Aleksandar Jason explains what Football Culture means to his Photography. We talk all things THATFOOTBALLPHOTOG and discuss his current role as Club Photographer at Melbourne City Football Club, in Australia’s A-League.
Who is Aleksandar Jason?
I’m a football die hard and a dreamer, Australian based and always looking to push down boundaries in the football world.
How did you break into photographing football?
I love the game, I’ve cried over a game–being able to say that I am doing what I love for the game that I love is an honour–I always disliked the way football was shown by other photographers, I wanted to change that. In 2011, I bought my first telephoto lens and 5 years down the road, I joined the team at THETURF and everything else just happened, all I can say is that hard work pays off.
Being a creative, how do you think the role of design/photography dictates football?
Creativity is a key part of being human, art has always been a way of communication. We all remember certain images of moments/events, I’m sure if I say Mohammed Ali; you’ll instantly think of a photo.
My goal as a creative in the football world is to create/capture something that will tell a story for more than a day. My goal at Melbourne City was to create imagery to stand out from your every day Getty Image/Media shot.
What’s your current set up for shooting the games? Does it differ game to game?
At the moment everything has been shot through my Canon 5DMKIII / in a few weeks I get to call the 1DXII my new best friend–alongside that I have always rented the 300mm f2.8 or 200-400mm f4 as sports photography doesn’t pay well at the beginning. I am still new to the sports world as a photographer, and gear can set you back for months/years if you don’t have enough savings.
Alongside the 1DXII purchase I will be welcoming a 200-400mm to my kit *celebrations.*
I attended most Melbourne City games this season with at least 2-3 bodies /
Canon 1DX MKII 200-400mm f4
Canon 5DMKIII 70-200mm f2.8
Canon 5DMKIII 50m f1.2
When did you realise you had a passion for football?
I remember watching 4am live games on free-to-air television with my grandpa and dad, whether it was Manchester United or Barcelona–I will never forget those memories, it wasn’t until I was about 15 years old that I found football to be more than just a game. I cry about football, my day is based upon football results.
You documented the ICC recently, how was that experience for you?
ICC 2015 was a great experience, its a great move for the organisation and to be able to have the talent of these teams visiting us, brings new inspiration to the next generation of Australian footballers.
Having the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) host the games is just the beginning, being able to attend a game between Real Madrid and AS ROMA on your home soil is something all football fans want–as a photographer its a tease of what everyone in Europe gets week in week out.
Being located in Australia, do you find it sometimes difficult to connect to the football world abroad?
As a football fan and a photographer who works with football, being based in Australia has its moments–we are so far away from everything and everyone. Europeans complain about a 1-2month break while we have a 3-5month break from top flight A-League or International Football.
It’s a little hard as well when it comes to Australian football, the media is not a huge fan of the world game, as they seem to favour other sport codes–and that’s one thing I hope my work can change in the next few years.
What makes Australia special when it comes to Football?
It has taken us a long time to get where we are, the game itself has had to fight to be recognised as one of the main codes in this country that is dominated by single minded media. Fans of the game can be seen across our land, from Perth to Brisbane.
Dedication? Nothing shows love for football more than Australians, as we either stay up till 2am for EUROS or have breakfast with our football at 5am.
Your favourite football jersey and why?
Thats a tough one, I have a fair few…
Nothing will ever beat the the 1999 Manchester United Championship winning jersey. So many memories as a kid, thinking I was Beckham with the long sleeves, and that SHARP sponsor.
But, lately I’ve been a huge fan of the Napoli 15/16 Eagle third kit, it has gotten a few negative reviews. But it’s a class jersey!
Future plans for THATFOOTBALLPHOTG, what can we expect?
Continuing what I’m doing, I’m working on a few little photogrsaphic series that I hope to release over the next few months. Alongside other football magazine’s I hope to grow my brand and identity and hopefully become a household name in the Australian football scene
Make sure you are following Aleksandar over on Instagram and Facebook!
