As a freelance sports photographer, you can often find yourself stepping into the unknown as you take on a new sport. That was the case for me in February 2022, when I photographed a series of new sports at the BUCS Nationals event in Sheffield. Before turning my hand to fencing and athletics, I began with a series of swimming races. My brain began plotting the best way to tell the story, as my eyes scanned the room to work out the best positions, while also thinking about my camera settings. New sports get you thinking in different ways and it’s often a nice challenge to have on your hands.

I remember thinking one of the most powerful parts of the race was the start, when all swimmers leaped off their blocks into the pool. I began shooting this but was unsatisfied with the busy background. The venue’s poolside decor wasn’t the most appealing on the eye, but shooting directly into the pool enabled me to create a clean, colourful image using the bright blue water and the contrasting straight lines of the bold red lane ropes.

I started playing around with my cameras settings to see if I could capture something different with a low shutter speed. Instead of tracking the divers, I chose to focus on stabilising the ropes and hope for the best in terms of the motion created by the athletes leaping into the water. Without a tripod, I was reliant on keeping my hands incredibly steady. Thankfully I was able to capture one frame that was pin sharp and the positioning of the divers hitting the water worked perfectly without their paths overlapping within the frame.

It was shot at 1/6sec and I’m not sure I’d ever be able to replicate this photo again - which is one of the reasons it stands out among the thousands of photos I’ve taken in my career.