‘It captures a certain adolescent awkwardness. It’s fun as a viewer to think about which of the boys is most like your younger self. I wouldn’t be the one manspreading!’
T
hese boys were playing for Colebrook Royals, a football club in Chigwell, Essex. It was 2019 and they were in the dressing room before team practice for a photoshoot arranged by the charity YoungMinds. The plan was that, after the photos, the boys would speak to two dads – Nick Easey and Ryan Smith – who had lost their teenage sons to suicide. The fathers wanted the boys to share their own feelings about mental health, to normalise such conversations, even in a very male environment such as football training.
This shot was taken before the main shoot. I’d set up my lights and chose what part of the dressing room to shoot in and let the boys sit where they wanted. As we waited for the dads to arrive, I noticed something interesting going on and I took a single shot.
I think I was drawn to how groups had formed between the boys – there’s a nice symmetry in the frame. Three boys are looking at me, three are looking across and the other three are looking down. Also the colours are pleasing. Even though it’s a shot of a team, wearing the same kit, you can see different personalities coming across, different emotions and allegiances. There are a lot of distinct characters in the photo. It sits between a posed shot and reportage, a moment within a staged setup.
