MPB Meets: Athletics Sports Photographer Aleksandra Szmigiel

Award-winning photojournalist and sports photographer Aleksandra Szmigiel has covered major athletic events like the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships, alongside working for brands like Nike, New Balance and Sony. Aleksandra was a finalist in the 2021 World Sports Photography Awards.

Find out more about the prestigious World Sports Photography Awards, sponsored by MPB.

MPB: Can you tell us about your journey as a photographer? What made you want to pursue sports photography as a career? 

AS: In the past, I used to be an athlete—a middle-distance runner. I was training and taking part in sports competitions for almost ten years. Because of this, I have an empathetic insight for sports. Being an athlete built my character and made me stronger, mentally and physically. Sports taught me that I have to work hard to be successful. It was a long road to become a sports photographer, I had made a lot of mistakes—and learned from them—to be now at this point in my career. My job is my biggest passion.

MPB: Can you tell us about your winning image that won silver in the ‘Focus' category for the World Sports Photography Awards? What kit do you use to capture this image?

AS: I love capturing moments before the start before all the action starts. I think there are a lot of stories to tell at this moment. In my photo, the athletes prepare for an important race. I was trying to tell this story. This pic was made with a Sony A9 II camera and 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens.

MPB: What camera and equipment do you use? And how important is the equipment to you as a photographer?

AS: I am honoured to be a Sony ambassador and I am using an amazing Sony A1 camera, which helps me to be better while working. My favourite lenses are 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS, and 400mm f/2.8. The more important the job is, the more important equipment is, I think. I have to be always ready to cover all important events, like the Olympics Games and World Championships. I can’t miss the picture and am always prepared for what might happen.

MPB: What is your favourite sport to photograph and why?

AS: My favourite sport is athletics. Probably because of my emotional connections to this beautiful sport. Athletics is the best way to learn sports photography because it is the most difficult in my opinion. In this way, you can learn a lot of skills, which are helpful in photographing other sports.

MPB: How important is it to understand the sport you are photographing?

AS: This is very very important. When you understand the sport you can tell the story about athletes and not miss the important moments. When I am photographing something completely new for me, like figure skating, I am preparing before, watching the pictures, reading stories about athletes and asking my more experienced colleagues.

MPB: What is it like to be on the field, photographing players in action, in a stadium with thousands of fans chanting?

AS: It was always my biggest dream to work in the infield photo position at the biggest events. In this way, you can be the closest as possible to the athletes and the action and capture very intimate and emotional moments. I am always excited to be a witness to sports history and I feel privileged to work in this way.

MPB: Let’s talk about women, sports and photography. In a field that is often considered dominated by men, both on the field and behind the camera, women are finally challenging photography’s patriarchal discourse. What is it like for you as a woman to work in the industry?

AS: Sometimes I hear that as a female photographer, you have to be twice as good as men are. So all I can do is show that I can do the best work. While working I feel equal, but sometimes this is a problem for some men, who are trying to set me or saying something not nice. The truth is that this difficult situation makes me stronger and more experienced. Of course, I am always thinking if they would do that if I were a man. But I am trying to not be distracted by this, I just want to take the best pictures. On my way, I met a lot of great colleagues who taught me and were very helpful. Especially my boss, who believed in me and gave me a great chance to work at the Olympic Games.

MPB: The landscape of sports is changing, but challenges still remain. For young women looking to get into the industry, what advice would you give them?

AS: Be brave. Step by step, do things that bring you out of your comfort zone. Be open to learning and making mistakes, working hard and taking a lot of pictures, be focused on the goal and photograph what you are passionate about. This personal view is very important because your voice is more authentic in this way.

MPB: What is your favourite memory of photographing a sport?

AS: I have one special memory from the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Polish team won the gold medal in the 4x400m mixed relay. I captured very emotional moments of happiness and pure joy of winning. I was full of tears and taking pictures. It was so great to be close and be able to photograph that perfect frame.

MPB: What projects are you working on at the moment? Is there anything else you would like to add? 

AS: At the end of 2021, I finished my project Angels Wings 2022 about the Polish 4x400m relay, who won gold and silver medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. These amazing girls are called ‘Angels’ by Polish fans, so I photographed them with beautiful wings and special outfits. It was great to do something different than usual. I printed the special calendar for the 2022 year with these photos. Now I am looking forward to the athletics season, especially the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, USA. Every year is a great opportunity to learn something new and I am always excited about that.

Looking for more sports photography content? 

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Sports Photography, our comprehensive look at how to create sports photography, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.