Adam Rosenbaum has carved out a unique space in the world of photography, capturing the raw emotion, unforgettable moments, and eccentric characters that define football culture, particularly in the English Football League (EFL). From the electric atmosphere of promotions, gritty passion of die-hard fans and the chaos of pitch invasions, Adam’s work paints a vivid picture of football culture in the EFL well beyond the action on the pitch.

Based in Ealing, West London, and a lifelong Brentford supporter, Adam balances his career as a video editor with his passion for both film and digital photography, building a growing portfolio that celebrates the heart and soul of football fandom. Speaking with Lower Block, Adam shares his inspirations, favourite moments, and what makes football such a magnetic subject for his photography.

Lower Block: Firstly, who do you support, and tell us what the club means to you?

Adam Rosenbaum: Brentford FC, up the bees! I grew up in Ealing, West London, and still residing here currently. It’s hard to put into words really. Countless hours spent following the club, so many good memories, some less good ones. I look forward to Brentford all week. I love seeing us do well and it hurts when we lose but it’s about more than the 90 minutes and what happens on the pitch. I just really love being there, whether that’s in the ground or being in the pub before / after with your mates. Sometimes on away days I look forward to the train having beers with your mates as much as the game. So it means more than just football, it’s about the day out as much as anything else.

In terms of idols, growing up as a little kid I was really obsessed with Alan Shearer. Don’t ask me why but I used to send him letters!

Lower Block: What drew you towards football as a fan, playing, watching and supporting?

Adam Rosenbaum: As soon as I started going to games as a kid I was hooked on the atmosphere and fan culture surrounding going to the game. I cared about what was going on the pitch but I also had an eye on what was going on in the stands. I was always really interested in the different songs each club’s fans would sing and the nuances between different fanbases, and I became a bit of a nerd for that kind of thing. It sounds quite immature now but when I was younger I’d come out of games that we lost and say ‘Yeah but our fans were better than yours, yours were sh*t’, as though to say that mattered just as much as the score. Obviously as you get older you grow out of that kind of mindset but I guess it shows right from the start I was really engaged in fan culture and the match-going environment as a whole.

LB: Tell us a bit about your work, how and when did it all start?

AR: To be honest I’m very lucky in that I work for Sky Bet, so they can often arrange photography access for EFL games due to their sponsorship. I’ve been into film photography since 2017 and earlier this year someone from Sky Bet suggested I take my camera down to some games to capture some content for them. That was my in, and it’s kind of snowballed from there really. I do consider myself fortunate as loads of talented photographers would like to do similar but would find it tricky to get the same access and opportunities.

I’ve now started to build up a bit of a portfolio of work from various clubs and their fanbases. There is a purity to the EFL that sometimes feels like it’s missing from the Premier League. Everything is a bit less shiny and a bit less glamorous. The Premier League is great in its own way but I think it lacks the grittiness of the EFL. I love shooting these games and environments, and I get a proper buzz from it.

LB: Do you have a favourite photograph from this project?

AR: Probably the photo of Omari Hutchinson, after scoring the goal that pretty much secured Ipswich’s promotion back to the Prem for the first time in 22 years – he came and did this acrobatic somersault right in front of me. I remember the whole train home just thinking “F*ck I hope I got that shot right” because with film you obviously don’t really know till you get your pics back from the developers!

LB: Is there anyone specific who has influenced your work?

AR: I’m not sure there was a specific influence, I think was more just a case of gradually combining my two my main hobbies, photography and football.

But, there’s loads of football photographers I take influence from though, old and new.

Going back a bit further Stuart Roy Clarke and Tony Davis are the godfathers, both have an incredible archive of football culture photography.

More recently there’s a few peoples on insta that I really love seeing posts from and have definitely inspired me and how I shoot: Sam Cornish, who shoots Spurs games, Simon Bristow, who shoots Forest games, George Dixon, who shoots Newcastle games. The way they document their fanbases and clubs is a level of authenticity that can’t be replicated by brands or the clubs’ social media teams themselves. They all have their own style but they all focus on the fans and what’s going on around them more than what’s happening on the pitch. For me a photo of fans going mental after a goal or singing songs will always be way more interesting photo than a close up of a player on the pitch making a pass or something. Each to their own and I know it serves a purpose but I find the Getty Images style of photography a bit boring. How many photos of player dribbling the ball do people really want to see?

Outside of football two photographers I love are Sean Anthony and Nico Froe.

LB: What do you think makes photographing football lifestyle / culture so fascinating?

AR: Football grounds are such special places. Lots of them have been around for over 100 years, just as examples, Goodison Park and Hilsborough were built in the 1800s. That’s over a hundred of years of history, a hundred years of memories, highs and lows. But even the newer ones still retain that feeling of being somewhere important and special.

People really lose their minds in football stadiums, jumping around hugging random people, or shouting abuse at the referee or opposition. When else in life does anybody do that? People behave in a different way once they’re inside a ground. That’s why it’s so special to photograph. You capture people in that moment where they’re taking a step outside the mundaneness of life. So for me that’s why being in and around football stadiums is the perfect place to take photos. So much going on, so many different characters, so much colour and so much emotion.

LB: What’s next for you? Do you have any future plans or other projects you’re working on?

AR: At the moment I’m just enjoying the journey and trying to grab opportunities that come my way, I want to keep shooting clubs and fanbases around the country, maybe there’ll be a book down the line once I have enough content, who knows?!

I’d love to be able to get to a point where I’m getting commissioned to shoot fan culture across the world, not sure how realistic that is but you have to dream big! Haha. I’m thinking of trying to get over to Naples to shoot Napoli fans this season. Italy is a country that appeals big time to me, with such a strong and unique fan culture.

I don’t want to limit myself to just football culture either though, I love street and travel photography, shooting events, portraits of different types of people. I just want to keep plugging away at all of it.

Keep up with Adam’s work by giving him a follow on Instagram and TikTok.

For commissions, check out his professional website and drop him a line.

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