At 07:15 PM 11/13/2005, David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
How close to 1000 shots do you come for a feature fight?
I don't shoot as much as a lot of other people at these events. I
shoot about 600 per night, with about half of that in the last four
fights, typically the biggest. It's not really as much as it seems -
with 75 shots in a fight, and a fight without a KO going eight to
twenty four minutes, the average is about 6 shots a minute with a
camera that can shoot 6 shots a second.
I've got various personal issues with a lot in boxing, but it seems to
be pretty darned popular
It's not something I ever thought I would shoot, or even go to see,
but I've found it pretty interesting. Aside from the possibility of
serious physical and mental damage, it's sort of like ballet without a script.
I notice that they both feature a major impact, and both have it
taking place off-screen (on the far side of a body from our
viewpoint). Is this coincidence (small sample, after all), personal
preference, or what? I'm *not* objecting to it, it's actually quite
effective the way these two photos use it.
There's two audiences - the people who want to see the actual
connection, and the people more interested in the form. The fighters
and the avid fans like the shots that show the form (as long as
they're winning) and that's something I have to be aware of. The
ones I sell to the media often involve no contact - they want a ferocious look.
And I don't know what variant of boxing this is, but I don't see how
they avoid killing people with, apparently, kicks allowed, and no
guards on the feet.
This is Muay Thai kickboxing, I've never seen anyone get killed, so
far. The rules in California are stricter than in other states -
there's no elbows, for example. And we don't have MMA - mixed
martial arts - which is brutal and more of a blood sport. I expect
we will have it next year, and even the Muay Thai boxers want it,
because it brings out the crowds.
Jeff Spirer
Photos: http://www.spirer.com
One People: http://www.onepeople.com/
Surfaces and Marks: http://www.withoutgrass.com
