What is the Nikon Field Photographer Program?

The program has been conducted for many football matches organized by the AFC since 2008. Nikon carries out the program in Japan and other Asian and Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, South Korea, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The program is designed for 10- to 15-year-old children and their parents, inviting maximum five parent-and-child pairs at a time. Participants can use the digital SLR cameras loaned to them by Nikon to get closer to their favorite players on the pitch, and take photographs of the team warming up before the match starts.

Staff members are there to show how to shoot the best photos!

Participants are requested to arrive at the stadium two hours before the kick-off time. Nikon staff members give them instructions on holding the camera, how to press the shutter release button and other operational basics, including ways to achieve the best shots of sports scenes. Once they are familiar with these basics and have practiced taking test shots in a press conference room or other available location, they are guided to a site where players are doing their warm-up exercises, which ordinary visitors do not usually have access to.

A series of surprises and exciting moments! Participants take photographs of players from a pitchside position.

Many comments were made from children expressing their excitement at having attended the program. Here are a few examples:
"It was great that I could take photographs of my favorite players by myself." (China)
"I saw football players this close for the first time in my life. I was so excited! Watching the enthusiasm of supporters in the stands was quite an awesome view from the pitch." (Thailand)
"It was something I never experienced before. And it was fun to use a digital SLR camera." (South Korea)
"Attending the event, I now understand how photographers work. I want to become a photographer myself in the future." (Qatar)

Parents were happy to see their own children excitedly enjoying themselves right beside the pitch.

Participating parents made various comments, thanking us for the enjoyment they felt watching their little photographers enthusiastically working with their cameras beside the pitch. Here are a few examples:
"I was very moved, because it’s not a common experience to take photographs of players at their height of tension just before a match. In addition, it became a memorably exciting event shared together by myself and my child. " (Japan)
"I felt myself what it’s like being a player and became a little tense with excitement. The children were all smiling with joy." (Japan)
"I got close to some famous players. My son and I had a really great time together." (Saudi Arabia)
"We were allowed to enter a normally restricted area. We took photographs of players right up close in front of us. It was a very significant day and a fantastic experience." (Japan)

We support this Nikon Field photographer Program in matches held by the AFC. By showing and sharing the excitement of football through photography at pitch level Nikon is proud to contribute to football supporters in Asia and to the welfare of local society in general.