Photo Assignment #7: Stop-Action

Justin Trivax (right) taking a boxing lesson at a gym in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, October 23, 2025. ©2025 Tessa Trivax

For this assignment, I wanted to capture a moment that showed real motion, not something staged or predictable. I chose to photograph my father, Justin, during a boxing lesson because the sport is all about fast, explosive movements—perfect for testing stop-action photography. Every punch and block happens in a split second, and I wanted to freeze one of those moments mid-swing. The lighting in the gym was great because it was surrounded by windows. Boxing also felt like a good way to show power and focus, which are hard to capture unless the timing is perfect.

I followed the assignment’s advice to shoot at 1/1000th of a second so I could truly stop the motion. That setting let me catch the exact moment Justin’s arm extended mid-punch without any blur. I paid attention to the light direction too—using what came through the gym windows to highlight movement and muscle definition. It took several tries to get the timing right because boxing moves are quick and unpredictable. I learned how important anticipation is in sports photography; you can’t just react, you have to predict the motion and shoot right before it happens.

I chose this subject because it shows motion in a human and emotional way. A lot of sports photos focus on the ball or the equipment, but I wanted to focus on the person—their form, energy, and control. Boxing’s intensity made the image more powerful and gave me a clear subject in action. It also made the photo feel alive, as if you could sense the hit coming. Overall, I took this photo to show how stillness and motion can exist together in one frame, and how the right technical settings can turn a fleeting moment into something permanent.