IJF photographers: colours can be distracting, it's just about emotion

Emanuele Di Feliciantonio comes from Italy and is the second photographer present in Turkiye, along with Gabriela Sabau, to cover the Antalya Grand Slam 2023 for the IJF. He's been taking pictures of judo since 2003 and for the IJF since the 2018 Paris Grand Slam. We gave him a wildcard to show us how he saw the grand slam here in Türkiye. He told us what he wanted to show.

"I concentrated on the gate where the athletes are waiting before entering the arena to go to fight. This is a special place where there reigns a different atmosphere. As martial artists, it makes me think of this location where samurai are waiting before entering the battle field.

I also focused on the eyes. Even if you know someone, when that person is about to compete, there is really something different in the eyes that words can not describe, but that images can.

What is interesting is that there are different ways of getting ready for every single athlete. Some are relaxed and smiling, others are concentrated, some tape their hands and fingers, like a ritual. There are also a lot of interactions with the coaches, who give the last advice.

No matter how relaxed an athlete is, you can be as relaxed as you want, but there is always tension as well. The black and white approach gives more impact to those moments. Colours can be distracting."

Gabriela Sabau has been covering tons of events all over the world and has taken millions of pictures since 2009. She is also the coordinator of all the IJF photographers.

Sabau: "I mainly took those images around the end of the matches, when athletes leave the tatami and celebrate with their coach. It's always a special moment. I love those instances when the pressure is released, especially after the judoka has won a medal.

There is the emotion of the athletes obviously but also that of the coaches. They are proud of their competitors. I also noticed that most of the time they are proud and happy to celebrate but they are still composed and very much respectful.

In sports and in judo particularly, I believe that emotions are very important. I even think that those moments are more important than the action itself that led to victory.

I chose to shoot that series in black and white for several reasons. First of all, because here in Türkiye the light is just perfect for that kind of image. Also, because in black and white all the focus is on the expression, nothing else attracts the attention, you can concentrate on what people feel and what people show. It's just about emotion.

In the IJF, as official photographers we have the chance to be able to work on the opposite side of the mats from most of the photographers and cameramen. In a way it's very challenging but also incredibly rewarding. It's challenging because of the light of course, but also because it goes so fast and as a photographer, I have to be at the right place at the right moment to capture what I'm looking for.

I enjoy the technical challenge of capturing a fast-paced, dynamic moment in challenging lighting and movement conditions. Black and white photography can create a more dramatic or nostalgic mood, as it emphasises light and shadow, texture and contrast. This can be especially effective in capturing emotional moments. Black and white photography can simplify a complex image by removing the distraction of colour. This can make the image more impactful and easier to understand.