Morgan Harlow learning on the job
“The thing is with swimming, there’s so much to it but there’s also only so much that you can photograph. So, finding photographers that have found a different angle, it’s always interesting to see how they’ve worked it, and to still be trying to think creatively so many years on from when those photos were taken, it’s really difficult,” said Harlow, who also cited another sport photography icon Bob Martin, as an inspiration.
“Every time you come into a new event, new swimming pool, new venue, you’re like, what can I do differently without getting on people’s nerves or disrupting the swimmers, because at the end of the day you can’t disrupt the athletes, but you do want to come away with a photo that people think, oh that’s different, that’s really good.”
Learning how to balance getting the perfect shot within the parameters of the venue, the speed of sending images to the media, while also telling the story of the race is also a fine art that Harlow is honing.
“I do try and think outside of the box as much as possible, which is difficult when you’re limited to what facilities have,” said Harlow, when asked if she had a signature style. “But I think something that I’ve continued to do for a few years now, I try and shoot through objects, just trying to be a bit more abstract.
“You don’t want to be too abstract because you don’t want to take away from the sport, but as you say, there’s only so many times that you can get a diver not pulling a face, which is really difficult, it’s just the nature of the sport.
“So, you just have to do a little bit of a recce of the venue and think what can I do, where can I go, what is different to what’s already been done, just trying to make a name for yourself with something different to what everyone else is doing.”
That’s where the former swimmer’s eye view comes into play, not only in positioning herself for the shot, but also knowing what an athlete is aiming for, and therefore the emotions that might come with a result.
“Having that knowledge of what the swimmer needs helps me know which swimmer to look at because you know what time they’re chasing, what time they need to get for the qualifying time… and that way… I know who to focus on and it’s just waiting for that reaction.
“Yes, you can get a really good action shot, but the ones that people want to see are those emotions. You never know how emotional you’re going to be, whether you’ve got the time or not. Unfortunately, when you don’t get the time, it still makes a good photo, which is horrible, but it’s all about telling that story and getting the moment that captures the whole event perfectly.”