Sports Photography How To

World Champ
Megan Rapinoe captured the World Cup this year with the United States Women’s National Soccer Team and photographer Simon Bruty captured her in this heroic black-and-white image. The photo is actually from 2011 and was shot for Sports Illustrated as a preview of the women’s team for that year’s World Cup in Germany.

“We had a studio set up in a conference room and we had a few moments with each player,” Bruty explained to Shutterbug. “It’s always difficult for the person to come in and be relaxed straight away but Megan is not shy and therefore easy to photograph. I asked her to do her thing and she came up with this pose.”

Bruty shot the image with a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and an EF 85mm f/1.2 portrait lens. To light the shot, he used a beauty dish with a grid against a lit white background. “Very simple but effective,” Bruty said. See more of his work at www.simonbruty.com.