End to End Photo CricInfo

One of the constant features of international cricket is the huddle of photographers clustered at either end of the ground – wicket to wicket, as cricket lovers say. Why do photographers sit there? It seems an odd place to be, because their view is often obstructed by the bowler following through, or a slip fielder who only shows his backside to the camera, or indeed the non-striker.

The answer is that most photographers at the match are from newspapers or press agencies, and the photo editor will be screaming out for "action shots". What this normally means is images with plenty of bits of wood, e.g. the stumps, flying about. The more flying timber the better, and it should preferably be captured early in the day's play, so that the photographer can get off to the next job.

Thorpe catches Saeed Photo CricInfo

However, supplying images to the press that a lumberjack would be proud of is only one part of cricket photography, and the specialist cricket photographer will often be seen at square leg, fine leg or third man. It is from such angles that more individual images of the players can often be captured. Or, as in our image of Thorpe catching Saeed Anwar, the wider the angle the better the chance. The photographer stationed at the wicket end would not be likely to capture such a shot because the angle of view would not be wide enough.

So, while sitting at the wicket end increases the chances of capturing a clean bowled or a good appeal from the bowler, "going wide" can also have its compensations. Photographers will also be working at the ground to get stock images of players, and will not necessarily be there to capture the match action. In such circumstances, changing the angle of view is often advantageous.

Bicknell seen from above Photo CricInfo

The picture of Darren Bicknell is a case in point. This image was taken from the top deck of the Parr Stand at Nottinghamshire's Trent Bridge home. This is a famous old stand, and for a photographer can be an ideal place to shoot a match. Whilst the climb with the kit is not always easy, the rewards are there at the top. The Bicknell image has the advantage of being "clean". This means that there is no clutter from any background distraction. This could be another player, seats in the stand or the advertising hoardings that all major grounds now have.

It is not always possible to get up to a height to take pictures, as grounds such as Lord's only have limited space but "clean" images of players are something of a cricket photographer's stock in trade.

However there will be occasions when the photographer is at the ground to "shoot the boards". This means no more and no less than taking pictures of the game whilst at the same time ensuring that a particular sponsors advertising hoarding is as prominent as possible. So getting the depth of field right is important, as well as the angle of view. This particular photographer hopes that npower, the new sponsors of Test cricket in England, like our picture of the photographers at Lord's, as their ads are very prominent. Any adverse comment will of course lead to the removal of the ads in Photoshop!

© CricInfo Ltd.