The group of photographers from the Fratton Park photography walkshop

Photos From Portsmouth FC Fratton Park Photo Walkshop

FOR THE 53rd PHOTOGRAPHY WALKSHOP WE EXPLORED FOR THE FIRST TIME FRATTON PARK, THE HOME OF PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB

Note: Sorry we’re so behind with the photos from last year’s photo walkshops, we’ll be sharing lots of them to catch up ready for the next walkshops in January (you can see the upcoming walkshops HERE, still some spaces available).

The 53rd photography walkshop was something a little special (with thanks to the help from Tash who plays for the Portsmouth FC’s women’s team) as we were able to explore the mighty Fratton Park with our cameras. Portsmouth FC‘s stadium is a place many people have visited on match day but this may well have been the first time you could explore the stands, the edge of the pitch and even the changing rooms with a camera. The group initially met up on Frogmore Road by the ticket stand: a great mix of photographers and diehard fans, all looking to have a unique experience seeing the ground in a totally new way through a lens.

…this may well have been the first time you could explore the stands, the edge of the pitch and even the changing rooms with a camera…

Photographer looking at reflections in the Fratton Park map sign

Photographer catching reflections in the window of the box office at Fratton Park

Looking at angles outside the Fratton Park ticket office

The blue sign celebrating the trust takeover of the club

Wide view from the top of Fratton End stand at Fratton Park

The seats themselves were perfect for leading lines, repeated patterns and also for working with depth of field too…

With the team recently celebrating promotion and winning the league we started off our walkshop at Fratton Park at none other than the infamous Fratton End stand. Despite being a somewhat different location to our usual photo walks we still worked on different techniques, adapting them to the many different photo opportunities available before us. The seats themselves were perfect for leading lines, repeated patterns and also for working with depth of field too.

Photographer in the Fratton End seats looking out over the pitch

The coloured seats looking down the Fratton End stand

Low angle of the row of seats in the Fratton End stand

We worked along the rows looking for angles down, up and along the line. At this point the clouds began to break up and give us a blue sky backdrop too. At the bottom of the stand we also used the goal net to create natural framing for different parts of the ground, such as the floodlights at the opposite corner of the pitch. That’s not something you shoot everyday…

…the goal net to create natural framing for different parts of the ground, such as the floodlights…

Photographer checking photos in the Fratton End seats

Looking through the stand to get a natural frame

Looking up through a Fratton End stand tunnel out to the pitch

Looking up to the lighting on the edge of the stand roof

One of the Fratton Park floodlights through a gap in the goal net

Curving line of the Fratton End seats at Fratton Park

…using the touchline to lead the eye and to also get very low perspectives of the pitch from the grass level…

We worked our way down to the Fratton End/North Stand corner and got as close to the hallowed turf as we were allowed. From here it was great to work on low angles, using the touchline to lead the eye and to also get very low perspectives of the pitch from the grass level. We normally joke about this being a worm’s eye view but funny enough we had a snail turn up, kindly modelling for some of the photographers as this diminutive fan made their way slowly across the pitch. The North Stand has some real history and many of the seats and steps have some great details, lettering and texture.

Photographers around the corner of the pitch

The roof of the Fratton End stand with a floodlight in the background

A photographer looking up from the pitch

An old painted letter A in the North Stand

Low angle view of a photographer looking along the line

North Stand seating leading off in to the distance

The side line painted on the Fratton Park pitch

From the back row of the South Stand at Fratton Park

We continued to circle the pitch and headed for the Milton End/South Stand corner. This spot allowed us to explore up between the stands, along the back of the Milton End and discover some really interesting angles with stairs and turnstiles. This little area may well be completely forgotten about normally but revealed some unusual textures and views.

This little area may well be completely forgotten about normally but revealed some unusual textures and views…

Paint textures on the floor at the Milton End

Old loud speaker and wires around the back of the Milton End

Jumble of wires around the back of the Milton End

Entrance up the ladder of a Milton End floodlight

Photographer looking up down the back of the Milton End

View looking through the fence and down the seating of the Milton End

…we could use the halfway line as a leading line, and the tunnel view looking out on the pitch as a natural frame…

With great trepidation it was on to the South Stand, and to the tunnel for our next stop. Everyone wanted a shot of themselves in the team seats and also on the touchline. Being at the mid point of the pitch it also created perspectives where we could use the halfway line as a leading line, and the tunnel view looking out on the pitch as a natural frame. From here we headed in to the stand, for the next part of the tour.

Looking down the half-way line of Fratton park

The walkshop photographers sat in the team seats on the touchline

Looking up the tunnel to the Fratton Park pitch

Along corridors and through doors we ended up at the locations normally unavailable to the public and particularly photographers. First up was a look around the team changing rooms and then on to the manager’s office. The corridors themselves were great for lines of perspective and centre compositions. We discovered photo opportunities everywhere we looked.

The corridors themselves were great for lines of perspective and centre compositions…

Phtographer taking a photo through the door of the home team changing room

Door sign for the home team changing room

Along the Fratton Park corridor to the changing rooms

Photographer capturing an image in the home team changing room

Sneaking a look in to the Portsmouth FC's Manager's Office at Fratton Park

We got the chance to really explore and photograph a location that despite being so well known and heaving on match day…had many fantastic photographic secrets to capture with a camera…

Finally we headed back out of the tunnel and back on to the touchline, with a last chance to explore up in the stand, the turnstiles, stairs and more. The floodlight in the corner was also great to capture as you can walk right underneath it, looking straight up! Time often flies on photo walkshops but this was something next level, in what felt like only a few minutes our two hours was over and it was time to leave. We got the chance to really explore and photograph a location that despite being so well known and heaving on match day…had many fantastic photographic secrets to capture with a camera. A HUGE thank you to Tash and Pompey in the Community for helping make it all happen, Portsmouth FC for welcoming a group of wide eyed photographers in the gates and of course to all the people who came along on the day. Hoping that we can maybe do this again another time.