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Boxer finds the mat in a hurry.
Boxer finds the mat in a hurry.
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Jul, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
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This photo is of Ference Zold of Hungary who flew over to challenge Brandon Cook of Canada. As you can tell Ference met a rather confused ending to his match. The photo was taken at the Hershey Centre in Mississisauga. A funny story about the night is question: I was late and relegated to the "other" side of the ring all by myself. There is usually about six or seven photographers ringside and very limited spots elsewhere. When Zold went down I was right beside him as you can see. Brandon Cook had his arms in the air and the other photographers were snapping away while I turned to the left and shot this. There is another shot like it where he is more upright but this is the one that has receive the most attention.. I am actually in Troy Snow's photo of Brandon Cook turning to take this very shot.Time
Most Boxing matches are at night and I took this indoors in an ArenaLighting
I love the lighting at boxing matches because you can get tons of light on the subjects and it drops off right beyond the ropes. That allows me to shoot for real effect. I am very interested in boxing but not necessarily in the sport itself. It would seem to be a sport that rises and falls during hard times. If you are willing to box...you are willing to do anything. So the lighting allows me to show a certain timelessness of the sport and how it has visited us during depressions and recessions and other less fortunate times. It also travels around the world and rears its head in places like the Phillippines with boxers like Manny Pacquiao becoming prominent worldwide.Equipment
ƒ/1.8 30.0 mm 1/8000 iso 400 No FlashInspiration
Compared to the other photographers at the event, they might say "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time". I would say that all photography has an element of accident to it. It is hard to plan every photo especially at a sporting event but being open to the accident might be the hardest thing as you become distracted by your surroundings.If you actually "watch" the match you will miss everything. I have shot everything in sports and I have fallen prey to that on occasion. You must put it behind you and move on. In this case as a Have mentioned above was that kind of accident. Arrive late, wrong side, and the impossibility of a knockdown...leaves you with the perfect shot. Could never be reproduced.Editing
I usually use Adobe Lightroom on all my photos and I will try certain effects. In this case I tried a 1930's effect that I have been working on to harmonize it with my feelings about boxing transcending time. I also love that he is wearing Black shorts with no advertising on them. There are very few clues as to what year this is and I prefer it that way. Even the grain and the lack of focus on other peoples faces are meant. I want this photo to be oddly inspiring and to let the audience know that they probably haven't got it too badly after all. Sometimes but not always I will put something into Adobe Photoshop to further my ideas. On this photo I just used lightroomIn my camera bag
I often buy very old, used lenses and play with them to see what effects they might contribute on their own. I have all the standard stuff like 50 mm f1.8 but I love simple little primes like my 24mm f2.8 and 100mm f2.8, 135mm f2.8 and my 80-200 f2.8 push pull lens which is my go to for many things. All of my lenses are "used" except the 30mm f1.4 that I used for this image. I shot this with a D7000 and have since bought a D810. My advice is to get used equipment and shoot manually as often as possible. Because we don't pay to develop it is important to gain experience with all types of shooting and then start to buy what you have chosen from those. My next purchase might be a Macro in the 110mm range. My feeling on new equipment is it takes you out of the process of your own art. I also shoot almost exclusively on manual settings though I will cheat to get an idea. It forces me to look through the lens and frame things as i see think they should be. It can be slower but I take more away from the shot myselfFeedback
I love shooting in low light , almost like a blackbox theatrical, dramatic environment. i have shot stand up comedy and theatre. In all cases, I try to get into the head of the performer/Sportsman and convey a little bit about what they are thinking or not thinking. Truthfully most great shots are accidental and I couldn't presume to be as responsible for all events leading to a great picture....BUT you can be ready with your technique and connection to the art that you want to convey. Some advice that I also think important! Study other art. Most photographers get very technical and can miss the boat when it comes to feeling. In my own experience I have studied Mime, dance, theatre, and was particularly affected by expression drawing which tries to capture movement and gesture without being specific. It allows you to flow and gets your brain out of your way. Get your brain out of your way!
