HOUSTON (AP) — Ashley Landis is a staff photographer for The Associated Press based in Houston. She has spent the last six years of her 21-year career at Associated Press. Landis specializes in sports, news and features.
Why this photo?
Sweden’s Gustav Lagerbjelke was running at full speed towards the Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo on Saturday as he tried to control the ball. I knew there was a possibility of a pretty violent collision, so I pressed the shutter to capture the moment. Fortunately, the collision was not harmful, but showed off their athleticism as Gakpo soared over the top of Lagerbjelke.
How this photo was made
Our cameras have high frame rates and very fast shutters. These tools made this photo possible. The shutter speed was 1/2500 seconds and the frame rate was 20 frames/second. These settings help you capture a series of images and select peak moments.
Why this photo works
This photo captures the agility of Lagerbjerke and Gakpo. Instead of what could have been a terrifying collision, one side went low and the other high, creating a parallel moment of photogenic soccer symmetry. We could see their split-second decisions being made in real time as they were able to control their bodies and avoid injury.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
