40 most iconic sports photos from Getty Images this month

The sports world makes for a beautiful palette but individual images can get lost in the constant shuffle. Here are the most iconic sports photos from Getty Images this month.

A general view of a golfer playing a shot on the first hole during the pro-am prior to The American Express at the Arnold Palmer Private Course at PGA West on January 19, 2022, in La Quinta, California.

Golf can be a challenge to photograph when noon light is harsh. One way photographers work around it is to play with shadows and silhouettes like this image. The golfer’s positioning under the shade of a tree allowed me to underexpose him against the bright green landscape to create a silhouette that captures his body language.

— Steph Chambers

Vanessa Demopoulos celebrates after defeating Silvana Gomez Juarez of Argentina by submission in their strawweight fight during the UFC 270 event at Honda Center on January 22, 2022, in Anaheim, California.

It was looking like Vanessa Demopoulos was going to lose this first round. Her opponent was on top of her, and it wasn’t looking great. But in the span of about 10 seconds, Demopoulos went from being pummeled to getting the win by submission with an armbar. I already had my lens on both Demopoulos and her opponent when the referee called the match, so I was prepared for whatever reaction she was going to have. She went to the other side of the ring during her celebration for a moment, so I used that time to quickly switch to this portrait lens I had wanted to try out for when the fighters were near me. Demopoulos started approaching my side of the octagon, so I just started shooting what was in front of me. It was luck she came right above my position and yelled the way she did. That is the moment you’re seeing in the frame — emotion, jubilation, and pride from a sudden win she had worked hard for. In my opinion, it was easily the best reaction of the night. It proves that in UFC, a fight can change in a split second!

— Katelyn Mulcahy

Joel Dahmen of the United States plays his shot from the 11th tee during the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club on January 14, 2022, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

When working golf tournaments in Hawaii, I always try and do something new. There are certain spots on the golf courses that everyone has photographed – it’s a common phrase in our line of work that, “it’s a great image but I have already seen that.” I was trying to use the palm trees a bit differently than I had in the past on a different hole. I added the warmth in camera by working the white balance away from what it would normally look like. The biggest challenge on this frame was getting the club in the right spot between the trees. All the pros swing a bit differently, so you need to be in the right spot behind them and get a bit lucky. The mirrorless silent cameras help a lot with being able to capture this moment.

— Gregory Shamus

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets dunks during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on January 12, 2022, in Chicago, Illinois.

There are millions of pictures of Kevin Durant floating around the ether so creating something new or different is always a challenge. Early in the game, I wanted to try a slow pan shot and the three previous possessions had produced nothing of substance. The next trip down court Durant had the ball and made a break for the basket and dunked the ball. It just so happened to work out that nobody obstructed my line of sight and the focus remained on him producing a decent frame at 1/8 shutter speed. I’m not sure the picture is entirely new or different, but I was happy with the result!

— Stacy Revere

Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson skate in the Pairs Free Skate during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bridgestone Arena on January 8, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee.

One thing that always amazes me, despite the difficulty, athleticism and focus required for the skaters to do what they are doing, is how they really enjoy doing their time on the ice. This photograph of Jessica Calalang, with her Pairs partner Brian Johnson, illustrates that quite well. I like to photograph this element from ice level. You must have a little luck that the skaters are in the right place on the ice. In this case, luck was on my side, and I made a nice frame.

— Matthew Stockman

Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Charlotte Hornets dunks the ball during the second half of the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Spectrum Center on January 8, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I always take advantage of opportunities to set up remote cameras in areas you can’t access during the action. One that has quickly become a favorite is the mouse hole location at the bottom of the basket. The unique angle showcases the symmetry of the arena and sheds a low enough viewpoint to capture all players’ and coaches’ eyes that converge on the athlete in the middle. The color of the jersey worn by Oubre Jr. really helps set him apart from his surroundings and brings another factor of attention to the middle.

One of the elements that may change when operating remote cameras is your options to trigger the mounted camera. In my home arena, the location of the remote camera doesn’t change game-to-game but my seating and shooting position does. Which baseline I occupy each game always determines my triggering method. For this particular image, I used a foot pedal linked to a pocket wizard located in the pocket of my light jacket. With having to sit with legs crossed on the baseline, I am able to position the pedal between my bent knee and the inside of my shoe and with just a little bit of pressure between the two, I trigger the camera. This allows for me to trigger the remote hands-free and independently from my hand-held camera at opportune moments for each.

— Jared C. Tilton

Emma Raducanu of Great Britain plays a backhand during a practice session on Rod Laver Arena at Melbourne Park on January 1, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia.

We are only allowed a short amount of time to capture training sessions during the Australian Open. So, it’s about finding the best angle with the cleanest backdrop in that limited time. Despite only being a practice session, you can see the intensity that Emma Raducanu puts into her preparations.

— Graham Denholm

Hannah Wilkinson of Melbourne City in action during the round six A-League Women’s match between Melbourne City and Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park, on January 9, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia.

This A-League Women’s match was late in the afternoon, so I decided to spend some time shooting from the stands to make use of the light. Hannah Wilkinson is a great player and had been in very hot form leading into this match, so I found myself keeping a keen eye on her. She leaped in the air to make contact with the ball, making a nice shadow on the ground below them.

— Daniel Pockett

Darya Blashko of Ukraine competes during the Single Mixed Relay at the IBU World Cup Biathlon Oberhof at on January 8, 2022, in Oberhof, Germany.

I was covering IBU World Cup Biathlon in Oberhof as an event to prepare for the Winter Olympics. It was crucial for me to learn sport since it will be first time for me to cover it during the Games. I learned a lot during this time — not just about sport itself, but also the rules, pace, key photo positions and preparation required in advance. In this photo, Darya Blashko of Ukraine glides swiftly through the snow. The white background from the snow, trees and overcast conditions allows for Blashko’s uniform to pop.

