Last week I caught with Sussex County FA Official photographer Simon Roe to find out how he got into the industry and what the future looks like for him:
TK: Simon, what got you into sports or football photography and how long have you been doing it now?
SR: I’d always wanted to get into sports journalism when I was at school, I had a particular dream to be a sports commentator but then I realised all the qualifications you’d need etc. and decided to take a different route.
My grandad actually gave me his old Canon AE1 camera on some trips to Brands Hatch and I caught the bug of capturing a moment in time and from there I fell in love with photography and the idea of freezing that moment in time.
I’ve been covering grassroots football since 2006, I’m a slightly better photographer now than when I started. In around 2010 I started to realise the opportunities to build my own business working for outlets such as the Non League Paper and a few local papers who were still willing to pay for my photos.
I then built my business to where it is now and have been lucky enough to be have been doing it full time since 2022 after leaving my then job to pursue my dream. Let’s just say I haven’t looked back since!
TK: What was it that made you realise you could make a business from your photographs? Was there a defining moment or a crunching of the numbers?
SR: I think my first defining moment was when I sold my first photo to a player. It was something I’d never thought about until that player emailed me asking to buy some prints.
That was the moment I realised that players had an interest and from there I just explored the best way for me to sell my images.
TK: Was it a tough beginning trying to find that best way to maximise profits from the work? Did word spread quickly?
SR: Back in the day when I first started I still had a full time job so it wasn’t so much about making the money but more about building relationships with clubs and organisations and generally just enjoying the football.
Whilst watching the games and learning my craft I was able to build a business that allowed me to maximise profits by knowing what sort of games to cover etc.
I wouldn’t say word spread quickly but in time I have been able to build some of a reputation that people know my name and what I am capable of doing.
TK: How does it work for you now, do clubs contact you, do you decide where to go or a mixture of the two?
SR: Very much a mix of the two. Obviously I have certain organisations and clubs who I work alongside and they will tend to book me for events and matches well in advance, other bookings then tend to fit around them in my schedule.
I do still love to ground hop though so any free time in my schedule I do my best to fit in a random game somewhere just for me. It’s nice to cover a game where I have no responsibility as such to create anything and I can just do my own thing.
TK: Sounds the perfect mix! What makes the perfect picture for you?
SR: The perfect picture is totally subjective, what I might think is the perfect picture someone else might disagree. My favourite pictures to capture are the joy and emotion of the game, whether it be agony, ecstasy or both in one frame.
TK: What advice do you have for anyone wanting to break into the industry be it alone or via an agency?
SR: I think my biggest advice would be don’t rush yourself and just make sure you’re ready. I see so many people now pick up a camera and after one game here or there they want to be doing Premier League matches.
So I would say to anyone to learn your craft first, know your camera and how to get the best out of it. Spend hours scrolling through Instagram gaining inspiration from others and even contact people to talk to them about their journey.
Social media gives great opportunities for people to be able to reach out to others now which I could have only dreamt of when I first started.
My thanks to Simon for his time and you can find him here:
Twitter/X: @nonleaguesnappa
Insta: nonleaguesnapper