CELEBRATING GRASSROOT SPORTS
Raymond Davies
As a photographer currently studying at Edinburgh College, I create a main project each year. When deciding the subject for this year, I had the idea to amalgamate my two interest of portraiture and sports. After settling on this initial concept, I wanted to give the project a focus beyond being just a series of photographs of people playing sports. I decided to look entirely at amateur and part-time sportspeople. It struck me that these people involved at the grassroots level dedicate an enormous amount of their time and energy to their sport while also juggling commitments such as jobs, families and studies. My project became a way to celebrate both these people's dedication to their sport and the other elements that define their lives.
For each of my shoots, I sought to combine both elements of my subjects’ identities into the images. Depending on the individual involved, each was slightly different. For some, we brought their sporting equipment into a location related to another aspect of their life; for others we switched this, instead bringing elements of their job into their sporting world. I enjoyed working with each of the participants, especially figuring out how they would like to be represented and planning the shoots with them. I would like to thank them for giving up their time and taking the slightly uncomfortable step in front of the lens. Accompanying this article you will find a selection of my favourite images from the project, featuring a self-potrait capturing my identities as a racing driver and photographer, as well as a golfer/baker, surfer/artist, basketballer/teacher and a hillwalker/retiree.
You can find the full project on my website at www.raymonddaviesphotography.com
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 17.