My last two blogs have focussed on the Brighton Fringe and the coverage of various colourful events. With the Fringe sadly coming to an end I wanted to share something that I was involved in recently which has left an impact on me and also on the way that I approach my own photography. I was asked by some work colleagues to photograph an inter department football match for a well known Gas company (no not that one!). I jumped at the chance of course, being interested in football and being able to do two things that were enjoyable at the same time.
The reason for the football match was I soon realised, more than just an annual friendly grudge match, (if there is such a thing), this was a charity football match in aid of a little boy who needs an operation so that he can learn to walk properly and without assistance and the charity being “Jack’s 1st Steps”. As the players arrived at the ground, I soon realised that football was very much secondary given the T-shirts being worn to support the charity and upon the arrival of the family, all eyes turned to them and Jack.
Now my blog is actually very little to do with photography but more on the subject of the pictures themselves which is why you won’t actually see any football shots in this blog. Normally as a photographer, I have direct the subjects, ask for their attention or ask them to look in a particular direction or to pose. Not this little boy. As soon as he saw the camera, the biggest smile spread across his face as he beamed and dutifully said “cheese” without any hesitation. Given his circumstances and the need for his operation, I was struck by his happiness and how positive he was and how the people around him lit up when he smiled. It made me think that there are probably many times when faced with adversity, that people don’t smile and if this little boy is an example, we could all do with a healthy slice of positivity and a beaming smile to lift our own spirits and those around us.
If you’d like to donate to Jack’s charity then you can do so using the link at the bottom of this page.
http://www.justgiving.com/Jacks-1st-steps-fund