In my past role as official PDC photographer I was in a very privileged position which enabled me to produce photographs in ways that had not been attempted before.
One such image could be called a “Board’s Eye View” although in reality the angle was from just above the board and was taken during the 2017 World Championship Final on the famous Alexandra Palace stage.
If the photo looks familiar to viewers of Darts on TV that’s because with the help of two of Sky’s best camera operators, Dave Jenkinson and Mark Sheridan, who provided the broadcasters excellent coverage from their unseen positions behind the set, allowed me to join them for part of the match.
Sharp eyed fans will have noted the small round hole in the backdrop above the boards ‘double tops’ with a camera lens slightly protruding from it.
For me to get that same shot Dave and Mark set their camera very precisely to create a small space for me to place my lens alongside theirs.
There were further practicalities to overcome, firstly the lens would have to be pre-focused and locked off as it would not be possible to do so during the game as I would be holding the camera above my head, and I would be unable to look through the viewfinder.
With this in mind, before the final began I went on stage and stood on the Oche and focused on the board, reasoning the focal point would be the same ,only in reverse.
Secondly there could be no sound from the shutter that would disturb the players, so I set the shutter release to single shot and wrapped the camera in a towel to suppress even the slightest noise.
Thirdly, and most crucially, I would be completely blind to what was happening on the other side of the hoarding, again Dave and Mark came up with the solution by rigging a monitor for me to see the proceedings on the stage and fire my camera accordingly as the players threw their darts.
Lastly I explained to all concerned what I intended to do and check they were all agreeable to it, fortunately neither finalist or any of the officials objected and I was in business.
Midway through the final ,during a break between sets, I went behind the set and climbed the ladder onto the hidden camera platform and, when the match resumed, I began taking my photos and continued to do so until the next break, satisfied I had all I needed, I went back into the arena for the duration of the game.
FINAL – MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V GARY ANDERSON – MICHAEL VAN GERWEN IN ACTION
Afterwards it gave me great pleasure when I learned that neither player had realised I had indeed been behind the board at any time in the match.
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Images and Words: Lawrence Lustig
Originally published in Darts World Magazine (Issue 590) September 2025
The Images That Captured Modern Darts:
Lawrence Lustig is a former PDC Official photographer who had a ringside seat at almost every major darts event during recent decades. His knowledge of and love for our sport is unsurpassed.
For the technically minded Lawrence used a Canon EOS-1D mk 1v on a 16-35mm f/2.8 11usm lens at 16mm with an exposure of 1/500th sec at f/2.8 with an iso of 1600
