The most stunning photos across women's sports from the last month Australian Open, Olympic trials, and more

From the photographer, Graham Denholm:

We are only allowed a short amount of time to capture training sessions during the Australian Open. So, it's about finding the best angle with the cleanest backdrop in that limited time. Despite only being a practice session, you can see the intensity that Emma Raducanu puts into her preparations.

From the photographer, Sean M. Haffey:

Many times, the best pictures of events come before or after the actual event takes place, so I always keep my eyes open for visual possibilities. On the day of the Halfpipe Freeski Qualifier, I was hiking up the halfpipe before the sun had come out.

I noticed that the light was just beginning to hit as competitors were taking training runs so I waited at the bottom to shoot them as they skied into a patch of light at the top of the pipe. Elena Gaskell of Team Canada was one of those competitors who hit the lip in the light making a dramatic image from the event.

From the photographer, Sean M. Haffey:

With snow sport competitions, it's rare to have blue skies and clear conditions so when we do have optimum conditions, we try to take advantage. This year's Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain was one of those events that saw fantastic weather with top name athletes, so it was a pleasure to shoot the event.

Xueton Cai of China, who looks to be a strong contender at the Beijing Olympics, seemed to be going bigger at the half pipe than many of the other athletes. I positioned myself on the halfpipe deck to use all the elements of her athleticism combined with the great weather to make a high impact image from the event.

From the photographer, Maddie Meyer:

Here, Devin Logan takes a training run on the halfpipe during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain. This event was my first time covering halfpipe and I hope it isn't my last. The athletes are so impressive and it's such a unique thing to photograph.

Sitting on the edge of the halfpipe you can hear the skiers before you see them, then whoosh, there they are above your head — it's amazing. It can't get much better than this bluebird day with mountains in the background.

From the photographer, Maddie Meyer:

Getting a blue sky day at a winter sport event can be a rarity, so as photographers, we have to take advantage of it! I love the shapes that the freeski athletes make as they compete on the halfpipe and how their goggles pop in the sun.

Here, I tried to incorporate both as Kathryn Gray took a training run during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain.

From the photographer, Matthew Stockman:

Isabeau Levito really crushes it on the ice, and she is only 14-years-old! Despite capturing the bronze medal at the US National Championships, the former US junior champion does not meet the age requirement to represent Team USA in Beijing, but you will see her on many podiums on the world stage, going forward.

This is a classic figure skating pose and one that I happen to like. Photographing figure skating from an overhead position provides a very clean image of the skater. The white costume on white ice also adds to the photo and also how she is not lost in the signage on the dasher boards. It takes unbelievable flexibility and skill to do what she is doing.

From the photographer, Sean M. Haffey:

When covering snow events, I attempt to pull in the environment that the competitors are working in to give the viewer some context of the competition. Shooting through trees, snow or rocks can offer a creative look at the competition, while still showing the athlete in action.

In this image, I positioned myself in a batch of trees looking down onto a rail during the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Final which framed the picture nicely. The difficult part of this picture was that the snowboarder came into the frame blindly so focusing was difficult. Ultimately, it makes for a nice picture of Katie Ormerod of Team Great Britain during the competition.

From the photographer, Darrian Traynor:

I had the opportunity to cover the season opening AFLW game between St Kilda and Richmond. In the lead up to the season, I worked on a photo series that featured some of the women who play in the AFLW and their day jobs.

Courtney Wakefield, who is featured in this photo, was part of that series. The dedication and sacrifices these athletes make just to play is truly remarkable, working full time jobs, as well as training and playing at the highest level.

In the third quarter of the match, Wakefield kicked an amazing goal and her celebration was an honest display of pure emotion. As sports photographers, we are always looking for the moment in the peak of the action but the best pictures are so often the emotion displayed during moments of elation or the devastation of a loss.

From the photographer, Matthew Stockman:

Figure skating is a combination of athleticism and grace. I think it is important when photographing the sport to illustrate both.

This image of Karen Chen is from the ladies Free Skate, a longer program that allows a skater more freedom on the ice. Her choreography, how she interprets the music, is very important. I think you get a sense of her style by her facial expression and body language.

From the photographer, Stacy Revere:

Erin Jackson is an amazing competitor with an even more amazing story. Jackson first qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics after only four months of experience in speedskating on ice.

This year's qualifier had an extra layer of drama as Jackson slipped during her main race, the 500m, and finished third in qualifying. At this point, Brittany Bowe who had qualified for the team in that race as well as her best events, the 1000m and 1500m, offered Jackson her spot in the 500m, where Jackson is currently the top ranked skater in the world.

This allowed Jackson to make the 2022 Olympic Speedskating team. Bowe is now eligible to compete in the 500m after several countries returned their allotted spots.

From the photographer, Maddie Meyer:

Eileen Gu is an incredible athlete. The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain was my first time photographing her compete.

She made a first place win in the Freeski Halfpipe competition look effortless. What struck me most about her was her sense of composure and poise.

