The photographs that were selected for this assignment were taken during a local synchronized swimming show dramatising Peter Pan. For preparation leading up to the show I attended several rehearsals to gain an insight into the sport and how to capture it photographically. While synchronized swimming is a graceful sport, it is also physically demanding and dynamic. Ultimately I wanted my photographs to capture the essence of this sport and the sense of fun of the participants.
During the show I was limited to shooting from one position due to the audience being on poolside, luckily a big window was behind me which provided a large amount of natural light to illuminate the subjects. I was not allowed to use flash as this could have been distracting to the swimmers. From the understanding of the sport that I gained whilst attending the rehearsals, I decided to use a 70-200mm lens with a large aperture and a high ISO.
Overall I am very happy with the images I have produced for this assignment. The natural lighting used throughout has ensured the subjects have been well lit with skin tones which had been rendered naturally. As a result of the restrictions imposed upon me I had to use wide apertures through out, whilst this was not a problem for single subjects it became an issue where there was a group of swimmers that were spread out causing some of the performers to be out of focus.
click on thumbnail for larger image
