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Huddersfield Giants Team Photo & Media Day

Huddersfield Giants Team Photo & Media Day Nicholas Teal Photograpy ()

The Pre-Season Media Day Experience

Before the start of every Rugby League season, teams have a media day where members of the press, including TV and newspapers, come and chat with players and coaches.

I was asked by Huddersfield Giants, one of Yorkshire’s main Super League teams, if I would like to take this year’s team photos and also capture some behind-the-scenes (BTS) photos of the players being interviewed. I said YES! Here’s what I captured.

Capturing the Action

It was a really good experience. I really enjoyed watching and chatting with the rugby league journalists and putting names to faces. It was also good to see how some of the other professionals in the media industry work. ITV had one of their journalists and cameramen there conducting interviews.

Taking the Huddersfield Giants Team Photograph

My main job on media day was to take the team photograph. The photograph included the entire Huddersfield Giants playing squad, backroom staff, Ken Davey (Huddersfield Giants’ chairman and owner), and this year’s Huddersfield Giants sponsors.

Taking the team photograph was a proud moment for me. It was a bit of a throwback to when I started this career. Before becoming a wedding photographer, I was more of a freelance photographer, and I would often do jobs like this. This wasn’t the first sports team photograph I had taken, but nevertheless, I knew that this team photograph was going to be widely used, so it came with a little added pressure. But being a wedding photographer, it’s safe to say I know how to handle pressure, ha ha.

And I think the team photographs turned out well.

Taking the Chairman’s Portrait

After I photographed the team, Ken Davey, the owner of Huddersfield Giants, asked me to capture his portrait in the Huddersfield Giants’ boardroom. I jumped at the chance of capturing Ken’s portrait. I later found out that Ken had been given an OBE in the Christmas Honours. I wonder if he knew this news at the time when I took his portrait. Congratulations, Ken!

Looking Ahead

I would love more opportunities in the future to capture team portraits and squad photos, so give me a shout if you would like me to come and capture your media day or team photos.

Thank you to Huddersfield Giants for allowing me to come and capture these photographs for you.