DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

The story behind World Press Photo winner “Boxing in Katanga” by John T. Pedersen

Oct 23, 2019 by Martin Kaninsky Add Comment

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

©John T. Pedersen (Norway)

Today I would like to talk about a very special photo, which ended up winning the 1st prize in the Sports, Singles category of the World Press Photo 2019 photography contest. Let’s check out Boxing in Katanga!

The Boxing in Katanga photo was taken in May 2018 by John T. Pedersem, a photojournalist from Norway, based in Oslo. John has been working as photographer for a number of newspapers, trade press, magazines and agencies since 1988. He has covered many interesting stories, which you can actually check out on his website. I was fortunate enough to interview him about his photograph and how he was able to capture the moment that earned him the World press photo award.

The photo was taken with Nikon D4, with a 24 mm 1,4 Sigma lens which was one of the two Nikon D4 cameras John was using at that time. At the moment his camera of choice is the Sony A9. He was also using Leica M9 cameras and sometime Leica M6 and Leica M4p for analogue. The winning picture was selected from approximately 5-6 frames and what I personally like about his photography is that John Pedersen edits his pictures as little as possible. Which I think is very important in photojournalism. (You can check out his website and Instagram.)

©John T. Pedersen (Norway)

John visited Uganda in 2018 to photograph stories of the South Sudanese refugees into Uganda and he stayed for almost 3 weeks. Before he left, he spent his last 2 days in Kampala where he photographed Boxer Moreen Ajambo. The photo was actually not a part of a bigger story. One of the reasons for his visit was a very famous woman boxer Cecilia Brækhus (Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus) who represents Norway and who also visited Rhino Boxing Club in the past. As he photographed Cecilia and the boxing environment several times before, he was curious to see what a boxing club lying in the slum would look like.

His background actually helped him when he arrived at the Rhino Boxing Club in Katanga and was allowed to photograph there. When I asked John why he picked Moreen Ajambo, he said it was a tip from her coach who told him she has a special story and is also a member of Uganda’s National Team.

Moreen Ajambo is a 30 years old woman and mother of 7. She was born and raised in the Katanga slum. She has never seen her biological father and her mother and step father unfortunately died of AIDS. She had to live on the street and all the tough and painful experience in the slums made her violent. Inspired by the action movies she was getting into fights. Rocky Balboa became her favorite movie and an inspiration. One of the boxers told her to visit the boxing club. And after the first training session at the club, she was determined that this was what she wanted to become.

Moreen Ajambo – John T. Pedersen (2018)

She is part of national Uganda boxing team now. However, the biggest challenges for the female boxers are actually outside of boxing ring. The ministry of education only supports few boxers that have been selected for the national team and the local clubs receive no government funding. Boxing is a way of hope and an opportunity for better life outside the slum. What he wanted to show was the atmosphere and environment. If you have ever visited a boxing gym or gym in general you realize this is not a gym you are used to.

When we look at the composition we can see a wide area thanks to the 24 mm lens which covers the gym as well as the side street next to the gym with the kids. The kids are a nice element in the photograph not only as they balance the dark world of the adults but also with their hand gestures from the composition standpoint. John Pedersen said he wanted to show her lonely fight for her future. One of the key elements is definitely the punch thrown into the punching bag with a dollar sign. That was what made the photo for John. When I asked him what would he change in the composition if he could, he said that the only things that annoys him are the legs of the person standing behind the bag. But on the other hand it also makes the picture more vivid.

I think the Boxing in Katanga is a beautiful photo that teaches us that if you want to do something no obstacles are big enough. Moreen fight for survival and she hopes that one day she will be able get her and the kids out of the slum.

John T. Pedersen in Katanga (2018)

When I asked John about the award he said: It is a great honor to receive such a generous award, and I am humbled by this. But it’s not just about us photographer. It’s about the people we meet out there, the ones who let us in to their life, and share their stories in good and for bad.

As a photographer, it is important to show respect and humility. For me, the main tool is not my camera… but my voice, talking to the people you meet. If you want to get close to people, you must be able to communicate. And most importantly: Being a fellow human being.

About the Author

Martin Kaninsky is a photographer and YouTuber based in Prague, Czech Republic. You can find out more about Martin on his website and follow his work on YouTube and Instagram. This article was also published here and shared with permission.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

The story behind the World Press Photo winner “State of Decay” by Alejandro Cegarra World Press Photo Winner Withdrawn by Associated Press From press photographer to capturing ailing children: John Maniaci’s Journey World Press Photo 2015 Winning Photos. Photo Of The Year To Mads Nissen.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: John T Pedersen, Martin Kaninsky, World Press Photo, World Press Photo of the Year

Guest Author: from diyphotography.net

About Guest Author

We love it when our readers get in touch with us to share their stories. This article was contributed to DIYP by a member of our community. If you would like to contribute an article, please contact us here.

« We’re giving away over $1,500 of software, lights, and bags
How to shoot Northern lights with a handheld smartphone »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Botched selfie escalates to draining of reservoir
  • Panasonic PanaTrack is a big bendy motorised camera slider
  • Once again, tourists are getting too close to bison for photos
  • Fujifilm announces shipping delays for the new Fuji X-S20
  • International Photography Awards reveals breathtaking 2022 winners (mildly NSFW)

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy