ON THE BALL SHOOTING THE 2019 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, held in France over June and July, highlighted just how popular the women’s game has become, with capacity crowds at many matches and heightened interest around the world. That meant lots of demand for stories, footage and photographs, and plenty of pressure on the people who were tasked with producing all this content. Among these was Javier Garcia, who is the UK-based Director of Sports Photography at Shutterstock, the American photo, video and music library that was one of the agencies covering the Women’s World Cup.

Not surprisingly, right at the start, Javier emphasises the importance of being fully prepared for whatever event you are photographing.

“It’s so important to be prepared, so having the right equipment and positioning yourself in the right spot are key,” he says. “However, typically when it comes to tournaments organised by the likes of FIFA or UEFA – the World and European governing bodies of football respectively – your position