In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that’s laid him down
—–The Boxer, by Simon and Garfunkel

Just a few days ago I had the opportunity to photograph a sport that I have held in the highest regard for much of my life. I stepped into a boxing gym and spent three hours getting to know the fighters and taking some portraits as part of the Peter Read Miller Sports Photography Workshop.

There’s something magical about a fighter. As a lifelong athlete, playing football and track and field and other sports as well, I love and respect all sports and do not mean to demean any of these other endeavors. With that said, other sports largely pale in comparison to the warriors who step into a ring, and the incredible training program that accompanies this courageous task, including the commitment, dedication and willpower (see: Rocky) as well as the strength and conditioning to stand toe to toe with another who has done the same.

The opportunity to shoot these portraits has merely wet my appetite for more. My time in the gym was pretty awesome, getting to know some of the fighters and furthering my respect for the sport.  That is not to say that I respect the crowd interest in causing physical damage to one’s opponent or for the subjective judging that I believe has resulted countless unfair and corrupt results. When it comes to the fighters, however, my respect is tremendous.

So with that in mind, I’m very proud to share some boxing portraits and look forward to many more of the same. Anyone know of a good gym in LA?