How to Photograph Boxers and Prize Fighters

Photography Tips

It’s often hard to tell how much work goes into creating a single image, especially in portraiture. A photographer may tell you what equipment was involved and maybe even give you a few details on the basic setup, but to see all the actual work that goes into creating one image is to really get a sense of what it takes. In this video, you’ll see a how photographer Tim Mantoani and his assistants change their setup from shot to shot as he photographs kick boxer Christopher Chatman:

As any photographer knows, shooting is only half the work. The rest of the work takes place at the computer. Some may consider this cheating, but it’s really just another tool for manipulating the light in an image just like we do with flashes, light domes, flags, etc.

This video shows a bit of Mantoani’s post-processing workflow. He’s no Photoshop wizard, but he knows how to get his images to pop and create a more dramatic look. If you want to see his work on the kick boxer image, skip to about 11:32.

It really is incredible how much different an image can look after a few hours in post-processing.

Bounce light is used to light the subject while a sunswatter is used to block the harsh overhead sunlight.