— Maja Hitij

Joe Mixon of the Cincinnati Bengals is introduced before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

They do this type of thing for entrances at most NFL stadiums for the home team. Some are more elaborate than others. The Cincinnati Bengals are somewhere in between but that’s what I like about them — it’s simple Midwest. I wanted to show how it worked and when Joe Mixon pointed upward it gave the picture some personality. As photographers, we haven’t been allowed on the field to cover games, so I worked for more than a few games to get this right. I was thinking of the mythical warrior appearing out of the fog to go to battle if you will.

— Andy Lyons

Chanathip Songkrasin of Thailand celebrates with Supachok Sarachat after scoring his second goal against Indonesia in the second half during the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup final at the National Stadium on December 29, 2021, in Singapore.

Photographing soccer involves a lot of luck, as any sports photographer can attest to. A regular season soccer game would allow for photographers to switch sides at the half, but with COVID-19 restrictions, I was pretty much stuck with picking a side and sticking to it for the entire duration. This was a strange tournament with the final played over two legs, and the odds were overwhelmingly in favor of Thailand. This led me to pick a position closer to their bench, where I could tap on possible reactions even if goals and celebrations were on the opposite end. The first goal happened early on the other end, but Lady Luck was really nice in the second half, sending three goals my way. This frame was a celebration of the first of those, and it was literally the result of being in the right place and right time. I opted for a longer 400mm lens to clean up the messy background, which is always a gamble with situations like these. Thankfully, all the elements fell nicely into place, making for an aesthetic finish.

— Yong Teck Lim

Tyreek Hill of the Kansas City Chiefs scores a 64-yard touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the fourth quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 23, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors shoots the game-winning shot as time expires to defeat the Houston Rockets at Chase Center on January 21, 2022, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators scores a goal against Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Nationwide Arena on January 23, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves in his fourth-round singles match against Adrian Mannarino of France during day seven of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United jumps for the ball with Declan Rice of West Ham United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United at Old Trafford on January 22, 2022, in Manchester, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Dave Ryding of Team Great Britain competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men’s Slalom on January 22, 2022, in Kitzbuehel Austria. (Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

Thierry Neuville of Belgium and Martijn Wydaeghe of Belgium compete with their Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT Hyundai i20 N Rally1 during the shakedown on Day One of the FIA World Rally Championship Monte Carlo on January 20, 2022, in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Massimo Bettiol/Getty Images)

Maddison Inglis of Australia serves in her second-round singles match against Hailey Baptiste of United States during day four of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2022, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand hits an approach shot during a practice round prior to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Golf Course on January 18, 2022, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Leander Kress of Germany competes in the Super G section of the Super-Combined Men’s Standing race at the World Para Snow Sports Championships at Hafjell on January 17, 2022, in Lillehammer, Norway. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Brock Bowers of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter during the 2022 CFP National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies reacts during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at FedExForum on January 13, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Mikael Kingsbury of Team Canada takes a run for the Men’s Mogul Training during the Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International Ski World Cup at Deer Valley Resort on January 13, 2022, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Aaron Ewen of New Zealand competes in the Men’s Sitting Downhill race at the World Para Snow Sports Championships at Hafjell on January 14, 2022, in Lillehammer, Norway. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Talen Horton-Tucker of the Los Angeles Lakers scores as he is fouled by Damian Jones of the Sacramento Kings during a 122-114 Los Angeles Lakers win at Staples Center on January 4, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Alex Ferreira of Team United States takes a qualifying run for the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe competition at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain at Mammoth Mountain on January 6, 2022, in Mammoth, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Carlos Rodriguez of Cruz Azul celebrates after scoring the first goal of his team during the 1st round match between Cruz Azul and Club Tijuana as part of the Torneo Grita Mexico C22 Liga MX at Azteca Stadium on January 8, 2022, in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Sam Burns of the United States plays his shot from the 18th tee during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club on January 8, 2022, in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)

Nathan Chen skates in the men’s Free Skate during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bridgestone Arena on January 9, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hands the ball off to Ke’Shawn Vaughn of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Raymond James Stadium on January 9, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Hubert Hurkacz of Poland serves in his group D match against Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during the day five 2022 ATP Cup tie between Poland and Argentina at Qudos Bank Arena on January 5, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Michael Gregoritsch of FC Augsburg scores their team’s first goal past Oliver Baumann of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim during the Bundesliga match between TSG Hoffenheim and FC Augsburg at PreZero-Arena on January 8, 2022 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Killian Peier of Switzerland competes during first round in the Individual HS142 at the Four Hills Tournament Men Bischofshofen at Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze on January 6, 2022, in Bischofshofen, Austria. (Photo by Jasmin Walter/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook #0 reaches out for the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant falls to the ground at FedExForum on December 29, 2021, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Jayden Reed of the Michigan State Spartans celebrates a touchdown with teammates in the first quarter of the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 30, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Nick Seeler of the Philadelphia Flyers and Jeffrey Viel of the San Jose Sharks get in a fight during the second period at SAP Center on December 30, 2021, in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

General view of the action between the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on January 2, 2022, in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Brandon Goodwin of the Cleveland Cavaliers leaps over Torrey Craig of the Indiana Pacers as both battle for a loose ball during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 2, 2022, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 108-104. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Simon Ammann of Switzerland jumps during the Individual HS142 at the Four Hills Tournament Men Garmisch-Partenkirchen at Olympiaschanze on January 1, 2022, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)