Nice and Snappy – Diarmuid Greene

Yesterday we showed you 100 of Sportsfile’s best pictures from the year just gone. Now we are asking the photographers to give an insight into their favourites and the story behind the pictures.

Diarmuid Greene

Paul O’Connell and his son Paddy.

Sportsfile Images of 2014

This was taken after Munster’s narrow home league win against Ulster on the 28th of November.

I was sat in the corner of the pitch filing the last of my photographs and then packing up my equipment when I saw a video interview being conducted on the far side of the pitch.

It was about 20 minutes after the final whistle, which is unusually late, so I had a look through my lens to get a better view. When I saw it was Paul O’Connell, accompanied by his son Paddy, I thought it might make for a nice picture.

As I walked over I switched my camera to “quiet mode” so as not to disturb the interview between Paul O’Connell and Thomas Niblock of BBC NI. I still stayed about 20 metres away and used my 70-200mm lens to candidly capture a playful, patient and impressively well behaved four-year-old, Paddy O’Connell, standing by his Dad’s side while the interview was going on.

I waited until the interview was over to ask Paul if he didn’t mind that I had taken a few snaps of Paddy and himself and thankfully he had no problem. I showed them the pictures on the back of the camera and we had a laugh at Paddy making some funny shapes.

For me, it was nice to capture this little snapshot in time of a son waiting patiently for his Dad, a Dad who happens to be one of the greatest rugby players this country has ever produced. Hopefully a picture to be looked at fondly in years to come.

See the full set of Sportsfile Images of 2014 here:

http://sportsfile.zeitsolutions.com/more-images/1412028/5000/