How much longer do you think you’ll be doing this? Will you be there for the Tokyo Games?
I remember way back in 2005 watching on TV the news that London had won the 2012 Olympic bid. I literally screamed with joy and shouted: “I will be there as long as they have stair lifts and some place for me to put down my walking stick!” Ok, it's a bit of an exaggeration there although I have to say it might actually have to be the case for Tokyo 2020. I’m 72 now and am beginning to feel my age. I'm not as fit or agile as I used to be. But that's’s not going to stop me from shooting judo pics just yet.
When you first started shooting judo, there were not many people doing that. Now, there are plenty. How do you stay competitive?
With a lot of difficulty! Obviously, as I get older I also become slower. I can no longer get quickly from one mat to another as I used to do. I guess my main advantage is that I’m a judoka – in fact I used to teach judo in a couple of schools in London – and that knowledge and understanding of judo gives me an edge over some photographers who are sports photographers and not judo photographers per se. But there are some who are judokas. So, I just have to rely on my experience.
What are your plans for next year?
Over the years, my judo photographs have appeared in many books and magazines but these were never my own books. I was just the one who supplied the photographs. In 2017, I plan to start releasing photo-based books that draw from my extensive archive of judo contest pictures that span well over four decades. Imagine, I have stuff from the 70s! Using my photos to create books is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time and now technology has made it possible to easily get these publish as e-books, which would give them a global reach. This is important as I want to do my part to spread judo around the world.
What topics do you have in mind?
It would make sense to do an photo book for Rio 2016. After that I might work backwards and do photo books for past Olympics. Many of my pictures were used for a book entitled "Olympic Judo" which covered the years 1964 through 1988. Perhaps I could work on a book to cover 1992 through2016. I also have pictures of champions throughout their careers, from start to end, so maybe I can do a series on judo heroes. The sky's the limit really with e-books.