Shooting the Saint Petersburg Diving Championship

When I saw “Saint Petersburg diving championship” in my calendar, I naively thought it would be an easy day at the pool: controlled light, no mud, no chaotic crowds like at football. Five minutes into the warm-up I realised this was my toughest assignment so far. As a sports photographer in Saint Petersburg I am used to match photography, but here athletes disappeared from the frame faster than my autofocus could react.

The first session was pure improvisation. Humidity kept fogging up the gear, reflections from the water were dancing across the divers, and by the time I found a clean composition, there was only a splash left. I moved around the pool, tested different angles, pushed the shutter speed higher and relied on long bursts to freeze that one fraction of a second when the body is perfectly aligned in the air and the tension before hitting the water is still visible.

By the peak of the competition I felt like I was jumping together with the athletes, only with a camera instead of a starting platform. I could almost tell from the run-up which height they were coming from and where to expect them in the frame. Between dives I focused on small stories around the pool: concentrated faces before the attempt, quick fist bumps with teammates, quiet talks with coaches. That is where sports photography really comes alive for me — in those unscripted moments you will never repeat in a studio.

At the end of the day my cards were full and my legs were reminding me how many laps around the pool I had walked. Diving is still the most demanding sport I have photographed so far, but it is exactly the kind of event I want to shoot more for federations, clubs and brands who care about strong visual storytelling.

See the full gallery with the best moments from the Saint Petersburg Diving Championship here: Saint Petersburg Diving Championship.