The Survival Of Sports Photography In Our Digital Times


Muhammad Ali knocking out Sonny Liston. Willie Mays’ over the shoulder catch.  Brandi Chastain’s moment of joy after netting a World Cup winning penalty kick. “The Catch” by San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dwight Clark. Michael Jordan hanging in the air while dunking from the free throw line.

If you’re an average sports fan, chances are you know these plays by the iconic photographs that have gloriously frozen them in time.

While sports have been aired on television for decades now, the magic of a perfectly timed photograph can be forever preserved in the pantheon of athletic achievement because there was a photographer in the right place at the right time.

But as we know, every aspect of sports is being changed by new technologies. This includes photography.

On episode 56 of the Digital and Social Media Sports Podcast, Neil Horowitz chats with Bruce Bennett, a longtime NHL photographer and Director of Hockey Photography for Getty Images.

The two discuss the current state of sports photography in a world where every fan has a camera and images can spread across the globe in seconds.

What follows is a slideshow of the main talking points of the discussion.

You can listen to the full episode here or download it for listening on the go in iTunes or Stitcher.