Here, she stands in front of the halfpipe with her trophy. I can't wait to see what she does in Beijing at the Olympics.

From the photographer, Matthew Stockman:

One thing the always amazes me — despite the difficulty, athleticism, and focus required for the skaters to do what they are doing — is how they really enjoy doing their time on the ice. This photograph of Jessica Calalang, with her Pairs partner Brian Johnson, illustrates that quite well.

I like to photograph this element from ice level. You must have a little luck that the skaters are in the right place on the ice. In this case, luck was on my side, and I made a nice frame.

From the photographer, Maja Hitij:

I was covering IBU World Cup Biathlon in Oberhof as an event to prepare for the Winter Olympics. It was crucial for me to learn sport since it will be first time for me to cover it during the Games. I learned a lot during this time — not just about the sport itself, but also the rules, pace, key photo positions, and preparation required in advance.

In this photo, Darya Blashko of Ukraine glides swiftly through the snow. The white background from the snow, trees, and overcast conditions allows for Blashko's uniform to pop.

From the photographer, Sean M. Haffey:

One of the tougher events to shoot is the Freeski Halfpipe. Skiers come to the edge of the pipe at high speed and launch into the sky quickly. It is tricky to focus on them as they perform their tricks.

Eileen Gu of China, who looks to be a major competitor at the Beijing Olympics, tends to go higher and faster than other athletes, so it's important to be in the right spot on the halfpipe to make strong photos of her. I had scouted the position on the pipe where she tended to catch air and managed to make this frame of her on one of her runs which I really like from the Mammoth Grand Prix.

From the photographer, Bryn Lennon:

This image was taken on a remote camera placed behind one of the goalposts. The camera was set on a small tripod and linked to my shorter lensed, goal mouth camera via a pocket wizard transmitter – so they both fire at the same time.

It was taken on a 20mm lens and as there was some rare winter sun, I placed it "into the light" and exposed for the highlights, hoping for a silhouetted goal or backlit action frame over on the left hand goal post. The sun soon started to disappear behind the stand but shined into the lens for most of the first half which provided the goal keeper's save as she jumped up into the light.

From the photographer, Stacy Revere:

The Mass Start event is always my favorite event to shoot when covering speedskating. The skaters typically bunch up in the turns and it can create really interesting photos especially when you add in the speed and the colors.

The best way to do that in my opinion is to shoot at a much slower shutter speed than normal so that the skaters don't appear to be standing on the track. In this frame, the rear skater is in focus while the rest are blurred which helps show the power it takes to generate the high speeds the skaters' reach.

From the photographer, Maja Hitij:

The weather in Oberhof was not so good, and competitions happen fast. As sports photographers, you need to be able to move from start to finish quickly to get all the action and celebration during the during the Biathlon.

When the athletes are shooting, we normally photograph before the competition starts and they do "training", which they call "zeroing." I framed the athletes in a row to showcase their extreme focus and concentration ahead of competition, and the white background really helps zero in on this.

From the photographer, Daniel Pockett:

This A-League Women's match was late in the afternoon, so I decided to spend some time shooting from the stands to make use of the light. Hannah Wilkinson is a great player and had been in very hot form leading into this match, so I found myself keeping a keen eye on her. She leaped in the air to make contact with the ball, making a nice shadow on the ground below them.

From the photographer, Maddie Meyer:

This photo of Olivia Asselin is from the Freeski Slopestyle Final at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain. Athletes who compete in Slopestyle events are incredible, they seemingly defy gravity during their runs down the mountain.

But with big air comes big wipe outs. Luckily, Asselin was ok, but the light on the hill made for an interesting photo.

From the photographer, Stacy Revere:

Mia Kilburg-Manganello had just won the Women's Mass Start event and is celebrating her return to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Kilburg-Manganello is a veteran skater and has competed in multiple world championships and this will be her second Winter Olympics.

I was fortunate enough to cover the Olympic Trials in 2018 where she also qualified. She is a great competitor and always makes pictures a photographer's best friend!

From the photographer, Tom Pennington:

This image of Daniella Scott was made at the finish/landing area at the Aerials venue. Scott celebrated and acknowledged the crowd after landing a successful jump during the Finals.

In the end, Scott finished the event in fourth place, but it's always nice capturing these reaction photos as things happen so quickly during competition.

From the photographer, Tom Pennington:

This photo of Tess Johnson of Team USA was shot during the qualifying run for the Mogul event. I used a panning technique utilizing a slow shutter speed as Johnson hit the second kicker jump.

The focal point remains on Johnson as she flips through the air. The colors of her gear really pop here, bringing a different dynamic to the photo.

From the photographer, Tom Pennington:

This photo of Perrine Laffont of Team France was shot during the qualifying run for the Mogul event. I used a panning technique utilizing a slow shutter speed. This technique blurs out the background and maintains the emphasis on the subject.

The focal plane of the camera shutter must be panned at the same speed as the athlete's face, so the face remains tack sharp. All of these elements are used to create an artistic photo that implies the high speed the skiers reach while competing.

