It’s that time again–the Olympics are just around the corner and, in preparation, we regular folks sit close by, watching with excitement as the athletes prepare, feeling extremely motivated, and concocting plans of becoming just a smidge more active in our own lives. The power and beauty of these dedicated competitors is completely awe-inspiring and New York-based photographer Martin Schoeller had the opportunity to spend a little time with three of the U.S. team members.
In his series, Schoeller features 16-year-old gymnast Gabby Douglas, track and field star Lolo Jones, and swimmer Ryan Lochte, both in action and behind the scenes. The 2012 Olympic gold-medal hopefuls are posed in Schoeller’s classic up-close-and-personal style, and we also get to see a broad view of the intense athletic action and focus that these athletes experience during the course of their preparation.
The artist says, “I’m not even a big sports person, but athletes’ bodies are mesmerizing. They’re constantly putting themselves in pose and doing something interesting with the physical expressions, and I love to photograph them because they’re natural performers at heart.”
If you like this work and you are looking for a good laugh, you can check out Schoeller’s hilarious celebrity portraits here.
