We all know the difference between a mountainside and a cricket pitch, but one man who can claim to fully understand the difference with more certainty than most is a photographer who's just spent the summer covering the Ashes series.
Plymouth-based Nick Atkins makes a living photographing both cricket and snowboarding – which is a happy mix as his seasons never need clash.
The 37-year-old has been talking to the Western Morning News in the quiet week between the end of the Ashes series in which England were so memorably victorious – and the start of the One Day International series which most Westcountry cricket buffs will hope they'll also win.
If you're one such person and you turn green with envy over the idea of being given a first class ticket to every Test Match – then you might turn one wicket greener when you learn that even professional photographers who specialise in cricket envy Nick as well.
That's because he has a unique job within the world of cricket – working for the company which deals with the sport's major sponsors means that he is one of the few people to be given all-areas-access to the big Test Matches.
"Lots of photographers get given fixed positions and have to stay there, but I am allowed to move around. I can go up in the crowd – or basically anywhere I like," Nick told me as he was processing digital images this week.
"The main company I work for do athlete management and they also look after sponsors and advertising deals around the grounds," explained Nick, who only took up photography seven years ago.
"My job, initially, is getting shots for sponsors and so on... They want to see action in front of their advertising boards. The clients want atmospheric shots – any big moments marking the day."
But a good knowledge of the sport is vital, says Nick, who has played pub cricket for many years and currently turns out (whenever he can) for Wembury Grasshoppers. "You have to watch the game to know what's coming up next – obviously it helps understanding cricket – and I always listen to it on the radio when I am there.
"I mostly tune in to Test Match Special – I see the commentators and so on in the media centre. They're always quite busy, but you get to say hello to them. Some of the players always say hello to you as well – they are friendly to most of the photographers.
"Part of my job is to photograph some of them for sponsors – for instance, Ian Bell was involved with a company and they wanted shots specifically of him. So I do get to meet the players, but usually on match days their mindset is completely on the game."
Nick said that many people do envy him his job: "It is a lot of driving because the grounds are spread around the country – and it is hard work during the day – but I do feel quite privileged.
"It sounds quite glamorous, but it is also tiring. For example I'm about to do the One Day Series now and I will be away for two whole weeks. Even when the match stops I'm filing and editing photographs at the end of the day, unless something important happens when I'll do them straight away.
"I'm not married – but I've got a girlfriend and she is understanding," Nick said when I asked if his being away from Plymouth so much affected his family life.
And Nick is destined to be far from Devon this winter...
"I'm going snowboarding with the British Snowboarding team – they train in Breckenridge in Colorado and I'll be photographing them for the build-up to the Winter Olympics. In fact, I have accreditation for 2014 Russia Winter Olympics in Sochi."
I put it to Nick that cricket and winter mountain sports were separate worlds which couldn't be further apart – how did he get involved in both?
"I used to run a snowboard shop in Plymouth and import snowboard goods," he replied. "I'd been working in the shop so long I basically wanted to go out in the mountains and take photos – which is something I'd studied at school. I was able to go away with the British snowboard team and that's where it all started...
"I was shooting a competition in Switzerland and there was a chap covering it from the UK who hadn't done much snowboarding. So I gave him some help and advice and eventually I asked what he did in summer – and it was cricket. So I started helping him out – and I ended up working with him for a year. Then he left and I continued."
You couldn't possibly talk to someone who'd been at every Ashes Test Match this summer and not ask them for a few of their favourite moments...
"Well, for a start, out of all the grounds my favourite is Trent Bridge at Nottingham. The last few years I've been there, the weather has always been great – and there's a great atmosphere. I'll never forget Ashton Agar coming out to bat there at number 11 – no one knew who he was and it was the best batting we saw all summer.
"There are tons of other great moments, but that's what I remember best. Agar came in and nearly got his century – 98 he scored and both the Australian and England supporters wanted him to get his 100.
"Whenever Kevin Pietersen is playing it's always exciting to see what's going to happen. And Ian Bell came in to his own this summer – and pretty much won it for us – everyone enjoys his batting.
"Another thing was Joe Root – he's one of the other great players who is turning up now – he hit 180 in one Test. Then, seeing David Warner, who punched Joe Root... the crowd was always booing him. And I saw Root take a catch from him – I was right next to that when it happened. The crowd loved it...
"You do get to see those moments – but mostly you are looking through the lens and a lot of times you are just predicting what's going to happen and pressing the button," shrugged Nick. "But, the minute something does happen through the lens... That's when you do get really excited."
You can seem more of Nick's work at www.sceneimages.com
