{"id":13715,"date":"2025-09-10T10:26:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:26:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/13715\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:26:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:26:20","slug":"mark-shearmans-brilliant-athletics-portfolio-through-the-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/13715\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Shearman\u2019s brilliant athletics portfolio through the years"},"content":{"rendered":"

I first took an interest in photography when my dad bought me a Brownie 127 bakelite camera for Christmas when I was 14. My school in Kingston had a camera club organised by the biology master which I joined a year later.<\/p>\n

I was also very modestly successful at running, and the two gelled for a lifetime in sports photography. In 1960 I started work at Fox Photos in London\u2019s Farringdon Road, where they specialised in press and commercial photography. It was there that I met the late Gerry Cranham who was starting to establish himself as one of the UK\u2019s leading sports photographers, and Fox Photos were acting as agents for some of his work. <\/p>\n

Seeing his photographs and chatting with him encouraged me to purchase a Nikon F camera, a 50mm and 200mm lens and start attending local athletics\u2019 meetings at weekends. I left Fox Photos in 1963 to work for four years in the photographic department of a research laboratory in Leatherhead, and then a further four years for a government department at Elephant and Castle in London. <\/p>\n

Throughout these 11 years I was covering a sports event every weekend and taking annual leave to attend big games abroad. In 1971 I was earning enough money from my weekend photography to become self-employed and work mainly at athletics\u2019 meetings, but I also covered other sporting events such as the FA Cup final, the Derby, Grand National, Ryder Cup, the Open Championship and Wimbledon.<\/p>\n

In 1996 I was appointed official photographer of UK Athletics and have only covered track and field since then. Because of poor eyesight I decided to retire two years ago, my last event being the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.<\/p>\n

In my 63-year career I have been to 14 summer Olympic Games, one winter Olympics, one Paralympics, 37 World Championships (indoors and outdoors) 13 Commonwealth Games, 34 European Championships \u2014 and visited almost 100 different countries.<\/p>\n

However, the icing on the cake was in 2014 when I received an MBE from HM Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, awarded for \u201cservices to sports photography\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Runner<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

One of the earliest cross-country events I photographed was the Surrey Championships in Reigate\u2019s snow-covered Priory Park in January 1963. The men\u2019s race was easily won by Roger Robinson. I took this photo of him heading to victory with no other athletes in sight to emphasise the margin of dominance he had in the race.<\/p>\n

\"Mud-splattered<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

A meeting at London\u2019s White City Stadium in July 1963 was the first time I was allowed to work on the infield at an international event. After a heavy rain shower that preceded the start of a three-mile race, I positioned myself so that I could capture a mud splattered Kazimierz Zimny of Poland and Yorkshire\u2019s Derek Ibbotson reflected in a large puddle that had formed on the rain-soaked cinder track.<\/p>\n

\"Dick<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Dick Fosbury of the United States became the first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the high jump using his revolutionary \u201cFlop\u201d technique. <\/p>\n

I wanted to show just how high he was off the ground as he cleared the bar so I included the seated officials and the jump stands which I think perfectly illustrates the point. <\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Seb Coe was favourite to win the 800m at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980 but ended up finishing second. He wasn\u2019t expected to win the 1,500m but confounded the \u201cexperts\u201d by crossing the finish line first, arms outstretched and relief etched on his face as my photo shows. <\/p>\n

I tried to get to the head-on position for this race but was prevented by a smiling security guard who was built like the proverbial brick wall and not one to argue with.<\/p>\n

\"Zola<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Early in 1983 I made a speculative trip to South Africa to photograph the 16-year-old Zola Budd who had been running phenomenal times for her age. <\/p>\n

Near her home in Bloemfontein I had seen herds of wild ostriches and suggested I took pictures of her running with them. Although apprehensive she agreed, later telling me they had been known to attack humans, disembowelling them with their talons. Fortunately not that time. <\/p>\n

A number of my pictures were used soon after in running magazines, then some time later Zola arrived in the UK and ran for Great Britain, having obtained British citizenship. After her arrival my photographs of her were published extensively in magazines and newspapers in the UK and abroad.<\/p>\n

\"Alberto<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Just after finishing second in his heat of the 800m at the 1983 World Championships in Helsinki, Cuba\u2019s Alberto Juantorena caught his foot on the track curb rail as he stepped off the track o nto the infield, breaking a bone in a foot as well as tearing ligaments. <\/p>\n

My picture shows him screaming in pain as he was carried from the track on a stretcher, with two other photographers in close attendance. <\/p>\n

\"Seb<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

In April 1984, I photographed Coe training on Richmond Hill overlooking the River Thames. I was aware of the classic view from the top of the hill painted by many artists, most famously by J.M.W. Turner, and planned to get something similar. <\/p>\n

