Welcome back to another TTTONLF meets Jack Noble the founder of the amazing social media page Polaroid Football an amazing page setup by Jack whereby he visits different Non-League games and grounds and captures them not in high definition but in, you guessed it, Polaroid form. A really unique concept and one which I personally love. I find polaroid photos in general a lovely way of capturing the moment in ways that a regular high megapixel camera just doesnt, it seems more rugged, authentic and not picture perfect – in a way that general life is. So the matchup of that style with the complex layers of football is fascinating, I hope you enjoy!

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Have you always loved photography?

Yes but only as a consumer of it. Prior to starting this account I had zero experience in photography and Polaroid cameras to be honest.

What is it about old school photography that appeals to you?

Using old cameras gives such a different and distinct look as opposed to modern cameras. The nostalgic feel can quite frankly make average photos look great and makes each photo look more unique and interesting.

What made you start this project?

I had this idea for a couple of years now as I was going to so many games and I felt like I should be documenting them in some way. Using Polaroids to to this felt like the best way to me as the physical aspect of being able to hold the photos and that the process was instant felt like the best option both practically and creatively. Also I felt it was a bit of an untapped market as I couldn’t see anyone else using Polaroids in football so I felt like I could bring something unique and different to the football photography space.

Did you always have football in mind for this?

Yes, I don’t think I could ever do this for anything other than football.

How do you combat the speed of the game against the speed of the camera at your disposal?

It’s very hard as the Polaroid camera does not pick up movement very well so most of the time I have to wait for static targets, like free kicks or corners, or wait until the action is right in front of me which can be very difficult as I am shooting from the stands and sometimes far away from the pitch.

How many shots do you take on average per game?

Five is the standard for most games as I feel that it’s the best to both showcase the game/ground/team but also is the best for frankly financial reasons as the packs of photo cartridges are pretty expensive and it would be too costly to shoot any more per games. For some home games I only take three as I don’t want to repeat photos of things that I have shot before which is becoming harder the longer the season goes on.

What are some of your favourite shots you have captured?

From a personal standpoint this years FA Cup run led to some great photos especially of post match celebrations and then the Millwall game in the third round. I have been fortunate enough to go to some Premier League teams and was really happy with how some of those photos came out but the game that I went to where I was happiest with how the photos came out was Barnet vs York. I went to that game as a neutral as it was a huge game at the time and I think that was the best series of photos I have been able to take since starting this account.

What has the feedback been like?

Awesome! Literally as I am writing this I have just reached 500 followers on Instagram which has surpassed anything I thought was possible when I started this and I have had numerous people reaching out to say that they enjoy what I am doing and even telling me their own stories about using Polaroid cameras which is incredible.

How do you choose which games to attend and shoot?

I was already going to 35+ Dagenham games every season so I am just capturing those games now but I definitely have more of a motivation to go to games as a neutral especially teams and grounds I’ve never been to before.

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Thanks to Jack for his time and for giving so much to the football community already with his amazing shots and overall concept, a concept which I think will go from strength to strength as time goes by. There is a real clamour for old school products and content, the biggest example of this being the return with some force of music on vinyl, I can see that ‘Polaroid Football’ hitting a similar audience with his shots.

Incredible work Jack, keep on smashing it!

Until next time!

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