An image captured by the photojournalist and Reuters photographer David Gray at the 2021 Australian Open of the moment has won the latest Sports Photography of the Year Award.
David's creative capture shows a moment when the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka helped out a butterfly on court. Rather than photograph the tennis player holding the butterfly, David chose to focus on the shadow of the event. A creative sports shooter, this is characteristic of David's approach when using light and shade in dynamic ways.
• Looking for the best camera for sports photography?
There were more than 7,000 entries from professional sports photographers to choose from in this year's Award, which is now in its third year. Against so much competition, the judges felt that David's image revealed a more delicate moment, reflecting the beauty and power within sport.
“This is a breathtaking image. Sports Photography captures special moments and tells unique stories, but most of all it draws you in and reveals the unexpected," says Simon Burton, Co-Founder of the World Sports Photography Award. "It forces you to look again and reconsider."
The World Sports Photography Awards are the only global awards for sport photography and are entered by some of the world’s best sports photographers. The awards are judged by leading experts from the world of sport, media, and creative outlets, including partners MPB – an online platform for buying and selling photography gear who often offer their advice on the best Wise Buys.
Sophie Collins, Chief Marketing Officer at MPB said “As a judge, and as a sponsor of the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards I was incredibly impressed by the quality of this year's entries. Photography captures a moment in time, the emotion, the ups and downs. It tells a story that has the power to change how the viewer feels and inspires them. It was great to see some new faces in the ‘Pro’ space being shortlisted for the awards too!”
David's image is just one of 24 other winning images across different sporting categories including American Football, Basketball, Cycling, Gymnastics and Football. We've picked out a few of our favorites below.
Find out more about the World Sports Photography Award and check out all the winning images from this year's competition.
If you're feeling inspired by these winning sports images and want to improve your own skills, why not take a look at the best 70-200mm lenses and these 5 tips for becoming a sports photographer.
