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by aman mahmood
If you’ve seen pictures of Tiger Woods before, then chances are you’ve seen award winning sports photographer Mark Pain’s internationally recognised image of him. In this interview, a master of his craft passes on his wisdom for Spark23 readers.
How did your love for photography come about?
My first thought of photography stemmed from the kid’s club in a local park, which had a photography session as part of the day. I was 10 years old and I would photograph wildlife, nature, and buildings. None of my family members were photographers, and I got my first SLR camera when I was 13/14 as I was fascinated by shutter speeds. I lived near a helipool in Battersea at the time, and I played around with the speeds on the camera and tried to pause the shot just as the helicopter was taking off, since then, I’ve always tried to play around with shutter speeds. I later went on a cricket tour with school, and I took my camera with me to work for the school magazine. The school asked me to take pictures of the events from the sports day. Being in both the football and cricket team at school and liking photography also, I put both together.
I also loved watching F1, so I wrote a letter to a magazine called Autosport, and it got published. On the back of this, I asked to be a European F1 contributor for them, which started my learning process of taking photos for motorsport.
What is a truly good photo to you?
Assuming the basics like focus and composition are right, there has to be something that stands out which people will remember. Premier League photographers are made to sit in similar places, so you have to make people remember your photo. It’s about maximising the impact of the image and telling the story of what it is you’re photographing. For instance, the story of Man United for a while was mainly about Erik Ten Hag, who pulls wacky faces. It’s not always about capturing a goal or winning celebration, it’s the long-term story that will have value over a period of six months and having an understanding of what picture of the game will make tomorrow’s story. I’ve got to think differently as a freelancer. There has to be a good reason for a newspaper or website to take my photos, as it’s cheaper to use free a picture, so mine has to be substantially different.
What is your favourite photo you’ve taken in the last 25 years?
It’s the Tiger Woods image. I was able to get a photo at a big event of a big star. To be able do that when he was the biggest sports personality in the world makes it more satisfying, because I was putting all my education in photography into one photo. At the basic level it’s about not messing up, and at the top, it’s about performing your best, which I did in this case. The picture boomed and was first image I lost complete control of online. It’s not quite the best I’ve ever taken, but it’s the most satisfying of me being my professional best.
What is your favourite sports event you’ve covered over the last 25 years?
It has to be The Olympics. It’s like being a kid in a sweet shop. There are so many pictures of athletes to be taken, and you have the best facilities, the best lighting, and the best position. I loved doing the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the London 2012 Olympics was an amazing experience due to an incredible atmosphere every night.
Do you think photography in sports is a lost art?
It’s not an art anymore, it’s a news event now. Premier League games have gone from taking the best pictures possible to taking as many as you can and getting it out there quickly. People are pumping out rubbish, I’d rather get the best pictures in the game with a slight delay, rather than them instantly going into publications. Photographers are under pressure from news editors, I see young photographers run from their positions to go and get a picture that someone else is getting from a better spot. There isn’t much forgiveness if you don’t have a picture if a player runs off and celebrates in another direction to where you’re sat. There is now a lack of acceptance that you can’t get everything all of the time, but the best photographers make the most of what’s in and around them.
What is the most unexpected experience you’ve had when covering a sports event?
When I was at the Mail on Sunday, I often went to interviews with sports people. I went to Qatar to photograph Roger Federer at the Qatar Open. You very rarely get a 1-1 with someone as big as Federer, and he came out of a 5-star hotel in smart, dark blue trousers and a cashmere top. I made the decision not to take pictures during the interview, and when it got to the end of the interview, his agent asked what I’d like to do for pictures. I suggested pictures of him on the beach, but Roger had a match that evening. I then saw him on his phone talking, he said he just had a chat with a tournament director and got his practice pushed back by an hour to take the photos. The fact that he offered to move his practice time to accommodate me was a very nice human thing. When it came to doing the photos, Roger came down with a pair of swimming shorts and a t-shirt and we sat on the beach having ice creams after I’d taken the shots. The biggest and naturally talented stars tend to be the most generous with their time.
Have you had any awkward encounters with players or athletes who you have photographed?
I was doing a piece on a Manchester City player 10-15 years ago, who pretended not to speak English when he joined the club. He couldn’t be bothered, and you’ve got to be nice to people on the way up because you might meet them on the way down. It probably wouldn’t happen today at the club under Pep Guardiola. He wouldn’t be allowed to continue to behave that way under him.
Have you ever missed a snapshot of something that you know would’ve made a great picture and didn’t manage to take it in time?
Yes. It happened when Chelsea were playing Nottingham Forest. The goal scorer jumped and punched the air, and a player ran between me and him just as the camera changed focus. You have to accept this, it never stops happening. You have to put in into perspective and try to minimise these things happening.
What advice do you have for young and aspiring sports photographers?
It is very competitive. The only way of developing a career is to join reputable new agencies, such as Reuters. Get on a recognised degree or A-level course to learn your skills over time. Go and shoot in lower leagues before the Premier League – it doesn’t mean you’re better just because you go to a big event. Agencies look for people who’ve been on a learning curve and know how to write and do some studio work. Some sports photographers have gone on to be excellent wedding photographers due to eye for detail, as there are no great sports photographers who aren’t photographers in the first place. You need to be a fantastic all-rounder with an air of confidence, and, in life, unless you go back and learn what you missed, it will come up in the future.
How does it feel to have your own photography school?
I try and take small groups of photographers to a lower/middle tier event. I enjoy it and I didn’t think I would, it’s really rewarding, even if I take them to take to a mountain bike event, it’s not glamorous, but it’s great for photos. Access to events is hard, but it’s something I want to do more of. I love to see people’s reactions when they’ve taken a good picture which they wouldn’t have been able to take the day before. If I’ve taken them only one level above what they were before, then that’s great to see.
Did you think you would’ve achieved everything you have if you rewind to 25 years ago?
In the moment you never really know for sure what you are going to achieve and how far you will rise in the photography industry. All you can do is to always try to keep moving forward in your photography no matter how accomplished you may already be in the industry. Camera equipment and the processing and delivery of images to the user never stands still so you need to be across the multiple demands by clients too. But what I can say for sure is that the real talent rises to the top, even in today’s difficult media environment. Work hard, shoot as many different sports as possible and learn from your mistakes along the way on the smaller events, so that if you get the bigger ones you can perform at your very best.
all sports pictures by the talented and my good friend Mark Pain
If you would like the opportunity to do some sports photography please contact Mark Pain http://www.markpain.com/
(b&w) pictures by ash hussain
