For this month’s News, Sports, and Entertainment spotlight we spoke to Isabel Infantes, who is a freelance photojournalist specialising in news, portraits, PR events and sports. Isabel’s photographs regularly appear in many UK newspapers such as The Times, The Guardian and The Independent.
Isabel’s career has taken her across the world from the UK to Australia, and later this month she will be in Paris photographing the Olympics for the first time.
I fell in love with the variety of the job and the many challenges that it presents day-to-day.
Isabel Infantes
We caught up with Isabel to chat about her work in the photography industry. Read on to learn how Isabel became successful in her career, which events have been her favourite to capture and what advice she has for event preparation.
CG: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into press photography?
II: My first job was for a few local newspapers in east London back in 2012 – this gave me a great base to get into press photography and built up my confidence. Soon after I started freelancing for some news agencies and I started getting pictures published in national papers. Some of the highlights from this time was the Conservative Party conference which I started covering for EMPICS for a few years.
Then I got the chance to freelance for PA just before the Brexit referendum in 2016. To make sure we were not short in news, I took up taking images of the entertainment side such as London Fashion Week, film premieres, music gigs and festivals. Since then, it has just been running a long course at a slow but steady pace which has filled me with many memorable moments.
CG: What made you want to become a press photographer over other photography areas?
II: For a few years I was trying my luck to get into photography but was not finding the right place – the breakthrough point was when I learned about the NCTJ Diploma in Photojournalism in Sheffield. That gave me the opportunity to learn the basics of press photography and shadow professional photographers in local papers from the Midlands to Wales, and even in London at The Times. I fell in love with the variety of the job and the many challenges that it presents day-to-day.
CG: With the Olympics coming up soon, which event/sport are you looking forward to photographing?
II: I am very excited to cover the Olympics this year – it will be my first time and just the fact of attending is already a win for me. There will be so much to see and shoot it’s hard to choose. Obviously, the classics like athletics, gymnastics, swimming are a must, but I am also looking forward to others such fencing, beach volleyball, and some of the new ones such as breaking (breakdancing).
CG: Can you tell us how you prepare for events such as the Olympics?
II: With so many events happening at the same time good scheduling is a must. I have a good plan in terms of when/where/what, so I do not miss anything and allow extra time for any unforeseen events. I have also been looking for locations that might show a bit of Paris to add some context, which I think will make the images more unique as time goes by. Regarding equipment, there is probably never enough kit to take, and I will pack everything as you cannot have too many for an event as big as this one.
CG: Do you have a favourite event that you have covered?
II: It was certainly the Women’s World Cup in Australia last year. It was firstly a big challenge logistically as a freelancer to organise the trip by myself, with matches happening every day in a different city. The atmosphere was incredible, and you could feel the energy of the whole country invested in it. If we think even only five years ago, women’s football was not that well covered and not even televised. After this tournament in women’s football, it will have a big impact in female sports for future generations.
CG: What do you think is the best way to get your photos noticed by the media?
II: I think it is important to keep an eye on those little details that might make a difference and add some emotional context to the story. Sometimes the best images are not just the main action in front of you but those external elements that change the meaning of the story.
Sometimes when shooting a big event we can develop a tunnel vision, but the challenge is to think ahead, and be prepared for the unexpected. I would say that anticipation is the base. Keeping a close eye on everything that happens around you, and not just the actual action so you can deliver a different perspective to the central story.
CG: Have you faced any challenges working in a male dominated industry?
II: There is an undeniable disproportion in the ratio of female/male sports photographers. There have been times when you might encounter some disconcerting comment which I have tried to shrug off and move on. However, in general I have always felt well respected by my colleagues and don’t think gender has been used any kind of discrimination. I think for me it has been more a matter of proving myself through the work I do.
CG: What photography equipment do you travel with?
II: On a daily basis, I would travel with two Canon R3 bodies and a minimum of two lenses (24-70mm and 70-200) that will help me to cover the basics. When doing sports photography I always need to count with my precious 400mm 2.8. As extras I could have a third body with a wide-angle lens or a 50mm for more arty shots, and a flashgun just in case!
CG: What advice would you give other photographers who would like to begin their journey in press photography?
II: Go for it and believe in yourself. Sometimes we can be our worst enemy but not one knows better than yourself. If it feels right, then that is the way to go. Listen to your gut, and your talent will speak louder.
We hope you enjoyed Isabel’s interview and feel inspired to kick start a career in photojournalism. You can check out the rest of Isabel’s collection here and find her website here. Come back next month to see who will be next in our NSE spotlight.
