I like to photograph athletes. And if possible, I like to photograph athletes I believe in. For example, if an athlete who won the competition passes by, I won’t take a photograph. Because I will not find something that I seek or believe there. Complicity and communication are key in photography.
That is not to say that I stick close and document every moment of my subject. But I do need to be close by so that I can be then and there for special moments. I do want to encounter those special moments, and if I do, I photograph to capture everything there. Light, the air, the smell, even a plastic bottle lying on the ground—everything.
I believe it was fall last year. I was in a car, following and photographing the marathon runner Suguru Osako in Flagstaff, Arizona. I can wait and photograph when the opportunity comes, but Suguru runs by in the blink of an eye.
We had clear skies at first, but the weather gradually worsened, and started to rain. It wasn’t just drizzling—it was squall-like hard rain. Even so, Suguru kept running as if it were not raining. It eventually stopped and the clear skies returned. And yet again, we got caught in torrential rain, which cleared once more. And Suguru kept running as if nothing had happened.
My friend and I observed the dizzying weather change and how Suguru ran unwaveringly, excited that we saw something spectacular. It is for these fabulous moments that I will keep photographing.
Photographed & Written by Shota Matsumoto