Portrait of a Fin Swimmer

Some portraits happen in a studio, under measured light and with deliberate poses. Others — like this one — are pulled from the water, quite literally, in the midst of motion and adrenaline.

I caught her just after she emerged from the sea, hair dripping and muscles tense, her expression still riding the wave of effort and triumph. The Nikon D750 paired with the Sigma 150–600 Contemporary gave me the reach to stay back and let the moment unfold naturally, while still pulling in the details — the salt-speckled skin, the flushed cheeks, the tension in her arm as she grips the swimming cap.

From a technical perspective, the challenge here was twofold: fast-changing movement and a highly reflective background. The water’s surface acted like a giant light source, bouncing diffused highlights into the frame. Exposure leaned towards the mid-tones to keep her skin from blowing out, while still holding some texture in the water. The lens’ sharpness at the chosen focal length helped define every drop of seawater and strand of hair, though I had to keep the shutter speed high enough to freeze the action without sacrificing too much depth of field.

Compositionally, I went for a tight crop, eliminating distractions and letting her fill the frame. The tattoos, goggles, and athletic wear all build the visual narrative of an athlete in her element — even though the element in question is now behind her. There’s nothing staged here, and that’s where the strength lies: it’s a portrait, but one that belongs entirely to the moment rather than the photographer’s direction.

This is as much about resilience and identity as it is about sport — the kind of image where the subject’s personality cuts straight through the lens.