We’re back with another instalment of Industry Insider. Our latest guest is Charlotte Tattersall, Photographer at Salford City FC and Getty Images…
Tell us about yourself, what is your current role and what roles have you done previously?
Hello I’m Charlotte Tattersall and my current role is Club Photographer at Salford City Football Club alongside being a Freelance Sports Photographer and Editor for Getty Images.
What do you do in your current role?
For Salford City, I photograph their league games home and away, any cup competitions as well as training sessions.
For Getty Images, I cover a range of different sports, mainly football. I cover all different matches ranging from National League to Premier League, as well as Women’s Super League. I also get to work with other football clubs through Getty, for example I have covered games on behalf of clubs such as Manchester City and Liverpool. As of recently, I have also been doing a lot more photo editing mainly for Premier League fixtures.
Normal” isn’t a thing in sport so what does an “average” week look like for you?
An average week for me would typically be covering 3 to 4 football games, typically Salford City on a Tuesday night and Saturday, a potential Premier League Two fixture during the week and a Women’s Super League fixture on a Sunday. I also cover training sessions mid week mainly for Salford City.
My “average” week changes a lot, my week mainly consists of working for Salford City, however, it depends what events are taking place that week. For example, a couple of months ago I got to cover Soccer Aid training sessions which obviously only take place once a year, so my week can vary quite a bit. I have also been doing quite a lot of photo editing, so sometimes I will work from home and won’t be out shooting as much.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: <> during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Manchester United and Atalanta at Old Trafford on October 20, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?
I have always been a football fan, years ago I started going to watch Salford City at Moor Lane with my family before the Class Of 92 take over, just as a fan. I enjoyed going to the games every Saturday, but also had an interest in photography as it was one of my options at college. I bought my first camera and tested it out at the stadium a couple of times doing some match day photography which the club ended up using in the programmes a couple of times. I think it was then I realised I wanted to work in sport, because I enjoyed seeing my work printed in the match day programmes and being used on the clubs/ players social media accounts.
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
My number one focus is always trying to get the best pictures I possibly can from each game I cover. I love telling stories with my photographs, therefore big moments such as goals/ celebrations are always on my mind on a match day. I always look back at my images from a game and if there isn’t an image that I think is worth putting in my portfolio then I haven’t done as well as I know I could have.
Can you tell us about a time you failed and what you learned from it?
I would say I failed myself a lot when I first started out my photography career, I didn’t have any self-confidence and would always try and avoid speaking to other photographers on match days. I would also never ask people for feedback on my work.
I think if I would have had a bit more confidence back then and pushed myself a bit more it would have been a lot more beneficial and I would have learned so much more. Now, I make sure I talk to other photographers and I am not scared to ask people how they think I can improve and I feel like this has made a massive difference in the work I produce now.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: Jack Grealish of Manchester City reacts as he is interviewed during his unveiling at Etihad Stadium on August 09, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
I am excited that more females are becoming interested in sports photography. There aren’t many of us in this industry, on a match day it was very rare I would have seen another female sports photographer pitch side with me. Now at games, I run into a few who seem to be doing really well and it’s great to see.
If you could change one thing about your Industry, what would you change?
One thing I would change is how many companies/clubs expect match day photography for free. I have seen many clubs advertise for ‘voluntary’ sports photographers which I have never agreed with.
I went to University to study photography and any photographer or person who works in media knows how expensive camera equipment is. So to see clubs advertising asking professionals to work for free doesn’t sit right with me, people deserve to be paid for their work.
Sport is a hectic industry, what do you do to switch off?
Outside of work to switch off I like to spend time with friends and family. It’s always hard working weekends and having to miss out on events that most people would go to on a weekend, especially as someone in their early 20’s. Therefore whenever I get time off I like to take advantage of it and go out or go away somewhere if possible.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: <> during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Manchester United and Atalanta at Old Trafford on October 20, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to work in the sports industry?
One piece of advice I would give is make sure you are being treated with respect and don’t settle for anything less when working for a client.
I have done work experiences previously that have made me want to give up working in sport, however I now work for two companies (Salford City FC and Getty Images) who are absolutely brilliant and make my job not feel like work. I look forward to every game that I cover and that’s how working in sport should be.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 20: <> during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Manchester United and Atalanta at Old Trafford on October 20, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
How to connect Charlotte Tattersall…
Twitter – @CBTPhotography
Instagram – charlottetattersallphoto
Facebook – Charlotte Tattersall Photography
Thanks for reading our Industry Insider with Charlotte Tattersall! If you want to read more from the series, you can do so by clicking here.
