“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
“Two or three seconds. Those two or three seconds where I can see the exact point of focus, where there are no hands, scarves, flags, phones or cameras in front of me. I was lucky enough that I could hold my breath and take five or six pictures in the moment before the chaos started.” So says Getty Images photographer Alexander Hassenstein about this picture of Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos bringing the Champions League trophy to his team-mates in Munich last May. It’s stunning, almost mystical, but although Hassenstein insists he was lucky, luck only comes when preparation meets opportunity.
Recall everything you think you know about sports photography. A frantic rush to get into position, the jostling with fellow photographers for the best angle to capture the biggest events, and then speeding away to get your pictures published. It comes across as a very lonely profession, everyone for themselves. Not quite, says Hassenstein. Instead, there’s a fascinating amount of teamwork involved in capturing every key photo, which he cannot stress enough.
“There will be thousands of trophy handover pictures from this moment,” he explains. “That’s why we work as a team, like the players. I was in a bit of a risky position, but I knew my colleagues were capturing the moment from the pitch, so I had the liberty to try this artistic shot.”
This one is probably unlike any trophy lift shot you have seen before. As confetti fills the night sky, focus falls on the Brazilian defender in the bottom-left corner of the frame, and all the sparkles blend together closer to the lens, reminiscent of fairy dust. To put such a fresh spin on a moment caught in thousands of clicks at the same time is no small feat, which is why it earned Hassenstein a special merit at the 2026 World Sports Photography Awards in the football category.
So how did he manage it? “This technique is called tilt and shift. I’m totally in love with it,” he says. In a nutshell, tilt-shift photography uses a specialised lens to manipulate the plane of focus by tilting it and then shifting the perspective. And, in this case, the plane of focus is concentrated at the bottom.
“Our team has exclusive access behind the scenes, on the pitch and in the locker rooms, etc. I was able to stay in a special position under the spectators. While that wasn’t an official photo position, it was exactly the point where I had a clean view of the trophy handover. A day before, there was a rehearsal between the volunteers who were practising it so that it would be smooth for the organisers and TV cameras. That’s when I found this special spot.” See? Preparation.
“After the final whistle, I was on the shortest way up to the stands. I’d marked the exact seat – I believe it was row 18, seat 27. I ran up and asked the fans near this seat if I could quickly just take this spot for a photo during the trophy handover. They were very welcoming.” Then came the opportunity, which Hassenstein seized. “We’re always looking for new, fresh pictures, but it’s not always easy or possible in our world, so I’m very happy with how this turned out.”
For someone who has been at every Champions League final for the past two decades, it’s impressive that Hassenstein can still find innovative ways to cover these historic sporting occasions. For him, he says, the perfect picture is one that manages to meet several challenges at once, sparking sporting interest, media interest and artistic interest. Judged on those terms, in those two or three frantic seconds, he clearly struck gold here.
