Tom Banks, club photographer for Middlesbrough Football Club, started taking photos at 13, mainly as a hobby snapping himself and friends skateboarding. TUXtra’s Sam Robson spoke to him about his career so far.
It started as a hobby for Tom, but he soon professionalised his work by studying photography at college. This allowed him to build experience at a Sunday newspaper before eventually taking a senior role at the Teesside Gazette, which Tom applied for âthinking he wouldnât get itâ before being pleasantly surprised. After two years at the Gazette, Tom made the move to The Northern Echo in 2008, where he would meet TUXtraâs very own Jim Entwistle, journalism course leader at Teesside University. After this, Tom was given the opportunity to become a club photographer for Boro where he currently works, travelling up and down the country catching all Boro games for the club.
Since becoming club photographer, Tom recalls his favourite match being away to European giants Manchester United in the fourth round of the 2021/22 seasonâs FA Cup. Going into the match, Tom rightly describes Middlesbrough as âhuge underdogsâ and the fact that Boro âgave it a real good goâ made this his favourite match. However, it isnât always plain sailing, as during the penalty shootout of this match, Tom remembers being at the opposite end to where the penalties were being taken and thus âreally only getting views of the backs of [the players]â.
Despite this, once Boro had cemented their place in the fifth round, all the players âran up to the corner I was in because the fans were behind meâ allowing Tom to get some better shots of the players, full of joy after an unlikely upset.
When asked for the best bit of advice he could offer a would-be photographer, Tom stressed the importance of practice, and mentioned, for sports photographers, visiting a local non-league team to try and develop skills. I asked Tom if there was a âphotographerâs senseâ to be developed when practising framing, lighting and all which is important when considering a good photo, to which the answer was a resounding âyesâ. Demonstrating his own grasp of this, Banks describes Middlesbrough player Finn Azaz, who he has found out tends to shoot from the edge of the box. Tom has grown to expect this, and thus it allows him to anticipate how the Irishman will move, helping capture a better photo.
