Photo by: Simon Asher / Arizona Athletics
Behind the Photo
05/21/2020 | General, Gymnastics, Inside Athletics
Arizona Gymnastics
Behind the Photo: Arizona Gymnastics
I was taken aback by the style and strength of the gymnasts when I shot my first Arizona Wildcats Gymcats meet. The athletes execute poise and control in every move with breathtaking grace. When I step onto the McKale Center floor during meets, I try to capture that energy and the electrifying strength the athletes radiate.
Capturing a gymnast in peak action while still telling their story – why they compete, what the competition means to them – is a fine line.
In this photo, I could tell that Courtney held that poise and grace with such ease that the physicality of her routine was executed without hesitation. She had such confidence that I felt a subconscious need to capture the exact crescendo of her routine on beam. The look on her face says it all: bold determination, a nonchalant strength that comes with the tenure as a gymnast.
I included the neon "Arizona" wordmark in the crop to highlight our branding and help tell the story, as well as utilize the dark background to contrast with Courtney’s leotard to provide a splash of color. The wordmark tips the weight of the photo’s composition into the left third, guiding the viewer to follow Courtney's eye and motion.
Gymnasts take note of the details – whether toes are pointed, or a hair is out of place. I aim to convey that attention to detail in my images, freezing each athlete in their peak moment of action and power.
Tech Talk:
Canon EOS 1DX Mark II
Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS USM III
ISO 5000
F/3.2
1/1000th of a second
It took me some time to learn the floor rotations and understand how the gymnasts progress through a routine to then apply that knowledge and attack the photography composition with intent and purpose.
From a technical standpoint, gymnastics presents as one of the most challenging sports to photograph at Arizona. A tumbling, flipping and jumping subject is a tough one to capture in any environment, but add the element of indoor arena lighting, and you have a real learning curve on your hands.
We use the “back-button” focus custom control on our camera bodies to help pinpoint when and where we want the camera to continuously track focus, leaving the shutter release button only one job – shoot the photo.
Shooting from a lower angle allows us to use the McKale curtains as a “clean” (non-distracting) background, so the gymnasts in mid-air are isolated almost as if it were a studio lighting situation. I used f/3.2 (as opposed to f/2.8) to give me a slight safety net in terms of a deeper focal plane, while not sacrificing too much light allowance.
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