Shooting the Shot

As in every kind of photography, sports photography requires technical knowledge as well as an eye for artful framing and composition. Serendipity matters too. As photographer Neil Leifer says, “I’ve always understood one thing about sports photography: the importance of luck.” Sports are unpredictable—and that unpredictability can yield amazing shots.

Good photography takes technical skill and an artistic eye. In sports photography, luck matters too. Sports are unpredictable.

The men’s 100m final at the 1948 Olympics was so close that the person who came in second believed he’d won— and took a victory lap. But a photograph taken at the finish line, above, showed that Harrison Dillard, in the foreground, had actually earned gold.

This was the first photo finish—officials used a photograph taken by a high-speed camera to determine the winner. Today upwards of 40,000 photos are taken per second at every Olympic finish line. What do you think: If a photo is taken for a practical purpose like determining the winner, is it art?

The men’s 100-meter race at the 1948 Olympics was a close one. It was so close that the person who finished second thought he’d won. He even took a victory lap! But a photograph taken at the finish line, above, told a different story. It showed that Harrison Dillard, at the bottom, had actually won the race.

This was the first “photo finish.” That’s when officials use a photo to determine the results of an event. Today there are high-speed cameras at all Olympic finish lines. They take more than 40,000 photos per second. The photos are used to identify the winner in close races.

The dramatic photograph above portrays Muhammad Ali defeating Cleveland Williams, to become world heavyweight champion in 1966. Leifer suspended a camera from the lighting rig above the ring before the fight started, something no one had ever done before. This setup enabled him to capitalize on exciting moments during the match.

All told, Ali landed approximately 100 punches during this fight. But with its nearly monochromatic colors—it is almost entirely black and white—and bird’s-eye perspective, the photo distances viewers from boxing’s violence. People sitting ringside in concentric squares lend balance and create an almost perfectly symmetrical photo. Even Williams’s bent arms on the mat echo Ali’s triumphant pose.

Look at the photograph above. It shows a boxing match in 1966. Muhammad Ali has just defeated Cleveland Williams to become a world champion. Photographer Neil Leifer captured the shot. Leifer suspended a camera above the ring before the fight started.

Ali landed about 100 punches during this fight. But the bird’s-eye view creates some distance from this reality. So do the colors, which are almost entirely black and white. The viewers sitting around the ring balance the composition. They make the photo appear symmetrical.

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet team in an upset later called the “Miracle on Ice.” As the American players celebrated, sports photographer Heinz Kluetmeier snapped a shot of their formation, above. It reads as a pyramidal composition. The players in the foreground form a base. The players behind them lead the viewer’s eye up in a triangular shape. A raised hockey stick looks like the mast of the flag waving in the background.

Most people who see this photo didn’t attend the game—or even watch the live broadcast on television. Yet Kluetmeier’s work makes people feel as if they witnessed one of sports history’s most iconic moments. How does this photo help you feel the excitement?

The 1980 Winter Olympics were remarkable. The U.S. hockey team surprised everyone by beating the Soviet team. The victory became known as the “Miracle on Ice.” Photographer Heinz Kluetmeier captured the American players celebrating, above. The arrangement of their bodies resembles a pyramid. The players in the foreground form the base. The players behind them lead the viewer’s eye upward. A fan is waving a flag in the background.

Kluetmeier’s work makes people feel like they were at the event. Do you feel the excitement in this photo? Can you imagine what that moment would have been like?