MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURING THE PERSONALITIES OF OUR YOUNG PLAYERS
Bloomsbury Football have been proud to partner with photographer and creative director Stacey Osborne to capture new high-quality imagery of our players and provision.
We sat down with Stacey to hear about her love for her craft, her long-term relationship with football, and why Bloomsbury’s mission resonated with her.
Stacey’s love for photography and capturing magical moments is clear from the moment you meet her. Speaking with us, she explained her journey from football obsessed young girl in Northamptonshire to photographing some of the world’s greatest stars on the pitch.
With a background in arts and design, it was a solo round-the-world adventure with a borrowed Olympus AF10 that reaffirmed her desire to turn a photography passion into a career. Once home in the UK, she began assisting at an editorial portrait studio, learning technical skills and honing an eye for composition.
“Moving to Hackney in my twenties set my love of photography alight. My work is committed to storytelling through a lens, whether capturing high profile subjects or unsung London stars.”
Becoming a freelancer unlocked partnerships with recognised brands and celebrities, including commissions by Madame Tussauds to capture soon-to-be waxwork icons like Will.I.Am and Lewis Hamilton, and working with music sensations at the Brit Awards. Despite immersion in the entertainment industry, Stacey tells how it is the unfiltered shots she treasures.
“For me, photography as an art form is less about nailing technical perfection and more about confidence, connection and allowing space for the subject to breathe.”
Expertise in grabbing the authentic candid is what gained Stacey wider attention, opening the door to work with Thames Productions on shows like the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.
Always a keen football fan, it was a recent return to the pitch that prompted a shift into Sports photography for Stacey.
“I joined a grassroots 5-a-side team in 2016, and it reconnected my love for the game. Meeting (Romance FC founder) Trisha Lewis, I had a lightbulb moment.”
“Trisha had paved the way in creating a safe and inclusive space for creatives with a shared love of football. She re-ignited my love of the sport, and I quickly discovered how football could be a powerful tool in relieving stress, improving focus and staying active.”
Stacey details how she’d been keen to document more local, community stories in her photography after a significant stint following TV and music talent. Since starting to play football again, she’s worked expanded her portfolio and skills by capturing players from the Women’s Super League and England’s Lionesses.
“I love working at the intersection of action and portraiture within sports photography, and it’s allowed me to document the incredible rise of women’s football. It comes too with the newfound era of respect and applause for Women, both in Sport and Business. It’s a real pleasure to capture that huge cultural shift.”
Stacey first encountered Bloomsbury when shooting for the Girls Super League, and a collaboration felt natural given the alignment of its mission and core values with her own beliefs.
“Bloomsbury uses the power of football to improve lives both physically and mentally, welcoming everyone across varying cultures, beliefs and financial standings. I love this. Supporting those at a young age is fundamental, and so it made sense to collaborate with such a fab set of like-minded individuals.”
So far, Stacey has visited three Bloomsbury sessions – two evening Academy trips, at Market Road and Acland Burghley school, before spending a day at Easter Holiday Camps.
She explained how the general buzz around each session helped her thrive in her own craft. “it makes my job easy – you can feel the excitement, feel it in the air. I want my work to reflect that buzz, it’s important to document these special moments through sport.”
Capturing in different light levels has also been a benefit of visiting multiple venues.
“I love switching technically from those atmospheric, grainy night shots to the fresh and bright feel of playing in the daylight, showing the two different sides.
With Stacey’s final shoot with Bloomsbury fast approaching – a morning with the team at Coram’s field on 28th April – thoughts turn to her future projects.
Catching athletes in action remains firmly on the agenda, working alongside Hackney based running club ‘My Friendly Runners’, while also capturing Bloomsbury’s very own Ella-Rose on her show while DJing for Brixton Radio. The latter is of artistic intrigue – Stacey explains how traditionally, DJs at the decks are reminiscent of harsh flashes and “crazy explosive expressions”; instead, she wants to reflect Ella-Rose’s “mellow and chill side” with grainier, abstract and more unobtrusive shots that do not detract from the music.
Stacey also wants to push her boundaries into more film and moving image exploration, having spent years focusing solely on still imagery. The unifying factor in all her work, as Stacey summarises, will remain a focus on those with a story to tell – regardless of origin or industry.
We are so thankful to Stacey for her time and endless positivity, and hope to work closely again with her in the future.
To see more of Stacey’s amazing work, follow her on Instagram.