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Swansea City FC, best pictures of the year 2018

athena_admin — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 13:22:42 +0000

2018 was the year Swansea City got relegated to the Championship after enjoying seven successive years in the Premier League.

The year is also a great landmark for Athena Pictures as it celebrates its tenth year running.

Working as the exclusive photographers for the south Wales Club, we have witnessed first hand what has been happening behind the scenes.

Some of those images have never been published and as you may notice, I have tried to not include many action images.

This must be one of the best images I have ever captured as a photographer. It was taken during the kit photo-shoot for the 2018-2019 season.

Wilfried Bony had just had his pictures taken with both home and away kits but decided to photo-bomb Leroy Fer’s shoot, in a way, I am so glad that he did.

Leroy Fer and Wilfried Bony during the Swansea City AFC 2018-2019 kit photo-shoot at the Barn, Academy training ground in Landore, Swansea, UK. 26 April 2018

It would be best to carry on with the studio theme and it’s worth mentioning that 2018 was the first time that I was allowed to create set-ups outside of the boundaries of a sterile studio.

Some images were taken at Exist Skate Park, some other in a local gym.

Mike van der Hoorn during the Swansea City AFC new kit photo shoot at the Exist Skate Park in Swansea, Wales, UK. 18 April 2018

Martin Olsson during the Swansea City AFC new kit photo shoot at the Exist Skate Park in Swansea, Wales, UK. 18 April 2018

Club colleagues and I also utilised the concourse of the Liberty Stadium, using a magnificent graffiti as a backdrop.

Connor Roberts during the Swansea City AFC new kit photo shoot at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales, UK. 18 April 2018

These are from the third kit photo-shoot which a lot of people have to keep their lips sealed for.

Not only Leroy Fer is a great footballer, he is also a natural when it comes to posing, everything he does seems effortless, both on and off the pitch.

The same applies to Connor Roberts who seems to adopt very well in a studio environment.

Leroy Fer during the Swansea City FC kit photo-shoot at Fairwood Training Ground, Wales, UK. 12 July 2018

Connor Roberts during the Swansea City FC kit photo-shoot at Fairwood Training Ground, Wales, UK. 12 July 2018

Jefferson Montero during the Swansea City FC kit photo-shoot at Fairwood Training Ground, Wales, UK

Moving on to a bit more of what footballers are used to be seen doing.

This is just a candid moment between Tom Carroll and Courtney Baker-Richardson on the training pitch.

I like the intimacy of it. There must have been a bit of banter between them but still, they seem to be working hard training.

(L-R) Tom Carroll and Courtney Baker-Richardson in action during the Swansea City Training Session at The Fairwood Training Ground, Swansea, Wales, UK. 27 September 2018

Ever since I started working with the Club, time and again I hear managers talking about how players enjoy their football. This image reflects the camaraderie between players and how happy they seem to be going to work.

Wilfried Bony and Leroy Fer lead team mates to the pitch during the Swansea City Training at the Fairwood Training Ground, Swansea, Wales, UK. 22 November 2018

Joe Lewis and Mike van der Hoorn during the Swansea City Training at The Fairwood Training Ground, in Swansea, Wales, UK. 02 November 2018

Wilfried Bony during the Swansea City Training at The Fairwood Training Ground, Swansea, Wales, UK. 04 December 2018

Sometimes the need arises when portraits have to done outside of a studio. Although not very easy to convince a player to do pictures away from a Club facility, it works a treat when it happens.

Leon Britton needs no introduction. After spending years as a player in different leagues, a short spell as caretaker manager, it was time for him join Lee Trundle in becoming Club Ambassadors.

Leon Britton at Swansea Bay, Wales, UK. 27 July 2018

Swansea City FC footballer Oliver McBurnie at the club’s Fairwood Training Ground near Swansea, Wales, UK. 19 September 2018

This is a moment of great historic importance. Angel Rangel enters the pitch with his wife and children, for his last ever appearance for Swansea City.

