Questioning the Referee

Sports photography is all about the moment. Freezing the moments of success – a win, a comeback or a try – as well as failure – a miss, a fall or an injury – is what usually attracts photographers’ attention. But there are many other stories to be told during a competition, and the complex relationship between coaches and referees is one of the most interesting – and overlooked.

In this picture, taken during a national judo tournament, I captured the moment when a referee decided to stop talking to a complaining coach.

Technical note: I took this picture with a Pentax K-3 II and a Pentax DA* 80-200/2.8. Maybe it is just me, but I continue to struggle with the sometimes unpredictable focus performance.