In the wake of a moment of sporting drama – when records are smashed, heroes made or victory clinched from the jaws of defeat – journalists scramble to put the whole thing into words for those who weren’t there.
They call upon on all the superlatives in their arsenal, all the comparisons they can think of, to define the dizzy glories and terrible lows of sport.
But while they often do an admirable job, it’s the photographer coolly uploading his spoils who so often captures the essence of the world’s favourite dramas best.
Jonny Wilkson at Rugby World Cup final, Sydney 2003
In the UK, no one has done this as consistently or artfully as Tom Jenkins, who for the past 20 years has travelled the world capturing some of the defining sporting moments of our time.
His new book, In The Moment, is a collection of some of his most impressive images spanning major international tournaments across a multitude of sports, and is the subject of a new exhibition in London.
Technically superb and loaded with drama and insight, the images straddle the worlds of journalism and art, explaining why Jenkins is one of most highly awarded sport photographs in the country.
As Olympic excitement reaches fever pitch, this is an exhibition to relish.
Tom Jenkins’ photography is at Kings Place, London Fri 29 June - Fri 31 August. Admission is free. From September 2012 onwards, the exhibition moves to Northumbria University, Newcastle.