This is one of my favourite pictures from Kate and Ryan's wedding reception at the Oxwich Bay Hotel in west Wales. They'd set up this mini basketball game to keep the kids occupied during the drinks reception and it was a big hit.
In some ways children are much easier to photograph than adults. They are less self-conscious so, even though they will sometimes notice that you're taking their picture, it doesn't really bother them and they just carry on with what they are doing.
This picture is a perfect example. The three boys knew I was there taking pictures, but they were more interested in playing the game than in posing for me, so it was just a case of waiting for them to stop looking at me and go back to what they were doing. I was no more than about six feet away (the picture was shot with a 35mm lens), but I was stood there for at least five minutes, waiting for the moment to happen. In this case I was waiting for that perfect combination of ball in mid air and the two children to be in the right place in the background. Those two were running up and down the bank and as soon as they stopped in this position I knew I had the best picture. The pose of the girl, combined with the three perfectly spaced boys in the foreground, and the peak action of the ball made for a great composition.
This picture is also proof that, as a documentary photographer, you don't have to skulk around at the edges of the action and shoot with a telephoto lens hoping that nobody notices you. Its much more important to be in amongst the action and to blend in to the point that your presence doesn't bother people. The pictures are much better that way.