How much of an advantage is being a wrestling fan if you’re going to shoot wrestling?
It’s quite handy because you get to know what people might do before they do it. A lot of wrestling photography in particular is not being too afraid to stick your camera in and get quite close. A lot of people when they first start are quite nervous to get into the action quite as much just in case you have a 300lb guy land on your camera, which is obviously quite expensive to fix! Having a working knowledge of what in theory is going to happen in the ring is a big help in being slightly more fearless in what you’re doing.
How do you avoid getting in people’s way?
I never like to stay in one corner: if you keep moving, you’re never in front of one person for too long. But it also makes for a variety of shots if you aren’t in the same place all the time. If you do get hit by a wrestler, maybe they push past you at ringside, you’re still being paid to take photos but you can maybe roll your shoulder to “see if it’s still OK.” Even though you’re not anything to do with the performance of the show, it’s best to sell ever so slightly and give a nod to protecting the business.
What can promoters do to make the most of hiring a photographer?
Talk to your photographers more. Get them to offer suggestions. If a promoter knows something’s going to happen during a show that they want captured, come to the photographer and tell them. Communicate with the photographer and make it a two way street. Then afterwards, use the photos as much as possible, even if they won’t be the focal point. For example PROGRESS use my photos on their on demand service to illustrate the menu listing for each show.
How can a wrestler get the best results from a photo shoot?
Bring lots of gimmicks, be it clothing, masks, different jackets or a signature weapon like Marty Scurll has his umbrella. Any kind of props or anything that would fit your character, bring them and use them. Have a character: have an idea of what your character would do because there’s only so many generic physical poses you can do with a person. Have a good idea of that person’s back story so you can go into a shoot with ideas of what would fit their personality or character. Also, always book a longer session if possible because people are always a bit awkward initially because posing for photos can feel a bit unnatural.
What’s the biggest mistake people make in wrestling photography?
Putting too many photos online. You can get a really good photographer but if they put 500 photos from one show online, nobody’s really going to look through all of those. It’s not being able to separate what in their mind they’d like to have been a good shot to what really is a good shot. Noone has the time to look through that many photos so the really great photos get lost in the shuffle.
What makes the perfect wrestling shot for you?
I love physical reactions and emotions; anyone who has great facial selling is perfect. I do go in for more the moments between the big moments, like someone grasping for breath or selling the struggle. If you can get a great action shot as well that still shows that emotional toll, it’s perfect. Also look for as many different angles as possible: don’t feel you just have to shoot between the second and third rope or kneel down and shoot under the first rope. There’s plenty of different places to shoot from so looking for different angles helps to get a better shot.
