Shooting Zenit vs Lokomotiv: early strike, VAR and Mostovoy’s show

RPL Round 14, Gazprom Arena, Zenit hosting Lokomotiv Moscow. I arrive early, map the angles, and settle on a flank that turns out to be the hotspot. For match photography I keep a simple playbook: long glass for pace, fast shutter for impact, and the discipline to pivot from the ball to faces. Being a sports photographer in Saint Petersburg helps — I know how the light and rhythm shift in this stadium.

The game cracks open around the 10th minute with an early Zenit goal. That’s when I lock onto reactions. The players sprint to celebrate along my touchline and I stack a sequence of clean, emotional frames — hands, eyes, the huddle. The tempo keeps bouncing between attacks and counters, so I leave space in compositions for clubs and sponsors to crop for media. Minute 91 brings the nerviest moment: a goal, then a VAR offside check. I shoot the wait — benches frozen, glances at the screen, a brief silence — and then the confirmation.

The second-goal celebration is theatre. Andrey Mostovoy delivers a choreographed routine and gets a yellow card for it, which ties the story with a neat visual punchline. Final score 2–0, Lokomotiv’s first loss of the season. For clients, this set is all about proximity and timing: authentic emotion, clean action, and assets ready for press, socials, and partners. If you need reliable sports photography for a federation, club, event or brand, I’m ready for Saint Petersburg fixtures and travel.

See the full gallery with the best moments from Zenit vs Lokomotiv, RPL Round 14 here: Zenit (Saint Petersburg) — Lokomotiv (Moscow).