https://www.markrobinsonphoto.com - accessed 28.2.2019
This photographer was mentioned by my tutor after discussion on photographing a boxing gym. Mark Robinson is a professional sports photographer and although his work is of a very high standard, I find it not too dissimilar to many other photographers I have known or worked with.
His style is editorial and all the images I have viewed on his personal website fall into 2 categories.
Editorial and live action.
His work is commercial. The sportsmen and women he photographs are the elite of their games and are used to being photographed and are almost "model like" with their comfort and confidence around a camera. They are aware of how to look their best on camera. Like a professional model, they produce a "unique look" for themselves. Similar in ways to a substantial amount of the work of Annie Liebovitz. Access is the main factor coupled with the a familiarity of the subject being photographed. Though some of Liebovitz work is unique and brilliant within her field, sadly I have not seen any such creative standards within Mark Robinson's work, in my opinion.
Though many of Mark's portraits have a good use of light, using creative back lighting and outdoors the use of upward flash to create atmospheric skies. Though none of which is unique among sports photographers.
My first thought of photographers of "famous and the photographed" is I would like to view their work of a complete amateur. Personally I have done both and it takes a great deal more skill to shoot an amateur in comparison to someone who is at the top of their game.
The second side of Mark's work is "live action" as in a competitor preparing or taking part in a their own chosen sporting competition. For this is based on three very strict points:
1. Access -to the event. for example boxing photographers have to be between the ropes (normally between 1st and 2nd rope) -this creates images of power as the boxers are shot from beneath eye level.
2. Correct camera setting prior to an event as there is no time to change settings(flash cannot be used and action is fast) - Sports photographers use fast motor drives and take many hundreds of shots per event -even thousands.
3. Luck - At any sporting event, the photographer chooses or is placed in a single location and are rarely able to move. - Therefore all photographers hope the action occurs in front of them. If it does not it cannot be photographed.
The lighting on all live sports events is set by the venue and out of the control of the photographer. This means professional sport is a great deal easier to shoot compared to amateur sport.
However where Mark Robinson has achieved success is with experience in Sport's photography as come with his ability to read the sport he is shooting. Looking for the celebration, the moments when emotions are at their height, looking for the event after the sport as finished and the athlete can relax and allow their emotions to surface. A knowledge of individual athletes, how they compete and celebrate etc.
Mark Robinson takes high standard commercial sports photographs of elite athletes in a press friendly style, utilising the ability of the sports person to pose in their familiar style. The kind of images that are used in product advertising and press almost daily. His sports action is good. Sadly I find nothing unique about his work or particularly creative about how his work represents sport.
Final thought is Sports photographers shoot a great many events a year, which equates to hundreds of hours of sport each year. This equates to tens of thousands of images per year. From which a professional photographer will send in maybe 10-20 images per event. There is no other genre of photography that requires so many images to be taken at any single event. A photographer will press the "button" to begin shooting on a motor drive before the point of contact is made between athletes and will not stop shooting until the contact as passed, this equates to up to 10 frames a second for maybe 5 seconds or more for a tackle or goal celebration etc... Then a single frame is chosen.