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The Olympic Games offer a treasure trove of unforgettable moments immortalized through powerful photography. Richard Whiting, Senior Global Sport, Entertainment, and News Content Partnership Manager at IMAGO, shares his expertise on what makes an Olympic photo truly stand out. From decisive moments to emotional captures, discover the secrets behind some of the most iconic Olympic images.
1. Key Moments in Olympic Photography
“I believe back in the days of analog photography, sports photographers had to work and prepare that little bit harder to catch the right shot and to capture that decisive moment.” - Richard Whiting.
IMAGO / Allstar / Mary Evans | Opening Ceremony Atlanta 1996.
IMAGO / Colorsport | Linford Christie (Great Britain) wins the 100m. Barcelona Olympics 1992.
2. Iconic Olympic Images
Over the years, the Olympic Games have produced some of the greatest moments in sport. Such images will live on in the memory of those who managed to capture the moment, but also those who have seen these images used around the world.
IMAGO / Bildbyran I Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony at The Summer Olympic Games, Olympic 1996, Atlanta.
IMAGO / Pressefoto Baumann | Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona: Basketball USA Dream Team Gold.
3. Emotional Shots That Capture the Audience's Attention
To give everyone goosebumps, Richard suggests selecting images that show strong emotions. Readers of magazines and online articles, as well as viewers of films or documentaries, should have the feeling of having been there witnessing that particular moment live.
IMAGO / Sipa USA Collection I Usain Bolt celebrates after anchoring the 4x100 meter at the Olympics in Beijing 2008.
IMAGO / Sipa USA Collection I Usain Bolt celebrates after anchoring the 4x100 meter at the Olympics in Beijing 2008.
4. Challenges in Capturing Olympic Events
In sports like the 100-meter sprint, photographers only have 10 seconds to capture powerful images of the race and the athletes celebrating. Despite the short duration, the photos are often gripping, as every moment counts. Even during the swim, where there is a lot going on, the photographers manage to take exciting pictures of the swimmers in the water despite the heat, the noise inside the arena and the sometimes limited space to work.
IMAGO / ABACAPRESS I Michael Phelps Won the 23rd Gold Medal in swimming during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
IMAGO / Shutterstock / Marcos De Paula | Russia's gold medalists' team competes during the synchronized swimming, free routine final. Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, 2016.
5. The Value of Access to a Broad Archive
The images of the Olympic Games are timeless and make it possible to revisit special events and report on them again and again. Therefore, it is particularly advantageous for an agency to have an extensive archive of photos from past Olympic Games for selection. Above all, there, you can find impressive analog images that were taken in the right place at the right time, showcasing IMAGO’s vast collections of images from the past.
IMAGO / United Archives International | Bob Beamon El Paso Texas USA in a prodigious leap which bettered the old world record by more than two feet leaps 29 feet 2 half inches at the men's long jump event to win the Olympic Gold medal in the 19th Olympic Games Mexico City 1968.
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IMAGO / Depositphotos | Black and white photo of ancient ruins of the temple of Zeus Olympic.
IMAGO / Colorsport | 1896 Athens Olympics Opening Ceremony
Read the full interview in The Game Magazine for more insights and to learn more about Richard's experience attending the Olympic Games.
If you are interested in finding out more about IMAGO's visual content coverage of the Olympics, please contact Richard Whiting directly for personalized advice on his LinkedIn or by emailing richard.whiting@imago-images.de. Feel free to mention this article when you contact him.