Angel Rangel of Swansea City walks onto the pitch with his family prior to the Premier League match between Swansea City and Stoke City at The Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales, UK. 13 May 2018

Swansea City manager Graham Potter shouts instructions to his team from the dug-out during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Preston North End at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea, Wales, UK. 11 August 11 2018

Leandro Bacuna of Reading vies for possession with Bersant Celina of Swansea City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Reading at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea, Wales, UK. 27th October, 2018

Connor Roberts and Oli McBurnie celebrate the latter’s goal against Leeds United at the Liberty Stadium. 21 August 2018

Nothing of course would be possible without the support from these guys.

Swansea City fans celebrate at final whistle during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United and Swansea City at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England, UK. 04 August 2018

Wayne Routledge of Swansea celebrates his goal against Sheffield at the Liberty Stadium. 15 December 2018

Behind the scenes of “We’Re Still Here” by the National Theatre Wales

athena_admin — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 19:24:22 +0000

Although I mostly cover news and PR, I am in love with performance photography, be it theatre or live gigs, I have done quite a few.

Starting in May 2017, and during five days, four of which in mid-September, I had the great privilege in documenting production behind the scenes of We’Re Still Here, a play by the National Theatre Wales and Common Wealth.

The obvious challenges were the lack of light during the two dress rehearsals and trying to guess what the plot may be, in a production, taking place in a disused recycling industrial unit, a stone’s throw away from the Steel Works in Port Talbot.

It is never easy trying to produce news-worthy imagery in a dark place but given that I was allowed on two consecutive days, I managed to pull it off.

I always try and offer the best service to my clients and I am led to believe that they were happy. Quite a few newspapers reviewed the play in a positive way and my pictures certainly got used.

This is an excellent opportunity for me as a person, and for my small picture agency business which gives me pride being trusted to deliver my services in a photography subject which I adore.

Launch Day, Day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5

Our theatre and live music photography gallery is here.

The following is from: https://www.nationaltheatrewales.org/were-still-here

15 – 30 September, 2017

Port Talbot

WE’RE STILL HERE

National Theatre Wales & Common Wealth
People have forgotten how to say ‘no’. That’s the problem in this country. We are allowed to say ‘no’.

Port Talbot steelworks; site of one of the last heavy industries in Wales, and threatened with closure in 2015. The story made headlines around the world, and the Save Our Steel campaign was quick to respond, gathering a momentum that captured the spirit and uncertainty of our times. So what happens when we come together? What happens when we say ‘no’?

In Port Talbot, leaders, workers and unions all said no. These people came together to save their jobs and their community.

These are the people behind the headlines and the politics, living and working at the heart of the machine. These are their lives, hopes, fears and dreams and this is their story, told with humour, passion and pride.

Based on interviews with steelworkers, union representatives and the people of Port Talbot, We’re Still Here is a site-specific performance. Dynamically staged in the disused Byass Works, it celebrates the unique spirit of the town.

Dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Steel worker and actor Sam Coombes during the dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actor Jason May during the dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”, a play created by Rachel Trezise, Common Wealth and the National Theatre Wales about steelworkers, which will be performed in Byass Works, a disused industrial unit, in Port Talbot, south Wales, UK.

Actor Sam Coombes during the dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actors Jason May, Sion Tudor Owen and Simon Nehan during the dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actor Sion Tudor Owen during the dress rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Writer Rachel Trezise (L) during the press rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

The four main characters perform a dance scene during the press rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actor Sam Coombes who plays Lewis during the press rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

L-R: Co-director Evie Manning, artistic director Kully Thiarai, writer Rachel Trezise and co-director Rhiannon White

Actors Simon Nehan and Sion Tudor Owen during the press rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actor Ioan Hefin who plays Adrian during the press rehearsal of “We’Re Still Here”

Actor Jason May

“We Are Still Here” rehearsal

Actor Ioan Hefin rehearses for “We Are Still Here”

Directors Rhiannon White and Evie Manning

Actor Sion Tudor Owen

Actors Simon Nehan

Actors Jason May, Sam Coombes, Sion Tudor Owen, Ioan Hefin and Simon Nehan

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