… and then along came COVID-19!

As we moved into 2021 I was hoping that Covid-19 was going to be under control, I would have had the call up for a first jab and fans would be allowed back into stadiums. Oh how wrong can you be? We find ourselves unable to be anywhere and under stricter lockdown conditions!

Covid Safe

So how does that affect a freelance photographer I hear you ask? Well, there are now far fewer spaces for photographers so those who have agreements and contracts with the FA, such as Getty Images for example, will still have accreditation. Those who are not in contract, such as freelancers like myself, are put in to a lottery system. Generally there are only between 6 & 8 positions allowed now and between 4 & 6 are spoken for by the big agencies. So the effect on me is drastic, no Premiership football at all this season so far.

All the tennis I cover was cancelled last year, such as the French Open in Paris, The Fever-Tree Championships at Queens Club to name a few.

This year the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert postponed from April now until October at the earliest! All enquine events postponed or cancelled. The Epsom Derby last year was eerily quiet. No fans allowed and run behind closed doors, so even I couldn’t gain access so I stood on Tattenham Corner and got a few shots off. Strangely enough the winning jockey, Emmet McNamara, saw my photos and asked me if he could buy a copy!

All in all Covid-19 has had a major affect on our industry and I know of at least three or four of my colleagues who have had to reconsider their careers and find other work to do.