What Makes a Sports Photo Iconic?
Edition #12
Fine Quote
"Sportsmanship for me is when a guy walks off the court and you really can't tell whether he won or lost, when he carries himself with pride either way."-Jim Courier
Fine Observation
When you enter the house of any sports fanatic you will find a photo or two of their favorite player framed.
These frames motivate and inspire fans as they maneuver through life.
In this edition of the newsletter, we answer the question:
What makes a sports photo iconic and frame-worthy?
Picture Aesthetics
The first feature that makes a photo iconic is its looks.
Some photos are just captured at the right moment. The first example comes from the photo that captures Usain Bolt with the lighting in the background.
A second example of a well-timed photo comes from Michael Phelps. The photo shows South African Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos looking over at Phelps as they competed in the 200-meter butterfly in Brazil. This photo broke the internet with the slogan winners focus on winning while losers focus on winners.
Event Context
Fans resonate much more with photos of moments that proved to be important for the competition in question. Think about Michael Jordan’s iconic shot versus Utah in the 1998 finals. This shot proved to be the championship winner for the bulls that year. An instant classic.
Career Context
Sticking to the MJ shot against the Jazz, this photo gained value in the larger context of Jordan’s career.
This shot turned out to be the last shot for MJ with the Bulls and the one that sealed his last title.
The value of a photo increases when the career of the athlete unfolds.
Record Breaking Moments
Some photos capture an insane record in the history of a sport. As the record continues to survive longer and longer, the photo gains more value.
Franchise Context
Some moments encapsulate the history of a club. For example, when a team wins its first championship, it is bound to be remembered with a fam-worthy photo.
Life Context
Sometimes the life of an athlete unfolds in surprising ways. The example that comes to mind is Kobe Bryant.
Pictures of Kobe on his last days with Gigi are classics.
Fine Podcast
Jad Mbarak sits with Dr. Nathalie Jbeily for a lively discussion about sports psychology.
Dr. Jbeily shares her experience and transition from player to sports psychologist.
A must-watch episode!