Lens-Artists Challenge #362: Sports, Sporting Events and Fun Games

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Beth (of Wandering Dawgs) has chosen Sports, Sporting Events, and Fun Games as this weeks Lens-Artist Challenge. Check out her post and photos. Here’s my take on this weeks challenge.

We were out cycling ourselves, in Holland, when two cop bikes appeared and began stopping traffic and closing the roads around us. I realised a pro bike road race was coming through but I only had a few minutes to react. My camera was fitted with a wide angle lens so I had to get close to the riders. Perhaps too close I think looking at some of the riders expressions.

I’ll start by saying that this weeks challenge highlights a big hole in my portfolio. Despite being a sporty person myself I have very few sports related images. Ironically, as I’m typing this there’s a feature on BBC News about the Sony World Photography Awards. They were highlighting a photographer who specialises in capturing Skate Boarders. Her pictures were superb and perhaps that’s what I need to do. Concentrate on one sporting genre and go out and get some pics.

This first batch of images were taken a few years ago at a local swimming club. Someone I worked with had a son who was doing really well in UK national swimming competitions, specialising in the butterfly stroke. At the time I had (and still have) a superb Getty Sports Photography Book and I wanted to emulate some of the images from it. I asked Louise if I could attend one of her sons training sessions and try to grab some pics. They were quite happy for me to go along and these are a few images from that session.

The venue was a public swimming pool and not very well lit. I had to use a really high ISO to get these action shots. Getting the white balance correct was also a nightmare. I’ve reworked these images using the latest versions of Photoshop and Topaz. The modern versions of both packages made my processing job a lot easier than it was at the time these were taken.

Thinking about it now I’m wondering why that photography session is the only sporting event I’ve ever arranged to attend specifically to take pictures. Looking back there’s certainly been some some missed opportunities over the years.

The next batch of images are from sporting events we stumbled into. The first image was taken at Princeton University NJ, USA where the Princeton Tigers were playing Dartmouth. At the time my brother lived just outside Princeton and we’d wandered into the University without realising there was a college football game taking place. We caught the second half and I took this image at the end of the game.

Here are a few images from the the Nice, France, Ironman race. Again we stumbled into this having just driven to Nice for the day, not realising the event was being held there.

Nice Ironman – That really was a hot day!

Finally a portrait of Kate Allenby who I met up with in Bath, UK, through a mutual friend I’d originally gone there to photograph. Kate was a British modern pentathlete who competed in two Summer Olympics, taking the bronze medal at the 2000 Games and placing in 8th place in 2004. She was an Olympic Torch Bearer for the Bath leg of 2012 Olympics in the UK and brought her torch, which she’d been allowed to keep, along for the photo shoot.

Kate was an absolute joy to spend the morning with. Very humble about her own achievements and she gave me a few tips on photographing athletes that she had picked up from professional sports photographers.

Kate and my friend Gus. Gus wanted a few images taken around Bath where he had worked since joining the police service. He’d recently been promoted and was moving to a new area. He’d asked Kate along for the morning as she wanted some pics around Bath, of her wearing her GB 2012 Olympic tracksuit and holding her Olympic torch.
Kates 2012 Olympic Torch.

Thanks to Beth for hosting this weeks challenge. A great choice and I’ve already seen some great responses.

All images: ©Stephen Hyde 2007-2025 – All rights reserved.

32 thoughts on “Lens-Artists Challenge #362: Sports, Sporting Events and Fun Games”

    • Thank you Kirsten. That’s true. I’ve always been on the other side of that, posing for soccer team pics. So glad I have them though. Being part of those teams was what I miss most from my playing days 🙂

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      • I only played soccer at amateur level. I didn’t make it as a schoolboy but was in a squad with Gary Mabbutt who went on to play for England and Spurs. From 30 lads he was the only one to make the grade. I played for the police for several years (I always say that was semi pro as we were given shifts off to play, lol). I then played for my local club which was just about doable with the travelling involved and working full time. I went on the club committee after I finished playing which is where I learnt the shocking truth about our bars lemonade and coke syrup being watered down for more profit 😀

      • That’s awesome, Steve. Super cool. My husband and I love soccer. His grandpa played for FC Union Berlin waaaay back in the day. Do you have a favorite team? My daughter’s boyfriend’s family is English – they are huge West Ham fans.

      • FC Union Berlin. I had to look them up but that’s Bundesliga!! Top class professional standard. That’s an impressive legacy. I follow Aston Villa FC but we’re not local to Birmingham, where they play, so I can’t justify the cost of a season ticket. Getting hold of tickets for home games otherwise is near on impossible so I rarely get to see them play these days. I’m so sorry for your daughter with potential West Ham fans as in laws. I hope it isn’t Anna. She’s been through enough with that cruise!! On a positive note, if they do become in laws, your husband will have a ton of ammunition for his ‘Father of Bride’ speech 🙂

      • I’m not sure it was Bundesliga back in “the day”, but he was a pretty good player. We saw Arsenal play in London a few years ago. It was one of the best and most chaotic experiences I’ve ever had! We follow the German National Team pretty closely, and when my kids were younger they “adopted” Mesut Özil as their “guy”. So my husband and I chose Arsenal to watch bc he was still playing for them at the time. Fans spent the entire game yelling, “Run Özil, ya lazy c^%#”!! This is a word that’s somehow totally normal when English people say it, but Americans can’t get away with it. 😂😂 And yeah, her bf talks about WH being much maligned in England. I think he watches games with one eye closed quite a lot. Cheers!

  2. Steve, Great post. Your photos are amazing. I love the ones from the swim meet (our granddaughter swam for over 10 years). I really like the ones that are up close and personal with the athletes. What a treat to meet and photograph an Olympic medalist with her torch!

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    • Thank you Beth. Those swimmers were really committed. 5.30am starts and evening sessions as well. Josh the main guy I went to photograph kept it up until he was 18 yrs old and then just lost interest. Thank you for hosting, a great idea for a challenge 🙂

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  3. An amazing set of images Steve, I especially loved the swimming photos but all are terrific. I don’t know what they originally looked like but they’re wonderful now! The football players look like they may have lost the game LOL, and I love the smiling guy who spotted your camera in the cycling shot. Really well done.

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  9. Hi Stephen
    Sweet, that girl with the yellow bath cap. Great picture 👍👍 The football players look funny in their efforts to look dangerous.
    Thanks
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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