From the photographer, Kelly Defina:

This image was photographed during round two of the AFLW season and strength is the key theme represented here. The physicality and athleticism of the two players stands out for me in this peak action photograph.

Symbolically, the athletes captured also represent strength and resilience, being Daisy Pearce and Katie Brennan, who are both marquee players, inaugural club captains and All-Australian players. Both have also recovered from injuries during their AFLW time, and shown key leadership within the league.

From the photographer, Tom Pennington:

I shot this photo of Team USA skier Kasey Hogg during the qualifying run for the Mogul event. During a mogul run, the athletes navigate a mogul ski run that has two kicker jumps placed at the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the run.

The skiers launch off the jumps and complete an aerial maneuver including flips, twists, and rotations. This photo was captured as Hogg launched off the second kicker jump. I utilized a slow shutter speed to add an element of motion to the photo.

From the photographer, Bradley Kanaris:

This was a nice celebration from Su Oh of Australia winning the Women's Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane, Australia. I ran around and positioned myself to the back of the green so that the grandstand with the spectators gallery was behind me.

I took a guess that she would look that way after she took her final putt and celebrated. The fans watching from ground level also surrounded the golfers making for a nice crowd in the background as well.

My gamble paid off and she gave a lovely smile and raised her arms in victory as she looked my way towards the grandstand spectators gallery and celebrated her well-deserved victory.

From the photographer, Mark Brake:

This was my first AFLW match of the year at the Parade Norwood, a very small, tight oval to shoot at and where clean backgrounds hard to find. I was shooting as wide open as I could with a borrowed Nikon 400ml 2.8 lens as mine was getting repaired.

In this photo, Anne Hatchard, one of the Adelaide Crows toughest players, collided with Jasmine Gardner of the Roos at an extreme pace, which spoils her mark, creating this moment. The overcast conditions, which are very rare in Adelaide at this time year, really helped this moment come to life.

The ball position and flying hair add to the drama of the collision and captured how hard these athletes play the game.

From the photographer, Mark Metcalfe:

The catwalk shooting position in Rod Laver Arena affords photographers a great opportunity to use the elevation and light each year at the Australian Open. However, dealing with my personal dislike for heights is my main challenge when peering high above the arena from this angle.

The number two seed Aryna Sabalenka's red outfit provided a nice contrast to the blue court during this match and the parallel lines of shade provided some symmetry to this forehand shot. Even though the ball had left the frame (or could be in the dark shaded area), it helped that Sabalenka was not wearing a cap because we can see her face and dynamic body position of her follow through.

From the photographer, Quinn Rooney:

This picture was taken towards the end of a tight first set between Maria Sakkari and Veronika Kudermetova during the third round of the Australian Open. I positioned myself down towards Sakkari's coaches' box as I watched her continuously react in their direction as the match went on.

The move paid off when I was lucky enough to capture this image as Sakkari reacted with this big scream and fist pump as she twisted towards her coaches after hitting a winner to win the match.

From the photographer, Katelyn Mulcahy:

It was looking like Vanessa Demopoulos was going to lose this first round. Her opponent was on top of her, and it wasn't looking great. But in the span of about 10 seconds, Demopoulos went from being pummeled to getting the win by submission with an armbar.

I already had my lens on both Demopoulos and her opponent when the referee called the match, so I was prepared for whatever reaction she was going to have. She went to the other side of the ring during her celebration for a moment, so I used that time to quickly switch to this portrait lens I had wanted to try out for when the fighters were near me.

Demopoulos started approaching my side of the octagon, so I just started shooting what was in front of me. It was luck she came right above my position and yelled the way she did.

That is the moment you're seeing in the frame — emotion, jubilation, and pride from a sudden win she had worked hard for. In my opinion, it was easily the best reaction of the night. It proves that in UFC, a fight can change in a split second!

From the photographer, Matt King:

In this A-League Women's match, the undefeated Sydney FC had been attacking the goal of Melbourne City all match without success. At the 33rd minute, Paige Satchell of Sydney FC took a shot on goal and scored.

She initially threw her arms straight up, but it wasn't until her team mate Mackenzie Hawkesby joined her in celebration that they showed a true sense of jubilation. As they spun around, they both ended up facing me for this final moment. Sydney FC went on to win the match 3-0 to continue their impressive season.

From the photographer, Daniel Pockett:

During this match during the Australian Open, I was designated to be shooting from concourse. This position gives a perspective void of any background distractions, and also the ability to pick your position in-between games.

This being an Ashleigh Barty match, I was on the lookout for Australian fans in the foreground, sitting on the same side as her team box, as players tend to look up towards their box when celebrating. So, I positioned myself behind some fans, anticipating the end of the match.

Barty isn't known as being a dramatic celebrator, she is a very professional operator and always respectful to her opponents, but as she walked in towards the net, she looked up at just the right time for me, just as the fans were holding the flag up and cheering at match point.