The 2018 Winter Olympics – held in Pyeong Chang in South Korea – has taken the world by storm, converting those who never bother to tune in to become avid spectators of everything from curling and figure skating to bobsleigh and snowboarding.

As well as the live footage from the games, photography paid a huge part in capturing the sporting moments and promoting the Olympics around the globe.

The professionals

Some of the work from the professional photographers from the games can be seen here. From the opening ceremony to each individual event, there is so many images that really highlight the exceptional timing of the photographers while also shining a spotlight on the precision and skill of the athletes.

Photographers include:

• Mike Egerton
• Dean Mouhtaropoulos
• Dylan Martinez
• Ronald Martinez
• Martin Bureau
• Mike Segar
• Ezra Shaw

You can see all of these artists in this article from Time that shows some stunning imagery from the Olympics. You’re sure to be inspired to try out some sports photography yourself, as well as playing around with your camera to come up with some very interesting – and sometimes surreal – photographs.

Takeaways

Considered by some to be a photographer’s dream, the Winter Olympics brings with it white backgrounds of ice and snow, vibrant pops of colour and the bright lights of night time lighting. The natural beauty of the Pyeong Chang area is easy to see and must be very rewarding to shoot as a photographer.

On the flip side, there is the dizzying speeds of some of the sports. Just imagine trying to get the perfect shot with a bobsleigh or speed skating – certainly a challenge. Then there’s the continuing repetition of the same slopes or the same movements in each sport, creating the roadblock of being a bit ‘samey’. The challenge here, is to give each image a special something to set it apart from the rest. Here, creativity is very much needed.

How to practice

The Olympics offers a wealth of inspiration from already-established photographers but how can you take this inspiration and get practicing in real life? You can start simple, by heading to your local skating rink to capture the action. Take the family or a group of friends who won’t mind you being paparazzi for the night and play around with your camera settings until you are happy with the results.

The climate can be an issue in the UK, especially of late when the snow has been a little shy in coming along! Unless you can afford a trip abroad to get your snowy fix, try to practice photographing your subjects at high speeds – on the ice rink, rollerblading or even riding a bike – to give yourself the practice and to increase your confidence.