Peter Read Miller on Sports Photography by Peter Read Miller

Author:Peter Read Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pearson Education Limited (US titles)
Published: 2014-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

The Olympics: Faster, Higher, Stronger, Better Jube! (Jubilation, That Is)

The Olympics are unique among all the sporting events I’ve covered. The fact that athletes only compete in their events once every four years brings intensity to the competition unlike any other.

In seasonal sports everybody wants to win the championship, but for those who don’t there are always those hopeful words “we’ll get ’em next year.” Not so for Olympic athletes; for most of them this is a one-shot deal. That means emotions are high, and the expressions of joy and despair are extreme and often unforgettable, which can lead to great shots.

But you have to know what to look for. As SI’s Steve Fine is fond of saying, “The Olympics is like 17 straight Super Bowls—there’s no stopping, there’s no going back.” You have very little time to get up to speed. To those who think photography is mostly luck, I disagree. Photography is mostly preparation. And at the Olympic Games, where everyone is looking for a different angle and a new way to tell the story, it’s advantageous to scout out locations in advance. One advantage SI has is that the editors will participate in a number of pre-Olympic walk-throughs, so there is at least a sense of where a picture can be made. In the days before the Games begin you want to get out to as many venues as possible. Check the shooting spots, meet the photo personnel, and maybe catch a practice.

To those who think photography is mostly luck, I disagree. Photography is mostly preparation.

Liván López Azcuy of Cuba celebrates his win in the Men’s 66kg Freestyle Bronze Medal match in London.

Canon EOS-1D X, Canon EF 200–400mm f4L Extender 1.4X lens at 232mm, f4 @ 1/1250, ISO 3200.

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