Sports Images: It’s about passion and heart

By Michèle Grenier

 

You like paddling, I like watching you. You want record time, I want record timings. You are athletes, I am a photographer. Even though it sounds strange, our paths are much more alike than you think. How is it possible? Read those next lines!

 

 

INTRO 

My name is Michèle and I’ve been playing sports for over 21 years. I’ve always enjoyed trying new things. In my life, sports has been a way to express myself and grow as a human being. I played volleyball, beach volleyball, I did bodybuilding, cycling, dancing, running and Olympic Weightlifting. For the past four years, I’ve been doing CrossFit. I love being coached and the adrenaline of competition. I love team spirit, discipline and effort. It makes me feel good physically and mentally. Sport has made me the person I am today, in my personal life as in the professional. I believe that deep inside me, I’ve always wanted to be a performance athlete…! (If some of you are disappointed not to have seen me mention aquatic sports, all I have to say on the subject is “I’m likely going to die”.)

 

 

TURNING POINT

I took introductory photography classes on Thursday evenings. My first “models” were athletes from the gym where I was training. This is where I fell in love for action photography. It was a challenge every time I had a photoshoot with an athlete. I was always super excited and… the results were not that bad either! I loved photography so much, I decided to go back to school to get my professional degree a few months later.

 

 

PARALLEL ROADS

Behind each of your performances that only last a few seconds, there are hundreds of hours of training and practice. It’s exactly the same thing for an image! Behind each photo, there are hundreds of hours of shooting experience, study and editing. Our seconds of glory are a tiny fraction of the time we have invested each day in the pursuit of our goal.

Just like you, I create strategies before an event. Each shoot is a new challenge – and I want to perform. How do I put the athlete to his advantage? Does my image tell a story? Which angle gives me the best light? The best background? The most impact?

We also have a common challenge: we have to seize opportunities when they come up because they will never come back. We need to train in every condition: in the rain, in the sun, with the wind, at 10 degrees or at 40 degrees, on a new course, with broken equipment … The more experience we have, the better we perform!

 

 

CONCLUSION

What’s amazing about action photography is that it’s true. When an athlete trains or competes, his personality comes out. He does not pretend to look good, he does not pose: it’s true, it’s it’s authentic, it’s raw! That’s why I chose sports photography… And just like you, it’s just a matter of passion and heart!

 

 

Website: www.michelegrenierphoto.com

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Email: michele@michelegrenierphoto.com