and while the celebrations weren’t pants-on-head crazy, it was a good place to move around to take some photos. I even had my flash going for a change, that’s something I want / need more practice with. Then somewhere near 5am I was back home, thankful for Jude and thankful I had booked the following day off.

The 10pm kick off made the quarter final against Norway a more manageable experience. ‘All my friends’ had sold out before I was able to get a ticket so this time I went for the ‘Colour factory’, also in Hackney Wick, for a completely different vibe. The multifunctional venue was much more of a chaotic experience. Football shirts, some old, some new, some borrowed and some blue filled the room. Painted faces, well lubricated voices and selfie-happy snappers were quite a contrast to the previous round.

*I bet his bedsheets the following morning looked like a crime scene*

If wilder shots were what you’re after, this is probably the place for you. It was quite hard to get in front of the main crowd with the set up of benches and the one big screen, but other than that, it was very camera friendly.

Again, England progressed and we left with a quick stop back at ‘all my friends’ for one last blast of house music, taking advantage of the grandparent being on babysitting duty before heading home.

I had big hopes for the semi final. Football-wise it would be great, the chance for England to get to a World Cup final for the first time since 1966. Probably equally important for me was that a victory against Argentina would have meant chaotic scenes to capture on the street. The possibility of this stayed in the back of my mind throughout the day.

*Zane sporting the Palace x England collab shirt that I, like many, failed to get on launch*

For another change in venue, this time I picked Hackney Central’s Night Tales. Photography-wise, Night Tales is a bit of a mixed bag. The lighting is either pitch black or surprisingly bright outside, and unless you’re prepared to ignore the football completely, it can be difficult to move around.

That was the balance I faced throughout the tournament: commit fully to photographing the night, often with my back to the screen, or watch the football and hope to anticipate the moments worth capturing. I chose the latter. It’s the same approach I take at Arsenal. If I were on commission it’d be different, but shooting for myself means finding the balance that feels right.

Full time came and England were out. I didn’t hang around after the game and went straight home, knowing my grand plans for shooting the celebrations had come to an end.

Now the little side quest of the World Cup being over, the premier league and Arsenal’s title defence returns at 8pm on Friday 21st of August.

*Wherever you go in London you’ll undoubtedly see The Arsenal*

We Live in Colour

A good friend of mine, David Rathbone, has just launched his second zine, “We live in colour”.

*David with his prize possession. I’ll let you decide which*

I’ve always admired projects that span years rather than months (or even less), they feel much more thorough and more of the photographer’s vision can come across. With shorter-term projects, you can only really shoot what happens in that period of time. The longer the project, the more photos you’ll have to pick from covering a wider set of variables and it’s in that editing down that a photographer’s vision starts to materialise.

*Not really sure of the best way to take a photo of a zine*

David has been shooting the colour walkers since 2019. This is his second zine on the subject, but while the first was more of a product for the colour walkers themselves, this second zine is more to David’s street/documentary vision. In David’s words, this zine “…offers a glimpse into that world, not just the clothes but the people inside them.”

You can get a copy here.

Two WCs

Rustiness, Pride and Josh’s Zine