Tyrhys Dolan at Espanyol

Yeah… not sure it means anything (at the beginning of a New Year that is shaping up to be disastrous) but…

My first job was supposed to be a corporate event thing. At the last moment I get a call for an editorial shoot the same day but earlier.

That makes me feel better. 

Corporate event stuff is fine. However the chance to have some fun getting creative with a celeb or sports star is usually going to be more fun.

As is usual with The Times guys, the call comes in last minute.

I would have to get over to the Espanyol training ground. I was to shoot a player called Tyrhys Dolan, who is from the UK.

I was working with a writer I have not met before. So the usual insistence on them remembering I would need my own time slot was paramount, they always get carried away and forget. 

Not an issue if you are dealing with flexible and sympathetic people (which Espanyol are)… 

…but if you are dealing with the other kind (yes you Barca FC) then you might find yourself left high and dry.

This why I avoid taking pics during the interview and instead look for other locations and get the lights set-up.

The tactic here is that they don’t see you taking photos and think “he must have enough by now.’

The other thing that concerned me was the weather.

What the bloody hell is going on!

December/January are, reliably, some of the nicest months in the year.

But the glorious year of 2026 has been a shit show.

Miserable in short.

I was hoping to get our guy outside and doing some fancy stuff with a ball, but if the skies opened up, that would be nixed.

I had set up a couple of flashes on one of the pitches and preyed the gray skies would give us a break.

The writer was actually doing the interview outside so I just paced around and waited for my moments to shine.

I was lucky.

I got the time, I got the shots. We even ended before someone started dropping heavy hints.

Tyrhys Dolan was game to mess around, so I got some fun shots and not a spot of rain fell… until later.

Fair enough.