6/25: Defoe Celebration / by Simon Mooney

6/25. I loved working for Spurs at White Hart Lane and, within reason, pretty much had the run of the place (just like Jermain Defoe). Most football snappers would be disappointed when a player turns away to celebrate but I had quite an open brief so was happy to focus on the fans. I also like to have a different perspective so was in one of the elevated TV positions with an 800mm telephoto which is probably twice as long as the standard football lens. The club published the photograph widely and I’ve always wondered how many of the fans spotted themselves - there’s about a hundred of them in there and it’s interesting to see the range of expressions. This kind of real-world experience has been invaluable in setting up the advertising productions we’ve done with fans for clients like McDonald’s, Sony, Coca-Cola and EE. (For 25 Years of Mooneyphoto)