SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY Jun 2016

Simply put, Andy Mahr loves sports and his images capture the power and intensity of the athletes he photographs. With a background as an art director and as an athlete himself, Andy has been trusted to photograph top athletes from around the world.

He has had the privilege of working with Nike, Gatorade, NFL, Russell Athletic and Firestone among others, allowing him to photograph many professional athletes - notably Carmelo Anthony, Hope Solo, Tom Lehman, and Olympic athletes.

Through personal projects, he has documented the dedication and commitment of the "weekend warrior".

Considered one of the best photographers for capturing the emotion and intensity required by his international clients, not only does Damien Bredberg bring a high octane vibe to every shoot, but his unique ability to do all his own retouching on set is what truly sets him apart from his rivals.

Fredrik Clement shoots premium sports images in a reportage style, capturing the moment and the unfiltered emotions. He works worldwide for clients such as Adidas, Red Bull, BMW and North Face, to name a few.

With years of experience, few things can happen on a shoot that will surprise him. Fredrik works with real athletes rather than models "pretending to play volleyball!" He will take charge of a 30+ crew in LA, and will trek with a small team for two days to reach a unique location. He will even coach the impatient athlete to do a final lap to get the perfect shot.

Fredrik is represented by Take Agency in the EU, Stem Agency in the UK, and Josette Lata in the US.

Klaus Merz started off studying physics but decided to change directions and worked as a surf instructor all over the world. During this time, he discovered his passion for photography and after returning to Germany he started working as an assistant. Shortly after he started to work as a freelance photographer in Hamburg.

Klaus' photographic style ranges from editorial to characteristic portraiture. He is inspired by personalities, attitude and style.

His clients includes Bosch, Sony, DHL, Mercedes, Deutsche Post, Philip Morris, Bitburger, Marlboro, Telekom, Sparkasse, Peugeot, BRAUN, Puschkin, Mastercard, smart, AXE and Nintendo.

Laura Barisonzi strives to create unique iconic imagery which incorporates strong use of colour and graphic elements. Her lifestyle and sports work are both based on the beauty of real active people and natural movement rather than stiff poses.

"What keeps me inspired to shoot is connecting with people and experiencing new places."

Laura studied at Brown University and RISD, and now lives in New York. When she manages to pry herself away from her camera she is probably biking, running, swimming, or travelling around trying to improve her foreign language skills.

Clients have included Adidas, Reebok, Poland Spring, Dove, Heineken, Tyson, MSG Entertainment, NFL, Outside Magazine, Runner's World, Vibram Five Fingers, Nationwide Insurance, Boston Magazine, Health Magazine, Bicycling, Sierra, Muscle & Fitness Hers, Fitness, Scholastic, Newsweek and Adweek.

Maik Scharfscheer is a photographer and director based in Frankfurt. He has realised various photography series for Sport 2000 in Cape Town, South Africa and Germany.

He has had numerous series in various areas like fitness, beachwear and running. Maik's goal is to give his authentic sports photography a special edge through working with light and shadow. Aside from being an international photographer and director, he is also a passionate mountain biker and runner and likes to do winter sports whenever he has time - all of which impacts his work as a photographer.

For Maserati, Maik photographed a series with the world champion Andrea Bertolini in Italy. The photos were taken while it was raining on a race track in Modena. Portraits have been combined with motives of a race car in action.

Manfred Heiduk is based in Dusseldorf and Miami. He travels constantly between Los Angeles, New York, Cape Town and London. He spent many years as an illustrator and creative director in digital media, and with more than 20 years of experience in photography, he is specialised in shooting in extreme conditions.

Currently the EM in France is that great sport event. Manfred captures the emotions of fans: the athletic energy and fighting spirit of players.

Manfred and his team are able to provide full photo and video production services from start to finish to meet all project requirements. His clients include Adidas, Puma, Nike, Sportarena, FIFA, Sidestep, Runners Point, C&A, Karstadt, Karstadt Sports, Kaufhof, Boecker, Deichmann, Metro Group, and Joyand Shape Magazine.

"I grew up in an artistic house with a father who was an architect and a mother who was a portrait photographer, so you could say that I was destined to follow in their footsteps! I loved the whole idea of capturing the world around me and was always that kid who carried their camera everywhere.

When I was a teenager I got my first taste of working in a darkroom at school and spent most of my free time before, during, and after school rolling film, shooting photos, or printing images. I continued with my photography at university, working on the college’s newspaper before going on to get my Master’s of Science in Photography at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California.

Since leaving school, not much has changed, I still lug a camera everywhere - 30 countries and counting, to the top of a Himalayan mountain, under the Ocean, and just about everywhere else you can think of! Through my photography I have been able to work on some amazing projects including shooting from the back of an America’s Cup yacht, hanging out of a helicopter shooting an active volcano, and meeting some of the world’s best athletes."

Clients include Destination Rotorua, Polynesian Spa, Boom Skateboarding, Vibram Five Fingers, Kori Kita, D’baron, Pearson Bikes and Jefferson Bikes.

Through a blend of beauty, emotion and creativity, photographer Michael Pierce strives to tell stories and create images that ultimately connect brands to their audiences. His work encompasses editorial, commercial and advertising work within the worlds of sports, active lifestyle and creative portraiture. His goal is to not just make the product, service or subject look good, but also make you look good in your choice of photographer.

After moving to Denver, Colorado, he spent one season working under legendary sports photographer Rich Clarkson as a team photographer for Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies before moving on to pursue projects that offered more creative freedom and utilised his background in advertising and marketing.

Mitchel Gray is a photographer and author. He has to his credit two best selling books, 'The Lingerie Book' and 'Lingerie Fantasies' (St.Martins Press) and has illustrated many more, particularly in the active lifestyle, health and fitness field. He has photographed over 60 magazine covers and thousands of magazine, advertising, and web pages.

The images in this edition of Production Paradise are excerpts from “Bodies in Action”, a series designed to illustrate what the bodies of great athletes are actually doing under all the equipment, padding, and uniforms while they are performing their sport, in a uniquely artful, dramatic, and informative style. He employs a distinctive, exacting, lighting approach configured to emphasize musculature, action, and grace. There is an additional aspect to these photos that make them truly a “first” in the genre – in each photo in the series that appears to have two people in it, there is actually only the same person shot in opposition to themselves. This approach allows Mitchel to illustrate two sides of the same body in one frame, seamlessly and within the construct of the action.

Most of the subjects are Olympians or professional athletes. A gallery show and a book is in the immediate future.

Peter Baiamonte wants to tell a story, give a glimpse of a place, show some personality and reveal some meaning behind his images.

His strengths include clean storytelling, rigorous composition, vibrant colours, creative problem solving and an ability to connect with his subjects, setting them at ease and making their time in front of the camera comfortable. He also excels at assembling an excellent crew, working collaboratively with clients and creating a friendly, happy vibe on set.

Peter’s work includes many styles and disciplines: portraiture, lifestyle, landscape, travel, and sports, among others. He splits his time between New York City and the Massachusetts Berkshires, working regularly with clients in New York and Boston as well as the entirety of New England. He is available to travel worldwide.

His clients have included Ernst & Young, Con Edison, Panasonic, Bayer, Harrison and Star, Novartis and Teva Neuroscience.

Willie Petersen is a freelance photographer based in Denver, Colorado. He spent a decade in New York working as an art director in advertising before discovering his real passion in photography. His dynamic and colourful advertising, editorial and fine art work has been featured in magazines and museums across the country.

Willie loves to explore new ground and works with teams and clients looking to push the limits of what can be done.

Willie’s photography has won multiple awards including the Ad Club and Art Directors Club photography awards.