More than dumb luck: sports photographer Tom Jenkins on scoring the 'money shot'

Every second counts when you have lots of photographers – and a bank of long lenses – vying to create something unique, or to catch a split-second expression that will capture the imagination of the world in a viral flurry. Getting the 'money shot' is what Tom's job is all about – "there are photographers all around me, and we're all out to get the best shot." You're under pressure to take a risk with exposure or shutter speed to get something different, but the stakes are high: "You're standing at the end of the 100m straight, and you've got Usain Bolt coming towards you, at quite a speed. It's nine seconds, and it's gone. You've been there all day setting up those cameras. It won't be repeated. That is pressure."

Many sports fans would say it's a dream job, but Tom is covering events rain or shine and he admits there are days where he gets frustrated. He says the weather sealing in his kit is "critical". "They need to withstand the hurly-burly of my profession. I can't make the excuse that my camera's not working." A chamois leather cloth is his must-have accessory.

The pressure to deliver is clearly higher than ever, with live sports coverage and increasing consumer expectations and competitors' standards. His images are transmitted via Wi-Fi to his laptop, and then straight to the news desk. "One of the first things I do when I get to a stadium is work out how I'm going to get the pictures sent as quickly as possible," he says. "It's vital."

It's hard to imagine how you can stand out in a crowd of photographers, penned in together. There are tricks you can learn, but much of it is instinctive. Tom can't explain why he frames like he does: "It's in-built; how it feels nice to me."

Tom also ensures there's no room for technical failures and places great importance on caring for his tools. "I use CPS a lot," he says, of Canon Professional Services – the technical support network for Canon-shooting pros. "In the rare circumstance that something goes wrong, they fix it as soon as they possibly can." CPS also attends the world's most significant matches with a team of technicians. "As a professional photographer, that support is really important," he says.

Camera manufacturers often test their top-level cameras on sports photographers because they get pushed to extremes. "We shoot in poor conditions with bad contrasts that are really hard for autofocus and we want fast shutters and really quick motor drives." With a fast-moving subject, it's essential to have a fast and precise autofocus. "It is the biggest game changer and the most important development in technology over the past 30 years," says Tom, who started his career manually follow-focusing his subjects.

During a typical game, Tom will have three cameras on him: a Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens, and another two bodies with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens and a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. "Those lenses cover me for all situations, from shooting action tight-in to tries in the corner, which are absolutely crucial."

When the moment comes, it's not whether his camera will work that's playing on Tom's mind, it's missing that key shot. "One of the most memorable nights of my career was in November 2003 in Sydney, Australia," he says. "It was the final of Rugby World Cup 2003, and England were playing Australia. I'd never seen England win anything big, be it cricket, football, rugby…

"It was a tight game, and it went to extra time. I was running up and down the sidelines photographing everything, and I was incredibly tired by extra time. It was pouring and I was sweating like mad, but I knew that it would probably come down to just one kick.

"The ball came back to Jonny Wilkinson. For some reason, I still don't know why, he turned and kicked it off his right foot, which is his weak foot. The ball looped up, went through the posts and England had won the World Cup. It was an incredible feeling.

"All the players were celebrating with the trophy, but I knew the story was Jonny Wilkinson. He is quite an introverted character, and the one player from the whole England team who didn't go near the trophy.

"So I'm thinking: 'how can I illustrate this?' Then I saw him heading towards the dressing room. He was the first player to leave the pitch that night. I saw all these fans draped over the tunnel with their arms out waiting to greet him. I rushed after him with a wide-angle lens, and I got one frame as he walked down the tunnel before the press officer walked in front of me and said, 'No more'.

"I didn't need more than one frame – it told the story. I knew the instant I took it."