The precise shot: karate & photography

My journey into photography began in 1972 with my first job as a black & white printer at the Liverpool commercial photographers Elsam, Mann and Cooper. From 1974 I worked at CJ Studios on the Wirral as a trainee photographer for Neville Kuypers FBIPP and Colin Jackson FBIPP; it goes without saying that I joined the Institute to be mentored by these two great photographers. I qualified for my Associateship with the BIPP in general practice in 1977 (then the IIP), which happened to be the same year I passed my 1st dan black belt in Shotokan Karate.

It brought an opportunity to combine both my passions when I was asked to do a studio shoot of Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei, 9th dan, a world-renowned karate instructor for Fighting Arts magazine. All shot on Hasselblad – with no option, as we have now, to check the shots on a digital screen – every technique he performed was precise, and with my knowledge of karate, I understood the exact moment to fire the shutter.

Enoeda Sensei had many print orders from that shoot which he used for publicity, and also I provided two large prints on display in his London dojo for many years. Sadly he passed away in 2003, but he is still highly regarded worldwide, and I still get requests for prints from that shoot - I now have now been able to scan the negatives for high-quality printing. My lighting then was a portrait set-up with brolly key light for Rembrandt modelling, although I repositioned and included an additional rim light for fill and definition to suit the various techniques. Over the years, besides my career as a jobbing commercial photographer, I have continued with my karate training and found a niche photographing some of the top UK exponents. Shooting with DSLRs has had its advantages, but I avoid continuous mode as I prefer to capture the precise moment of a technique. I kept my lighting simple, still using two lights, but now I tend to create a more dramatic effect by setting more lights on each side of the subject. I have found darker backgrounds work best for making the white gi stand out and try to graduate if there is space, as I no longer have a studio, so all recent shoots have been on location.

Sensei Aidan Trimble, 8th dan, who is my instructor, I photographed at his dojo in Nottingham along with Sensei Dave Hazard, 7th dan - they collaborated on an instructional DVD series, and they used the images for the covers and promotional material.

I have photographed a number of karate-ka with this same studio style; included here are two fellow instructors from the Federation of Shotokan Karate: Sue Bance and Tomasz Kacperski.

Still working as a commercial and architectural photographer, I have maintained my fitness over the years through continued karate training, although wear and tear has recently meant two new hips. At 68, I reckon I have a few more years in the profession and definitely sticking with the karate; at present, I hold a 4th dan in Shotokan, I need another lifetime before mastering either skill, but the journey continues.