PhotoPlus_Issue_128_July_2017

MARC ASPLAND
07
find a spot through the trees that would
give a beautiful clear background.
What do you aim to achieve
when shooting those sports?
Sports photography for me is not about
shooting action at 16 frames a second and
just capturing a stock image. It’s about
finding, seeing and then taking a creative
image. That could be done using a slow
shutter speed, a pan blur or a mega-fast
shutter speed. For example, if I was
photographing an ice hockey match I
might use a super-long lens that would
just capture the eyes of a player, or a
massive wide-angle view taken above the
pitch on a remote camera. I’m there to
make an interesting picture out of these
situations. That’s the challenge.
Can you give an example of when
you’ve deliberately avoided
taking the obvious image?
When Usain Bolt ran the 100 metres in
9.69 seconds at the Beijing Olympics, he
was running straight towards me because
I’d stood in the photographer’s stand for
three hours before the race so I had the
position. But I made sure I didn’t do a
stock picture of a man running towards
me – I took a wider view with all the
other runners in the shot. Afterwards, the
sports editor said, “Where’s the picture of
Bolt beating his chest as he crosses the
line?” and I said, “I didn’t want to do that,
boss, that wasn’t the point!”
It’s a knockout
Marc Aspland on one of his most memorable sporting shots
“After spending a great deal of time charting the career path of
boxer Ricky Hatton, we had become great friends. His career led to
a huge fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas, late in 2007.
I was crammed under the neutral corner in my ringside photo
position. In Round 10, Mayweather felled Ricky like an oak tree. The
back of his head bounced off the canvas about 12 inches from my
camera. I was screaming at the top of my voice, ‘Get up Ricky, just
get up!’ During the mayhem, I shoved my camera through the ropes
at arm’s length, directly above Ricky’s face. I must have pressed the
shutter release and this single frame of referee Joe Cortez removing
Ricky’s gum-shield was captured. Ricky’s life took a different
direction after this moment. Thankfully we are still friends.”
Story BEHIND THE SHOT
The Canon Magazine 69