Fortunately the position of the path that Seb ran up allowed me to include the river winding away in the distance. Sitting on a bench out of the picture on the right was my seven-year-old daughter Chrissie, reading a book and taking no notice of the great man striding effortlessly up the hill on his way to winning a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games later that year.<\/p>\n

\"Daley<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Regarded by many as Britain\u2019s greatest ever athlete, Daley Thompson won his second Olympic decathlon gold medal at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, repeating his victory from four years earlier in Moscow. <\/p>\n

The position of the shot put circle during the decathlon was ideally placed for me to photograph Daley framed by one of the Coliseum\u2019s arches with the Olympic rings and flame above.<\/p>\n

\"Carl<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

At Los Angeles in 1984, the USA\u2019s Carl Lewis won four gold medals, the second coming in the long jump. After securing victory he ran the customary lap of honour carrying a very large flag. <\/p>\n

In this photograph I tried to show the interaction between the athlete and a mainly partisan American crowd cheering their hero round the track.<\/p>\n

\"Pole<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

When I arrived at the stadium for the 1997 European Junior Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia, I saw the Julian Alps towering in the distance and hoped for the chance to include them in a photograph. The opportunity arose in the men\u2019s pole vault with Germany\u2019s Lars Borgeling clearing the bar to win the event with the mountains in the background.<\/p>\n

\"Hicham<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Widely regarded as one of the greatest middle-distance runners ever, Morocco\u2019s Hicham El Guerrouj started the final of the 1,500m at the 2001 World Championships as the reigning world-record holder and firm favourite to win.<\/p>\n

He did not disappoint as he crossed the line first, immediately draping himself in his country\u2019s flag and looking to the heavens to say a little prayer of thanks.<\/p>\n

\"Kelly<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Kelly Holmes had already won the 800m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In the 1,500m she looked so comfortable when finishing a close second in her heat and semi-final that I thought she might win gold. <\/p>\n

I suspected she would not finish the race in lane one so positioned myself head on to lane two, and was rewarded with this photo. as she celebrated winning her second gold medal.<\/p>\n

\"Aerial<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

In 2004 I was able to gain access to an office block in Ethiopia\u2019s capital city Addis Ababa to photograph the start of the biggest road race in Africa; the 10km Great Ethiopian Run.<\/p>\n

Most of the runners are issued with the same coloured T-shirt, and by taking my picture from a high vantage point I was able to show a red sea of some of the 45,000 competitors snaking their way down one of the capital\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n

\"Tonique<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

After winning the 400m at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling conveniently sank to her knees right in front of me, whether in relief or exhaustion I\u2019m not sure. I took this photo of her in splendid isolation before the other athletes joined her, with the reflection of the floodlight surrounding her like a giant halo.<\/p>\n

\"Marathon<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

Probably London\u2019s most recognised landmark worldwide, the Palace of Westminster, made an excellent backdrop for myself and other photographers soon after the start of the men\u2019s marathon at the London 2012 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

The 180-degree turn on Westminster Bridge very early in the race was included primarily for photographers and TV. This image was taken with a 24mm lens.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n

I found early in my career that water on the track or infield will often give an opportunity for a reflection image, and so it proved with this picture taken at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It\u2019s the final of the women\u2019s 5,000m and I took it early in the race to include as many runners as possible.<\/p>\n

\"Men's<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN-ATHLETICS IMAGES<\/p>\n

This photo was taken during a heat of the men\u2019s decathlon 100m at the 2017 World Championships in London. It was always important for me to get some images at a major championship of signage showing the event and venue. <\/p>\n

I took this picture which included the signage because the back lighting was throwing shadows of the athletes on to the track and unusually with a very clean background.<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN-ATHLETICS IMAGES<\/p>\n

This is an image I had been trying to get for a number of years and finally succeeded at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. <\/p>\n

The British high-hurdler Andrew Pozzi stares down a \u201ctunnel\u201d of ten hurdles at the start of his race. I was about 130 metres from the athlete and the image was taken with a 400mm lens.<\/p>\n

\"Wide-angle<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN-ATHLETICS IMAGES<\/p>\n

This photo was taken with a 16mm lens that I originally purchased in Tokyo in 1964 while covering my first Olympic Games. <\/p>\n

I have used it at every major games since then to capture an overall image of the stadium I was working in, like this one taken at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest during the women\u2019s 5,000m final.<\/p>\n

\"Portrait<\/p>\n

Shearman at work<\/p>\n

MARK SHEARMAN\/ATHLETIC IMAGES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I first took an interest in photography when my dad bought me a Brownie 127 bakelite camera for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13716,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-13715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}