Photographing the NFL in London (American Football)

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Frank Gore celebrates a touchdown in front of the NFL Wembley crowd

49ers mascot in front of Nelsons Column

If you know me or have read this blog over the last few years you'll know that my other passion is American football.  I watch and photograph many British games all over the country.  I've also travelled across to the states several times to watch games from high school, college and pro leagues (Geaux LSU, Geaux Saints).

Well this past weekend the NFL came to London for it's fourth year in a row, every year the tickets for Wembley stadium sell out regardless of which teams are chosen to play.  Every year i've gone along and watched and loved every minute but this year was different.  This year I would achieve an aim I'd long harboured as a pro photographer to photograph the game from the sidelines.


During the day on Saturday the NFL had hired out Trafalgar Square and set up a huge party for all the fans of the NFL.  Luckily for me as a professional photographer i was allowed in the bear pit in the front of the stage giving excellent access for some great shots.  During the day some incredible people and acts took to the stage including, Roger Goodell (NFL commissioner), Jerry Rice (hall of fame player), the Gold Rush cheerleaders, American rapper, Asher Roth, dance group Flawless, 49ers head coach, Mike Singletary and FHM's hottest woman on the planet Marrisa Millar (sometimes being a photographer can be real hard work).

So having spent an incredible day in the city centre it was time to head back to the Green man hotel where the evening festivities were due to  start.  The Great British Tailgate Party (GBTP) at the Green man started around 7pm with the hilarious and ever popular snail racing, much fun was had by all in attendance and many friendships were made / renewed.

Martin Wilmott (that's me) centre stage with the Gold rush cheerleaders at the NFL fan rally, Trafalgar Square

 All too soon Sunday had arrived and with it had come rain.  Thoughts of the first NFL game in London came to mind when a newly laid Wembley pitch couldn't stand up to the heavy rain and hard pounding American football game rendering it a complete mess.  Little did i kn ow at the time but as i was soon to find out the Wembley playing surface has been completely replaced with what they call a 3% synthetic mix.  It's supposed to be that only 3% of the turf is artificial, I don't know the exact measurements but it looked more like the other way round.  If you look at some of my pictures here on my facebook page, you'll notice that there's no mud or grass on the players and the only stains on their uniforms have come from the paint on the field.  Let's just say if you were a cow on the field you'd very quickly starve to death.

San Francisco's Anthony Dixon attempts to make Eddie Royals head look backwards (an illegal tackle)

So about two hours before kick off i head down to Wembley sign in and get my official NFL photographers vest with my unique number printed on the back.  I later found out that the number is used to identify anyone breaking the rules so they can be asked to leave.  I was escorted into the photographer office (which involved sharing a lift with Jerry rice) where two separate rooms of desks were filled with photographers from all over the world with their laptops plugged in sending their images to the worlds newsdesks.


The game kicks off and the crowd roars, I've never experienced anything like 80,000+ people screaming their appreciation at me from the top of their lungs (and perhaps some other stuff going on inside inside the stadium) but it felt good.  All too soon the game came to a close, and I realised I hadn't been watching the game like i normally would do.  I was so concentrating on shutter speeds, apertures, and getting the framing right the game had blurred.  Having said that I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


At the very end of the game all the payers / coaches meet in the middle of the field to shake hands and wish each other luck, as a photogarpher this is a heaven sent opportunity not to be missed allowing close up access to the players not available during play.

Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos talks to San Francisco's Taylor Mays at the end off the game

My final shot is again proof that it's not all hard work working as a photographer, an image i'm gonna be dining out on for years to come.  Well, when this many good looking ladies ask to have their photograph taken with me I just had to oblige ;0)