An Evening with the Michael Carrick Foundation – Cameras, Charity & a Lot of Football Chat

Every now and then, I get to photograph something that makes us feel like we’ve should’ve brought our autograph books instead of my camera bags. The Michael Carrick Foundation event at the Hilton Hotel Manchester was exactly that. Football legends? Check. Swanky hotel? Check. A brilliant cause that makes you feel all warm inside? Triple check.

The Hilton was looking its best, all polished floors, plush lighting and that subtle air of “ooh this is a bit posh, isn’t it?” You could smell the anticipation (and the canapés) from the lift. The evening was packed with football fans, supporters of the Foundation, and some very recognisable faces who are much more used to being on the pitch than under my lens.

As always, we got to blend into the background like the camera-wielding ninja’s, which is our favourite way to work. Our job was to capture the energy, the emotion and the spirit of the night and with this crowd, it wasn’t hard. There were powerful speeches, lots of laughs, and a few heartstring-tugging moments as we heard more about the Foundation’s incredible work helping young people in underserved communities. You’d need a heart of stone not to get a bit choked up.

There were plenty of little moments we loved catching, proud smiles, excited fans nudging their mates like “That’s him from United!” and spontaneous hugs from people who clearly hadn’t seen each other in ages. The drinks were flowing, the atmosphere was buzzing, and there was just the right amount of football banter to keep things interesting.

Photographing events like this is the sweet spot for us, equal parts fun and meaningful. It’s not just about snapping nice photos (though don’t get me wrong, we do love a good moody spotlight shot), it’s about telling the story of the night in a way that makes people feel like they were right there, soaking up the vibe.

Huge thanks to Road3 the team behind the Michael Carrick Foundation for putting on such a class event and for letting me be the one to capture it all. It’s always a joy when work doesn’t feel like work, especially when there’s a brilliant cause at the heart of it.

Here are a few images from the evening, we hope you enjoy having a good nosey.