Jörg, congratulations on the award. You’re normally on the road with the Werkself and on the look-out for the best Black and Red images – how did a triathlete end up in front your camera?
I’ve been working full-time at the club since August of last year and before that I worked as a freelance sports photographer, including for Bayer 04. Due to the absence of sporting events because of last year’s first lockdown, I went in search of special photo opportunities. I looked to make contact with athletes who were in the initial Olympic squad. And, as I’d already worked with the German Triathletes Union, contact was quickly made – also with Lasse Lührs.
Is it your first award? How does it feel?
Yes, it is the first time I’ve won a photo competition. I’m proud I’ve done it after eight years of being a sports photographer. It may be I did work towards winning a photo award at some point. Now I’ve done it, it’s really great recognition – especially when you see how stiff the competition is and the high level in sports photography.
How did you get nominated?
The Sports Photo of the Year is awarded by kicker and the Association of German Sports Journalists in November or December every year. When the coronavirus pandemic happened, I decided to contact as many athletes as possible and put together a portfolio on athletes training at home, which I would then enter. In the end, I submitted my work for the portfolio and individual photograph categories – and I was in first place in the latter.
How did this exceptional winning photo come about?
Luck actually played a part in me getting Lasse in front of the camera. He had been at a competition in Australia and wanted to stay there longer. He didn’t want to go back to Alicante, where he normally lived, because Spain was already in a severe lockdown so he stayed with his in-laws after he arrived in Germany. I was able to watch him training. I saw two beer crates and a bench on the terrace and I had to smile – but triathletes had to come with some ideas of how to simulate swimming training. Then we tried out different angles. The most exciting perspective was from the balcony because it gave the image an extra depth.
How long have you been doing sports photography?
I went freelance in 2011, originally with the idea of photographing wakeboarding. Via a contact, I was able to photograph the marathon in Koblenz and my first football match followed in August 2012 – Alemannia Aachen versus Hallesche FC. The internet connection didn’t work properly and I couldn’t send the photos – complete chaos and slightly excessive demand. But I gradually got into football. And I’ve been taking photographs for Bayer 04 for four years.
As a football photographer, would you have preferred to win with a football photo?
It’s difficult to say... It’s great to have won it at all. It’s the biggest award as a photographer. The first target was to get my photo on a front page and that happened relatively quickly. Then Lars Bender celebrating the goal to make it 4-3 against Dortmund last year was voted sports photo of the week in SportBild. But I was a sports photographer for different sports from the start. And it’s extremely difficult to take that ONE special photo in football. There are hundreds of photographers. I have to admit it’s possible to be more creative with other sports. But I would be happy if it happened with a Bayer 04 photo.
